9 Bizarre Rules That Coors Employees Have To Follow

Working at a brewery sounds fun, right? You get to be a part of the creation of one of your favorite beverages, get free drinks after work, and take home cases of the best brews. But if you love Molson-Coors products and decide that working for the company is for you, you should be aware that you will have to follow some rules that could be construed as bizarre. Read on to hear about some of the strict regulations and dangers of working for one of the most well-known beer companies in the world. Plus, don’t miss These Are the 25 Worst Beers in the World, New Data Says.

Like most companies these days, Molson Coors has a code of conduct. Coors’ though is very in-depth, about 60 pages. Plus it includes several sections about PPE and safety since “Failure to follow safety rules and procedures can result in serious injury and even death” in working breweries. In addition, your private life may not be so private. Coors can collect personal data only for “assessing an employee’s qualifications for a promotion or reassignment, administering payroll or benefits, establishing a contact in the case of an emergency, and complying with any reporting requirements.”

Even personal posts need to uphold a certain level of decorum. “Whether you use social media personally or as part of your job responsibilities, you must follow the guidelines provided in our Global Social Media Policy to ensure you use it in the right way when discussing our Company or our brands,” states the code. When you work for Molson Coors, you essentially dedicate your life to the company. “Outside the Company, you are the Company,” concludes the final page of the Code of Conduct.

When dealing with others, words are very important to Coors. One section of the code includes keeping communication direct, “Be mindful of the language you use in internal documents (including emails, SMS and instant messaging) as such communications can be subject to scrutiny by regulators. Phrases such as ‘killing the competition’ can be misinterpreted. Never refer to being ‘dominant,’ as this is a question subject to complex legal analysis.”

Rules about conflict of interest are common at other companies. Many company employees cannot hold stock at competing companies but Coors also has to be careful about “holding a public office that may require voting or ruling on an issue of interest to Molson Coors.” Most likely this has to do with alcohol rules and regulations, as well as cannabis as these products become legal in certain areas. In addition, Coors’ employees cannot have family members or a “close personal relationship” with an employee at a competing company. So think twice about working for Coors if you have a spouse that works for a rival.

The Coors breweries operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Folks need their Coors Light! So you could be in for some terrible shifts initially until you are a seasoned employee. A Reddit user commented that his brother worked in a plant as a microbiologist and experienced, perks like “beer taps in the break room and 4 cases of free beer per month.” Plus, they got an extra free case if they had no safety incidents. But the initial schedule can be brutal and some of the perks might be from a bygone age.

The taps in the breakroom sound like there are no more. In fact, Coors was one of the last big brewers to stop the beloved, though occasionally abused, practice. Coors used to permit employees who didn’t operate dangerous machinery to drink beer during breaks, as long as they practiced moderation. However, moderation was up to the employee.

According to The Free Library, Budweiser, Miller, and Coors all once permitted drinking during breaks. After a fatality of a worker leaving the plant, according to a Chicago Tribune article, the practice was stopped and beer consumption was only allowed after hours and at a more regulated pace. Employees were “not to exceed two 12-ounce beers for half an hour after work.”

In order to move up the ranks and get those prime working shifts, a worker must be dedicated to the long, irregular hours. A Reddit commenter remembers that his uncle was “ALWAYS at work… be prepared to work long shifts and an insane amount of hours logged before and after permanent status.”

Working in a beer plant can be dangerous said Reddit users. “People die and/or are permanently maimed regularly there due to human error & mistakes,” said one commenter. “You don’t hear about that… but it happens, believe me. Lots of automated equipment rife with opportunities to get ate up by the systems at work if you’re not on top of your game. No going to work half asleep there because it could cost you your life!”

Working in an actual working brewery requires you to be okay with a very particular smell. “The plant I used to drive by that factory every day [on] the way to work and the place SMELLS. As long as you’re good with that, more power to you.” said one Reddit commenter. Another elaborated that barley and the ammonia that is used in the brewing process cause the signature smell. Turns out this could make you smell too, so prepare your family for that.