Tausi Insider

Tala Abu Hayyaneh, photographed outside a pub in Calgary, says that the social pressure to take part in after-work drinks can result in uncomfortable situations. Leah Hennel After-work drinks has long been the default setting for casual networking in many Canadian workplaces. The act of gathering at a bar or restaurant to consume alcohol is often seen as a way for employees and their bosses to bond, chat and get to know one another outside the pressures of the job. But for women and other marginalized groups, this common social practice is not always inclusive. For Tala Abu Hayyaneh, a Calgary-based millennial working in the public sector, the presumed participation in drinking culture has resulted in uncomfortable situations. As a Muslim woman, Ms. Abu Hayyaneh recalls the social pressure to conform that occurred during her first employee work retreat post-pandemic lockdowns. “This was the only socializing opportunity to network, [and it] was happening late in the evening at a brewe...