What would you do if you thought one of your staff/ colleagues was an alcoholic?

[ViciousSquirrelSpotter]

OK it's not exactly staff member, it's a volunteer.

I've only known her for about a year, she seems to be managing what she does reasonably OK, but she's been a bit erratic about things, particularly communication. She's very enthusiastic, but goes AWOL from time to time. One of her fellow volunteers fell out with her and rang me complaining about her. Her behaviour from my angle fits in perfectly with a binge drinker, but I'm acutely aware of binge drinking, having been involved with alcoholics all my life, so I realise I could be being paranoid.

I don't know if should do/ say anything about this. Or just let sleeping dogs lie and hope that either I'm wrong, or that if she is a binge drinker, it won't have any effect on her volunteering!

Opinions? thanks

I think you have adress issues that affect her work/volunteering (being late, poor performance, etc.)

If you you've been involved with alcoholics, you know you can't fix them. Don't try. If she asks for help, by all means be there. But, if she doesn't want the help, it can do more harm than good.

agreed - address the behaviour rather than the cause right now. You could be jumping to conclusions after all.

If she is drinking excessively she has to make the decision to get help.

Not sure how law works on volounteers, but if she were an actual employee then there is onus on company to treat it as an illness which means lots of support, time off, etc, at very minimum. Sometimes it is better not to know these things.

Yes I sort of feel if I mention anything to my boss, I'll open a can of worms which I just don't want to...

I guess that's why employers mostly ignore obvious alcoholism.

Could she put herself or others at risk during the time she is working - what environment does she work in?

If not, I would leave it for your boss to deal with

too right squiffy- In my last job (car job btw) there was a woman wo used to turn up plastered and would just get sent home, and has now been doing it for 7 years and still has her job .My XH is an alcoholic and when he was drinking he got drunk when at work (care job)and wasn't sacked.

I think if their drinking is affecting what they do then you should bring it up with her.

however its up to her to seek help - as eleusis says she can only get help if she wants it.