My drunk secretary at work

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
I am still just at a loss. She's the dept. secretary, meaning she's supposed to assist my boss & me. She's an alcoholic. She's incapable of even the simplest tasks. When he asks her to set up a mtg she comes to me & asks for everyone's phone numbers. I'm like "ummmmm, did you check the phone book?" She's totally trying to get me to do her job for her & I am not falling for it.

Over the holiday one of our coworker's father passed away & my boss asked her to find the obit & funeral plans. Let me tell you, she was running around this place ranting & raving b/c she doesn't know how to USE THE FREAKIN INTERNET!!!!!!!!!

She had back surgery last year, came back to work about 3 months ago. Now we're not just dealing w/vodka. Now we're dealing w/vodka mixed w/painkillers. The woman is a train wreck. She's incompetent & utterly incoherent. Half her words are slurred & she can't put together a full sentence. Not only does she not help me, she actually creates more work for me b/c she can't even set up a GD mtg.

Now, normally I'd feel for someone like this except she's become a bitch on wheels. If you say anything to her that isn't all sweetness & light she'll go off on you. I mean, REALLY go off on you. Why should someone have to walk on eggshells around their own secretary? It's absurd!

I've spoken to my boss about this a number of times. A couple times w/other colleagues in the room to back me up & have it on record. I told my boss that at the very least transfer her somewhere where she doesn't deal w/the public. His response: "she's the executive secretary to the highest ranking official in town." My response: "THAT'S MY FREAKIN POINT!!!!!!!!!" He says she's been here for 25 years, we can't just fire her. And he can't do anything during the holidays. There's always an excuse to do nothing b/c he's really a coward when it comes to personnel issues.

It kills me that we have to keep incompetent employees b/c we're afraid of being sued. It kills me even more that we can't even get this woman into a treatment program b/c the very mention of it would send her over the edge.

This is so frustrating! Any advice?
 
I know that our company has some sort of policy where, you might not be fired for coming to work under the influence, but you can be made to get treatment, and the company pays for it. Is that an option in this case?
 
Ditto. Ours has the same thing. I believe it's an HR standard, so I would assume that yours does as well.

Coming to work drunk is a SERIOUS thing, particularly when there is a problem involved. And it sounds like there's a hostile work environment that's been created to boot.

I would involve HR, rather than your boss, since he clearly does not have a spine.
 
I agree with melimcn...Get HR involved. No one should have to put up with this at work, and, it sounds like the woman is a danger to not only to herself, but others.
 
I agree with Intervention. It's not a sin to have a drinking issue, but it should be to let someone with a problem go on with no help. I hope she's not driving because I would hate for something to happen when it could have been prevented.
 
You need to go to Human Resources IMMEDIATELY! Your boss is not the proper channel to be putting this through. If you don't go to HR and get your complaints on record with them, she could sue and win if you fire her.

Plus, if she is your secretary, too, you should have some say as to whether she stays or goes. If you don't want her as your secretary, then adios amiga!

Also, I live in what is called an at-will state. An employee in my state is considered employed at-will, meaning that at any point, either the employee or the employer can terminate the employment without reason. We've terminated a lot of employees who try to fight it, but as an at-will state, there's not a whole lot they can do about being let go. Perhaps you live in an at-will state, too. You can do an internet search and put in your state name + "at-will employment" and see what comes up.

But again, your next stop should be HR, not only because your boss won't do anything about it, but also because it's HR's job to deal with such situations and probably should have been your first stop. This woman is a liability and a safety hazard, and HR needs to know about it and do something about it. And if HR doesn't do anything, then I think it's time for YOU to look for a new job.
 
She clearly needs to be in a treatment program.

I guess I'm a stupid secretary....cuz I never even knew you could look up Obits on the Internet. I know how to use the Internet....but didn't know they listed obits.........oh well, I guess I'm not very capable either. Good to know this now though in case anyone ever asks me to do it at work.
 
I had a similar situation. Realizing that management was refusing to deal with the situation becuase she was a 20 year employee, I simply decided to leave and get a job at a more functional office. Best decision I ever made. It made me realize how truly dysfunctional the old office really was.
Beth
 
>Heck, buy her a bottle and a flask and wish her a happy new
>year.She will get the message.
>
>Anne
>Aka( Storm)
>
>http://www.picturetrail.com/acatalina


Actually, that's not such a bad idea if your firm is not willing to do an intervention. She'll know that you know what is going on with her. Does your firm have a program that would allow her to keep her job if she goes for treatment? Has she been documented in any way?
 
