# I'm rather upset about work. Someone reported me for drinking on the job. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 21, 2017, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577 "2017-06-21T23:55:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/81 "2017-06-22T18:22:51Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Don’t knock it till you try it. 😃 No, no thank you. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![quimper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7c8e57/32.png) [@quimper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quimper)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/82 "2017-06-22T18:35:41Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The more you make of a minor issue, the larger it becomes. > > As \*\*stillownedbysetters \*\*says in their post, if management was going to do something about this, they would have done it at that time. > > Let it die out. Stir the fire and it will consume more. My point may not have been clear: OP should do nothing in this situation except insulate himself from harm. I’m merely pointing out that his co-worker may have planted the seeds for his own destruction. ---
**Author:** ![Daylate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9dc877/32.png) [@Daylate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daylate)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/83 "2017-06-22T19:02:00Z")
Back many years ago I worked for a consulting engineering firm that did most of the design work, particularity on new buildings or equipment, for the Anhauser Busch brewery in St. Louis. Getting sent to be the onsite engineer for these jobs was considered a rather plum assignment. Every morning at around 10:00 AM, and every afternoon about 3:00 pm, the brewery would send around, to all their employees, a beer cart, and each employee would get a pint of Budweiser to help tide him over for the rest of the shift. I always thought this to be a very civilized custom. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/84 "2017-06-22T19:07:27Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Don’t knock it till you try it. 😃 When on vacation, a michelada or chelada is my morning eyeopener before breakfast. Mmmmmmmm. ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/85 "2017-06-22T19:07:54Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I know exactly who it was because he’s the only one I talked to first thing in the morning. Do you know if this person is an alcoholic? When people stop drinking, they’re often super sensitive to the smell of alcohol, even **years** later. And they can be somewhat militant about other people’s drinking. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/86 "2017-06-22T19:26:56Z")
> [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > No, no thank you. 😛 I will attest that it is delicious, but I also like to add hot sauce, lime, and Worcestershire to go the full michelada route. It’s basically a beer bloody mary. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/87 "2017-06-22T19:34:40Z")
**Leaffan** , I would not assume that the reporting cow-orker was the person you were speaking to that morning. And I would not assume that the report management was asking you about was received by management that morning or related to anything that had taken place that day. I had the displeasure of working with someone who sought to lash out at fellow employees. She would sometimes make reports to management about some alleged misbehaviour of a fellow employee which had allegedly happened some time in the past. Not sure why, but management felt they had an obligation to follow up on such reports and it was often so long after the time of the alleged incident that the accused had no recollection of what was actually happening on the day in question. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/88 "2017-06-22T19:49:17Z")
I agree with laying low, and of course, avoiding the back stabbing coworker. Hopefully, the manager just wanted to do some due diligence to see if you were intoxicated or not and quickly figured out you weren’t. I also wonder if the backstabbing coworker is a recovering alcoholic, perhaps in the first year or so of ‘recovery.’ Many of them do become like new converts to religion or veganism and seem to see alcohol everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/89 "2017-06-22T20:25:43Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > When one hasn’t eaten in some time the body can produce ketones, which can smell like alcohol on the breath. Eating some breakfast should eliminate this as a possibility/recurrence of what happened. > > How many hours was it since your last intake? You are right about the ketone breath smell, but skipping breakfast isn’t going to put you in that state. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/90 "2017-06-22T20:26:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Sounds like I need to snack at night and again in the morning. Thanks. Too much snacking & you’ll gain weight. Probably just a good, small breakfast is okay. Eat at home (even if it’s a granola bar) so you have some time for your body to digest it before you get to work. > [@Leaffan](#): > > Don’t knock it till you try it. 😃 > [@pulykamell](#): > > I will attest that it is delicious, but I also like to add hot sauce, lime, and Worcestershire to go the full michelada route. It’s basically a beer bloody mary. > [@Sunny\_Daze](#): > > No, no thank you. 😛 I’m with **Sunny** on this one. I like beer. I like good beer. Why would I want to ruin a good beer? OTOH, if you’re talking pretending-to-be beer (ie. Coors Diet (It’s like making love in a canoe!), or B[del]ud[/del]Light (Depending upon where you place your finger when holding the can/bottle, you can cover up just enough letters to make it a {plant} disease - No way I’m drinking that $#!t)); yeah, those swills needs all the help it can get. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/91 "2017-06-22T21:32:06Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Do you know if this person is an alcoholic? When people stop drinking, they’re often super sensitive to the smell of alcohol, even **years** later. And they can be somewhat militant about other people’s drinking. No. I’ve only known him for a couple of months. I’m not liking how all this is unfolding at work now. I’m under major scrutiny now for deliverables and I’m stressed to the max, plus trying to clean out my house that just sold and dealing with perceived support payment discrepancies with my ex: perceived being the key word. I might just have a heart attack and be done with it. Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/92 "2017-06-22T21:48:42Z")
