May an employee consume alcoholic beverages at lunch or when on non-paid status at a function after work hours?
Although you are on non-paid status during your scheduled lunch break, you must always use good judgment, especially if you plan to return to work after lunch. If you consume alcohol while at lunch away from the office, you will generally still have alcohol in your system when you return to work from lunch. The presence of alcohol in your body while at work is specifically prohibited in PPM 21. Likewise, DOTD prohibits the use/presence of alcohol while engaged in DOTD business; therefore, if you are on paid status, drinking alcohol is not allowed.
