Work party disaster who was at fault

[Heredakh]

A company is reaching an important milestone in its history and planning an event. Small company of about 50 people.

Event is dinner then entertainment and drinks/ dancing at a hired venue. Ahead of the event, colleagues are told what to expect, that some clients will be there too and to therefore enjoy but behave accordingly etc (it was implied not to get blind drunk but not explicitly said)

Colleague A is relatively new to the business and still in probation but doing good job. They are told about the event like everyone else.

On the night the free booze is flowing like it often is at these kind of events and it becomes apparent colleague A is enjoying the booze a lot but as this is their first time drinking in front of other colleagues, people aren't aware when to step in or that it could lead to big issues (some people can drink loads with no issue, some can't etc) plus everyone else is drinking too, although a bit more moderately.

As night wears on (when some people had already headed home) colleague A reveals themselves as quite a rude and obnoxious drunk, they offend a long standing client, an older colleague then vomit on senior leaders shoes.

Not sure how it played out beyond that but a few days later back at work there's an email that colleague A is no longer in the business.

I've been shocked by the whole thing and wondering who was more at fault? Should colleague A have curbed the drinking on the night or should company not have had so much free alcohol on offer? Its a recipe for disaster if you don't know when to stop drinking but equally moderate drinkers are entitled to some free drinks to enjoy themselves surely?

YABU - the company's free booze is to blame, its a recipe for disaster that they should have seen coming

YANBU - colleague A should have acted accordingly and known when to stop at a work event

It's a no brainer, personal responsibility to act professional. If colleague A is young, it will be a harsh lesson.

It's absolutely A's fault. Everyone had the same access to the free booze, but noone else was rude or vomited on the senior partner. A has learned a stiff lesson and hopefully will control their drinking a bit better in future.

Colleague A is an adult and should take responsibility for their own actions. Immature and ridiculous if they are trying to blame the availability of free alcohol on them not being able to control themself.
If they dont know their limit with alcohol,they should not drink at all.

I suppose a bit of both? Ultimately the colleague was responsible for their own behaviour. At the same time, you would expect someone to be 'cut off' if they were clearly intoxicated. The situation didn't exactly set the colleague up for a win, especially given that nobody knew them enough to intervene. Again, though, we're all responsible for our own alcohol intake, even though it's well known that it can be easy to have too much without meaning to.

Edit: your question was 'who was more at fault'. Colleague A, unquestionably. However I would hope that the office would learn from this too.

Seriously? No one was forcing her to drink she behaved completely inappropriately in a professional situation. It's no one's fault but hers.

If clients are there then it's common sense not to get wasted. Entirely colleague A at fault.

Too many variables you're not party to. They could have been under review anyway and this was the tip of the iceberg so to speak.
Or maybe they've a drinking problem, gone to rehab and the company have been 100% supportive behind the scenes.

Definitely the fault of colleague A. Just because there is a free bar, it doesn't give licence to get totally wasted.

Colleague A had responsibility to manage their own drinking but it all sounds a bit 90s having a boozy work event.

This is why I'm scared to go on work nights out!

Its hard to relax and drink with people, on a night out, where if you make a fool of yourself, it can result in ruining your work reputation.

I don't think anyone should get fired for what they do outside work though. The man in your post wasn't at his workplace when that happened

then vomit on senior leaders shoes

😂

It's your colleagues fault. Personal responsibility needs to be undertaken. She had been warned to behave proffesionaly.
She is and would be a embarrassment to the company and cannot be trusted to represent them. A liability in fact.

Non alcoholic drinks are generally also available.

Is it a bit 90s?

My job is having a work event with a free bar all night, next month.

Free bars are dangerous as people forget how much they can handle!

Unless colleague A is a teenager there's no excuse for them not to behave appropriately at a work do.

Is it a sackable offence, rather than a warning?

Colleage A is responsible for themselves. However, I don't think the company can reslly park all the blame at their door for disgracing their name as these events are notorious for such antics. If you want to impress clients do a different sort of event and save this for a company only party.

This is why I avoid work social events. I don’t drink and can’t abide being around drunks snd I can’t relax knowing I’m around colleagues.

I have a work persona and it’s exhausting. Feck doing it in my free time company milestone or not.

It might have been a party but it was a work event nonetheless and you have to behave at work events, end of story. Especially when clients are present!

You should have seen the state of some people at my last work do.

They were in their twenties and thirties.

Personal responsibility so colleague A failed to exercise hers.

Ok I'm surprised by the responses.

This isn't the first time something like this happened at a boozy work party.

Two years ago another colleague was in a similar situation at another party at this company, although didn't get sacked. People intervened and called her a cab before it got worse.

I wrote a thread at the time under an old username berating this colleagues lack of restraint and bad behaviour at the party and lots of people piled on me saying it was my works fault for the free booze.

I didn't really agree ay the time but now a similar thing happened again and someone actually got sacked, I figured maybe work does have a part to play but everyone's saying it's all the colleagues fault this time!

Of course it’s the colleagues fault

It's person A's fault for not drinking responsibly

Someone may be a fantastic worker but suffer with alcoholism. Providing endless booze is going to be a recipe for disaster, even if people were asked to be sensible. Bad idea.

Think it was harsh to get rid of him. Should have been given a chance.

Ppl become obnoxious when drunk because they're drunk, and lose all reasoning. Your drunken self doesn't represent who you really are. Poor guy.