A glass of wine at the year-end meal, a cold beer to celebrate a signed contract, a glass of champagne to celebrate a promotion: in many French companies, these gestures seem perfectly ordinary. Yet most employees do not know that a very precise rule governs what one is allowed to drink at the office. And this rule holds a few surprises. We often imagine that alcohol is simply and totally banned from the workplace. The reality is more nuanced: the Labour Code actually authorizes four alcoholic drinks, and one of them may well astonish you.
Ce que dit vraiment le Code du travail sur l’alcool au bureau
Contrary to a widely held belief, alcohol is not completely forbidden within the professional premises. It is Article R4228-20 of the Labour Code that sets the framework. This text draws up a limited list: only certain beverages may cross the company’s doors, whether during lunch or at a drink with colleagues.
In other words, the law does not impose a blanket ban, but rather a regulated tolerance. Any beverage that is not on this list is simply proscribed. And this restriction applies in all contexts of daily professional life: midday meals as well as festive celebrations of birthdays or departures. The principle is clear: what is not explicitly allowed is forbidden.
Vin, bière, cidre, poiré : les quatre exceptions autorisées
Here is the four-drink quartet allowed in the workplace:
- The wine
- The beer
- The cider
- The perry
The first three will hardly surprise anyone. The fourth, however, often leaves people perplexed. The perry is the great unknown on this list. Obtained by fermenting pear juice, this Norman cousin of cider is sometimes nicknamed the Norman champagne. Its production has even been listed in the intangible cultural heritage inventory since 2019. A gem of French terroir that few employees would think to bring out at a party.
Conversely, all other spirits are excluded, without exception. Spirits such as whiskey, vodka, rum, or gin have no place in the office. The same goes for cocktails made with strong liquor. As for champagne, it is generally treated as wine, which explains its presence at some internal events, even if its case sometimes falls under interpretation.
L’employeur garde le dernier mot, et il peut tout interdire
Careful: this tolerance is not a right. Since a modification introduced in 2014, the employer enjoys considerable leeway. They can restrict, or even completely prohibit, even these four beverages admitted by the Labour Code.
This power is not arbitrary, however. To remove the tolerance, the employer must justify the decision by the
Security, responsabilité, sanctions : ce que risquent vraiment salariés et patrons
Beyond the list of beverages, one rule remains absolute. The Article R4228-21 prohibits letting or allowing people who are intoxicated to enter or remain in the workplace. In other words, drinking an allowed glass is one thing, being drunk is another, formally prohibited. This is where the employer’s responsibility comes into play: if they allow a person in a state of drunkenness to enter their premises, they expose themselves to a fine of up to 3,750 euros per affected employee.
One detail deserves to be underscored, because it changes everything: the place where the celebration takes place. A farewell party organized inside the company remains subject to the famous four-drink list, whatever the occasion. It is impossible to bring out the bottle of whiskey for the event, no matter how festive. By contrast, if the same party takes place outside, for example in a restaurant, it becomes possible to consume other alcoholic beverages. The geography of the celebration matters as much as its purpose.
Behind the apparent banality of the glass shared among colleagues lies a legal framework that is far more nuanced than one might imagine. Wine, beer, cider, and perry form this surprising quartet, where Norman heritage sits beside the most classic beverage of the French meal. So, next time a party is on the horizon at the office, will you be able to distinguish what is truly allowed from what is not?
