who to contact regarding a employer to work while under the influence of alchohal and what are my rights?

Question

i work in a nursing home this co-worker continues to come to work smelling of booze and litterally staggering, i have reported this several times, and nothing ever happens i want to know what my rights are, and what more can i do to end this.

Answer 1

I can only advise on this question if you're in the UK.

Obviously this person is putting resident's lives and wellbeing at risk, and you should act. Now that you have raised the problem internally, and your employer has done nothing, you should contact the Commission for Social Care Inspection. They regulate nursing homes, and can then take steps to ensure that the person is removed and take any other steps they feel necessary. You can contact them here:

http://www.csci.org.uk/about_csci/contact_us.aspx

They will keep your call confidential, and won't tell your employer who raised the concern. Your employer may even think it was a resident or one their family members.

Even if the home do work out it was you, the law provides protection for people like you who blow the whistle on concerns they have about their employers. If you get the sack then your dismissal will be automatically unfair, and you will get compensation. Even if you are put to any detriment at all (hours cut down, people acting coldly towards you, etc) then you will be able to bring a claim.

Obviously like all of us you'd rather have a quiet life and get on with it, but I hope for the sake of your residents that you make that call.

Answer 2

I suggest you call the cops the next time it happens. The person will be arrested for public intoxication, and even possibly DUI (if they drove to work). That will force your company to do something about it. They will not want the publicity.