Colleague possibly drinking alcohol on the sly at work

[WhoBobWhatPants]

There's a bloke where I work (an office of 11 plus Directors),who’s been with us since February, who I think has been drinking alcohol while he's at work.

Throughout the day he goes to his car regularly, between 6-8 times a day, and 'fiddles about', quite a lot with a bottle, like moving it from the front to the back if he's giving a lift or stopping 20-50yds down the road to have a drink of it after leaving work for the day (which I've seen myself)

Today it's come out while a few of us were talking in the office, that 5 out of the 11 of us have noticed the smell of alcohol on his breath after he's been out to the car.

There are 2 bosses 'we' could go to, but one of them has been done for drink/driving themselves (which may skew his take on the matter, albeit he knows it was an idiotic choice on his part following a big night out) and I can't help wondering what may happen if they ask the bloke about it.

What if he denies it, or he hasn't been drinking alcohol, or hasn't been drinking more than the equivalent of a half at lunchtime, or says he has been but will stop straight away, how can they make sure he has?

The main thing for me is whether he's drinking and then going out in his car, but as it's not 100% certain he is drinking alcohol, short of the police catching him in the act, how can anyone know whether he is or not?

I have thought about just going to the police myself, but rather than that, wouldn't the next step in the process be to go to my bosses because of not being totally certain he is drinking?

He's actually a really nice person and does a good job which makes it harder to 'grass him up' when there's a possibility he might just be swigging mineral water (if he was then why not bring it into the office?).

I know it's come to a time where something has to be done. It doesn't feel right to go to him directly and 'accuse' him, so if I go to my bosses is that doing enough to stop him drink driving (if he is)?

If I go to the police it's too hit and miss as to whether they'd be able to catch him at it, if they did anything at all, and how long would they take? Would he be back driving his car home on Monday pissed? (And aren't the police the easy option so nobody in the office has to take responsibility for accusing him.)

So it's back to the bosses and them asking him.

It's a vicious circle.

Gah!

He smells of alcohol when returning from his car - 5/11 people have noticed this.

Speak to him. To call the police and set up his arrest as a first option is appalling IMO.

A few years ago, a female colleague (I'm male) had dreadful B.O. No-one said a word, just gossiped a bit and avoided being near her, it seems. After a few meets with her I'd noticed and then picked up on the gossipy stuff. Cue a big gulp and the words " Can I have a quick word with you at all?" She was tearful and thought people just didn't like her. Things changed and after a while we even joked about it.
World of difference between BO and alcoholism I know, but the dynamic is a bit similar - you just have to take a gulp and show your concern and do something about it. btw OP you aren't accusing him of anything

I'm the manager of a large office - IF someone in my team 'set up' a colleague in the way described without directly raising it with him, or me, in order to be able to intervene and provide assistance to him, first, I'd be utterly furious

Why? You don't own your employees
.Drink driving is a criminal offence which kills, maims orphans and widows people, I am pretty sure the man in question knows that.It is not primarily a work issue and I am not sure why you think people need to run it past you.

Honestly, it's not your responsibility to fix him.

Of course I don't own people I manage. How odd!! I'd be furious at the lack of care, poor 'team/office attitude', lack of gumption to not raise it with him or me first, at possibly losing a productive team member, etc. And that just off the top of my head.

Ok so your office should be above the law?

OP, I'll be off thread - best wishes with it, hope things come out okay.

I'm the manager of a large office - IF someone in my team 'set up' a colleague in the way described without directly raising it with him, or me, in order to be able to intervene and provide assistance to him, first, I'd be utterly furious.
You would have no right to be furious. If someone in your team was committing a drink driving offence outside work, then that is not your problem to deal with, it is a matter for the police. Although you could talk to the member of staff, you would have very little authority to do anything at all, so if they denied it, and then got in the car drunk, and killed someone, you interaction would have failed to achieve anything, whereas a stop from the police, could prevent that from happening.

If he is an alcoholic, the chances of a conversation with a manager, having any impact at all on him, are tiny. Alcoholics are experts in denial. In fact your interference would probably slow down the problem actually being faced up to, because he might be a bit more cautious and a bit more devious so no-one noticed him drinking in work, but you wouldn't be able to stop him drinking.

Personally, unless his actions are impacting particularly on his work - which is, after all, what he is there to do - then i would mind your own business. So many busy bodies about these days.
Unless he kills someone drink driving of course.

^ THIS!!

I agree with FinnsMum.

If he's nice, approach him in a nice way and ask him, without accusing.. If he is drinking, he needs some help and support, and somebody calling the police on him could have disastrous results.

Yes I know the dangers of drink driving, and yes he could potentially cause an accident. But you know him, and he seems nice. Somebody calling the police on someone who is in major life crises could potentially make him suicidal. You will likely get better results all round by having empathy. Perhaps if he confides in you you could suggest he finds another way to get to work until he sorts his issue out. Recommend some support groups etc. If it continues, go to management.

Sorry but if I knew someone, colleague/friend/stranger, was drink driving - I would report.

Setting up an arrest - it's reporting someone for doing something illegal that could end up with someone being killed. You would report someone for assault/theft etc?!

