“What about 10 Downing Street?”

“What about 10 Downing Street?” - Angry reaction to advice to ‘reduce alcohol at office parties’ warning

Advice that suggests alcohol at office social events should be limited has been met with calls of double standards going on in the highest office in the country. The Chartered Management Institute (CMI) has released data from a recent poll of managers.

Referring to the findings, CMI chief executive Ann Francke said that while socialising with work colleagues is a ‘great team building opportunity’, managers should be cautious.

"Leaders might want to rethink what these social moments entail and ensure any necessary safeguards are in place," Francke said.

"That might mean adding additional activities alongside alcohol, limiting the amount of drinks available per person or ensuring that people who are drinking too much are prevented from acting inappropriately towards others.

"Younger people and women are more interested in social activities that do not involve alcohol, and that should also be taken into account when planning professional social gatherings. Booze doesn't always need to be the main event."

But some have pointed out that such remarks sit at odds with instances like the now infamous Partygate scandal in Downing Street, when staff broke lockdown laws with boozy parties.

Responding to the CMI comments on Twitter, one user said: “What about 10 Downing Street - or are they still allowed to do their own thing?”

Another added: “But it's fine if the alcohol is brought into the office in a suitcase.” That referred to alcohol which was brought in for the Downing Street parties by staff using suitcases.

Boris Johnson giving evidence in the wake of Partygate (AP)

“Yep, shut the bars in Westminster and ban it from all Government workplaces. Isn’t going to happen, is it?” said another. Among those managers polled by the CMI, over 1000 in all, 42% said work parties should be organised around activities that don't involve alcohol, while 46% of women preferred alcohol-free parties, compared to 37% of men.

Meanwhile, nearly a third of those polled said that they’d witnessed inappropriate behaviour or harassment at work parties. The poll comes in the wake of the allegations emerging from business lobby group the CBI.

One female worker has alleged that she was raped following a work summer party in 2019, with another making a second allegation of rape while working there. 12 other women have also alleged misconduct by CBI managers.

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