Very Urgent Enquiry

pro_gnostic_8

Howzit going,

Guys, not being a regular contributor to this forum perhaps I'm outta order asking for your help in this matter, but this is an an issue which could have very serious repercussions for me and I really would appreciate any advice you could offer at such short notice.

I'm heading in to work at 1800 hrs for my evening shift, k? Five other people are on my shift. Now, I've just had a call from a colleague on the day shift (a sound bloke) that the manager is coming in this evening to confront me about an alleged smell of drink on my breath on Tuesday's evening shift which was reported to him.

What I would like to know is this .................. am I entitled to ask who reported this and is management obliged in law to disclose the name of my accuser?

Thanking you in advance for any guidance in this matter.
Regards,
Jack C.

Hellrazer

1.If there was a smell of drink on your breath all the manager can do is ask if you were drinking on the job.Which if you werent then he can do nothing.If you had a drink the night before then again nothing can be said.
2.As for who mouthed on you he doesnt have to tell you usually using "strictest confidence"as an excuse.You can ask but I would doubt that he would tell you.

My advice(if you did have a smell on your breath) is to say that you had a "few last night"and didnt realise that you still had a smell on your breath and that if you had of realised then you would have chewed gum etc.
I wouldnt worry about it though because if they sack you for something that according to you was done outside of working hours then you have them by the balls!!!!!
I had this problem not so long ago-One of my staff here had a drink problem and was actually drinking on the job.When confronted he said it was from last night etc etc which I could do nothing about.Eventually he was caught with a bottle of whiskey in his tool box taking sips of it every now and again and was duly let go for drinking on the job.

Good luck
Richie

Beruthiel

bloody hell! the amount of times people have come into work here (including myself) reaking of beer! nothing is ever said.
as you are doing shift work this suggests you are not dealing with customers? if you did your job ok and you weren't falling over, what's his problem.
as a matter of interest... had you been drinking, and if so, how much?
I agree with Hellrazer, just say it had been from the night before, it's too late to test you now, so it's your word against the others.

alternatively you could say your g/f-b/f gave you a box of liqueurs, they can make you smell the same if you've eaten enough!
maybe your man who called to tell ya was just pulling your leg!
If my boss said that to me I'd laugh and ask him what he's talking about!

pro_gnostic_8

Many, many thanks, lads, for your very helpful advice.

I should have mentioned that I did, in fact, have 4 lunchtime pints that day. But in no way whatsoever, was I the worse for wear.

Thing is, the job does actually involve dealing with the public .......... I'm a caretaker in a Community Sports centre. On a FAS community employment scheme (I have a disability). Now, at the monthly staff liaison meetings it is always emphasized that anyone smelling of drink will be summarily dismissed (are they legally allowed to pursue this avenue?)

Hellrazer, are you quite sure that the Manager has no sanction if a worker has been drinking (very moderately) outside working hours?

Anyway, I'm off to work now to face the music..... I've decided to take the advice of both of yiz and to brazen it out.

Tanx again.

WhiteWashMan

if you report for work and you are unable to carry out your duties by being (even mildly) the worse for wear, he can sack you.

just say you had a budweiser shandy or something at lunch

oneweb

How did you get on with this? Were you asked about it, or was your colleague pullin your leg?

pro_gnostic_8

How's it going, web,

Nope it wasn't a wind-up by a colleague. The manager did come in that night and read me the riot act. My approach was to say that any drink I had consumed was outside working hours and that my work effort was not in anyway affected. He responded by giving me a written and final warning that if ever again drink could be smelled on my breath, I would be summarily dismissed. I am currently in the process of taking advice on this matter ......... there is no trade union where I work so it is via letters etc., to Government Depts and FAS that I am pursuing this issue.

I just cannot accept that an employer can arrive at such a unilateral decision like this in this day and age. Just because a worker is dealing with the public in the course of his work surely shouldn't infer that employment legislation is thrown to the winds.

Needless to say, when I asked for the name of his informant the manager refused -- quoting "given in strictest confidence" etc., as predicted by Hellraiser.

Anyway, the whole incident has led to a rancid atmosphere at work and I don't much like it there anymore. I was even thinking of going in with drink again to force the issue and maybe make a test case of it!

p

Originally posted by pro_gnostic_8
My approach was to say that any drink I had consumed was outside working hours and that my work effort was not in anyway affected. I just cannot accept that an employer can arrive at such a unilateral decision like this in this day and age. Just because a worker is dealing with the public in the course of his work surely shouldn't infer that employment legislation is thrown to the winds.

Needless to say, when I asked for the name of his informant the manager refused -- quoting "given in strictest confidence" etc., as predicted by Hellraiser.

Anyway, the whole incident has led to a rancid atmosphere at work and I don't much like it there anymore. I was even thinking of going in with drink again to force the issue and maybe make a test case of it!

1. You shouldn't be drinking in the afternoon if you start you shift later that day.
2. If you smell of drink and you deal with the public then no matter your state of sobriety you are not doing your job properly. 3. It's absolutely none of your business who informed your boss about you. People should be able to complain about other employess in confidence.
4. After drinking you may not be able to adequatly assess whether or not you are suitable for work or not.

Your boss was perfectly within his rights and you should be grateful you weren't fired outright.

- Kevin