He's not drink driving in works time so nothing to do with employer.

But OP won't report because she fears he'll pass the test.

Then no harm done - police won't say where their 'tip-off' came from, just a routine stop check. She doesn't even have to give her name/details.

It might give him a fright and have a good knock-on effect.

My SIL lived with us for 6 ghastly months. She is an alcoholic; dh had sworn blind that she hadn't had a drink for years. On her first day it was clear that she was tippling all day. By the end of hte second day she was falling over pissed as a fart. She was not a nice drunk.

DH was furious and told her if she didn't stop she could sling her hook. So of course, she stopped.

Like bloody hell she did. She just made sure that she didn't drink enough for dh to recognise it.

Pointless to raise it with him if he is an alcoholic. He will just become more subtle, until one day, it will be too late.

Jux it certainly didn't work in my case. but, everyone is different and a word from a concerned manager might be enough to trigger a desire to get help. if, indeed, there is a problem.

alcoholism is a brutal, selfish disease and yes, as an active alcoholic i was devious and a skilled liar. i was also very ill. no excuses here - it is what it is. i just think raising it with this colleague is worth trying.

as for the drink-driving - if you suspect this colleague is driving drunk you have every right to confront him and stop him from getting behind the wheel. at this point the danger is to others, and you must do anything you can to stop this happening.

ShutUpPan don't feel you have to go, the things you've said are kind of why it's not just a simple case of report him to the police or hand it over to the directors.

When I ask myself 'would the directors want to know about this' the answer has to be yes. Not just because I have a good working relationship with them and I have a loyalty to the company, but don't they have a right to know about the serious concerns the rest of their employees in the office all have?

I don't have any authority over the bloke as we're on the same level so I don't feel I'm in the position to say anything to him as a work colleague. I also can't say it to him as one individual to another because I don't believe it would do anything and it's more serious than 'a quiet word' would make it seem.

If he is drink driving then the distorted decision he's taken that it's OK to do that points to a level of alcoholism that a quiet word isn't going mean anything.

But there's the fine line between feeling compassion towards him if he has got problems against him being out driving while I'm driving my DDs and if I don't want that for me I also don't want it for other people out driving/walking with their children.

exWifebeginsat40
Jux it certainly didn't work in my case. but, everyone is different and a word from a concerned manager might be enough to trigger a desire to get help. if, indeed, there is a problem.

This is where my thinking is moving towards. He's only been with us 6mths, and IIRC, he's done the same things since he started. That would lead me to believe he did the same at his previous company (of 20yrs) and the management either didn't know, or turned a blind eye to save confrontation, as he was offered a much tidier package to stay with them. Or was this the reason he left, to save face and the counter offer from his last company was a ruse to promote his abilities?

As I've implied before, him being under the influence and /or over the legal limit to drive is not certain. After all, one measure of Gin wouldn't make you over the limit necessarily, but you'd certainly stink of it.

If it was me, I would have a word with my manager or if possible, the other persons manager as we are not allowed to drink during the working day, including at lunchtime. So it would be our organisations business if an employee was drinking during the working day.

Lots of people do things at work that they shouldn't; pilfer petty stationery / sellotape, take longer lunches than they should on company time, browse t'internet when they're supposed to be working, but it's a mean-spirited person who would grass people up for these common misdemeanors.

Whether he drinks at work is not your business. If his work suffers as a result, I'm sure his manager / boss will note it and take action accordingly. They will see his work, and if he smells of alcohol, they won't miss that either. Don't be a tell-tale sneak.

However, the potential drink driving is something that should be raised, initially to him, kindly but clearly, one on one.
If you are not immediately reassured by his response, then you should inform the police, but I see no reason to involve the management structure of your company - that just sounds like playground behaviour to me... a gossipy coven just itching to tell tales to teacher.

Someone upthread suggested doing it anonymously. Terrible idea, and cruel. Have the courage of your convictions, tackle the issue openly and honestly, only involving those with a real need to know (i.e. police), AFTER you have spoken to him directly about your concerns for his safety, and other road users safety.

whether it's reported anonymously or not is really irrelevant the police aren't going to say who called it in regardless of the result of the breath test.

Sounds similar to a situation I was in recently at work. Suspected a colleague of drinking. Frequent loo visits always accompanied by massive handbag. Some slightly erratic behaviour. Vague smell of booze which she tried to cover up with perfume, cough sweets or mints.
People were whispering behind her back so I reported my concerns to my line manager - who did zilch. Fast forward 6 months and she came back from lunch rolling drunk. All hell broke loose.
If you think something isn't right then it prob isn't. At least if you report it to your manager you have done your bit.

Redglitter - I agree with you re: police source anonymity, but someone else suggested telling his BOSSES anonymously.

Whether he drinks at work is not your business. If his work suffers as a result, I'm sure his manager / boss will note it and take action accordingly. They will see his work, and if he smells of alcohol, they won't miss that either. Don't be a tell-tale sneak

The OP has said he is driving, possibly under the influence of alcohol.
My colleague is a teacher - I suppose as long as it wasn't impacting on her work I shouldn't have grassed her up. Maybe I should have waited until one of the children had an accident in her care?