Under the influence

Question

"I have just been dismissed from my job for being under the influence of alcohol. What are my chances of being employed again?"

Isabelle

What the expert says

Kim Parish, human resources director, Scottish & Newcastle Retail

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"I assume that being under the influence of alcohol constituted gross misconduct in your last organisation and that is why you were dismissed. The issue, then, is that clearly you broke an important rule. Any future employer is likely to realise this and be concerned about how you will adhere (or not) to their rules and standards. Without knowing the full circumstances (eg, whether you were a licence holder) it is difficult to comprehensively assess the impact. "I would recommend that in future job applications you are honest about your dismissal, are clear that it was a one off incident and re-inforce that in all other respects your work standard and behaviour was good. I expect that it will make it more difficult to find another position but this also depends on the nature of the position you are looking for. It may help to apply through a third party such as an employment agency as they are likely to be able to present the event in a balanced way."