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

The only person who can possibly be responsible for this is the person who drank the drink.

No-one forced it down their throat. It being free is irrelevant.

lol booze is at every work event these days, sometimes also at workplaces just in general, especially in the tech sector.

What a load of rubbish!

No one forced the drink down their throat and they were not played with drink?

Do you not think adults should be able to drink without getting shitfaced and rude?

Good on them for sacking A, good example to make.

I think reputationally work are taking a big risk by mixing alcohol, staff and clients because theres usually one person that goes over the line.

But colleague was 100% at fault. I would set myself a limit of drinks ahead of time (and tbh, me personally, I wouldn't drink around clients, certainly not more than one flute of something).

People go mad with free booze like its a free holiday or something and somehow forget that it's not usually worth more than a tenner and end up going wild to get their free moneys worth.

This colleague probably drank no more than £20 at supermarket prices and lost their job over it. Its really sad all round.

Of course it's colleague A's fault. Common sense normally tells you that a couple of glasses of wine would be enough for an event like this - just enough to enjoy yourself but not go nuts. Once you start straying onto the third and fourth and beyond, you know you're getting into drunk territory.

She must have been really, really drunk if she's vomiting on people and being aggressive.

I go to work dos like this but I deliberately take the car so can use that as an excuse for sticking to the soft drinks. It's on me to plan ahead and make sure that I either don't drink at all or keep it to a couple of glasses.

Bet your (former) colleague is utterly mortified! A really tough lesson learned the hard way. 🙁

Free, all you can drink buffet of booze is a bad idea at a work event. But it is personal responsibility to act professionally. While it is a personal responsibility, I also think we should look out for each other and someone should have escorted her put before it escalated.

We have boozy work events a couple of times a year. Some people get arseholed.
People have been sacked on the back of it. In past years, two younger team members (both women) were sexually assaulted. One by a man who grabbed her arse. Another by a man telling her what he wanted to do to her (unwelcome).
Another two men filmed themselves taking coke in the toilets and uploaded it to social media.
Of course it's the individual's responsibility not to behave like a twat, but companies should also bear responsibility for organising free bar events. They're normally an absolute fucking car crash. Employers have a legal duty of care, and saying 'behave yourself' doesn't absolve them of responsibility.

Personal responsibility is the answer. We are all personally responsible for our choices and behaviours (unless we have a health condition that prevents us from being so). The person deserved to lose his/her job. I am so sick of people being excused taking responsibility for the choices they make and the consequences of those choices. It seems as if it is always someone else's fault.

The suggestion that it's someone else's responsibility rather than employee A's and that his/her behaviour should be excused beggars belief.

An adult at a corporate function shouldn't need to babysat - getting drunk is one thing, puking in public is another.

Totally agree, well put.

Despite what people are saying, it's a work event so there is a duty of care of employer to employees, just like at work. Fact that a similar situation has happened before is concerning - company hasn't learnt from previous issue.
Ie https://www.ibblaw.co.uk/employers-responsibility-alcohol-work-event
Personally I think these free flowing alcohol events are out of date and irresponsible- everyone should get 1 alcoholic drink each, should they wish. Free flowing non alcoholic drinks after that and people can buy more alcohol for themselves after that.......

my dh previous works do went to ruin when there was free booze. it is a lesson

There's a reason gluttony is one of the 7 deadly sins. Nothing good comes of it.

It would be irresponsible at a prom for 18 year olds to have free flowing booze but not at an event full of adults.

Every wedding, party, Christmas do, work event I’ve ever been to has had free flowing booze. Every now and then you drink too much and might make a tit of yourself but you gradually learn to handle it. Course it was person As fault.

Ultimately it is A's responsibility, and they have hopefully learnt their lesson. However I think the company do have a part to play, providing free unlimited booze and clients is a bit of a recipe for disaster. Someone should have stepped in prior to the colleague offending the client. I think firing someone for getting too drunk at an event you provided unlimited free booze at is a bit harsh, especially when no one tried to step in at any point

I have also been in those situations where older colleagues try really hard to ply you with booze so you provide the entertainment, the most peer pressure I've ever had is when I've been junior at a work party. I hope no one was encouraging their drinking.

Of course it’s A’s fault. If you’re new to a company you’re on your best behaviour. If you then go to a works party with free booze you only have one drink (or none) and again, watch your behaviour.

Unless this person is actually 14 and the party was in someone’s house then there’s no excuse for doing this.

It's everyone else's fault.
Including the cat down the road.
No-one should have to take personal responsibility.
Whoever planned the party should be fired.
Or am I lying?

I’ve seen this a few times. They didn’t know their limits as they weren’t used to drinking regularly. Work friends need to intervene if possible, but ultimately it’s their responsibility and they’ll learn/not learn for the future.

Bit of both, free bar and young people is usually a disaster. There's always one or two who'll get seriously drunk and doesn't know when to stop.

Much better to have beer and wine on the tables, or give people a number of vouchers, once your vouchers are done you buy your own.

Most company events, and all of ours, you can go to the bar and drink what you want. We are adults, just because you can doesn’t mean you need to get wankered and get on it at a company event with clients there. Everyone else managed to behave responsibly. The issue lies solely with the drunkard. Everyone else should not be treated like they don’t know how to behave responsibly round alcohol as one person decided to fill their boots.

what next. Control the food portions at the buffet. One sausage roll each, in case someone decides to binge?

nothing worse than this nannying mindset that penalises everyone, as a few people don’t know how to behave.

Work events are an extension of work when clients are there. I never drink much at them, our job is to woo the clients.
Used to work at a company back in the 80s/90s had a box at a well known racecourse, and they'd use the events to cross-promote other divisions to a range of top clients from each division. I had a driver at our office used to follow the racing and won good money quite often (and tell us who to put money on at eg Grand National) so I used to prime him with a tenner for his betting knowledge and get the gist of which horses to put money on the next day. I'd drink lemonade with all the trimmings so it looked like vodka and something (the box staff dressed it up with a slice of lime etc), a glass of wine with the food, and just be very social, introducing my clients to the colleagues in the other divisions and they all got on like a house on fire once the free alcohol flowed with the guests. None of the company members drank more than a pint or two/glass of wine or two, we had a job to do! We provided chauffeur taxis to the clients to and from as well, so they knew they were OK to drink. We gained LOADS of extra work for the company, however the company got swallowed up into another big corporate who ditched the box. Was gutted as I loved it, and used to get asked to do box duties regularly as I was good lived not too far away, had the horsey tips so the clients never went home empty handed and we got loads of biz from it.

I can't think in this day of austerity that many companies would do free booze, it seems old fashioned product of the 80s/90s.. Current employer doesn't do any corporate events whatsoever (on the doorstep of Henley Regatta/Ascot etc).

However, I would always consider a work do where clients are present is the same as work. Not for drinking. Surely it's obvious?

Years ago at a company Christmas party I had to rush to the loo in order to vomit. I think I also fainted. Turns out I had a 24 hour sickness bug, but many of my colleagues assumed I had drunk too much, especially when I did not turn up to work next day. It was very embarrassing.

However I was not obnoxious. Being obnoxious and unprofessional to clients is unacceptable.

If everyone else is drinking sensibily then limiting the amount of free alcohol to a sensible amount won't affect them.

It's in the companies interest to not piss of clients, and providing free booze always risks that someone is going to end up being a wanker

Yanbu, these things should be treated like an extension of work, not a piss up.

A useful life lesson for the youngster in not ever getting shitfaced, regardless of whether it’s a works do or not. 🤷🏻‍♀️