Q: I’m a senior manager in a small company. Our company handbook prohibits alcohol in the workplace. However, our CEO and sales teams like to celebrate successes occasionally with a drink or two. These events are always approved in advance by another executive and myself, and employees are cautioned against drinking and driving or drinking to intoxication.

However, one employee who had a traumatic experience with alcohol expressed that these celebratory invitations conflict with the handbook, and it bothers her.

Should we remove the alcohol prohibition in the handbook, or just address these events on a case by case basis?

A: I think it’s always important to listen to employees who point out what may be inconsistencies in our practices vs. our policies. So this employee may well have a point.

If your policy currently prohibits alcohol at work but you wish to make it acceptable under certain circumstances, you can modify your policy to say so.

For instance, after explaining the customary rationale for prohibiting alcohol in your policy (such as your concern for safety and how much you value employee performance), you could add that, “occasionally, under pre-approved circumstances, the company may allow alcohol to be served for social and/or celebratory purposes.”

Technically, that will address the issue of the discrepancy between policy and practice. Her objection (in other words what “bothers” her) is the inconsistency, the mixed message between what’s on the handbook and what is practiced. But with the added wording now whoever reads the policy knows that these “alcohol containing celebrations“ may happen. So it won’t be a surprise.

However, no matter how carefully you may craft your policy, you should always expect there will be some individuals for which alcohol use is a sensitive issue. And not just for those who’ve had some trauma. There might be others that might feel uneasy for religious reasons for instance some evangelical Christians, most Muslims and Mormons abstain from alcohol.

So the questions becomes, not so much “do we have the right-worded policy in place”, but “will these people feel comfortable attending an event with alcohol”? Will they feel pressure to participate, will they feel singled out if they don’t join in? What can the company do to make everyone feel included? For example, can the company provide non-alcohol options? Or can the company shift the focus of the celebration away from alcohol and more toward recognition, speeches, or even live music? You get the idea.

©Copyright Eva Del Rio

Eva Del Rio is creator of HR Box™ – tools for small businesses and startups. Send questions to Eva@evadelrio.com