OK, my drunk secretary just had an "accident"

LauraMax

LauraMax

Cathlete
She knocked over her filing cabinet & supposedly re-injured her back (if you'll recall she was out for back surgery from June til about 3 mos. ago).

Sadly, the best thing that could happen to me is for her to go out on disability.

I'm worried b/c no one witnessed this & I'm afraid she'll sue.

My boss is on vacation so she came to tell me she was going to the dr. & she was almost incoherent. She was slurring, making a concerted effort to form words, could barely string words into a sentence.

This is really getting serious. My boss refuses to address it. I know I keep coming here to complain about it but I just don't know what else to do. Obviously I can't complain to my coworkers about it, all I can do is sit here & watch helplessly as I do her job & she does damage to herself. One day she's gonna hurt someone else & we'll be considered liaible for knowing about this situation & not doing anything about it.

This is really scary.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

How the heck does one "knock over" a filing cabinet? I don't think I could tip one of mine if I tried hard.

She's a menace.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Hopefully, when she goes to the doctor, someone will notice that she's been drinking. If she tries to sue, people at the doctor's office or the hospital can be subpoenaed, I would think. Maybe this is the way to final get rid of her!
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

You better start making a file on her. Backdate memos on her past drunk activities at work. It may save your ass if she sues.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Hmmm! I wonder if she's out of pain meds and needed an excuse to get more. I've worked with chemically dependent people in a hospital setting and let me tell you, they know every trick in the book.

This woman is a train wreck. I don't know if this was asked before, but does she drive to work? If I saw her get in a car I'd immediately call the police.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Laura, I would just document the incident very carefully, and from here forward. Even if you can't prove she was drinking (which you can't unless she gets tested), the more specific you can be about the behaviors you witnessed, the more powerful your document will be.

Good luck.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

I agree w/Shelley, how does one "knock" over a filing cabinet?

Don't you think the dr's office or hospital (wherever she went) would be responsible for allerting the police if she arrived at their office under the influence? That is, if she drove herself there?

I'm really sorry that you have to deal with this at work.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Very good point Leslie. Pain meds. Does she reek of alcohol every day? Mixing alcohol with pain medication is a recipe for disaster. Well, even just abuse of either one is too, but it sounds like this could be the case with this woman. Good luck with this, and I agree, just document it all for your own peace of mind.
Brandi
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

She allegedly was pulling out the top drawer & it tipped over.

I think the problem is more prescription meds than alcohol. There's a definite difference in her speech after lunch, & I was pretty surprised she was in this condition so early in the day.

Interesting theory about addiction & a possible attempt to get more drugs. I hadn't even thought of it but it's a definite possibility.

You know, the sad thing is if she were pulled over by the police they'd let her go b/c of her position w/the town.

I started an e-file on her last week. I just got off the phone w/the town attny & he told me I should be sending all my documentation to my boss. I told him my boss didn't want them. He told me if my boss didn't want to see the documentation I should stop documenting b/c it could get one of us in trouble in the future (i.e. why is Laura documenting things w/o her boss's knowledge). It's utter stupidity--he's just protecting my boss b/c if something happens I'll have the documentation that would prove we knew there was a problem but did nothing. I told my boss I'd be doing it & he said fine. So he knows, & the town attny is trying to protect him, not me. I guess he thinks I'm stupid. x(
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

>This woman is a train wreck. I don't know if this was asked
>before, but does she drive to work? If I saw her get in a car
>I'd immediately call the police.

I was wondering the same thing. Did she drive herself to the Dr. and will she really go to the Dr.? Do you know of any family members that may be willing to intervene? I don't envy your situation.


A friend in fitness,
Shirl
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Legally your HR department should ask for a drug & tox (to include blood alcohol content) screen. NOW. Some companies, but not enough IMHO, require this for all work related injuries. Yes, even offices.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

I agree with the above post. NORMAL workers' compensation claimants are required to submit to alcohol and tox screens.

