Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 19:33     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:We held an in person symposium where our top 10% customers flew in from all over for 3 days of networking, recognition, and presentations.

My coworker got so drunk (with customers around) and entirely missed her presentation the next morning- no call, no show. We have spent 6+ months planning for this.

What would be the ramifications at your company?


If they were a mid/high performer, probably an awkward email from HR with details about our EAP.

If they were a low performer, probably termination.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 19:20     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
How does the employee explain herself?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 19:13     Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:was there no back up plan?


I don’t get this. The colleague showed up to the event the night before and then ghosted. Of course there was no back up plan besides someone else winging the slide deck. Do you all have understudies for everything?


Yes we all have backups and supervisors and SMEs and program managers who can step in… people get sick and get in accidents so yes we always have a plan b.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 19:10     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
I think the company should give her the option to take leave and go to rehab or leave the company.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:55     Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Long term it would probably be doing the coworker a service if you fired them based on this incident. It will (hopefully) be their rock-bottom and they will realize that there is a problem.
So many people with drinking problems later say that they wished something had happened much earlier in their lives to "wake them up" to what was happening.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:51     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Omg this would be my nightmare (as the employee). I drank too much at work events a couple of times in my younger days. I was dumb and had some social anxiety. I was fortunate that a mentor sat me down and told me to cut it out.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:50     Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:was there no back up plan?


I don’t get this. The colleague showed up to the event the night before and then ghosted. Of course there was no back up plan besides someone else winging the slide deck. Do you all have understudies for everything?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:48     Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:was there no back up plan?


Someone else should have been able to do her deck surely?
Especially at something that sounds like a circle jerk event-- awards for customers?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:44     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Depends how valuable this person is to the company going forward. If she's hard to replace, do not fire her. It's so difficult to find good people, even if they sometimes mess up. If she's not that valuable, then... yeah, all options are on the table.


It really isn't these days. And obviously this coworker who got drunk is not "good" and worth keeping around.


If it's a highly specialized position that takes a lot of learning on the job, it's such a pain to get a new employee up to speed. We cannot answer this for you, OP. So much will hinge on her worth as an employee, whether she had other issues at work, etc.

Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:44     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Gross Misconduct inebriated with customers. Missing the presentation is cherry on top. Termination.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:40     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Depends how valuable this person is to the company going forward. If she's hard to replace, do not fire her. It's so difficult to find good people, even if they sometimes mess up. If she's not that valuable, then... yeah, all options are on the table.


It really isn't these days. And obviously this coworker who got drunk is not "good" and worth keeping around.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:39     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Depends how valuable this person is to the company going forward. If she's hard to replace, do not fire her. It's so difficult to find good people, even if they sometimes mess up. If she's not that valuable, then... yeah, all options are on the table.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:39     Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
was there no back up plan?
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:38     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Immediate termination.
Anonymous
Post 05/08/2026 18:36     Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
We held an in person symposium where our top 10% customers flew in from all over for 3 days of networking, recognition, and presentations.

My coworker got so drunk (with customers around) and entirely missed her presentation the next morning- no call, no show. We have spent 6+ months planning for this.

What would be the ramifications at your company?