Should I report my suspicions?

[MaryRoze]

I'll preface this by saying I don't like this guy- he's a lazy bastard. I'm trying not to let this cloud my judgement though.

We have a contractor who I suspect is coming to work under the influence. He's frequently late, sometimes looks absolutely terrible, disappears multiple times during the day. I brought this up with his boss and he agreed to give him his notice to leave. So, he's leaving end of September/beginning of October anyway.

During the course of this conversation with his boss, he made just an off-handed comment "I think he's a drinker".

I didn't think anything of it until I heard him wretching/throwing up in the bathroom on Friday. Now I'm adding 2 + 2 and coming up with 5.

We've got a zero tolerance drug and alcohol policy, and this contractor is going to be responsible for a huge high risk operation in a few days time. If something goes wrong / he hasn't planned it properly due to being under the influence, this could end in fatalities.

What do I do?

YABU - he's leaving anyway. double check his plan for the high risk activity and let him get on with it.

YANBU - this is too dangerous to ignore. report.

I can see where you're coming from but I think it might be best if I go through our testing company. That way the test is carried out by professionals and there won't be any arguments if he fails it.

The Chinese whispers in your workplace are awful.

Nobody seems to want to get to the truth or help the poor guy get over his health issues or alcoholism.

Not one person seems to be nice to him.

What a dreadful place to work. And you're not going to help it if you further spread these potentially completely untrue rumours.

I would email my manager and tell him that you heard him being sick, that he has been on the phone to the doctor numerous times, that you're worried for his health and how that is going to impact the project next week if he suddenly goes off sick so if someone should work with him to make sure he's on top of everything.

That's all very well, but who will administer it ? I suspect despite having a "policy" the OPs employer hasn't got a protocol to follow. And that's a really good way to find yourself in court.

@SerendipityJane

But the worst thing would be : to be in court due to death/serious injury.

I think if the OP has suspicions : the vomiting, the comment : these are grounds for the issue to be addressed.
I think seeking advice from the testing company is a good idea.

I’d love to know what this tin pot company is in all seriousness. This is appalling. Who does risk management, insider risk, HR, etc?

In any decent company with any idea of employer liability: one, an unreliable person on probation would not be given such a high stakes project. Two, anyone on such a high stakes project who was out the door - would be on immediate gardening leave and someone else drafted in. This has company reg flags ALL over it.

That’s before the person who had taken over all responsibility is trying to decide on MN if they should whistleblow about said employee as fatalities are potential if said event goes wrong.

I can’t even begin to understand what a mess of a company this is.

Absolutely report and put it in writing to multiple people. If anything does happen you could be in the firing line too.

Testing is a red herring. So is whether or not it’s fair to suggest he’s drinking. All irrelevant. He’s unsuitable to manage this procedure and needs to be taken off it. You don’t need to tie yourself up in knots over internet testing kits ffs. So if he passes some temu test everything is fine? I don’t think so

None of which I disagree with. But H&S isn't about H&S. It's about ensuring that the people who make the money are safe from H&S claims. Some may say I am overly and unnecessarily cynical (especially if their living is H&S). Others may make the connection between my point of view and the still ongoing (sever years and counting) bunfight over Grenfell which hasn't achieved anything. Least of all an improvement in H&S.

The older you get. The more people you work with. The more you realise "how things are done" you feel less and less confident we are progressing in any meaningful sense.

My message is hidden because it had a word in it and hitch might be confused for an advert

what I was basically saying is don’t worry about testing or specific accusations. All irrelevant. He’s not fit to manage the procedure, get him taken off it. Ill? Drunk? Not technically drunk but drunk yesterday? None of the above but late a lot for some other reason likely to be very distracting and now on the way out the door? Who cares which - Wrong guy for this job

One way or another he's not on his top form, whether due to illness or self inflicted.

Put your concerns in writing to his manager who will hopefully not let him anywhere near the high risk project.

Thank you. Agree he is the wrong person for the job and it wouldn't have been my decision to keep him on until his replacement arrives.

I have a meeting with his boss on Monday for something unrelated. I will bring it up with him.

On his probation period and you said in the opening post he is responsible for a high risk activity which could lead to fatalities if it goes wrong? Bloody hell.

I have experience of organising drug and alcohol testing as an employer. By the time the appointment is organised and results back, he will be almost gone anyway. The advantage would be he would surely be stood down immediately which should be obvious anyway and also if the result is negative, vindicated.

I find it unbelievably concerning that people with such levels of responsibility, including yourself being frank, are incapable of making such basic decisions. I hope the people at risk from becoming fatalities are protected without further delay.

One other issue is that by the sound of it he could be drink driving

As I said upthread, he is perfectly capable and qualified to oversee this high risk activity. His capabilities were never in question.

I have already taken steps to protect the workers who might be at risk.

Do you think it's worth going ahead with the drug testing or just speak to his manager and have him put on leave?

all we can hope is that the Op was massively bigging up this “huge” project with the potential to kill peoples if goes tits up

because the idea of the OP supervising anyone and asking AIBU for advice is very concerning

He was still on his probation period for his employer

probation period and on a huge project

probation period and a contractor?

I never said the project was huge. I've already said the project itself is relatively low risk. I said the task next week is huge (in terms of the project overall), and requires careful planning.

I have also said repeatedly I am not the supervisor. It's not even my project.

Well that is entirely your shout.

Happily I no longer have the stress of such decisions myself.

responsible for a huge high risk operation

I'll be supervising the activity

If you finish my sentence, I said "huge high risk operation in a few days time" meaning the activity next week, not the project as a whole.

project itself is relatively low risk. I

any project where one part of it involves potential loss of life… is not “relatively low risk”

Not to be argumentative but you said you are supervising the activity.

yes.

And this particular activity is a project in itself

how much experience of project management do you have?

I said I have decided to supervise this particular activity. I'm not the supervisor for the whole project.