Sure, if I'm meeting a vendor for lunch it would be normal. If I'm just sitting at my desk working through lunch like I typically do, it would be really strange to have a drink and I'd probably be reprimanded.

USA, IT worker

I work in healthcare in the UK. I don't even drink on week nights let alone over lunch. I agree over here drinking at lunch would probably be seen as a problem.

I think a big part of that is the UK binge drink culture. Most people over here drink a lot in one go to get drunk as the goal.

Canadian IT worker.

I refuse to drink at work parties. Everyone else does and I get some peer pressure to drink but I don't care. Its normal to see people get super drunk and embarrass themselves which is why I don't even start.

Specifically at lunch, if I'm not driving and others are having a beer I will but only one. If I'm driving, it depends on how I'm feeling.

Working from home I've been known to have a beer or two on a Friday afternoon by my self.

When I left my last job we had a meeting at the end of the day with the guys I got along with and anyone they wanted to invite. There was about 15 people from different departments with their cameras on having a drink or smoking (pot) if they didn't drink as a goodbye. Was a nice goodbye. Lol

Switzerland, IT

Depends on the team. It's not that uncommon in some occasions, for example on a friday, to have a beer when eating lunch in a restaurant.

Very common is the "Apero"-culture. Small festivities after work to celebrate something. Snacks, beer and wine are part of it. Sometimes this can also be during the day and people will continue to work after.

I worked in 3 different European countries, in both academia and industry,

While not being common, it's not that rare to take a glass of wine or beer when doing a real-restaurant for lunch break at work. At least for people working in office.

IT related to ships and geophysical surveys.

For larger projects, as long as the heavy duty work is out of the way, grabbing a beer or two with the meal is pretty common.

Related story:
We were mobilizing for a project, and I had a real headscratcher of a problem. Work day was over, and we all headed back to the hotel for the evening. We all met at dinner, and I called it "a night" early as I excused myself after a few beers to head back ip to my room.

Project manager, who knew of the issues I was having with the system said something along the lines of the issues being serious when it caused me to be the first to leave the bar. "Nah, I'm gonna VPN in and try something I just thought of"

Yup, turns out it was abgood idea: Misconfigured soanning tree was the root cause, and the fix took 5 minutes. It was fun rejoining the others and Announce that the system would be ready the next day after some cleanup, and all that was missing was a few beers. The Ballmer Peak is real.

Ballmer Peak

^xkcd

I'm currently in a production support role in the US, and I'd never consider it: I work too closely with production operatives that they'd smell it on me. My last couple of role involved programming automated forklifts, so it was strictly forbidden.

Ten years ago I was doing an internship an engineering firm in the UK, and a few times we went out for a beer with lunch. It wasn't exactly common, but it did happen.

US/Engineer

At my first job, a fairly large firm with a few hundred people, I remember the furtive glances around the table as everyone didn't want to be the first one to order a beer. Once a single person ordered one, several others would too. The boss was fine with it, but nobody did it in front of the boss's boss. We never had more than one, though.

At my second job, a small, new company with 12ish people, it was pretty common. Sometimes someone would bring a six pack to share into the office on a Friday afternoon. Usually, the owners would join in.

At my current job in the public sector, the culture just isn't there. Nobody drinks at all during work hours. I don't drink as much anymore, anyway.

Chef/owner & I've stayed away from the 'glass of wine when you cook' because I have grown attached to my fingers. I like to relax when I drink, so it's either when I'm off or after we shut down.

Currently in Spain, probably going to end my career here and drinking is very different from where I grew up.

Lunch is at 9am, and it's common to see people having a beer (followed by coffee)

People tend to nurse drinks, it's a more social thing, and if they get buzzed it's usually low key and don't get too sloppy- however I've seen holiday parties for businesses get everyone wasted....and fiestas all bets are off, lol.

I love it here.

US, audit & tax

Once in a blue moon, on a really nice day, we would get a patio table and have a margarita with lunch. Only if it was a slow work day, like with nothing but webinars scheduled for the afternoon (as attendees, not presenters).

It was not uncommon to see beer in the office fridge during tax season because those folks would be pulling 15+ hour days for pretty much 3 months straight.

I personally don't drink, but my team is all WFH, so I don't doubt at all that there are some that have a beer or two with lunch. Or a glass of wine.

When we have in person events, there's a pretty strict no drinking culture, but once the event is over, usually people will shuffle off to the nearest pub or bar or we've done a board game cafe with booze before.

In my previous job I had to travel very often to customer's sites or or other offices

The ones in Germany drank regularly during lunch time. I never felt comfortable to do it since my job was very technical. In one office they even had a fridge full of beers and wines that you could grab freely. I never saw anybody drinking at the office tho

Depends on what the boss does, but if I'm the most senior person, and especially if it's a conference or lunch meeting with someone I know well, and the itemized bill isn't required for reimbursement, sure thing. Have many times.

Some older companies have policies in place that define appropriate circumstances under which staff can have 1 drink during duty hours and it not be an actionable offense.

Product designer/engineer in the US

If the team is going out to lunch to celebrate a special occasion, then a single drink has always been fine in the teams I worked with. I don't partake anymore because it makes me really sleepy in the afternoon.

I worked at one company that hosted a weekly happy hour. I was one of the employees who took turns setting up the kegs in the common room, and pouring drinks during the event. That was a fun place. The extra social time really improved some working relationships. And we got a surprising amount of productive work done just by talking for an hour or two while standing around sipping microbrews and wine.

I see no problem with a single drink at lunch, specially with your team. It helps you relax and build rapport imo.

At my previous job, my manager would take our 5-6 people team out for lunch and a beer for anyone's birthday and at the end of the year. I miss that.

My current job doesn't allow it, so going out for lunch with co workers is a little more stiff, and so is my relationship with my manager.

Last christmas I had to work during the break with only 1 co-worker, we snuck out and had pizza with a berr. It was great.

Used to work for a company that started out as a US startup for IT Services, later it was purchased by a large German company.

During its startup days, you did not dare drink alcohol at lunch time.

After being bought by the German company, you did not dare NOT to drink alcohol at lunch time. Especially if someone from Germany was visiting. They viewed it odd that we had an aversion to drinking beer at lunch.

UK/Astronaut

We take a fifth of gin everytime our home country whizzes by, so that's a full glass over the entire workday, and it tends to make the job go faster.

When I worked in kitchens and bars? Regularly

Now, driving a forklift and using a nail gun every day.. I’ll wait till I get home

Forbidden by company policy. Zero tolerance for drugs or alcohol. Federally regulated manufacturing in the US.

I have worked in 6 different manufacturing companies in the US and none of them allow it. Must be a safety and liability thing.

IT worker in system analysis and design in the public service in Canberra, Australia.

There's no official policy though many of my co workers believe a lunch time drink is not allowed. I have often enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine or a beer at lunch, have never made a secret of it, and have never been told off or warned by anyone above me

No. My job depends on results. Alcohol affects my production. Therefore, drinking on workdays is a very dumb thing for me to do.

Edit: Downvoted because alcohol gives me terrible brain fog and I want to keep my job? Alrighty then…

Software guy. Most productive/distraction free time of the day is mid-afternoon. Drinking at lunch would just take that zone away and push everything to the next day.

Happy to wait till 5pm, or whenever feels like a good time to do a git push.

When I go lunch I go home for the day. I only work in the morning.

So, no need of alcohol to cope with overwork.