DUI
DMK
94 Posts
We have an employee who was recently arrested for DUI the second time and is under 21 (legal drinking age). Must we hold their position since alcoholism could be an ADA issue?
Comments
But, the company must make a decision as to whether it wants to dump this young person or perhaps retain her and work with her toward a solution. I suggest that if you do the latter and she turns out to be a producer and addresses her problems (assuming she has some) you will be glad for the rest of your life that you made that decision. The flip side of that is whether you will be glad for the rest of your life that you dumped her.
We will all be dead soon enough. Why not provide a safety net if she is a productive employee? OK, I toss myself to the mercy of the Forum.
First, if they have been arrested twice AND under age would indicate a pattern beginning. Second, since there has been a second time, the individual obviously does not recognize they have a problem and no amount of "protective environment" will help. It is not until one "feels the pain" that they can be helped.
To really make a meaningful suggestion, there needs to be more info about this individual.
Hopefully she's learned a lesson and can continue to work. Thanks again.
I see that several of you nipped at me, on this thread, like the Koi did the pieces of bread.
Globex concludes that 'there is a pattern' and concludes that the ee 'does not recognize a problem' and that the ee 'needs to feel the pain'. I assume that means terminate her. But, then Globex says in order to make a 'meaningful suggestion' we need more information. How does one reach all those conclusions and then say they don't have enough information to do just that? (I know, I know....all of our experiences with these sorts of issues lead us to those types of hasty conclusions).
Then Roi Tan takes me to the woodshed with the admonition that I am a Democrat. She will pay for that! One day! She will pay for that! I would let her slide if she called me a sex offender or a lecherous old fart or the head dunce at the sanitarium.......but, A DEMOCRAT?!!
My response to the young employee with two DUI's was and is, IF SHE IS A PRODUCTIVE EMPLOYEE, she might be retained. It's a gamble, a risk, a chance we might take just as we would have to decide if any other productive employee in any other circumstance would be worth a roll of the dice. But we should not let our emotions and judgements and personal moral values cloud or drive our thoughts. She may turn out to be the company's best employee, long term. None of us should terminate for non-job-related behaviors which do not affect performance or impact the company.
A question I have for you is: What if her stressors drove her to repetitive binge eating and obesity, or binge purging and anexoria instead of binge drinking, assuming that was the case?
PS: Number 7 on the list involves a proctologist and number 4 is loosely related to stilettos and silk. But, that wasn't your question.
And you included as #4 stilettos and silk? Hmmmmm, how loosely related?
No, the proposition that was before me was to "List 10 things you would RATHER do than be a Democrat", not 10 things worse than being one. As if a Genie would snap a finger and make me be a Democrat if I did not go through my list. Cleveland was just one thing I had to do. Yes, the stilettos and silk is another. See, I'll do most anything rather than the 'D' word. Most anything. I do have my limits.