Where I work the company will occasionally treat everybody to a meal (dinner or lunch) and it is quite nice. It typically counts towards your time (if it is a l

Where I work the company will occasionally treat everybody to a meal (dinner or lunch) and it is quite nice. It typically counts towards your time (if it is a lunch) and it is optional. I think the difference lies in who has to pay. If the employee is bringing their lunch or having to pay out of pocket then it may not as go well as if it is paid for by the company. In my eyes, the former is equatable to what you called "mandated 'happy hour'" while the latter is more a way to show appreciation for the work that the employees do.