One-in-Ten Workers Admit to Drinking on Company Time on St. Patrick's Day, CareerBuilder.com Survey Finds

CHICAGO, March 14, 2006 – St. Patrick’s Day, like many holidays, is a time for celebration for workers of all backgrounds. While some may partake in parade-watching, group lunches and treats, others elect to drink in the festivities. One-in-ten workers say they participate in after-work happy hours on St. Patrick’s Day, while another one-in-ten admit to having an alcoholic beverage on company time on St. Patrick’s Day. CareerBuilder.com’s survey, “Drinks on the Job,” was completed in December 2005 and featured more than 2,050 workers representing multiple backgrounds and industries.

Drinking while on the job extends beyond holidays. One-in-five workers – 22 percent – say they have gone out for an alcoholic beverage during a regular workday at some point in their careers. Ten percent of workers report a more habitual pattern, stating they consume an alcoholic beverage with lunch during the workday at least once a week.

Men reported a higher tendency toward drinking during the workday. Eleven percent of men say they’ve had an alcoholic beverage on company time on St. Patrick’s Day, compared to 8 percent of women. Thirty percent of men admit to going out for a drink during a regular workday, compared to 19 percent of women. Fourteen percent of men say they have an alcoholic drink with lunch at least once a week, compared to 8 percent of women.

Comparing select industries and job functions, IT and Government ranked highest in the area of workers drinking during the workday on St. Patrick’s Day, with respective amounts of 15 percent and 10 percent.

Accounting/Finance led in the category of workers who admit to drinking on company time during a regular workday at 29 percent, followed by 28 percent of IT workers and 24 percent of Manufacturing workers. Sales and Hospitality tied for having the highest number of workers who admit to drinking during lunch at least once a week at 14 percent. Healthcare and Retail workers ranked lowest in all measurements.

“Consuming alcohol on company time, regardless of the occasion, can lead to serious consequences,” said Jennifer Sullivan, Senior Career Advisor at CareerBuilder.com. “Workers need to exercise good judgment and maintain professionalism at all times at workplace festivities taking place during or after the workday.”

Sullivan offers the following tips for keeping proper etiquette and making the most of workplace celebrations:

• Make Sure Everyone Makes the “A List” – If you are planning a work happy hour, remember to keep it an open invitation so everyone feels welcome.
• Buddy Up – Happy hours can be a great place to build camaraderie. Use this time to network, meet co-workers from other departments and exchange ideas. But, remember these are social events, so keep it casual.
• Don’t Star in the Next Water Cooler Story – Know your limits. Keep the consumption of any alcoholic beverages to a minimum.

For more information on CareerBuilder.com surveys, visit: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pr_main.aspx

Survey Methodology
CareerBuilder.com’s survey, "Drinks on the Job," was conducted from November 15 to December 6, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 2,050 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.16 percentage points (19 times out of 20).

About CareerBuilder.comCareerBuilder.com is the nation’s largest online job site with more than 20 million unique visitors and over 1 million jobs. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), the company offers a vast online and print network to help job seekers connect with employers. CareerBuilder.com powers the career centers for more than 800 partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. These include more than 170 newspapers and leading portals such as America Online and MSN. The nation's top employers take advantage of CareerBuilder.com's easy job postings, 15 million-plus resumes, Diversity Channel and more. Millions of job seekers visit the site every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic email job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com.

Media Contact:
Michael Erwin
(773) 527-3637
Michael.Erwin@careerbuilder.com

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
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(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com