“Treating” their employees sometimes means providing alcohol at these gatherings. After all, alcohol is a more expensive offering that many people recognize and appreciate.  Having said that, making alcohol available at these gatherings can present unexpected challenges for your employees who are in recovery.  After 7 years of working in drug and alcohol treatment and years of providing therapy to professionals in recovery, here are some things for companies to know as they plan their company’s events. 

It’s not uncommon for some companies to have alcohol available at their holiday parties or large annual gatherings.  While the company itself might see this as a nice treat for their employees, the availability of alcohol can present unwanted challenges for people who are working really hard to maintain their sobriety.  Additionally, there are a number of other reasons why employees might not be interested in consuming alcohol at their company gatherings (religious beliefs, health reasons, medications, etc.).  Here are 6 strategies companies can use to be mindful of employees who do not drink alcohol when planning their next corporate gathering.