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The etiquette of sacking an alcoholic.

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    The etiquette of sacking an alcoholic.

    First off, it's not someone I work with and it is not in our industry but I do know the chap and I know his fellow workers. It's not me as well and not asking for advice, just a little story.

    2 years ago the chap was sent home after being found drunk on the job and was suspended on full pay for 6 months, it's not a job you can be hungover doing let alone going for half a bottle at lunch time.

    Recently the cracks were showing and again he got caught pissed on the job.

    There is nothing much they can do other than to suspend him for another 6 months, they cannot sack him, they have to treat the illness as the thoughts are that getting pissed on the job is a symptom of a disease rather than a deliberate decision.

    It seems that it is fairly hard to get rid of someone with a severe drink habit even when it completely interferes with their ability to do their job.

    #2
    Remember. When you post about yourself, just put 'A friend I know'

    Anyway. Well done on another six months down the pub on full pay.

    You(cough), err Your friend is a Legend!
    What happens in General, stays in General.
    You know what they say about assumptions!

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by minestrone View Post
      First off, it's not someone I work with and it is not in our industry but I do know the chap and I know his fellow workers. It's not me as well and not asking for advice, just a little story.

      2 years ago the chap was sent home after being found drunk on the job and was suspended on full pay for 6 months, it's not a job you can be hungover doing let alone going for half a bottle at lunch time.

      Recently the cracks were showing and again he got caught pissed on the job.

      There is nothing much they can do other than to suspend him for another 6 months, they cannot sack him, they have to treat the illness as the thoughts are that getting pissed on the job is a symptom of a disease rather than a deliberate decision.

      It seems that it is fairly hard to get rid of someone with a severe drink habit even when it completely interferes with their ability to do their job.
      Hang on, let me get this straight ........he's had 12 months off on FULL pay?????

      Im in the wrong business.

      Comment


        #4
        But if they just boot him out for six months(and - more importantly -they pay him) where is the incentive to get well again? He's being let down by his employer.
        +50 Xeno Geek Points
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        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by Zippy View Post
          But if they just boot him out for six months(and - more importantly -they pay him) where is the incentive to get well again? He's being let down by his employer.
          +1
          Knock first as I might be balancing my chakras.

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by Zippy View Post
            But if they just boot him out for six months(and - more importantly -they pay him) where is the incentive to get well again? He's being let down by his employer.
            That was my point. But the *cough* public sector contract gives them little choice.

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by minestrone View Post
              First off, it's not someone I work with and it is not in our industry but I do know the chap and I know his fellow workers. It's not me as well and not asking for advice, just a little story.

              2 years ago the chap was sent home after being found drunk on the job and was suspended on full pay for 6 months, it's not a job you can be hungover doing let alone going for half a bottle at lunch time.

              Recently the cracks were showing and again he got caught pissed on the job.

              There is nothing much they can do other than to suspend him for another 6 months, they cannot sack him, they have to treat the illness as the thoughts are that getting pissed on the job is a symptom of a disease rather than a deliberate decision.
              They should have sacked him the first time round.

              Being an alcoholic or having a drug addiction is not a disability however any illness i.e. liver disease arising from the addiction could be a disability.

              So if he was an alcoholic and was healthy he could have been sacked.

              Did they direct him to occupational health and for alcohol counselling as soon as they realised he had a problem? If they did, did they check on his progress? If they did and he was shown not to be making any progress with his sorting out his addiction then as long as he was healthy they should off sacked him.

              The longer they take to get rid off him the more likely he is to have some disease that could be classed as a disability due to his drinking.........
              "You’re just a bad memory who doesn’t know when to go away" JR

              Comment


                #8
                I knew an NHS employee who was on long term sick due to alcoholism, when they finally sacked him after a year or so he went straight onto benefits with extra payments to pay for his illness. He drank himself to death at the age of 40.

                You can't help people who don't want to be helped.
                Science isn't about why, it's about why not. You ask: why is so much of our science dangerous? I say: why not marry safe science if you love it so much. In fact, why not invent a special safety door that won't hit you in the butt on the way out, because you are fired. - Cave Johnson

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by minestrone View Post
                  That was my point. But the *cough* public sector contract gives them little choice.
                  That was top of my employer candidate list.

                  A few years ago, doing a rollout at a local authority and tracking down a user that didn't respond to multiple contact attempts I spoke to one of the users colleagues and it turned out he had been signed off sick with "stress" for no less than 33 of the past 36 months.
                  Apparently he'd come back for a few days then go again for 3-6 months all on full pay, pensions etc of course. Typically the reappearances were around Bank Holiday periods and he was always ok for Christmas parties.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by MarillionFan View Post
                    whatever
                    Grrrr, Avatar nicked, bad form

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