Nursery workers drinking at lunchtime.

[Brendathedoll]

Had a rare day off yesterday so went for a pub lunch with my sister. In there I saw 2 nursery nurses from my child’s daycare having lunch and they each had a glass of wine. There were also 2 empty glasses in the table but possibly from previous customers. I wasn’t happy but my sister says it’s there lunchtime they don’t get paid for and 2 glasses won’t make any difference. They saw me and looked a bit sheepish but it means I can’t report them anon now. I’m scared if I say something they would treat my child differently. Am I being ott thinkinb they shouldn’t drink while caring for kids?

I've worked in a school next to a pub and it wasn't common for anyone to go there for a lunch break. We were so badly paid that it wouldn't be a typical thing you'd do if you hadn't brought lunch in; you'd either have a school dinner or get a meal deal.

They were most likely finished for the day or on training or something (not working with the children) and 'treating' themselves.

A close friend of mine was chastised for doing exactly this recently. She had previously run an entire nursery herself and is now taking sub work in various nurseries that are understaffed. She was told it was an official warning as drinking and working after, under the influence (to whatever degree) was not tolerated. Further incidents would result in being fired for gross misconduct.

There's probably something official somewhere about this, but I don't know where to direct you for that.

What you could do is ask the nursery what their policy is, then you know.

I would expect there to be a rule of no drinking for a role that involves possibly having to administer first aid or respond to emergency situations whilst caring for other people's children in a professional capacity.

I work in an office and don´t drink alcohol during my lunchtime. I may have 0.0 beer, which I pour into a glass and the waiter wisks the bottle away, so you could assume I was having beer with alcohol. I would not be ok with nursery workers drinking alcohol between shifts but the situation you are describing looks like they were there after work. So I would keep schtum.

You don’t know if they were drinking alcohol, you don’t know how much if indeed they were, you don’t even know if they were working that day. So yabu.

Wtf that is outrageous. I'd be fuming.

Absolutely not acceptable and most likely a sacking offence

This thread is bonkers.

A couple of women having lunch. That's the single only thing that anyone knows about them. Every other thing is conjecture both on the part of the OP and subsequent posters.

Had the op been that concerned she could have had an actual conversation with them. Their 'sheepish' look was more likely to be a 'Bloodyhell we can't get away from parents even on our day off' look

People need to get a life.

In a pub a short walk away from the nursery?middle of day?

Yeah they were on their break no doubt

Absolutely. But let's not pass up a chance to pass judgment on people who work demanding jobs for little more than minimum wage. They don't get to have a life /sarcasm.

I agree it's not enough evidence as you don't know if they were returning to work, and if they were drinking on their lunch break hopefully them seeing you clocking them was enough of a shot across the bows to make them think twice.

I wouldn't report them with that evidence alone but agree it isn't on. (And wouldn't blame anyone who brought it to the nursery's attention especially since they could be in charge of very young babies and toddlers and you have to be on it since they are at risk of choking/smothering and things can happen quickly)

I work at a university teaching adults in an "art" subject and we are not allowed to drink on our lunch breaks.

This thread is insane. Working in a minimum wage job does not entitle you to drink alcohol at lunchtime. I’m a teacher and this would be a sackable offence at any of the 4-5 schools I’ve worked at. Horrific to see so many people trying to justify day drinking in adults who are responsible for other people’s children. No wonder childcare is in such a terrible state in this country.

It’s probably not illegal, but there are definitely rules covering professional conduct that have to be adhered to when looking after young children.

Being intoxicated in this instance doesn’t mean blind drunk but two pub measures of wine would likely take you over the drink/drive limit, so I’d class that as intoxicated.

If they were returning to work in the afternoon and the OP reported what she’d seen, they could risk a disciplinary hearing.

Why fuming?

Honestly I've read through the whole thread meticulously and there is absolutely nothing to suggest this was anything more than two colleagues who happen to work at a nursery having lunch.

No wonder people don't want to work in childcare. According to some posters here they should never venture out the house when not at work.

I know, how dare they.

An hour's lunch break? Blimey. When I worked at a nursery, we had no lunch break at all. It was written into our contracts that we would eat our lunch with the children - which, in reality, meant a few hasty mouthfuls in between cutting sandwiches into manageable pieces, opening various food packaging, peeling fruit, and taking little Johnnie to the loo and wiping his pooey bottom.

Who said they were driving?

If they are in a pub at lunch then obviously they aren't working today.

No evidence that they don't have the afternoon off.

No evidence that they are driving after this.

No evidence that they are doing anything unprofessional.

Ridiculous

Do you think that someone over the limit to drive should be at work minding other people's small children?

Have none if these outraged people ever had a glass of wine at their unpaid lunchtime? Jesus.
Not forgetting an awful lot of them will drink a damn sight more when they’re looking after their own children.

@AGodawfulsmallaffair

Dont be daft

In a pub a short walk away from the nursery?middle of day?

Yeah they were on their break no doubt*

But you - and no one else including the op - don't know that. Nor do you know what they were drinking.

What do you think can be done about it?

OP to nursery - *I saw Jane and Janet having lunch today in the pub and there were 4 large glasses of wine (2 empty) on the table and I'm horrified.

NM to Jane & Janet - Mrs nosybody said this about you today

J&J to NM - she was mistaken.

And then what? Manager goes to pub and asks for cctv? 🤷🏼‍♀️

This.

I would not report them.

I don’t think people should be drinking while looking after kids. ( it’s painful enough while sober)

but if it was one standard glass of wine ( and we’re all guessing how much they had) I wouldn’t be frothing at the mouth like other posters here.

i can have a glass of wine with a meal and not notice a difference. And I rarely drink.

They weren’t necking a Stella in the nursery. No-one even knows if it was alcohol.