Fired for drinking on the job.

by Melissa
(Florida)

I was fired from my job at Radisson Lake Buena Vista.. I wasn't the star employee, but I came to work everyday. Called out once.

I did have 3 write-ups for misc. Such As Being Late, Not Doing My Work Properly and Such. But I was a Good Reliable employee.. and I was robbed at gunpoint. So Point Blank The Straw That Broke The Camels back was My Coworker and I were at the front desk and a guest came and checked in and was drinking a little bit and spilled the drink on the front desk and the phone. We Cleaned it Up. But My General Manager thinks that my coworker and I were drinking on the job.. But Honestly we Weren't.


Hi Melissa,

Do you mean to tell me that the hotel doesn't have 24 hr surveillance cameras trained on the front desk? How will your employer PROVE you were drinking? Did she send you for a blood alcohol test? Did she fire your co-worker? Were there witnesses to the alleged misconduct?

By the way, this type of rule violation is generally grounds for immediate termination. If properly documented by the employer a one time incident can stand alone as good cause for being fired for misconduct.

Here's what FL unemployment benefits laws say about discharges for misconduct for your discharge:

Disqualification for being discharged for misconduct connected with his or her work continues for the full period of unemployment next ensuing after having been discharged and until the individual has become reemployed and has earned income of at least 17 times his or her weekly benefit amount and for not more than 52 weeks that immediately follow that week, as determined by the Agency for Workforce Innovation in each case according to the circumstances in each case or the seriousness of the misconduct, under the agency's rules adopted for determinations of disqualification for benefits for misconduct.

(d) For any week with respect to which the Agency for Workforce Innovation finds that his or her unemployment is due to a discharge for misconduct connected with the individual's work, consisting of drug use, as evidenced by a positive, confirmed drug test.

Chris