Q. You are new to the corporate world and not sure what to do at business functions or after-hour gatherings where alcohol is present. If everyone else is drinking - including your boss - should you drink, too?

A. The line between a work event and a social event is often unclear. You may see all the trappings of a party - food, music, even dancing - but any gathering where colleagues are present is business and you should stay sharp and avoid alcohol, said Jody Queen- Hubert, executive director of cooperative education and career services at Pace University in New York.

“Don’t be fooled,” she warned. “You are always being scrutinized by colleagues, so professionalism at all times is a must.”

Cy Wakeman, president of a human resources consulting firm bearing her name in Sioux City, Iowa, says that when it comes to drinking with colleagues, “the risk is very high that something negative will come out of it.” She says that it’s acceptable to have one or two drinks but that it is best to stop there.


Q. How do you politely decline to drink, especially if others are urging you to have one?

A. A simple “no, thanks” should suffice, said Debra Benton, a career coach and author of “C.E.O. Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization.” If everyone in your group is ordering a drink, get a soda or a tonic and lime.

You don’t need to make excuses, she said, or give a reason that reveals personal information, like “I’m on medication.” You can, however, give the reason if it is less personal - you will be driving, for example.


Q. When you attend business-related social events with more-senior colleagues, they always seem to be holding a drink. Could your refusal draw attention to your youth and inexperience?

A. In some corporate cultures, having a scotch is a way to build relationships, a way to take part, Debra Condren, a business psychologist, said. “That being said, you can still drink very little of it or have one drink and then switch to water,” she said.

It’s essential, however, to know your limits. If your clients or bosses are throwing back Johnnie Walkers, you can’t follow their lead, Ms. Condren said. If you try to keep up, you will likely drink too much and act unprofessionally - definitely drawing attention to your youth and inexperience.


Q. If you wound up overdoing it, what’s the best way to deal with it the next day at the office?

A. Making an apology to the entire office or department is unnecessary and can seem self-indulgent, Ms. Wakeman said. “Talk to people individually, saying you drank too much and learned a valuable lesson and that it will never happen again,” she said. “And remember that if it does happen again, you will lose your credibility.”


Q. Is it acceptable to stay out of work if you have a bad hangover?

A. No. Even if the culture is one of “playing hard,” there is also an expectation you will work hard the next day, Ms. Queen-Hubert said. Use your trusted hangover remedy and soldier on.

If you are too sick to get out of bed, you will have to meet with your boss when you return, said Dallas Teague Snider, founder of Make Your Best Impression, a business etiquette consulting firm in Birmingham, Alabama. “Offer to work an extra day or take your sick day as unpaid vacation instead,” she said. “Your boss may say you don’t need to do that, but you should still offer.”


EILENE ZIMMERMAN