A kegerator is a staple of the modern startup, and smart tech businesses know that it's a great way to attract talent. Developers love beer. I love beer. In fact, I'm a homebrewer. Here at DZone, we have beer on tap (right now: Blue Moon and Hoppyum IPA -- pictured here).
But does beer in the office cause problems? Does it make a workplace unsafe, less productive, or encourage harassment? One blogger says that, yes, it does.
Take work. Add competition and the drive to achieve. Add being tired, stressed, and wanting to bust out and unwind. Mix in some hormones and inexperience. Add beer. It’s a recipe for mixed signals, disagreements, misunderstandings. [Source]
Is beer at the office really such a recipe for disaster? I don't think so. Just having beer in the office doesn't mean that everyone is getting drunk at work. Software development is hard work, so why shouldn't a startup or tech business let you unwind after a long day of coding?
The author of the blog post mentioned above goes on to say that beer in the office "had roots in the frat houses that some of the younger guys had recently left behind." This may be unrelated, but how many developers do you know who were in fraternities? I don't know any.
What do you think? Do you have beer at your office? Have you ever felt unproductive, unsafe, or uncomfortable as a result of beer in the workplace?
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