The drinks were not forced down her neck, if it turns out she is guilty, then unlucky, tough t*tties, and she should be sacked..... she ran the risk, and got caught, end of.
Uhm - no!
Dealing with an employee with a possible alcohol problem
- Employees with a drink problem have the same rights to confidentiality and support as they would if they had any other medical or psychological condition.
- Disciplinary action should be a last resort. A court may find a dismissal unfair if an employer has made no attempt to help an employee whose work problems are related to drinking alcohol.
- The cost of recruiting and training a replacement may be greater than the cost of allowing someone time off to obtain expert help.
- Many people with an alcohol problem are able in time to regain full control over their drinking and return to their previous work performance.
- It may be very difficult for people to admit to themselves or others that their drinking is out of control. They need to know that you will treat their drinking problem as a health problem rather than an immediate cause for dismissal or disciplinary action.
- If employees’ drinking is a matter of concern, they should be encouraged to seek help from their GP or a specialist alcohol agency.
The above is from the HSE.
Beer_n_tabs make sure you know some employment law/good practice before you start throwing dirt.
