Signs that a Colleague is Drunk
There are many signs that a colleague could be drunk. It is easy to make out if a person off duty is drunk and it is much easier to see the signs of a drunk colleague who is on duty.
Here are a few signs to look out for in a colleague who you suspect may have a drinking problem:
Loss of balance and slurred speech. People who are drunk are not going to be able to negotiate a bend and will not be able to walk upright. They may also have some problems with their speech and may not be able to construct full sentences that make sense.
Bloodshot red eyes are another sign to look out for. People who are drunk will generally have very red eyes. Some people have red eyes from lack of sleep or studying so one must not mistake bloodshot eyes as a sign of being drunk in isolation. If the colleague displays other characteristics of a drunk person and bloodshot eyes then one can consider that he/she is drunk.
The drunk colleague may not want to work or when he/she does some kind of work he/she makes a lot of mistakes and cannot complete a task successfully or independently. This can be a red flag that the person is drunk especially if he/she is competent on the job when he/she is sober.
The colleague puts his/her head on the desk and sleeps. This can be quite strange behaviour at work as one comes to work to work and if a worker gets sick he/she may ask the boss for sick leave. A colleague who is sleeping on the job should be woken up gently and if he/she does not wake up then he/she is most probably drunk and trying to hide it.
The colleague disappears for a long time and comes back with slurred speech, bloodshot eyes and loss of balance. One can reason that he/she has been out drinking during working hours and he/she is now intoxicated. The colleague may also come in late to work and display any of the above signs.
The drunk colleague may also display violent and aggressive behaviour. He/She may talk nonsense or pick a fight with anyone for the most simplest of reasons. It can be quite scary to see a once normal and logical colleague turn into a 'raging bull'.
Drinking on duty is serious offence and will lead to disciplinary action and eventually dismissal. All incidents of a colleague coming drunk to work needs to be reported to a supervisor and dealt with in a diplomatic manner.
