Creating Inclusive Work Cultures: Why Sober-Friendly Offices Benefit Everyone
By Jenna Borrelli
Somatic hypnotherapist, sober mentor, and artist
Jenna believes radical self-compassion and self-acceptance act as a catalyst for a more abundant, restful, and creative life. She offers 1:1 coaching and hypnotherapy, group events, and business mentorship.
Navigating sobriety in professional settings can feel daunting, especially in workplaces where alcohol is ingrained in the culture. In this guest blog, somatic hypnotherapist and sober mentor Jenna Borrelli shares her journey of overcoming workplace drinking norms, advocating for alcohol-free options, and fostering inclusive environments for everyone—sober or not. Jenna offers actionable strategies to help you feel safe, supported, and empowered in any work setting.
Alcohol-Centric Company Culture
When I was a very young 21-year-old, I started my first “big girl” job out of college. I was hired at a product development company where much of the products we developed centered around drinking. So naturally, drinking was in our company culture. We had rotating kegs on tap, a beer fridge that was always stocked, and a liquor cabinet with plenty of hard liquor options to choose from. It was the “perfect” way to take the edge off at the end of the day… or the middle of the day… or for me… anytime of the day.
I enjoyed this job from a creative and professional perspective, but there were a lot of issues with the structure of the company and the way we operated. Alcohol being the root of our culture made it an easy fix to deal with workplace tension and stress. The open bar policy gave the illusion that we were a cool and relaxed organization—work hard and party harder. But having free range to that alcohol in my work environment only fueled my bad habits around drinking. In fact, some of my worst days of my alcoholism occurred while I was working in this job.
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Transitioning to Sobriety
I left this role in 2019 and got sober in 2021 while working primarily remote. While I wasn’t socializing with my coworkers, it was an opportunity for me to holistically fix my issues with alcohol and the relationship of drinking to relieve work stress—whether in the office or at home.
Right now, I work full-time in a mostly remote environment where I have an office I can go to as I please and plenty of opportunities to socialize with my coworkers at happy hours and holiday office parties.
At the beginning of 2024, I was invited to my first office party as a sober person. I remember texting my group of sober girlfriends (shout out to the Sober Sisters group chat!) and letting them know I was feeling a little bit anxious about attending my first holiday work party while sober. Supported by my friends, I felt empowered to reach out to the party planning committee and let them know my non-alcoholic needs. The party planners let me know there would be an open bar at a restaurant and the bartenders would be able to make me tasty mocktails during the event!
Building Confidence Through Support
In February 2024, I attended my first office party as a sober person, knowing only a few people in my office. Not only did I remain alcohol-free the whole night, but I stepped out of my comfort zone and made new friends in the office. My drink of choice that night was virgin Moscow mules, a refreshing drink that let me blend in with the alcohol drinkers. I work on a mostly remote marketing consulting team, but at the event I made really good friends with our finance team! Our party was at an upscale bowling bistro, so I had a great time (and channeled my inner child) bowling, playing bocce, and giant Jenga! I was proud of myself. I even bowled without bumpers on! After having a welcoming and fun experience meeting new colleagues in person, I felt confident in joining other social events in the future.
Importance of Alcohol-Free Inclusion
Fun and abundant alcohol-free drinks at office parties are an essential part of workplace inclusion. Not just for people who are actively sober but for anyone who, in that moment, is choosing not to drink. It baffles me in modern times that asking for sober options is almost taboo, whereas having abundant fun alcoholic drinks is the norm.
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Creating Space for Sobriety Conversations
Another way I found success in advocating for my sobriety in my workplace was by creating a space where it would be accessible to talk about. Where I work now, we have employee resource groups (ERG) based on a variety of topics and categories. Within my first two months of joining, I founded a wellness-oriented group where sobriety could be discussed and championed. I feel very grateful I have the safety to speak openly about my sobriety and can also support others at the organization who are also looking to connect.
Strategies for Navigating Sobriety at Work
If you are struggling with your sobriety in an office environment, here are some strategies to make socializing more enjoyable and more inclusive for you:
Speak with a trusted coworker or manager to help you advocate and to share any discomfort you might be experiencing in social settings. Having support from others gives you safety to advocate for your needs.
Make friends with the office manager/party planning committee and/or even join the party planning committee. The party planners always need an extra hand with events, and it allows you to be directly influential when the drink options are being discussed!
Present examples of non-alcoholic beverages outside of just sparkling water, juices, and sodas. When discussing social events, you can showcase the variety of delicious alcohol-free options on the market today!
Present reasons why having non-alcoholic beverages is important from a safety, inclusion, and health perspective. As mentioned, there are reasons outside of maintaining sobriety to be alcohol-free for social events, and presenting the value in these non-alcoholic options ensures they’ll be provided moving forward.
Leave the party if you’re feeling triggered. Keeping yourself safe should be your top priority if an event begins to feel overwhelming.
Use feedback forms to share your experiences in these environments. This can be helpful feedback to provide to party organizers and leadership at your organization.
Join your company’s (diversity equity and inclusion) DEI initiatives or start them yourselves. By getting involved in DEI, you are also making a direct contribution to better work cultures!
Attend a virtual or local support group to talk about your experiences being alcohol-free in the workplace. Joining weekly meetings or events hosted by groups like Chicago AF allows you to connect with sober-friendly communities and helps you feel less alone when navigating these experiences in your professional life.
Final Thoughts
Whether you are drinking to stay sober or simply choose not to drink at social events, you deserve to feel safe and included at your work events. By participating in your workplace through feedback, party planning, or DEI initiatives, you are making a lasting impact on the culture of your work environment—which everyone ends up benefiting from!
To learn more about Jenna:
Website: https://www.jennaborrelli.life/
Instagram: @jenna.borrell.life
Email: info@jennaborrelli.life
