A workplace story shared on Reddit went viral and sparked discussion about employee boundaries, emergency expectations, and what workers owe their employers when they are formally off duty. The post, with the title “But I’ve already had three drinks”, details a Halloween night incident that rapidly became a core for broader debates about workplace fairness and preparedness.
The user described that they were not scheduled to be on call and were enjoying their evening when their manager unexpectedly reached out. At that moment, the employee had already consumed alcohol and made that clear during the conversation.
“But I’ve already had three drinks”
According to the post, the tensions escalated when the manager later criticized the employee’s reaction behind their back.
Off the Clock, but Still Expected to Respond
In the Redditor’s account, the manager called late at night asserting there was an emergency that needed quick assistance. When the employee revealed they had been drinking, the boss reportedly brushed off the issue, reacting with:
“that’s okay. Don’t worry about it”
Despite this reassurance, the employee later discovered that the manager had reached out to another coworker to complain that they were “not prepared for an emergency.” The issue almost appeared in the employee’s performance review before they chose to escalate the matter to Human Resources.
HR Steps In After Unequal Treatment Is Discovered
After analyzing the situation, HR reportedly sided with the employee. The manager was written up for reaching out to staff who were not scheduled to be on call. The situation became more critical when it was discovered that this expectation was selectively applied.
According to the post, the manager was removed from her position after it emerged that she had only made such emergency demands on male team members.
Reddit Users Share Advice and Reactions
The post initiated a wave of responses from other Reddit users, many of whom shared their own methods and viewpoints about off-duty work calls.
One commenter stated:
“I remember years ago a guy told if the job ever calls and demands you come to work, use the alcohol excuse. Nothing they can do then. It’s served me well till I just decided I don’t answer the phone on my day off.”
Another admired the employer’s handling of the issue:
“I would say stick with this company at all costs. Not many have their employees back like yours does”
Others highlighted setting expectations early in a job. One user cited:
“I always made it clear that I was always available for phone calls, but if I am not on call, I can’t promise I will be sober.”
Not all responses were optimistic about HR’s intentions, however. A more skeptical commenter mentioned:
“They just don’t want the employee to cause trouble. They’re always looking out for the employer, if it happens to benefit an employee, then that’s great.”