With the holidays right around the corner, many people may be looking forward to their holiday parties at work as an opportunity to have a few beers and mingle with their coworkers. But one ad agency is taking office boozing to a whole new level.
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An ad agency in Minnesota is offering a unique incentive to get its employees to submit their time sheets. When an employee submits his time sheet, he will be awarded one pint of beer from the revolutionary Tapserver. This is a high-tech beer cart that comes with an RFID card scanner and a touch screen iPad so you can select your beer option electronically.
By scanning their key cards, the RFID scanner will instantly verify whether the employees’ time sheets are up to date. Upon verification, the employee uses the iPad to select a beer. The electronic interface allows the employee to measure the number of ounces they are consuming and the type of beer they have selected.
A 2012 study by University of Illinois at Chicago researchers found that a small amount of alcohol provides a benefit to a person’s creative process, making them “more likely to perceive their solutions as the result of sudden insight.” The ad agency prides itself on creativity, saying, “We believe that creativity can transform business problems into human solutions.”
Providing alcohol to your employees also gives them a chance to bond and socialize with their coworkers. These social opportunities can help boost company morale. However, employers should always be cautious in this area. It’s not called “liquid courage” for nothing! Alcohol at work could lead to loosened inhibitions or clouded judgment, sexual harassment, workplace discrimination, not to mention workplace injuries and other potential sources of legal trouble. If your company does decide to reward its employees with alcohol, it’s best to limit the consumption so your company is not at risk.
Wow! This idea just seems riddled with liability risks that would outweigh any benefits.