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

This has happened to me. I was quite young. A much older client bought some very expensive wine. I wasn’t a big drinker and got drunk quickly . The sensible people left early but the client kept buying me more wine. I remember us laughing loads.

I was a mess and threw up at home. I genuinely thought the client was a new friend, but instead he asked for me to be removed from his account.

This is why I don’t drink at work events where clients are invited, even though I love a good time on the company dollar

If you act like a fool at the works Christmas do then you’ve only embarrassed yourself but if you do it in front of customers then the company is damaged and you face potentially severe consequences

Who are you quoting?

Person A’s fault for getting blind drunk.

However. I’ve recently curtailed these type of events at my workplace, (H&S/HR) as the company do have. Level of responsibility to staff on work events when providing free alcohol. If something was to happen then there could be serious consequences, which I think some senior leaders forget.

there have been numerous personal injury/discrimination/harrassment cases over recent years that focused around piss ups… it’s getting less and less worth the risk IMO.

we tend to provide alcohol for an hour or 2 at company events then you are on your own… It’s usually when I, and the other senior leaders go home.

@shearwater2 why should there be a law to protect someone who, willingly, chose to get drunk.
Nobody forced them to, they were on probation, they knew they risked their job if they got drunk and still made that decision themselves.
As I said earlier this is the reason that people do awful/stupid/silly things and think nothing is ever their fault

Also. Were they definitely sacked or did they leave with immediate effect?

https://www.standard.co.uk/business/pwc-faces-lawsuit-over-pub-golf-drinking-game-b1020046.html

Very interesting article about companies holding piss ups and when it all goes tragically wrong….

Yeah free bars are the worse idea at these events. All its takes is someone who is nervous, drinks a bit quickly and bam a mess.
Manager should have stepped in, pulled person out and sent them home

Similar happened at my work event. The young employee threw up in the hotel lift and left it for hotel cleaners. Got a telling off next day by the Director who was not impressed.

Wasn't fired but was close.

Work events are for social drinking not to fill up one's personal alcohol quota.

Personally I never have alcohol at work events or even when 'going to the pub' with colleagues. I do not like even being 1% not in control of my body language or words around my co-workers and team. Not that I expect others to follow my policy but people ought to remember that you'll be working with the same people the next day and you will be judged on your behaviour - even when drunk.

It is the colleague at fault and it is not even a debate.

I worked in a very work hard, play hard company which encouraged drinking, getting the drinks in for clients, having a good time, being fun to be with but...
If someone was being a prick around clients, one of their less drunk colleagues would step in. Only had this once when we had one of our IT team out with us to celebrate the launch of a new system. He became a bit too loud, a joke too far and one of his female colleagues who was a link between IT and the client took him to oneside. He became a bit aggressive with her and before the client noticed, I pulled him outside , told him to go to his hotel room or his female colleague would batter him, that she was a black belt at karate and he would be sacked for attacking her...I was making bull shit up on the spot as I was pissed too! It worked and he trod carefully around her for weeks, apologising every time he saw her!

It doesnt sound like colleague A has done themselves any favours, however I also think it's a bit of shame that no one intervined to stop/advise them to slow it down and it would be frowned upon. Their old company may of had a completely different take on these type of events, maybe old company didn't allow drinking etc.
However to no longer be within the business they are either to embarassed or been sacked, if the later I'm assuming the company you work for have policies and procedures in place that colleague A has signed, if not then this could be a bigger problem.

If people are too dumb to understand drinking with work colleagues is not the same as partying with your mates then …

I actually cannot stand people who don’t know their limits - repeatedly. And ruin everyone’s night as they have to babysit them.

The employee is at fault. But I hate this sort of thing. The obligation to go along to the event where the free drink is flowing isn't an appropriate expectation of employees. I know people who have been sacked for their behaviour during such events, at least one of which was known to have a problem with alcohol. Was it really fair of their employer to expect them to be part of this but not forsee the obvious consequences?

The manageress
She ruined her dress
When she fell into the trifle
Wrote something obscene
On the telex machine
And the shares went down
A knock on the door
And in walked the law
And we all went home"

Happy memories of office parties past ...... 🤗

Are there any lawyers on this thread? I’m not a lawyer but had to do a couple of law exams as part of my professional qualification and I’m pretty sure there’s case law on this scenario. I seem to recall a case winning whereby someone who got drunk on company paid for booze, acted inappropriately (possibly violent?) but was unable to be sacked as the company had paid for the alcohol.

All that said, in your case, the employee was within their first 2 years so can be let go for no reason.

@Heredakh when I was young I got taken out for lunch by another team as a thank you for some work and got very drunk. Nobody external. I was really ill and had to be sent home in a taxi. I was sick as a dog but made myself get up and go in next day feeling unbelievably bad. Went straight to boss (mortified) and apologised. Boss said ‘thank you, the state of you is punishment enough’ but said I’d have been in trouble if I had stayed off. It was my own fault but boss was not pleased with other team either and gave them a talking to about caring for the younger employees. I was so embarrassed. He was a great boss. I hope I would be compassionate if I had something like this to deal with, with one of my team members now, while recognising it is not acceptable and of course bearing in mind customers/clients. Depends but would give benefit of the doubt if I could, without being a pushover.

I’m all for fun and boozy nights out but…Your workplace needs a policy that sets out behaviour expectations for these kinds of events. It’s fairer for everyone to spell out the boundaries. And reminds everyone that some people don’t drink due to their beliefs, some have done AA, some are triggered by drunken behaviour due to an ex’s violence under the influence. Np one should have to encounter drunken people on a work event.

And it’s more the norm these days for the workplace to pay for the first drink and then people buy their own if they want more.

And of course personal responsibility plays a big part.

Person A is at fault of course. You need to be professional ffs. You are representing your company and even if there were no clients, why would you make yourself look like a clown in your place of employment making yourself vulnerable in business. Don't shit where you eat comes to mind.

Imagine the beer fear when she/he woke up the next day! It’s their own fault though.

Part of being an adult who drinks is knowing your limits. If someone has an unhealthy relationship with alcohol and is at a work party where alcohol is offered, it's on them to keep that under control, as it is every other night of the year. There's always the option to not drink at all.

oh dear, perhaps some one should have stepped in and had a word before it went wobbly.....i usually avoided all work parties, at a college, teachers seemed to be the worst...mostly all drunk, fighting, abuse etc...all forgotten the next day though...i dont drink so always left after a few hours....boozing from 11 am to midnight was never going to end well !!