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

Why are people assuming this is anything to do with football? Not important, just curious.

OP said so.

She is a football fan and the team she supports is winning a football champions league game and she is running around shouting, drunk (we are in an outside restaurant) egged on by some English businessmen.

In my team we would absolutely finalise the presentation at the last minute too, it's just how busy jobs work, particularly when your team is spread across the country.

I think the colleague rocking up at this point would actually be detrimental because you've planned your presentation solo & she'll be a distraction. I hope she stays away. I suspect not.

It does sound like something going on with her though. If she never usually comes out for social drinks, but gets utterly whammo'd the minute the shackles are off... That's not right.

Ah thank you :)

Good luck! Rooting for you!

So your colleague is a Spurs fan.

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

Yes, she started drinking long before the match, so she can't claim to have been carried away by the excitement.

I'd say that if there's any chance at all of op's manager hearing about this from someone else, he needs to hear it from op first. If client communicates with manager or someone higher up, for example, and mentions that only one person turned up when they were expecting two, that shouldn't be the first the manager hears of it.

Good luck op.

Can't believe her behaviour!

Good luck OP

Very best of luck OP hope you pull it off!

Haven't had a chance to read this since I last posted, will respond when I get a chance. Long story short it seems she was out till about 1am. She turned up in my room this morning, very apologetic. I told her I had nothing to say to her, let's just keep this all professional. We ran through the demo - I think she will be able to do a half decent job but I was up rehearsing and going through it so I will probably take the lead and let her jump in with hands on stuff in the UI. The completed slides never materialised so I am using the back up ones.

So my manager knows. Not from me but from the colleague who had to help me last night. All a bit long to go into now but I had a brief chat with Manager this morning. He was very supportive but obviously couldn't offer any practical help, advice was do your best etc. Sounds like she is in a world of shit when we get back.

To cap it all it is pissing it down in Lisbon. Gotta go...client awaits.

Wel done and best of luck

Good luck!

Good outcome so far - good luck with the presentation

On the plus side, hopefully what your manager heard from the colleague who helped you is "sounds like there was a problem but she's handling it" which should go in your favour (for not dumping the drama on him!).

Hope it goes well and you can breathe a deep sigh of relief soon.

Yeah she is a Spurs fan. I support the other North London club so not great

Well done OP. Looks like you are going to be able to get this done and know that you've done a good job.

Sleep well tonight. And perhaps enjoy a drink

Good luck today. Relax a little, your manager knows the truth of the situation. Your back is covered. Thankk goodness your colleague at home contacted your boss. Keep us posted.

Good luck @Eastie77

It's too late now, but given your outline of your usual MO for these trips - get there, work on presentation all afternoon/evening, I'd have emailed my manager much earlier, with a note something like:

"Just a heads up to let you know that [drinking colleague] is behaving rather oddly, and I'm concerned she's not well enough to do the work. I think there may be a longer-term problem, but for the moment, be assured I'm on it & can do the presentation single-handed if necessary"

Not putting her too much in the shit, but enough to flag up a concern for her well-being.

Because someone going on a bender on a work trip is not normal. It's unethical (using company funds for a binge), and it's totally unprofessional.

Personally, I'd be furious, and hierarchy in the job notwithstanding, I'd have had sharp words , and warned her that I would be contacting our manager.

I can't believe someone thinks that this is an OK way to behave. You're too nice, OP and as PP have said "man up."

Lighting a candle for OPs presentation like my Mammy used to do for our exams

🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️🕯️

In a way this is the best of both worlds for you - colleague gets in the shit and you look like a competent professional who was looking for solutions rather than getting in a flap.

Agree with others that it’s fine to get pissed on work trips - AFTER you’ve made sure all the work is done!

Good luck today OP.

oops cross-posted with your update. Glad your manager has your back.

And break a leg!!!

I hope it goes well 🤞

Good luck op.
Honest I'd be so furious I'd be hoping she was sacked.
What a pity your boss heard through a 3rd party , that news ought to have come from you .

Good luck today op