Colleague drinking at work

[Chasa]

My colleague is known for liking a drink and I and others have smelled drink on him on previous occasions. However, over the past fortnight his behaviour has become more hyper at work as if he wasn't just nursing a hangover but was actually still perhaps drunk? Another colleague suggested that maybe he was drinking at work so we decided to go and look in his backpack and there was an empty kids drinks bottle with a tiny bit of wine left in it. So he is drinijng on the job. So do we do anything or mind our own business? He's a nice guy on the whole. I'm thinking say nothing, I need advice.

What kind of job: customer facing, handling equipment, any risk to others? I’d be tempted to raise it with management and hope your colleague is offered help.

Can you raise it with the colleague directly?

Searching someone’s bag without consent is actually illegal

He works in stockroom (retail) no forklifts, but uses pallet trucks and heavy lifting, manual work etc.

I realise that, in hindsight now. I'm beginning to wish we hadn't done it.

How does he get to and from work? Dies he drive?

What can you do without admitting you looked in his bag? Presumably you would get in trouble for that while he can just deny there was wine so it is just you getting disciplined or whatever you want to happen.

When you find something by snooping, you kind of don't have anywhere to go with it because technically I am in the wrong.

Who the fuck do you think you are, rifling through his personal belongings? You sound like a nosy busybody, pretending to be a concerned colleague. How dare you!!

IDK. You had no right to look in his backpack anyway. How would you feel if that was done to you by your colleagues??

He used to drive, but he walks or gets dropped off as far as I'm aware - he starts before me in morning.

And?

I think as you’ve snooped in his bag, you really ought to talk to your colleague rather than taking your concerns any higher just yet.

All you can do is report suspicions but you can't mention the snooping, that and the gossip probably come under bullying too so you and your colleague won't come out of this well.

You could actually be in more trouble than him! He could say it was planted on him by you, and he could get you potentially arrested so I’d keep quiet, perhaps raise to your manager he keeps smelling of booze

Yes you're wrong, that was a terrible thing to do and now you have to either be complicit in covering up if he is drinking or face up to any disciplinary you may get for going through his bag. If you're truly concerned you should speak to him directly and offer any support if he asks for it, you can speak with your manager but you need to fess up.

This could be as he has most his license
Obviously may not be buy if it is then he must be aware that he is approaching absolute bottom. No help to you but it may mean he is open to someone giving him chance to acknowledge this himself.

You had no right to snoop through his personal belongings!

That aside, if he smells strongly of alcohol on a regular basis you could report your concerns and let the management deal with it.

Mention your concerns to your manager. That is what we did in a similar case.

Do not mention looking in the bag though. Base your case on the smell of alcohol and their behaviour

In our case the employee became so unreliable that they were eventually dismissed.

I actually can't believe you went into your colleague's bag. So terrible of you, am shocked.

You should have reported the smell, not taken it upon yourself to search his bag.

If he is not putting you or anyone else in danger - I would leave it.

The empty bottle is not really any tangible evidence here. It could have been in there for God knows how long, could it even be squash/ cordial?
What outcome do you want?

And when the shit hits the fan and there's a major cock-up you think that is going to save anybody?

I'm shocked that you are shocked.

It's a very sad situation. Does anyone know him well enough to offer support?