wishful

Maybe this should go in the Friends of Alcoholics forum, but I've gotten great advice from you guys so I want to ask this even though it's about someone else... We had a fellow who worked for us who turned into a major drunk - came to the office smelly, was rude to everyone, etc. etc. - sad thing is he used to be a pretty cool person and turned into the meanest pinhead-pupil-eyed creep you ever knew! My boss kept him for a long long time and finally the fellow decided he was going to quit. He tried to renege the next day but my boss held him to it, thank God! It had gotten so bad that I had updated my resume and was looking for another job even though I liked my job very well.
Anyway, the ACW (alcoholic co-worker) left and things at work improved greatly over the last couple of years. (He's still drinking but amazingly hasn't killed himself yet.) Then ... can you believe it? He asked to come back! My boss asked everyone for their opinions and we all said the same thing - "we wouldn't mind working with him - IF he didn't drink"! My boss was really torn - he wanted so much to help this loser that he finally hired him back - happily he's not in the same office so I hope I never have to work with him. What worries me is that when he worked for us previously they got into the habit of leaving the office early and going drinking (ahem, call that "important sales and networking meetings"). After he left the meetings reduced to maybe 2 days a week, and a much later "beercall" hour. Now that he's back they're already up to 3 days a week, and "beelcall" happens as early as 2:00(!). I'm worried because my boss went through losing his wife earlier this year and I'm afraid he's going to go down the slippery slope in company of this sorry devil he's trying to save. Being female I'm afraid if I discuss with him he'll think I'm trying to come onto him or something, but I'm scared this is going to ruin a good job and a great boss (who's also a really great person). It hurt the company, too, when they used to leave so early - both from our clients figuring out that no one was around in the afternoons and from workload piling up to the next day. I want to talk to my boss but how to approach it? He gets into joint denial with this fellow - "oh, he's controlling his drinking - he didn't fall down this time!" I try not to be a mean person but God forgive me, I wish that other fellow would fall off the earth ... grrrrr ...

If you've read this far, bless you!! Any suggestions?

CarolD

Update your resume
Read "Co Depandant No More"
Pray for direction.
If you confront your boss..take someone else with you

Take care of yourslef