My background is in HR and I would ABSOLUTELY document to your heart's content. You HAVE to document. Your butt...or your boss's butt? Just keep your notes and keep them private and password-protected.

I'll be very interested to hear how all this plays out.

Gayle
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Two things...

Who is her supervisor? Does the supervisor have the power to send her in for urinalysis on suspicion in your work place?

Also, your worker's compensation case worker is YOUR best friend here. Many people assume that WC works for the employee only...not so. If you are the supervisor, I pray that you have been documenting this for the sake of the company.

I used to be a safety officer in a chemical plant and I learned all of this the hard way...experience. Good luck!
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Her supervisor is my boss. Right now it's technically me but he'd go batsh*t if I sent her for any kind of screening.

Which is ironic considering we have required every other employee to enter a program if they have substance abuse issues. She's getting special treatment b/c she's the executive secretary of the highest ranking official in town. Pretty disgusting huh?
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Oh Laura...that is disgusting...have you tried HR? This can turn worse if she is driving around under the influence of something while performing work. I can see the lawyers flocking now...
EWWWW
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

I am HR! LOL! My boss & I are responsible for all personnel issues here with input from the town clerk b/c she's responsible for our insurance.

Believe me when I tell you we've had many many fights over personnel--probably the number one thing we disagree about. He tells me I have to "find a way to create an atmosphere in which everyone can succeed to their fullest." I tell him "that atmosphere is do your job or you lose it, this isn't kindergarten & I'm not giving out gold stars at the end of every day." He thinks work is a popularity contest, I think I don't care who likes me as long as the job gets done.

But he wins since he signs my paycheck.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Just out of curiosity...do you have an employee manual with rules/regs....If you stick to that, then your boss cannot win the argument.

:) Good Luck!
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Yes. I did the updates a few years ago. But we can't follow it b/c my boss doesn't follow it for his own activities (i.e. you're supposed to use vacation time for dr. appts--he decided he wanted to use sick time instead, so now everyone is allowed to use sick time for dr. appts.).

I said something to him about how this made the entire employee handbook useless & he said it was OK b/c he "said so."

So he wins again. x(
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

Wow! What a huge waste of time. I am gathering that he has never had to go to court over an employee. Sad to say but when that day comes he will realize what an idiot he has been. The lawyers love to go after employers who don't follow their written procedures. The regulators love that too (OSHA...Labor Commission). Wow he is definitely walking on thin ice.
 
RE: OK, my drunk secretary just had an

LauraMax,

It must be very difficult for you to have a person like that around. But, she is a human being in serious trouble. She needs help, and she can't help herself. I know you probably don't want to hear this.

This is the second time you brought this up, so I know you've had it with her. Sounds like you have a no win situation on your hands, and you can rant and rave all you want and nothing will be done about it.

So, now is the chance and the time to gather your wits about you, and help this poor soul. Save her life! Gather up a collection from everyone around the office while she is away healing her back problem. Get a proffessional intervention started for when she returns.

Once this person gets help, you will see for yourself she can be like any other human being. She will fit in this world again and would be able to do her job very well.

Give her a chance I beg you, if not for anyone else, perhaps just because she is a fellow human being, and we need to watch out for one an other. Please LauraMax, you have the power to help her.

Alcoholism, is a disease, and I had to deal with it from my x-husband. It is so devastating, and distructable. I finally got him some help through intervention, and he is now living a good life. "WE" didn't make it as a couple, but he has found his place in this world and doing fantastic now. At the time everyone wanted him out of the way as well.

This is your chance to help someone, all it takes is a gathering of money, a phone call for an intervention, a few adjustments to gather the right people and your done. You will be saving a persons life. How proud you could be of yourself! The most kindest act I can think of. You will be a hero.

Let me know your address and I will send $20.00 just to get it started. Any other takers out there?

Let us know how things go,

Janie

The idea is to die young as late as possible.

http://www.picturetrail.com/janiejoey
 
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