most jobs I've had I avoided happy hour. even when I was young and liked my colleagues, I would at most make a one-drink appearance and then split. there might have been a time where it could have been more, but frankly it was a recipe for a shitshow: inebriated people, no public transport, car brained commutes. the amount of people who "had DUIs" on their record was not good.

the biggest inducement to attend would be if there was someone you were attracted to and wanted to get to know in a less professional setting, but that is a whole other minefield.

frankly the most responsible thing was to just go home after work and chill with your friends and neighbors. it's so much cheaper, even if you're hosting. and of course, safer and accommodating if you're a weed person.

that's just own personal experience, but I suspect this phenomenon has lots of factors. lots of places I worked I fuckin hated the bosses or maybe a particularly swollen assholes, so no chance it hell I'd go to anywhere they might be. and some places I worked alongside undocumented people who would rather save the money and not be given shit by local reactionaries. cops have wide latitude to fuck with people for "public drunkenness" or disorderly conduct, so if one belongs to a generally shit upon group, it's gonna be more relaxing to figure out something at home or in a private residence. 2020 showed a lot of people how brazenly violent cops can act with total impunity, so why would I spend any more time in their sphere than absolutely critical?

with covid, for every place that locked down, plenty of venues went full plague mode and operated, filling themselves with the sort of people that don't give a fuck.

it's hard to shake the vibe that public venues today are absolutely packed with, well, those same assholes.