employees drinking at lunch Cancel The title field is required!

1. James Gray

   

   1 posts
   
   7/19/2011 11:07 PM

   This falls into the category of "once you read it out loud to yourself, it's kinda obvious" area. If it was to become known that one of your employees was partaking in alcoholic beverage during their lunch period, is there any way that person could keep their job???? Obviously, it is disrespectful and repulsive to even have this occur on my crew, but if the employee performed all his tasks well and there were no incidents of any kind, does that weigh into the thought of not dismissing this person? This information is brand new to me today and I have not let my BOD know anything yet til I get more specifics, but is there any way They (BOD) would allow him to stay? What kind of liability could the course face if we did keep him on the staff? Also, 18 hole course with a 5 man crew including me.

   
   
   
   
2. Robert Shetter

   

   3 posts
   
   7/20/2011 12:07 AM

   The BOD does not need to get involved with situation whatsoever. You manage your staff. You can suspend him without pay for a week or write him up if you have hard evidence. Does your company have an employee handbook? Handle the situation internally first.. Then you can tell BOD if you still feel that you need to what you did to deal with the problem.

   
   
   
   
3. Andy Jorgensen

   

   1 posts
   
   7/20/2011 5:07 AM

   spike said: The BOD does not need to get involved with situation whatsoever. You manage your staff. You can suspend him without pay for a week or write him up if you have hard evidence. Does your company have an employee handbook? Handle the situation internally first.. Then you can tell BOD if you still feel that you need to what you did to deal with the problem.

   
   
   If we can prove it, the employee gets terminated immediately. If we can't prove it, a written warning stating you suspect him drinking while on the job notating that if he is caught it is grounds for immediate termination. You could also do this in front of the entire crew in case others are following suite and just haven't been caught yet.
   
   You don't want this kind of employee working for you. What are you going to do when he flips a greens mower into a pond and all of a sudden it comes out that you were aware of him drinking on the job and didn't terminate him? YOU and HIM will get fired then.

   
   
   
   
4. Homme David R

   
   7/20/2011 8:07 AM

   Maybe he's stressed out cause you have only 5 staff...........

   
   
   
   
5. Ronald Conard

   

   4 posts
   
   7/20/2011 10:07 AM

   ucccsuper said: This falls into the category of "once you read it out loud to yourself, it's kinda obvious" area.

   
   
   
   You're right, it is kinda obvious.

   
   
   
   
6. Wahlin Scott B

   
   7/20/2011 11:07 AM

   My first course had a manual irrigation system. There was one night water guy who worked 7 days per week. I went to meet him and he smelled like scotch. I sent him home and tried to continue to water the course. A short time later the owner came to see me with the employee and said, "Scott, you cannot expect a man to work seven nights a week and not drink on the job!" Just a story. In my present position we would seek to get the employee counseling and begin a regimen of randomly timed drug tests.

   
   
   
   
7. Melvin Waldron

   

   43 posts
   
   7/20/2011 2:07 PM

   But Scott, your talking about the good old days.
   
   I agree with Dave H. if I could afford it I would be drinking too, right now we've got 3 of us here and at 11:30 we were already at 89, it's got to be about 94 now, off to go check greens again.
   
   Mel

   
   Melvin H. Waldron III, CGCS, Horton Smith Golf Course, City of Springfield/Greene County MO
   
   
8. Keith Pegg

   

   0 posts
   
   7/20/2011 3:07 PM

   With 9%+ unemployment in the US. Have an alcohol test done on all staff 15 min before quitting time, and one test will prove he and or others are drinking on the job and if that day he didn't maybe he will not again. Then start interviewing now and have a few people on line in case you have to fire him.
   
   Keith
   Zama
   
   

   ucccsuper said: This falls into the category of "once you read it out loud to yourself, it's kinda obvious" area. If it was to become known that one of your employees was partaking in alcoholic beverage during their lunch period, is there any way that person could keep their job???? Obviously, it is disrespectful and repulsive to even have this occur on my crew, but if the employee performed all his tasks well and there were no incidents of any kind, does that weigh into the thought of not dismissing this person? This information is brand new to me today and I have not let my BOD know anything yet til I get more specifics, but is there any way They (BOD) would allow him to stay? What kind of liability could the course face if we did keep him on the staff? Also, 18 hole course with a 5 man crew including me.

   
   
   
   
9. Homme David R

   
   7/21/2011 1:07 PM

   I would not immediately terminate this person if they are a solid member of the crew. He's likely working for peanuts and is trained on everything. Sit down, make aware, warn.
   
   Repeating this in future, then well that says they don't value the job and its time for them to go.
   
   JMO
   
   Dave Homme
   Falls Resort

   
   
   
   
10. James Gray

    

    1 posts
    
    7/22/2011 10:07 AM

    It's my assistant making $13/hr

    
    
    
    
11. Fleegel Timothy

    
    7/22/2011 5:07 PM

    Was it one time or every day? Is he new to your operation and possibly was allowed to do this at his previous position?
    
    To me it doesn't matter how much your assistant makes in this instance, it wouldn't be acceptable for someone making 100k to do it either.

    
    
    
    
12. Jeffrey Whitmire

    

    0 posts
    
    7/22/2011 8:07 PM

    I have been through this before. You need to let him go.

    
    
    
    
13. James Gray

    

    1 posts
    
    7/24/2011 10:07 AM

    Had a meeting with him yesterday and he looked way better than I expected. He apologized and is getting some counseling and AA meetings. Based on this information and the quality of employee that he is, he gets another chance.

    
    
    
    
14. Smith Tim

    
    7/25/2011 1:07 PM

    Being short staffed like I am,It would really put you back to fire or give time off. I would give him a written notice/warning.During this process I would put an ad on craigslist for a possible replacement.

    
    
    
    
15. Robert Crockett

    

    4 posts
    
    7/25/2011 4:07 PM

    ucccsuper said: Had a meeting with him yesterday and he looked way better than I expected. He apologized and is getting some counseling and AA meetings. Based on this information and the quality of employee that he is, he gets another chance.

    
    
    
    I believe EVERY situation is different. YOU get to make the call .... I worked at a course once that smoking POT was the thing. Like their pre employment sign said " just kidding " but If you can pass a drug test don't apply. The Super was an is a real loser......He would Hire people that smoked just so he wouldn't get found out. The kicker was he's a CGCS. I used to look up to him and respect him. Now I can't stand the sight of him.

    
    
    
    
16. James Smith

    

    112 posts
    
    7/29/2011 7:07 AM

    Each case is different as is every person. Since you have already talked to him and know he is getting help (or at least have been told by him) you need to make sure you document the issue and let him know you have to do it. If it is your intention to try to help him get through his problem tell him so and that if he is caught or is suspected of drinking on the job he will be suspended. I have dealt with this before and sometimes it will come back to haunt you (which is why you document it) but every once in a while it works out and they get over a bad time in their life and will work even harder for you since you stuck your neck out for them. This issue is not something to hide or cover up. You do need to let your BOD know or at least one whom you trust will also want to do the right thing.
    When I was an assistant up and coming I would ride with one of my friends who was on the crew also and we would drink one beer with our lunch, but that was it. I was much younger then and worked extremely hard and one beer did not have much effect on me so we saw no harm in it. I would not do it today or allow my workers to do it knowingly. I would prefer not to know if they were but I am prepared to step up if I catch them.

    
    
    
    
17. James Gray

    

    1 posts
    
    7/29/2011 7:07 AM

    I have documented this. Alsoy assistants position is only a nine month job, so attracting top shelf talent isn't easy. So that factored into the decision