On work trip abroad. Colleague gone crazy

[Eastie77]

Just that really. I'm abroad for work, 2 days in a major European city with a client meeting tomorrow morning. I've travelled with a female colleague who, like me, has 2 young DC. When we found out about this trip she messaged me to say she was desperately looking forward to it as she needs a break from the DC and is run ragged juggling everything. I said I totally sympathised and she replied that we should use this trip as an opportunity to get rat arsed on the company's money. I just laughed.

Arrived at the airport this morning for our early flight to find she had already had downed 2 pints but was at least sober. She kicked up a fuss on the plane as there was no alcohol on sale - not massively but enough to embarrass me. Landed and she bought more alcohol and has generally been increasingly drunk, hyper and shrill since saying this is 'her time'. We arrived at the hotel at 3pm and were meant to go over our presentation for tomorrow but I've had zero input from her. I need her to contribute a bunch of slides and practice a demo of the technical solution we are meant to be presenting to the client but she is not playing ball and has just been propping up the bar. I'm stressed. It looks as if I will have to do her slides and I don't have enough knowledge so emailing colleagues back home. I don't want to speak to my manager about this. She is normally quite conscientious

Crikey, when I had young kids and I had a work overnight event, I used it to sleep, not get RA. She's being a complete ass. I hope the presentation goes ok.

That's very true @PeachesAndMayo

Good luck OP. I think it is probably better if the colleague is a no show as she is likely to still stink of booze.

As a customer of a new system about to go live my jaw is literally on the floor reading this.

OP I wish you all the luck for today, really hope it goes well. I would imagine colleague is already conducting her sob cover story.

Please keep us posted, and I hope you manage both roles superbly

Good luck today op. For what it's worth I think you have handled it well so far. I do think I would be giving my boss a quick heads up this morning depending on what state she's in. I also think it's fine to leave finalising a presentation to the day before. It's not like either of you are learning the material. You are just tweaking and tailoring and do a combined run through. Doing that closer to the presentation is better. If you start practicing too early it always sounds too forced and fake.

Good luck OP!

I think whatever the outcome of today's meeting, you would be reasonable to tell your manager that you don't want attend future client meetings with your colleague due to her unprofessional behaviour the day before (or even on the day depending on how that goes).

It's also worth bringing it to his attention, as part of her bonus rests on this, yet her contribution was getting pissed and leaving all the prep to you.

I am betting she will spring out of bed this morning and act like nothing happened.

I have to agree with another poster.

I would not have posted this on a public forum of this size. For all the hundreds of posts many more are reading.

Your posts are pretty identifiable and if you worked in my department I would know instantly or what about the company your presenting too this morning.

If I were you I would tell your manager. You have posted the details on a huge public website!

Good luck today op and hide the paracetamol, let her suffer and she might regret what she did to you.

Good luck today OP.

Good luck!

Yes I'd tell your manager too, her behaviour is beyond a laugh, she has serious issues and you can't carry her. Let management deal with it or at least be aware.

Maybe I work for a fairly disorganised industry but I'd say it's totally standard to keep doing polishing for an important pitch right up to the last minute, especially when you have so much time together ahead of it and if the slides are basically ready and just need to be slotted together in the right order.

Being pissed off your face during time that you are expected to be working is usually considered gross misconduct. The colleague actively planned to do it. Why should she receive sympathy or get any protection? She can get wankered on her own time or indeed after the meeting with impunity and no one will give a shit. And yeah, this ain't an academic conference. Nice to be reminded of one of the many reasons I'm glad I didn't stay in academia, not least the "capitalist peons" snideness and self-importance.

Good luck for today OP 💐

Agree with PP, she'll stink of booze no matter how many mints you give her. Will ooze from her pores.

Good luck!

Good luck, op!

Good luck for today OP, I am assuming you'll be on your own for this presentation. Did your colleague even come back to the hotel last night? I think in this situation I would be phoning my boss immediately after the presentation and telling him that she didn't do any work yesterday but treated it like a holiday including starting drinking before the plane took off and complaining no alcohol for sale on the plane. And which colleague in the office helped you out by creating and sending you the slides that she should have done. I'd be doing that regardless of the outcome because you won't want to go on another trip with her ever again. Colleague has let you down badly and doesn't deserve your loyalty.

Good luck 💐

So your colleague is a Spurs fan.

Well her excitement is understandable, but she's still being extraordinarily unprofessional.

Good luck OP, hope you manage to pull it off.

Good luck OP.

I can top academic conference piss ups with trade union ones, have attended both. I would imagine there have been changes in higher education now but back in the 1990’s and the start of this century the amount spent on entertaining was a lot. Union conferences were an eye opener. The bed hopping was shocking and I discovered how naive I was in thinking left wing men would treat women better.

Good luck op, do not cover for colleagues who behave like this you risk your own reputation.

Good luck OP

I haven't read the whole thread so apologies if this has already been asked but has your colleague ever done anything like this before? Wouldn't like to dump anyone in it but at the same time don't assume management don't already know about her drinking (downing pre-flight pints isn't exactly standard behaviour). If she has form they may be already aware she has issues.