I am officially boycotting our mandatory fun Thursday night team happy hours because I’m tired of working a 13th hour for a lukewarm beer. If I’m done with my deliverables, I want to see my actual friends or go to the gym, not talk about market interest rates over cheap appetizers. Am I career-sabotaging by skipping these?

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I guess it all depends on your company culture and the reasoning behind a "Mandatory fun". My thought is, how much fun can it be if it's mandatory?

If this is unpaid and outside of your normal working hours, it probably can't be forced. However, skipping out on relationship-building can subtly impact your career trajectory over time,

Consider these factors before you skip:
Is it truly mandatory? If attendance is required (e.g., during paid work hours), skipping without a valid reason could flag you as not being a team player.

How is the networking? Happy hours are often where important informal networking, team bonding, and internal visibility happen.

The Middle Ground: You do not need to stay late or drink. It is a common strategy to show your face, order a non-alcoholic drink, chat for 15-20 minutes, and excuse yourself.

If you want:
Draft a polite, professional excuse to decline the invitation.

Brainstorm alternative ways to build visibility with your leadership during working hours.

Mandatory?

I just wouldn’t go

Yeah that's a no.

It depends. I avoid these things too like the plague. It definitely makes you seem like you're not interested. Which is never good for your year-end reviews!

All comes down to how much you care / willing to stay at the current job

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