help. Xmas do... suspected of doing DRUGS!!!!!!

wontfallforit

Paulina_Fortune wrote: »

Well that showed me for trying to be helpful. I didn't agree with what other people had posted, but I didn't
criticise anything they had written. I only offered an opinion which clearly on this board I am not allowed to have.

I hope the OP manages to sort this out and I was just offering him a different option.

I'm not going to look at this post again, so go ahead and have a go at me some more. I've only got 22 years experience in business and a good career to offer some advice from.

I understand your comments about possible future reputational damage - that's just one of those things - and I understand why you'd advise someone to be careful on work socials...

However, assuming that what the OP wrote is true (i.e. he is innocent), how can you possibly be more careful on work socials, if you haven't done anything in the first place? Simply sniffing is an entirely natural (and sometimes involuntary) biological response to nasal irritant. The fact that the OP sniffed up whilst on the loo is totally irrelevant. What was he supposed to do, let snot dribble? Apologies for being crude, but it seems like it might have been a pretty unavoidable action.

As for the OP toning down his image in work, why should he? Unless he turns up in outrageous and/or offensive clothing, and is so much of a 'lone wolf' that he isolates his colleagues (which does not seem to be the case), what bearing does his image - personality-wise or image-wise - have on his ability to do his job? More importantly, how can any manager with half a brain cell assume that his image + his sniffing = cocaine user?

Again, assuming that the OP is telling the truth, he appears to be blameless in this matter.

blissfulbabe

As a manager, if I think am employee had an addiction problem I have a duty of care towards them. I would be expected to discuss my concerns with HR and follow the company's procedures and guidelines.

If I announced to the entire office that I thought someone was a 'smackhead' it would be me facing a disciplinary as I have betrayed confidentiality, possibly slandered them and made it very difficult for HR to support that person with their recovery. If I was the OP I would definately go to HR on Monday, tell them what happened and explain that, at the moment, I wasn't going to going to put a formal complaint in but I wanted this manager to apologise - he was, IMHO, completely out of order.

phil_solo

OP absolutely must, in my opinion, make a formal complaint to his HR Dept about the Manager's behaviour at the party. That the "Free Bar" had ended is immaterial if you were attending an event organised, paid, or partly paid for, and at the invitation of, your employer - it's a "works do" pure and simple.

Furthermore, a Manager in your company has openly slandered you to and in front of your colleagues with potentially damaging consequences for both your reputation and your career prospects within the organisation. Your employer should be as keen to "set the record straight" as you since you potentially have a legal case against both the Manager and the Company because the allegation was made by an officer of the company at a company event.

The prospect of permanent damage to your career/promotion prospects within the organisation arising out of this managers outrageous allegation also raises the potential for a future Constructive Dismissal claim against the company if they, by commission or ommission, make the working environment so uncomfortable/awkward as to force you to leave by not giving you the opportunity to exonerate yourself and allowing rumours and/or bullying to persist.

You may wish to make your complaint in writing to HR, starting softly by stating that the Sales Manager had made an unfounded allegation about you openly and within earshot of your work colleagues at the office party, this had caused you considerable upset and you are seeking an apology and withdrawal of the allegation from the individual concerned. It's probably worth saving any mention of claims for slander or anything else for subsequent correspondence if your Employer disregards your initial complaint or allows a bullying situation to persist. Don't fire all your weapons at once!

You probably won't get the guy to stand up in the workplace and publicly admit what a t*t he's been, but a written acknowledgment that a baseless allegation has been made and withdrawn can be left on your personnel file for the benefit of any other managers in the company who may have heard the rumours and question your integrity. Without some formal note that you have raised a complaint and it has been addressed those who believe there is "no smoke without fire" have nothing to disuade them otherwise.

To the OP - be strong, you've done nothing wrong, there is no need to be nervous about approaching your HR manager about this situation. It's what they're for - they're not going to p**s in your coffee because you came to them with a problem of this nature.

