I think this perspective is easier when one is single, certainly not married, and CERTAINLY without kids. Before I was married, I'd be annoyed if married friends weren't as free-spirited as I was in terms of hanging out late. Even if we all had full-time jobs, come on, what makes you so busy, let's do stuff!

After I got married, I understood what everyone was too nice to tell me. Hey, you're cool and fine, but... no, thanks. After my daughter was born? I'm spending all my time with her, except for the times my wife is happy that I go play basketball or tennis so that I don't fall unhealthily out of shape. It is crazy how quickly my switch flipped after marriage, and then flipped even more extreme after having a kid.

Well, again, I'm suggesting using work hours not extra hours. People seem against the idea entirely.

Well, I suppose the question then would be getting buy-in from leadership. That’s a completely different force to change and is complex for its own reasons.

The OP's solution seems to solve this problem though - if it's the last hour of 'work time' then people can stay for at least that hour and then if they have to leave at the normal time, they can.

If the socialisation time is always outside work hours, then yeah, people with young kids will basically never come.

> Does everyone here despise casual time with their coworkers or what?

Despise? No. But, the decision isn't spend time with coworkers or don't spend time with coworkers. It's spend time with coworkers, or spend time with family/friends. I pick the second option. I'm already spending 40 hours a week with my co-workers. Let me spend the few remaining non-busy, non-tired hours I have with my friends.

But, what do I know. I never go out of my way to spend time with people I don't have a shared interest with anyway. So maybe I'm an exception.

I’m a huge family guy, I too am confused by these comments.

1. After work activities are voluntary 99% of the time (even “required events” I’ve personally skipped many times)

2. I prioritize my family over everything (leaving jobs over work-life balance), but that doesn’t mean having time out of work with co-workers is necessarily bad

3. I tend to value my coworkers as friends and have even invited some to weddings, etc. I don’t think it’s all that odd to have fun outside of work

All that being said, I also hate cutting into family time. But not everyone has a family or solid friend group, so activities through work are probably a good thing

> But not everyone has a family or solid friend group

And they never will, if they stick around at work after work.

Not sure this is fair. I met my wife at work, we even got to know each other initially at a "mandatory fun" type of event (admittedly this wasn't a "professional" job, so I understand that it's a little different). Literally every close friend I've made since school is somebody I know from work initially. I would say going for a beer after work is probably one of the best ways to make friends as an adult.

> Only fair way to do this is just start during the last hour of the work day.

Why is that the only way?

> Does everyone here despise casual time with their coworkers or what?

What’s with the trend to hypernormalize human agency and preferences?

Why are alternative approaches to life forbidden? There seems to be a religious like statefulness in people where we see a typical human and assume “they must be like me, and they’re being negative if that’s not true.”

> Why is that the only way?

Well, you don't want to ask people to donate time. You don't want to disrupt work too much either and it shouldn't be mandated. A loud mixer mid day for people who really can't spare the time can be distracting.

You said a mandate that the last hour of the work day be set aside for socialization, but also it should not be mandated?

I think you’re just going to annoy people who would rather go home and people who would rather use that hour to work.