I’ve been accused of coming into work smelling of alcohol.

[TheLightSideOfTheMoon]

I haven’t. I don’t really drink.

But this is the latest in a line of people lying about me.

I’ve come back today after two weeks of being signed off sick and an hour into my shift I’ve just been informed of this.

Now sitting in the staff room with panda eyes.My boss isn’t here. I don’t know what to do.

Part of me just wants to go home again.

Even if you had been drinking, if you weren’t on duty and we’re just unofficially collecting something from the premises then there’s been no misconduct. You can drink alcohol when you aren’t at work. That’s what you firmly point out to the colleague who reported you and to your manager.

Raise this with the manager/owner. Keep a detailed diary of everything said. If the same person who reported you on the previous complaint is responsible for this accusation then raise this as a bullying concern. Don’t approach this person, just go about your working day. If you’re in a union, let them know. Don’t allow this person to get away with this, they’re totally in the wrong and it will likely cost them their job.

First things first. Tell them you haven't been drinking. Your thoughts are probably jumbled right now and there is a lot going on. At least make sure you get that out of the way. Someone has probably made a throw away remark like I wonder if she has been drinking and it has snowballed from there. So clear that up first before anything else x

I had the same accusation - I'd had leftover pepperoni pizza for breakfast!

I denied it, obviously, and my accuse said "Don't lie to me - I can smell it on you, and so can X". I told him that I'd had pizza for breakfast and he said it couldn't be that - he knew what drink smells like etc and I'd obviously been drinking. I said you can't smell drink on me because I haven't had any. Take a blood test. Take it now. - bur he wouldn't. (I worked in a hospital and it would have been my job if I'd been drinking, and quite rightly)

He said "I can't - I haven't got the facilities" I replied - "You're a doctor, and you work in a hospital and you haven't got access to a syringe to take a blood test! Really?"

Nothing came of it, but it was horrible! I was very shocked and I was also worried that everybody else would think I'd been drinking, too. I never drank during the week at all and I felt really upset.

Nothing came of it but it was very, very unpleasant.

(Never had leftover Domino's for breakfast again either . . . )

My elderly mother thought that her friend had been drinking, and questioned it as it was early in the morning and unlike her friend. Turned out to be hand sanitiser she could smell.

you won't lose your job over this unless it was true!

You need to make a complaint about this person and their accusations straight away and get this sorted

1. refute.
2. demand a blood test.
3. demand an independent witness in the discussion.
4. ask for a written record that includes you think you are being bullied and get them to state what will happen with this malicious accusation given you haven't drunk and don't smell at work.
5. tell them you will go to your GP when you leave, explain and ask if a phleb can take a blood sample with a witness. You can't make the practice have capacity though they might. good luck.

Its bullying, if you only popped in for 5 mins how would your colleague get close enough to smell you. You need to raise this with your manager and they will see a pattern emerging of false accusations made by the same person. The manager needs to deal with this.

Unless very rural any member of staff can pop to a pharmacy and buy one, I didn’t mean they should have one on the premises, how very odd.

Sitting there crying is only going to make the accuser gloat and you look like you have been drinking hence your collapsing into tears.

in the nicest possible way, pull yourself together and tackle this head on and DEMAND that you speak to someone in authority there who you can confirm to that you have not drink any alcohol in the last xx amount of hours.

Then DEMAND that an enquiry be made so as to discover who is making malicious complaints against you and why.

Even if your manager is not available ,you need to speak to the most senior member of staff and insist on them sourcing a breathalyser test . Pharmacy or garage are two places they can be purchased from .

If she's making more unfounded accusations, it sounds like it's time to consider a formal complaint of workplace bullying.

If it's the same person each time you are being bullied and you need to make an official complaint at work. Makes notes of all the incidences, ask to see their anti bullying policy, tell them the effect it is having on your mental health. You are allowed to take someone into HR meetings with you for support. I have been that person supporting a colleague. HR will make it difficult as they hate having to deal with this sort of thing but they will have to deal with it. My colleague friend ended up being forced to resign and she successfully sued the company for constructive dismissal.

You have made a few threads about your work. You got accused of shouting at a service user. Could it be the same person?

Sorry just seen your comment about her.

I dont really get the timeline here.

2 weeks ago you were signed off work

One week ago you stopped by the office briefly, on your own personal time, not on duty

Today you are back at work and find out a coworker is saying that on that visit she could smell alcohol on you?

Who told you this?

Your supervisor is not there so why are you assuming you are in trouble?

You were off duty. Even if you were drunk, there is no offence being committed there. It's not illegal yo drink on your day off.

This whole thing doesn't make sense to me. .

Please join a Union.

They have many benefits but one of the best is the support and assistance they can provide if you are subject to a disciplinary procedure or need to raise a grievance.

Do it now urgently before anything else happens as they often can't support with things that happened before you joined.

If someone has a grudge there is a high likelihood that this won't be the last issue you have and you need support.

I don’t know, but suspect you can’t just demand someone do a breath taste based on someone else’s observations?

But this is the latest in a line of people lying about me.
A line of people, or just this one colleague?

I’ve come back today after two weeks of being signed off sick and an hour into my shift I’ve just been informed of this.
No one's informed you of anything. One colleague has said they've been asked about something. It's hearsay.

Phone your boss.

I has this once, was Bachs rescue remedy! I've also been bullied and accused of all sorts, bullies stoop very low.

Alcohol is used in loads of things, unless you smell of stale beer like a pubs urinal it could easily be santiser, perfume, cleaning products or all sorts, smelling of 'alcohol' isnt inherantly bad and if your not pissed and acting professionally theres nothing they can do except moan you smell to 'disinfected'.

Fight fire with fire. Go to your manager. Explain another unfounded accusation has been made against you, that you suspect your accuser uses such accusations in a punitive, bullying manner, and that you hence insist that such accusations are also recorded on the accuser's file, including the outcomes of the subsequent investigations.

I was going say this, see your GP ?

hotcoffee

You absolutely can be breath tested based on someone else’s observations - even if it is completely unfounded and just a purposefully nasty allegation.

It depends on the occupation and any alcohol policy/drugs policies the employers have.

So this happened a week ago but you have been off sick for the last two weeks , ie not in work for this allegation to be made