The beer is flowing a little less freely at WeWork locations in New York City.
The co-working giant (and New York City’s largest office tenant) has decided to limit the amount of beer it serves to its members there under a pilot program expected to last 30 to 90 days. Previously, WeWork had an all-you-can-drink beer policy, lending credence to the idea that its spaces look more like frat houses than office buildings.
Members in New York City be limited to four 12-ounce glasses of beer per day, according to an email to members that was obtained by MarketWatch. In other states, WeWork has varied its policy on free-flowing alcohol. In California, for example, WeWork switched the tap over to kombucha in February before switching back to beer over the summer.
In some parts of New York, WeWork has begun testing a “mechanized tap system” that will use software to limit the booze flowing to its members, CNN reported. Tenants can swipe their building key cards to access the beer during set hours, and they’ll be cut off after they reach their daily allotment.
Whether all of this is an effort by WeWork to maintain workplace decorum or to curb costs remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, over at WeWork corporate, a former employee filed a sexual harassment lawsuit last month, citing the company’s ”free beer on tap all day in all offices policy.” Though free beer may be a fun perk to get professionals in the door, if the company is serious about work, it may need to rethink its policies.