The 5 Unspoken Rules of Office Happy Hour

The 5 Unspoken Rules of Office Happy Hour Ah, the post-work happy hour Who doesnt look forward to attending one? Whether youre toasting to TGIF or grabbing a brew after a busy Wednesday as a hump day treat, happy hour is the time to unwind and relax with your coworkers. Cheers to the first roundBut flash forward 30 minutes. Maybe youre on to round two or three of drinks. Youre feeling pretty good and cutting loose, but theres a fine line coming up quickly that youll need to tread carefully. This is the line that separates you from slowing your roll and sobering up to busting out the bars karaoke machine to show off your singing abilities. Naturally, one should try to do more of the former and none of the latter. However, sometimes the latter wins out and the next thing you know, youre waking up hungover and unkoranvers of what happened the night before.Its time to nip this kind of behavior in the bud before it tarnishes your professional reputation. Before you attend any office ha ppy hour vorstellung, follow these five unspoken rules for better drinking events in the future.1. Eat, eat, eat.Attending a happy hour event on an empty stomach is never a good idea. Studies have shown that when you drink on an empty stomach, alcohol absorbs into your stomach and intestines much faster than it would with a full stomach. Eat before you arrive to happy hour or order an appetizer (or dinner) during it. You might even consider doing both, just to be on the safe side.2. Order a simple drink.Now is not the time to order an AMF if you dont know what that stands for, look it up or any other beverage that teeters on the jungle juice end of the alcohol spectrum. For example, a drink that can only be consumed in fishbowl sizes should not be your happy hour go-to.If youre not sure what to order, career experts advise that you choose a Moscow Mule. Its simple to make, pairs nicely with most appetizers, and is uniquely presented in a copper cup with a handle. That handle comes in handy to avoid spills, too.3. Know thy inebriated self.At this point in your life, you probably have a good sense of what youre like when youre a little tipsy. Maybe youre prone to gossiping, texting an ex, flirting, or crying in the bathroom after a few too many drinks. If youre concerned that going to happy hour will allow your coworkers to see a side of you that youd rather they did not, you may choose to opt out of attending altogether. Its not always easy to decline, and it might even keep you from being invited to future happy hours. However, its absolutely for the best if you worry that you will accidentally show off a less than flattering side of yourself to your bosses and coworkers.4. Dress carefully.You dont have to show up in the saatkorn suit you wore to work earlier that day, but you also shouldnt arrive in crazy heels youre sure to fall in or a dress that keeps falling down. Dress it down from the typical workday attire by wearing nice jeans, a blouse and some cut e shoes that you can walk around in easily without stumbling.5. Dont forget about the next day at the office.Whether that next day in the office is Monday or bright and early tomorrow (if your happy hour falls on a weeknight), dont forget that you will be returning to the office again and working with everyone. Treat your happy hour as professionally as possible. Enjoy it and have fun, but dont turn it into a series of post-happy hour afterparties.--Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com which provides online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, startup bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered werber services, DBAs, and trademark and copyright filing services. You can find MyCorporation on Twitter at MyCorporation and Deborah at deborahsweeney.