Difficult day

Just an awful day here in my neck of the woods, so please forgive me for whining.

I had a watch a friend who has been on my staff for 7 years clean out his desk today. Unlike the poor folks of recent past, this was not the result of layoffs...err, restructuring, as CNHI tries to demand us to term it.

Driving home two weeks ago, his pickup fishtailed into a snowbank. While he was in the process of extricating his vehicle, a police officer stopped to assist... and noticed the smell of alcohol. My friend blew a .114. He plead no contest and was fined, lost his license for a year, etc. He was granted driving rights for work only.

The result, as you have most likely concluded, is his dismissal. as company policy dictates in our employee handbook. It's cut and dried.

But today, while all around me are asking, "are you going to be able to fill the position?" and, admittedly, that question is at the fore for me, at this moment, I miss my friend already...

 

That is tough, Colton, but it's now likely to be far tougher for your friend, I'm sure.

I hope he's OK, and will be OK.

I don't sympathize with the drinking and driving, but I won't judge for the moment, either.

I think summarily losing his job is a bit harsh if there have not been previous problems (whatever happened to suggesting/making a person go to AA, or participate in a rehab program for a prescribed period of time?).

Your friend may get nothing out of this other than anger, bitterness and an even worse situation as a result of his employer's unilateral stance, and I pray that won't happen.

 

I sincerely hope you mean .114.

Sorry for your friend, but glad he didn't take anyone out in his zeal for driving drunk.

 

Colton, your friend is lucky you're not missing him permanently. 1.114?? And he lived?

Your buddy needs help if he's drinking that much. Hope he gets it before he kills someone.

 

WriteThinking: Excellent points, all, and I agreed on every one of them when I went to bat one final time today with our honchos before the meeting with him.

However, it is crystal clear in the CNHI handbook, which we are all required to sign every year: If anyone pleads guilty or no contest to DUI, it is grounds for immediate dismissal. He plead no contest. Sad part is, he did so without legal representation. I have no idea whether it would have been possible to plead it down whatsoever, but anything less than pleading guilty or no contest would have increased the odds on me being able to save his job dramatically.

Our 3-person sports staff now numbers 2... and a good guy, and a helluva worker, is now out of a job in these terrible times.

Drinking and driving... thank God nothing tragic resulted from his stupid decision and I all but begged him to get some help and told him I would support him to the nth degree.

 

21: Thanks for the heads up on the typo. I've corrected it. Hope that's the only mistake I make tonight as I attempt to lay out the section.

 

Has to be .114.

.17 is considered "super drunk" in some states now. Where you get enhanced fines and punishment if you blow .17 or higher.

 

Michael Annett blew a .32 a couple weeks ago. That's four times the legal limit. I wasn't even sure that was possible.

 

Your friend should be damned glad the only thing he lost was his job.

I'm sorry his firing leaves you short-staffed, but that's as far as it goes. It was his own damn fault and no one else's.

I think I've made abundantly clear my feelings on drinking and driving. No excuse. None what so ever. Thank God he didn't kill anyone.

 

Rosie: I completely agree.

There. Is. No. Excuse. Period.

 

this. guy drove drunk and lost his job because of it. good.

 

A friend of mine was stopped for a DUI about 20 years ago. In his court appearance, the judge noted that he blew a .23.

"So, Mr. Drunkenguy, how long have you been an alcoholic?" the judge asked.

"Sir, I am not an alcoholic," he replied.

"Mr. Drunkenguy, you blew a .23," the judge responded. "You most certainly are an alcoholic."