i guess i'm lucky. i am self employed. i own a medium-sized production company that provides djs, mobile dj services equipment, sound, and lighting rentals to electronic music events, nightclubs, weddings, corporate clients, etc.
most show days are load ins around noon, set up with the event starting around 9pm and ending at 6am, then tearing everything down for a few hours.
its a blessing for a workday to NOT last 16 hours. thank god for my adderall script.
i have 2 "employees" , more like helpers. our normal procedure includes loading up the gear at my shop, smoking a bowl or two, getting to the event, setting up, having another bowl, and then settling in during the event with a few drinks and bowls (supplimented with adderall when one of us starts to get tired.)
pretty much the rule is: dont get too drunk, dont get sloppy on downers (save them for after the show!!!), and definitely dont do any psychedelics (last thing you want is someone trying to hook up / unhook 10,000$ in pa gear when all the wires look like OMGSNAKES)
when the show is over is when we really 'let loose'. once all the gear is torn down and in the truck, we are notorious for keeping the bartender there late as we keep ordering a few last beers (or we end up stopping at the store for a case of beer at 5,6,7 am)
the added bonus is that we get to play "scavenger hunt" once the event is emptied. i've found lots of fun stuff on the floor after some raves - from dozens of valium to large amounts of amphetamines. that stuff always gets split up back at the shop as kinda a "bonus" when i divvy out the night's pay.