Shelly was known at work as an extremely conservative person who had a very good work record. She in no way went to any of the happy hours right after work and it was recognized through the company that she was a deeply spiritual person who normally talked about the potential issues regarding alcohol abuse and dependency on alcohol in our country.
Try to think of the shock in the office when one Monday morning Shelly didn’t show up for work and nobody had heard from her. In fact, it wasn’t until close to 9:15 in the morning that the human resources department received a phone call about Shelly from the the jail downtown.
Shelly Goes Out Partying With a Few of Her College Buddies
Apparently, Shelly went out drinking together with a handful of her college house mates Saturday night and at some point around 2:15 Sunday morning, Shelly was arrested for “driving under the influence”. Considering that her blood alcohol content level was quite elevated, she had to spend one day in the downtown jail.
Shelly Has a Talk With Her Manager and The Human Resources Manager
When Shelly came to work on Tuesday morning, she promptly shared with her manager what had occurred and she asked if she could go and talk with the Human Resources manager about her “driving under the influence” arrest.
When she got to the HR department and met with the manager, she articulated that she had not been drunk since her college days and that she was really humiliated about her “drunk driving” arrest. She also articulated the point that she required some assistance selecting an experienced and successful DWI attorney who would represent her DUI case. In other words, Shelly really wanted the Human Resources director to agree that she needed to see a DUI lawyer.
The Human Resources manager told Shelly that she ought to see somebody in the company employee’s assistance program to go over any probable drinking problem that she might have. The HR director also mentioned that she needs to discuss her desire to employ a “driving while intoxicated” lawyer to represent her concerning her “driving under the influence” case.
Furthermore, the Human Resources manager told Shelly that it was a good thing that she wanted to hire a “driving under the influence” lawyer because of the complexities and serious implications which are associated with a “drunk driving” conviction.
The Human Resources manager could tell that Shelly was apparently disappointed and embarrassed by this whole scenario. Consequently, he told Shelly that while he doesn’t feel that conscientious men and women should ever get behind the wheel right after drinking, regrettably these circumstances at times transpire to exceptionally good people.
The Human Resources director then stated that because such a circumstance cannot be undone, what is crucial is what the person does from this moment in time forward. As stated by the Human Resources manager, “does the person learn from his or her errors or does she or he develop a pattern of alcohol related issues that cause the person long-term suffering and pain”?
Fortunately, Shelly Did Not Have a History of Excessive and Irresponsible Drinking
Just before finishing their discussion, the Human Resources manager informed Shelly that it was quite positive that she doesn’t have a track record of careless and irresponsible drinking. Furthermore, she hasn’t had an alcohol-related issue since her university days (which was just about 8 years ago). As a consequence, Shelly ought to be in a position to face her “drunk driving” arrest with embarrassment but also with a belief that she will encounter and work through this situation and turn out to be an even better individual in the near future.
Shelly thanked the Human Resources manager for his practical and encouraging thoughts and then walked over towards the company employee’s assistance program go over her DWI arrest, her participation in excessive and irresponsible drinking over the past weekend, and her desire to hire a DUI lawyer to represent her DUI case.
After reflecting on Shelly’s “story,” the nurse that was part of the company employee’s assistance program articulated Shelly’s immediate “action plan” that she needed to address and follow. First, she would be required to take a DUI class to learn more DUI facts and information. Second, she would also be required to take an alcohol abuse class to address her possible problem drinking. And finally, it would be a particularily wise thing to do if she were to meet with a DUI lawyer about her DUI arrest.
Shelly Feels Comfort Knowing That She Will Learn From Her Slip-Up and Turn Out To Be More Responsible
It was very clear that Shelly was particularly disrupted with the whole DUI situation, but right after talking to the Human Resources manager and to the nurse inside the company employee’s assistance program, she felt a sense of relief knowing that she would in actual fact learn from her mistake and become even more healthy and balanced, even more accountable, and an even more grateful individual.