10 Alcohol-Free Work Socials
Alcohol and drinking culture seem to be a big part of work socials, but not every work social has to involve alcohol.
Alcohol-related events can be fun, but too many of them can have negative effects on the workforce.
According to alcohol change, between 3%-5% of work absence is due to alcohol consumption and 25% of individuals say that drug or alcohol have affected them whilst at work, causing a loss of productivity.
We’ve decided to compile a list of 10 work socials that don’t involve the need for alcohol but are still fantastic ways to bond, connect and spend quality time with your colleagues.
10 Alcohol-Free Work Socials
Not every work social has to involve alcohol!
Here are 10 ideas to bring your team together without the need to get intoxicated.
1. Wellbeing Workshop
Team wellbeing workshops can be fun, thought-provoking, engaging, and a great alcohol-free work social.
Wellbeing workshops can be based on a variety of topics and an interactive workshop can allow for a great opportunity for staff to connect.
Wellbeing is at the forefront of conversation this year and although this may not seem like your typical work social, it’s a unique and alternative team social event that can help to keep employees motivated.
2. Team Hike
Hiking in nature can be beautiful, breath-taking, and amazing for both our mental and physical wellbeing.
Hiking also provides some group challenges. Going on a team hike can help colleagues bond, work as a team and overcome challenges, all skills which are often related to any working day.
If organised correctly, this can also be an extremely cost-efficient alcohol-free work social.
If you would prefer a company to organise it for you, check out “Team Walking” which offers team walking away days.
3. Office Olympics
Office Olympics can be as creative and adventurous as you decide it to be.
The aim of this non-alcohol work social is to create fun, safe and interactive challenges and games in the office.
Challenges can include things like throwing a piece of paper in the bin from specific points in the office and whoever gets it in is the winner.
It can also include creating paper airplanes, getting individuals to design them and make them pretty, then seeing who’s can be thrown the furthest.
Office Olympics aims to get the team socialising, having fun, and being creative.
Discussing with the team what challenges to create may help the team get creative and feel more involved in the social, making them more likely to want to participate.
4. Team Volunteering
Volunteering is an honourable thing to do and those that have volunteered know how rewarding it can be.
Giving employees time to help and support meaningful causes can help them to appreciate and be grateful for the life that they live.
Volunteering as a work social can help employees to share moments of gratitude and thankfulness.
There are lots of opportunities to volunteer but we’ve linked one option below for convenience.
Team volunteering opportunity.
5. FlipOut
Flipout is an adventure park based all over the UK and is full of trampolines and mazes to bounce through and enjoy.
Although originally designed for children, Flipout has become a popular activity for adults with the company advertising “After Dark Parties”.
With alcohol being prohibited on-site this acts as another terrific work social that doesn’t revolve around alcohol.
Colleagues can bounce along having fun, challenging themselves to re-live their youth and perform jumping tricks and skills.
Bouncing on the trampoline with colleagues can be a great laugh and provide a great form of entertainment. I’m sure any group of colleagues that visit will have a fantastic time.
6. Go-Karting
Go-karting has the potential to be one of the most thrilling alcohol-free work socials out there.
To drive a go-kart, alcohol is prohibited and staff would probably be worse off for it, even if they were allowed.
Go-karting provides a fun, competitive, and thrilling experience. Colleagues can compete against each other on the track and have fun whilst doing so.
Light-hearted competition among colleagues creates opportunities to bond, banter, and form lasting relationships.
For convenience here are some go-karting companies that may be able to help.
7. Lunch and learn
Leaving the office for a work social can occasionally seem like too much effort. Especially if you’re working in a fast-paced and competitive environment.
A lunch a learn is a convenient and easy way to get colleagues together and socialise.
A lunch and learn shouldn’t involve alcohol as it’s normally in the middle of the day at lunchtime, and staff need to return to work after.
Companies with a budget can hire a guest speaker to talk on a range of different topics and the best speakers will find a way of engaging and involving staff.
Having time at the end of the lunch and learn, gives colleagues a chance to chat and discuss the talk they’ve just experienced. Another remarkable way for colleagues to bond and socialise without the need for alcohol.
8. Escape Rooms
Locations are based all over the UK and can be a great alcohol-free work social where teams work together and have a good time.
They provide challenges that teams have to figure out, to “escape” the room.
Teams are locked in a room and given clues to help them work out where they can find the keys that unlock the door.
This type of work social encourages colleagues to work together, think outside the box and work under pressure. Skills that help in most working environments.
This link provides a range of the best escape rooms in the UK.
9. Staff Sports Day
Sports days can be extremely fun as an alcohol-free work social and can even encourage employees to get fitter and healthier leading up to the event.
A healthier and fitter workforce has many benefits and a staff sports day is a brilliant way to encourage this.
Challenges can include 100m race, egg and spoon race, sack race, and many others.
Sending a survey and asking staff what events they’d like is another way of involving them in making the event a success.
A staff sports day allows colleagues to get to know each other better, encourages a little healthy competition, allows them to try a new skill, and provides an element of fun and excitement during a working day.
10. Alcohol-Free Trip to the Theatre
Theatres provide a unique experience in comparison to many other work social activities. Visiting a theatre is not something that most people do often and it provides something new for many.
Depending on the show, a visit to the theatre can provide thought-provoking moments, entertainment, inspiration, and more!
It may be possible to buy alcohol at the bar, but this is not an alcohol-focused work social and can be easily enjoyed with non-alcoholic beverages.
There are a range of theatres in the UK and the link below provides a list for your convenience.
Author –
Tyler Lowe – Health & Wellbeing Speaker
BSc Sport & Exercise Rehabilitation
