Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Drunk colleagues

45 replies

manon123x · 04/01/2018 15:21

AIBU to think it's not okay to be drunk in the office..?

Two colleagues go for an hours lunch every day to the pub (we only get 30 mins lunch) and come back smashed! They carry on drinking at work and send me and my other colleague all their work to do.

They have bottles of vodka etc in their drawers and mix their drinks in a coke bottle.

We get on with them but want to know AIBU?!?! We're getting fed up now of having to put up with them being drunk every day and getting sent all the work :(

OP posts:
Original poster
manon123x · 04/01/2018 16:26

Yes they do! I don't know how over the limit they are, or even if they are... but they must be. The office stinks after 1:30 every day, so they can't have only had one...

OP posts:
RhiannonOHara · 04/01/2018 16:27

I know it would come back on me if anyone found out… it's a small company so people talk and would know who it's come from.... So stuck!!

In the nicest way possible, grow up and raise it with management.

Original poster
manon123x · 04/01/2018 16:27

I completely get where you're coming from, but when one of them is the office manager it would 100% come back to me.... I don't want to feel awkward every day at work because I've 'grassed up' colleagues.

OP posts:
Original poster
manon123x · 04/01/2018 16:28

I think I may just have to suck it up and tell the MD. Would you type and print a letter, or do it face to face?!

OP posts:
Shakey15000 · 04/01/2018 16:30

Totally unacceptable.

As has been suggested-

  1. Anonymous letter spelling everything out to the M.D.

or

  1. All affected colleagues arrange meeting with MD, preferably while they're at pub and demand ask what action they will take. Document everything.

or

  1. If they drive home, report both to police, give registration numbers and hopefully they'll be caught. If they drive, this would be my first port of call.
isitme88 · 04/01/2018 16:31

Why would it 100% come back on you. They would be sacked.
Anyway it's either put up with it and be miserable or say something and potentially be miserable. Go with the latter

BoucleJacket · 04/01/2018 16:35

So you're happy to do nothing about colleagues who are probably driving home drunk? And they might kill someone?

Let alone the fact that they are drinking at work which is a sacking offence presumably.

Emmageddon · 04/01/2018 16:37

Being under the influence of alcohol in the workplace is gross misconduct. Just tell your line manager/managing director what is happening. They will be instantly dismissed.

To be fair to them though, if they are swigging vodka concealed in carrier bags whilst at work, they may need help to access alcohol dependency services. It doesn't sound like either person is particularly well.

PyongyangKipperbang · 04/01/2018 16:37

Then yes definitely report to the police with time and location of when they leave work with reg numbers. If they get pulled then it will be much harder for them to deny drinking at work.

I would go for a face to face meeting, preferably while they are at the pub and with others who are affected. Focus on the fact that because of their drinking you and other are having to do their work, that will help him realise that he could run the office perfectly well without them and by promoting someone who is far more sensible and work focussed Wink

Vitalogy · 04/01/2018 16:40

Could you and your other colleague go together. Does she not want to go either?

PyongyangKipperbang · 04/01/2018 16:40

Being under the influence of alcohol in the workplace is gross misconduct.

Depends on the T&C of the company concerned, it isnt enshrined in law, although they wouldnt stand a chance at tribunal admittedly.

Just tell your line manager/managing director what is happening. They will be instantly dismissed.

Read the OP, he has already been told and "had a word", no one was sacked.

RhiannonOHara · 04/01/2018 16:46

I'd ask for a face-to-face and go in with a pre-written statement/letter that you then use in the discussion and hand to them at the end.

Redsippycup · 04/01/2018 16:50

Depending on what their job is I think I would be more worried about the drink driving than the drinking at work - the driving could kill someone!

I'm on the 'report it and get them brethalysed as they leave the carpark' team.

ilovesooty · 04/01/2018 17:06

You should not be victimised for reporting under a whistle blowing policy.

BashStreetKid · 04/01/2018 18:53

Can you tell the MD when they've just reeled back particularly pissed one day, so that he can see for himself? Indeed, if it appears that he's discovered it all by himself there shouldn't be any comeback.

Minime17 · 04/01/2018 20:25

I am joining the 'call the Police' brigade. This would deal with your problem nicely.

Otherwise, whistleblower policy or not, the question is if the shit hits the fan will they be fired or will you? Do you like your job / will it be easy to find another one?

Wineasaurous · 04/01/2018 20:29

It's a shit or get off the pot situation.
If you want it to stop, do something. Things don't miraculously stop on their own

whirlygirly · 04/01/2018 22:01

Report them anonymously online to crimestoppers. If they're drink driving you need to get them stopped.

sarahjconnor · 05/01/2018 11:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

sarahjconnor · 05/01/2018 11:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

New posts on this thread. Refresh page