I_know_my_ABC_and_my_CMYK

BeenieCat wrote: »

Omg he sounds like a grade A t0sser!!

I have a sneaky suspicion his seniors will know what he's like if they've ever socialised together before, people don't generally just turn into such idiots.

He sounds paranoid aswell, maybe he's the druggy :eek:

Exactly the same thing was going through my mind, or maybe a close family member, a son maybe only we don't know how old this guy is.

I know if it was me i wouldnt let it drop, the injustice of this would drive me forward.

ckerrd

To the OP - you cannot let this lie, you must go "formal" on it

If you do decide to walk away remember that people in your workplace will say "he left because he did drugs"

If you fight and win, which you should given what you have posted, then it is your manager who will be the one who will have got a "reputation" and whose card will be marked for the future.

DVardysShadow

phil_solo wrote: »

OP absolutely must, in my opinion, make a formal complaint to his HR Dept about the Manager's behaviour at the party. That the "Free Bar" had ended is immaterial if you were attending an event organised, paid, or partly paid for, and at the invitation of, your employer - it's a "works do" pure and simple.

While i agree with the rest of your post, I cannot accept the above without some qualification. If the premises were open to the public at the time, then the OP is not necessarily there as part of work.

RobertoMoir

u264047 wrote: »

I am fuming... and as to what i look like... No... i don't look like a druggie. I do have a rocknroll image but i don't earn rockstar sums so i couldn't begin to support a coke addiction.

This is just b*****ks to be honest.. i just need a strategy for monday morning.... he is fairly high ranking. absolutely crapping myself about it. i dont wanna make enemies in defending myself.

This manager is "one of the lads" and if you oppose his alphaness he hates you... you know the type.. i am more of a lone wolf, not really a "jack the lad" type... I can barely handle my beer, let alone throwing drugs into the mix...

Thank you all for your advice/support so far!

I'd personally be complaining to HR / his boss about his unacceptable behaviour. Only you know how that's likely to play out in your organisation of course, but I would certainly try and get the groundless accusations against you turned around to the totally unprofessional and ignorant behaviour of this jerk.

Tiddlywinks

michaelvintner wrote: »

Tell him to go and f*ck himself. He sounds like a grade a w*nker.

.......... He is a Sales Manager for christ sake, remind him that this title does not come with godly powers.

The manager may seem to be an idiot BUT using official channels rather than name calling will protect the OP from counter accusations of acting unprofessionally.

What you might think and what you should say are two very different things in business.

pinkshoes

blissfulbabe wrote: »

As a manager, if I think am employee had an addiction problem I have a duty of care towards them. I would be expected to discuss my concerns with HR and follow the company's procedures and guidelines.

If I announced to the entire office that I thought someone was a 'smackhead' it would be me facing a disciplinary as I have betrayed confidentiality, possibly slandered them and made it very difficult for HR to support that person with their recovery. If I was the OP I would definately go to HR on Monday, tell them what happened and explain that, at the moment, I wasn't going to going to put a formal complaint in but I wanted this manager to apologise - he was, IMHO, completely out of order.

I agree entirely with this.

OP, you should go straight to HR on Monday morning and make an official complaint about this guy's behaviour, as it was completely unacceptable. Tell HR that you would like to be informed of the outcome of your complaint too, as the guy in theory should be getting a verbal warning for this, particularly as there were so many witnesses!

michaelvintner

blissfulbabe wrote: »

As a manager, if I think am employee had an addiction problem I have a duty of care towards them. I would be expected to discuss my concerns with HR and follow the company's procedures and guidelines.

If I announced to the entire office that I thought someone was a 'smackhead' it would be me facing a disciplinary as I have betrayed confidentiality, possibly slandered them and made it very difficult for HR to support that person with their recovery. If I was the OP I would definately go to HR on Monday, tell them what happened and explain that, at the moment, I wasn't going to going to put a formal complaint in but I wanted this manager to apologise - he was, IMHO, completely out of order.

You sound like a manager who knows what they are doing. Exactly what this persons manager should have done.