> [@BobArrgh](#): > > Have you been checked by a doctor to see if you have diabetes? I can see it now: “Hey boss, you know Fred said my breath smelled of alcohol when I hadn’t been drinking? Well, it turns out that that’s a sign of diabetes so I’ve booked myself in for a test today. I’ll update you tomorrow.” ETA IIRC stress can affect diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![BeeGee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5a626/32.png) [@BeeGee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeeGee)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/93 "2017-06-22T22:03:50Z")
I had this problem a few years ago. Because I worked part time in a bar, there were a couple of people who assumed that I was out getting drunk every night. Someone, I never did find out who though I have my suspicions, reported to my boss that they smelled beer on me and they thought I was drinking before work. Now I had a roommate who would drink a six pack in the morning before work. And a friend who used to drink coffee with shots of vodka in the morning so he could go to work without shaking. And an ex-husband who… Well, let’s just say that I consider drinking before work to be one of the first signs you need to check into the Betty. I don’t think my boss expected me to react the way I did. “When? I need to know when this happened. If someone suspects it again, I want you to come to me immediately on the spot and let’s figure this out because it’s something that I’m extremely adamant about. I want to KNOW when someone thinks I’m coming in drunk.” And proceeded to tell her about my ex-husband, ex-roommate, ex-friend, etc. Things changed not too long after that. Turned out that the person I believe accused me was a member of the Happy Sugary Cocktail Brigade whose “migraines” and constant quest for chewing gum and mints were the outcome of trying every fad drink that came down the pike. The super-smeller who could detect non-existent beer on me (I’m a bourbon drinker mostly) didn’t know I was a two pack a day smoker (then). Yeah, Super Nose, good job. I learned never to discuss anything in the office that involved going out with friends for a drink and never posting anything like that on social media. I learned one Tuesday that if I have a margarita on a Monday, you can smell it on me Tuesday even after a meal, brushing my teeth at night, showering in the morning, eating breakfast, and brushing my teeth after breakfast. So tequila is a Friday Saturday drink. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/94 "2017-06-22T22:06:06Z")
I’m pretty sure I don’t have diabetes. My weight is great, there’s no family history, and I don’t really exhibit any of the symptoms. Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Claude\_Remains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@Claude\_Remains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claude_Remains)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/95 "2017-06-22T22:27:19Z")
Invoke Jesus. Continue behaving as usual. Profit. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/96 "2017-06-22T22:37:49Z")
> [@Claude\_Remains](#): > > Invoke Jesus. > > Continue behaving as usual. > > Profit. You’re skipping straight from step 2 to step 4. Invoke Jesus. Continue behaving as usual. ?? Profit. There, fixed it for you. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/97 "2017-06-22T22:46:47Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m pretty sure I don’t have diabetes. My weight is great, there’s no family history, and I don’t really exhibit any of the symptoms. Read [this](https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/news/13921?type=articles). > [@](#): > > At 44 Mr Dowdeswell, a keen windsurfer and diver, was not overweight and had no family history of diabetes. However, in the 12 months prior to his diagnosis of type 2 diabetes he had experienced a series of traumatic life events. His doctors believe the extreme stress he lived through could have been the trigger for diabetes. and > [@](#): > > In 2013 a 35 year prospective follow-up study of 7,500 middle-aged men in Sweden found a strong link between stress and diabetes risk. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/98 "2017-06-22T22:53:30Z")
Clamato (or Camaronoza) with beer is **fucking great!** Even better with a shot of Tequilla and as some have noted, a little hot sauce. Open your eyes, Sheeple! Drink out of the Box! Oh, that other thing sucks, too. See earlier post. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/99 "2017-06-22T23:58:49Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > I’m pretty sure I don’t have diabetes. My weight is great, there’s no family history, and I don’t really exhibit any of the symptoms. > > Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk diabetes frequently has NO symptoms - getting your blood sugar checked is never a bad idea ---
**Author:** ![Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiendish_astronaut/32/3295_2.png) [@Fiendish\_Astronaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiendish_Astronaut)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577/100 "2017-06-23T00:37:03Z")
Manager’s generally aren’t stupid. As a manager, if someone came to me with a complaint about about a person drinking, I would have done the same thing - although I might have also been tempted to talk to you about something unrelated to see for myself without letting you know. Then having seen you were clearly sober my reservations would shift to the shit stirrer who had reported you. Not much I could do but they would be the marked ones, not you. That sort of action is totally uncalled for, and I would have big problems with it if it was in my team. I would be watching your colleague very carefully, not you, [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-rather-upset-about-work-someone-reported-me-for-drinking-on-the-job/789577.md?page=6)