Let this be a lesson to us all

[Cassia]

Hi all

Tonight I offer you a cautionary tale of where things can lead through drink. Thankfully, I am not a player in this story but it makes me realise that I too could be this bad!

A month ago a few of my colleagues went drinking at lunch time. One returned to work after his hour was up and the other three carried on for until mid afternoon. Drunk, they came back to work. Two of said colleagues are in a relationship and had a huge fight. One of them stole the others ones car keys and then stole his car..drunk. To cut a long story short there was physically violence later on. The car thief then decided to file formal grievances in work against their so called drinking buddies again through a pissed and possibly drug induced haze. Result, potentially four careers ruined, undo hassle and stress for management and other co-workers. And all through drink.

Personally, I think they should all be sacked for gross miscoduct. The next time you think about taking a drink especially at work...I ask you to remember this story and see where it can lead. Ok, there is obviously some mental instability here but drink makes us do things that we would never dream of doing sober.

L x

[Change]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Omg, what stupid idiots! I'd never drink during a normal job. My job in hospitality was a different story though.

[RudyB]

Let this be a lesson to us all

right before quitting al, a colleage, another teacher, was spotted weaving through the hallways by the end of the day, evidently from drinking on the job. eeek. she was called in to the office, dispached for a few days, but was able to come back. don't know the consequences she faced, but i can imagine the shame she felt/feels. i could have never stopped blushing in shame after an act like that. but, yes, it could've gotten that bad for me one day... good reason to have stopped already. phew. skin of teeth? maybe.

[rubywillow]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Hubs company has a 'No Tolerance' rule. If it is suspected, you are tested immediately, postives are fired. You have the possibility of being tested randomly at any time. Any accident, disciplinary action, - immediate testing. This may sound harsh, but in his workplace, there are 1000's of ways to be killed. So I appreciate their caution.
Cass, that situation you described sounds like a massive alcohol-induced cluster f*^k. Nice for you to be able to sit back and learn, isn't it?

[Lavande]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Wow, that's quite a story!
Drinking at work was something I never did, thank God.

[DriftyAlison0]

Let this be a lesson to us all

I never drink when I am at work.

[Jolie]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Unbelievable! Ruby - my workplace is the same - no tolerance - Drinking at work was never and I repeat NEVER an option for me - just plain stupid.

[Marshy]

Let this be a lesson to us all

When I started out in my industry (media) in the 1980s, long liquid lunches were very common. Now it would be odd for people to drink at lunchtime. Funny how things change.

[Cinders]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Good post, Sheri.

I wish we were all as understanding as you.

Love,
Cindi

[ATLThrash]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Not sure where you all are but in the US in most jobs unless it is a night time function -- if we drank at lunch we would be gone--100%

[Cassia]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Sheri

Take your point an that was the intention of my thread but I do think that people should be held responsible for their actions particularly when it is effecting a team. It also sends the wrong message to co workers to allow that behaviour.

Just my opinion.

[momof3]

Let this be a lesson to us all

I would like to provide another perspective here. I can say that I never drank at work too but my hangovers from the night before and my "edginess" during the day certainly had an impact on my work and those who worked with me.

More importantly, I regularly drank at home to the point of being drunk in front of my children. I wasn't mean or abusive, or anything like that but I wasn't "present" for them if you know what I mean.

The point I am taking from your story Cassia is that drinking can have a horrible effect on our behavior and our relationships regardless of where we do it.

[Cassia]

Let this be a lesson to us all

Sheri,

That's fair enough. I do think i said in the thread that it easily could have been me and I do strongly feel that if I had behaved like that at work I should have been fired. And if people called me an idiot, I think I would quite rightly deserve it. In fact, if that was all they called me, I would probably be getting off quite likely.

[Doggygirl]

Let this be a lesson to us all

I try to be very cautious with any "can you BELIEVE that??? I'M not that bad!" reactions I might have. There may have been some risky / dangerous / stupid behaviors I did NOT engage in, but there were plenty of risky / dangerous / stupid behaviors I DID engage in. Plenty of them. For years and years. I too have realized I am in no position to judge.

Marshy, I too look at the way times have changed. Liquid Lunches were common when my post college career was getting started.

M3, as the years went by and my alcoholism progressed, I eventually DID drink on the job. However for years before that, I'm like you. My hangovers certainly impacted my performance and that of my teams.

There is just nothing good to look back on as far as my drinking and working goes.

DG

[RudyB]

Let this be a lesson to us all

ditto to what momof3 said. i cringe when i think of the number of times i was drunk in front of my son. NOT PRESENT. thank god i stopped when i did, just about now he's at an age when he'd really start to notice that i am quite different when i drink that funny stuff. phew. skin of my teeth. thank god i'll be losing no more time to al; giving myself to al instead of my child?! shudder to think!
and yes, my students definitely paid a price when i came in hungover. i think sometimes they even knew something was chemically WRONG with me. eek. not no more. now if i'm a cranky beeeyitch, it's THEIR fault. tee hee. (well, they are middleschoolers, after all....)