Anonymous
05/10/2026 09:38
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote: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?
At a major event that took six months to plan? Yes, you prepare for contingencies. Feel free to fire her, but at least reprimand whoever organized the event for their own negligence.
Are you crazy? No, you don't reprimand the people who showed up, not drunk or hungover, and did their jobs.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 14:53
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
At a major event that took six months to plan? Yes, you prepare for contingencies. Feel free to fire her, but at least reprimand whoever organized the event for their own negligence.
This is bizarre to me. We organize a big company event. Everyone has their part to play. If they can’t play that part at the last minute, we generally are prepared to muddle through - but it won’t be perfectly seamless. I can generally give my supervisee’s presentations, but I am not the SME on all aspects of their role, nor intimately familiar with every slide and point they were going to make. If there are emergencies, sure, we’ll deal - but if an employee is unable to perform due to getting too drunk with clients the night before and that’s the reason we’re scrambling? Yeah, that’s 99% a problem with that person, not the meeting organizers.
+100
Anonymous
05/09/2026 14:46
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote: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.
As a hiring manager in HR, I can confirm it is indeed hard to find “good” worthwhile employees. The market is full of job hoppers with little investment into their positions. The grass is not always greener.
Ok, then, stick with your "good" employee who is not professional enough to handle their alcohol and who leaves their co-workers in an awful situation.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 13:33
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote: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?
At a major event that took six months to plan? Yes, you prepare for contingencies. Feel free to fire her, but at least reprimand whoever organized the event for their own negligence.
This is bizarre to me. We organize a big company event. Everyone has their part to play. If they can’t play that part at the last minute, we generally are prepared to muddle through - but it won’t be perfectly seamless. I can generally give my supervisee’s presentations, but I am not the SME on all aspects of their role, nor intimately familiar with every slide and point they were going to make. If there are emergencies, sure, we’ll deal - but if an employee is unable to perform due to getting too drunk with clients the night before and that’s the reason we’re scrambling? Yeah, that’s 99% a problem with that person, not the meeting organizers.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 12:55
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
Uh yes. It's called her assistant.She does a brilliant presentation. And then she gets her boss' job
Yeah this is just not how a lot of industries work at all. I don’t have an assistant.
No but I would bet big money there is someone at your company that can run the charts and talk to the presentation. You don't need an assistant for this.
Someone could wing the presentation for me, but we don’t do contingency plans for no shows or emergencies. We’re expected not to have those, for better or worse.
Don’t even bother arguing with the other poster, they must be trolling. Whether there was back up or not, the employee’s behavior was totally inappropriate and I would either terminate them or if I felt I had to keep them, they would be on a performance plan.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 11:55
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Obviously it would be a huge issue and there would be intervention but it could be nerves and/or alcohol addiction. Either way, the reality is that most well run orgs would try to take remedial steps first. It might even be required by law, depending on the context. Good luck.
Unless you have a collective bargaining agreement or are located in Montana, it is absolutely not required by law to take remedial steps prior to termination in such a circumstance.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 11:48
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
She’ll probably get a job at DOD. There may be a cabinet opening. Or FBI. They’re looking for people like her.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 11:46
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Immediate termination.
I had this happen, as a manager but the person showed up hung over, bombed and then got fired the next day.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 11:42
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Obviously it would be a huge issue and there would be intervention but it could be nerves and/or alcohol addiction. Either way, the reality is that most well run orgs would try to take remedial steps first. It might even be required by law, depending on the context. Good luck.
Anonymous
05/09/2026 08:42
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?
Had that happen to me twice. I did presentation, one person a Big 4 EY Partner had a huge drinking problem and also trying to hide from wife. A few years later in middle of night at his house grabbed bottle of whisky from garage snuck out to backyard on patio and started drinking. It was dead of winter on a cold night in New Jersey and he froze to death on chair. Very sad I liked him,
Firing people with these issues is not always the answer they need help, not unemployment. The guy at EY never got help and his wife is a widow and kids lot Dad.
The other guy eventually lost his job and wife, but at least did not freeze to death
Anonymous
05/09/2026 08:08
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.
As a hiring manager in HR, I can confirm it is indeed hard to find “good” worthwhile employees. The market is full of job hoppers with little investment into their positions. The grass is not always greener.
Anonymous
05/08/2026 23:00
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Its the not calling part that bothers me. Ive gotten very drunk on work trips but ive never not at least texted to confirm im alive. And honestly ive done these things hungover and until i hit age 40 it was fine. Now I dont drink at all on work travel because im already too tired.
Not showing up and not calling is what should be focused on for any punishment. The drinking isnt the issue.
Not showing up and not calling is what should be focused on for any punishment. The drinking isnt the issue.
Anonymous
05/08/2026 22:50
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
Uh yes. It's called her assistant.She does a brilliant presentation. And then she gets her boss' job
Yeah this is just not how a lot of industries work at all. I don’t have an assistant.
You just all be in some bs sales role because no one who does actual work operates like that. But you get paid well I bet, and the partying was the valuable bit.
I love when the SAHM pops in pretending she's a big male boss.
Where is J1, J2, J3 guy when we need him? My dude had some ballin' parties on wall street back in the 80s.
Anonymous
05/08/2026 22:04
Subject: Re:Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
Uh yes. It's called her assistant.She does a brilliant presentation. And then she gets her boss' job
Yeah this is just not how a lot of industries work at all. I don’t have an assistant.
You just all be in some bs sales role because no one who does actual work operates like that. But you get paid well I bet, and the partying was the valuable bit.
I love when the SAHM pops in pretending she's a big male boss.
Anonymous
05/08/2026 21:53
Subject: Coworker got drunk and missed her presentation
Anonymous wrote:I'd first make sure the employee is alive...
+1
Also would make sure she wasn’t roofied like another poster said. Sounds like you haven’t heard from her.