There was an article in the paper last week that the newest thing is for drunk party guests that have accidents to sue the party hosts. It sounds to me like you have some major liability issues here. Go to HR now.
 
Some sort of action must be taken. This woman has an affect on anyone who has to work with her, or any outside vendors or customers she has to deal with. Knowing that she is drunk at work and not doing anything about could bring about law suits from the people that come in contact with her while she is on the job; if her drunkenness should cause any kind of trouble or problems for them.

I don't know if you can just out and out fire her, but who ever she reports to has the responsibility to speak with someone in the HR as to what steps need to be taken to ensure that the company doesn't do any wrong to this woman WHILE getting her the help she needs. Be prepared to let HR know why you believe she is under the influence of alcohol and how this is affecting her professionalism and her ability to do her job AND how her inability to do her job and her lack of professionalism is affecting others.

DeeDee
 
Ok, a couple of qualifications here:

1) I work for municipal government, which means civil service. I don't know how many people are familiar w/this term, but it's pretty much the reason govmt employees get a bad rep.
2) we don't have an HR department. The HR department is my boss & myself. If we disagree his decision obviously trumps mine.
3) this is NJ--definitely NOT a right to work state. In fact the ANTITHESIS of a right to work state. Not only do we need documentation to fire someone, we need documentation miles long not to mention witness after witness after witness. Everything must be approved by the state dept. of personnel--disciplinary actions, terminations, etc. And even then they can sue & win.

This is why we never fire anyone, much less discipline them (only one person has been fired since I've been here for using the "N" word to an AA, & he's now in the process of suing for wrongful termination). I've started keeping a log of her terrible, drunken, drug-hazed behavior but I don't know what good it'll do b/c my boss refuses to do a damn thing about it. I mentioned intervention & he said it'd make her totally flip her lid.

My hands are tied & I'm stuck with this nasty, drunk, incompetent woman who rather than helps me, makes my job more difficult. x(
 
Make her life so miserable that she wants to quit!!!!}( HEHEHE
Sorry this is going on. Hopefully the New Year will bring some sort of resolution.
Heather
 
Looks like you're stuck unless you decide to quit. This would be more than I could take. From what you've said in the past, in addition to this situation, it sounds like a lousy place to work! How can you stand it?!
 
Okay. Then perhaps a tip to the police department would be in order. That is, if she drives. Getting a DUI would pretty much force her into a diversion program. At the very least, she would get help and hopefully improve at work. And you would have some documentation of her offensive behavior other than your own observations.

MissL
 
It's interesting you mention that you work for the government because it is my understanding that the city, county and state governments are liable if they do not call someone on their harmful behavior.

I guess I'm naive.
 
Geeze .. LauraMax .. feel for you . . boy you are in a difficult place!! and think your situation brings new meaning to the word office "politics" .. bless your heart.

from my experience .. and alcoholic thinks that no one KNOWS they are drunk even when they are slobering, staggering and beligerant .. and she would more than likely "go off" on anyone who even suggested she had been drinking and especially anyone who suggested or attempted an intervention ..
:eek:

your only hope is to plead w/your boss or his "higher up" to do something .. not only for her sake .. but for yours!!!

.. or have the cops waiting for her when she gets behind the wheel of a car .. tenor .. connections ... won't help her then .. then she deals w/the other side of the judicial system ..

Good luck ... I feel for you .. dealing w/drunks in any situation is tough .. but having to work w/one .. OMG .. can't imagine!!
 
This place sucks. I'm non-contractual, non-union so I don't get all the bennies & protections these people do.

Yeah, it's enough to make me want to quit (& I am job hunting but I have a pretty narrow skills set having worked for govmt for about a decade now), but I'll be damned if I'll let some nasty secretary drive me out of my job. It should be the opposite LOL. I can try to make her life so miserable SHE quits, but she can't afford it thanks to many many poor financial decisions over the course of her life.

BTW, this particular secretary makes about $65K. This is for coming to work drunk & on drugs, being utterly incompetent with the most simplest of tasks, & sitting in plain view of my boss playing solitaire on her computer when she's not screwing up anything else. (funny how she can figure out how to play games on her computer, but not to google the local paper for an obituary, huh?)
 
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