Lloyd’s pours ‘City lunch’ down the drain

With much grumbling from office workers used to a drink or two at noon, Lloyd’s of London has told its 800 employees that they are not allowed to drink alcohol during business hours, eliminating the deal-heavy “City lunch” concept.

In an internal memo to staff, Lloyd's said alcohol was a culprit in about half of its complaints and disciplinary actions over the last two years among employees, BBC News reported on Wednesday.

The booze ban will be in effect from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, according to the report. 

Lloyd's told reporters that it had been considering the restriction for “some time to bring it into line with industry norms,” according to the news outlet. "There is no denying that it has traditionally been part and parcel of this type of business," said a Lloyd’s spokesman.

The BBC reported that disgruntled staff have called the new measures "heavy-handed” and took to Lloyd's intranet to air their grievances: "Will we be asked to go to bed earlier soon?"