Work Advice: Dealing with a colleague who shows up drunk

Reader: During a few end-of-season work events, which are casual-ish, I witnessed a colleague being disruptive because of alcohol. He arrived at a meeting intoxicated, loudly interrupted the speaker and spoke with others across the room several times. This is not the first time he has imbibed too much at work. A colleague told me that he consumed so much alcohol at a team lunch that they were concerned about his ability to drive.

I will be working with this person on a group work trip where we are the leaders. I do not know if I should tell my boss, who has the power to remove him from the trip, or if it will come across as tattling. It might also cause this person to lose his job. (I’ve heard rumors that he is “skating on thin ice.”)

I also want to add that I have some bias when it comes to alcohol, so I may be blowing this whole thing out of proportion. My partner overindulges sometimes, and he becomes combative and can be unpleasant when intoxicated. (He has destroyed my property, accused me of cheating, kicked me out of the house and made hurtful comments.)

Do I tell my boss my concerns, or wait and see how this trip plays out? I need a second opinion. I don’t want to come across as a busybody or be the reason he loses his job.

Karla: You do not have “some bias” regarding alcohol. What you have is experience.

And what your experience should be telling you is that this guy who gets drunk and disruptive at work-sponsored functions will do so again; there’s nothing you can do to prevent him from doing it; and you will end up bearing the consequences, whether by covering his duties because he’s drunk or hung over, or intervening with security or HR after a public incident.

What to do with this hard-won knowledge? Understand this: It is not your place, nor is it within your power, to diagnose your colleague or protect him from the consequences of his own actions. But it is your place, your power and your right to let your employer know what you need to do your job well and to identify potential obstacles. That’s not tattling or being a busybody; it’s literally minding your business.

This particular obstacle is an easy one to predict. It’s so predictable, in fact, that I wouldn’t be surprised if management is intentionally nudging him onto thinner ice with this upcoming trip so they have an excuse to fire him. That’s not fair to anyone, least of all you.

First, read up on your employer’s alcohol and substance use policies, particularly guidance on the proper channels for employees to report concerns about alcohol or substance abuse during work-sponsored events.

Then talk to your boss. “I have concerns about this upcoming trip. I have personally witnessed Colleague being disruptive at XYZ event after drinking. I have heard about an incident when he drank to excess at a team lunch. I am concerned this could happen again on our upcoming trip, and I need to know what to do if it does.”

You’re not demanding that your boss take a particular course of action. You’re expressing your concerns about foreseeable risks and asking for a response plan.

From there, it’s your boss’s call whether to remove your colleague from the trip, schedule a private meeting with him and HR to lay out strict expectations and consequences, or wave off your concerns. And it’s your colleague’s call whether to change his behavior or seek treatment, or deny and deflect. In any case, if he loses his job, you will not be the reason, even if he or any of his supporters try to blame you.

If your heavy-drinking colleague goes on the trip, keep a journal and document problematic behavior along with dates, times and witnesses. With luck, there will be nothing to document. And just in case your threat-meter needs calibration: No one - not you nor anyone else inside or outside the company, including an Uber driver - should be left alone with your colleague when he’s been drinking, however amiable and harmless he seems in mixed company.

And now, a non-work-focused observation, based only on my personal life experience: Your concern about causing trouble for someone behaving badly and your minimizing objectively abusive behavior at home are chillingly familiar to anyone who has been raised by or partnered with an alcoholic. Even if you think I’m blowing things out of proportion, indulge me: Go to alanon.org, search for “Adult Quiz,” and see how many questions you answer “yes” to. Then go to thehotline.org, click on “Identify Abuse” and go to “Warning Signs of Abuse.” (Spoiler alert: The list includes “destroying your belongings.”)

I hope asserting your place, power and right to ensure you can do your best work will also help you assert those rights so you can live your best life.

Pro tip: The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission notes in performance guidelines that alcoholics and addicts seeking treatment have some protection under the Americans With Disabilities Act, although the ADA does not shield those employees against consequences for poor performance and conduct resulting from their condition.

Karla L. Miller offers weekly advice on workplace dramas and traumas. You can send her questions at karla.miller@washpost.com.