I think my boss has a meth addiction

[sakura.summers]

I'm not sure if I'm posting this in the right place, but I think my boss and her husband are addicted to meth and I'm not sure what to do about it.

To start off with, I work at a privately owned coffee shop where the owner (and her husband) are very much involved in the business. I have worked there for 4 years and have gotten to know my boss very well in that time. We also live in a town where meth addiction is a serious problem.

I have known multiple people with meth addictions, and she and her husband are showing a lot of the warning signs. Paranoia, weight loss, agression, etc. In the past year of working there she has lost 50 pounds and has severe picking marks on her face (as does her husband) her work has been significantly affected, and she will stay there for 18+ his at a time with only a couple of hours of sleep. I honestly barely recognize her anymore.

I'm very worried about her, and the business, and I really want to help in some way. The problem is, about 10 people came to this same conclusion a few months ago, and all of them were asked to quit or got fired for bad mouthing the boss. I can't afford to lose my job, or cause any problems at work, but I need to do something.

Is there any way I can anonymously do something? I don't have any solid proof other than what I and my co-workers have witnessed. Is there something a rehab could do without her willing participation? It has gotten so bad, I would be willing to contact the authorities if need be, but I'm not even sure what they could do.

 

[floatingaround]

Only they can help themselves and they won't quit unless they really want to, no matter how bad things have become for them. I personally wouldn't say anything if you want to keep your job. It's not your job to look after them and try to help them live a better life. I assume they would take a lot of offense if you where to bring it up with them.

 

[_DankOpiAmp_]

It's demented, passive-aggressive, paternalistic and egotistical of you to be even considering these things. Doing anything will cost you your job. Even if you weren't employed by them any sadistic "help" you could coerce them into getting would destroy their livelihoods resulting in their likely descent into manufacture and distribution simply to put food on the table.

 

[plmar]

Just keep working there and ignore them or what they're up to. Like floating said they won't quit if they don't want to and if people have been fired before you might as well keep quiet.

 

[Black Rabbit of Inle]

Stay out of it. It's not your place. You're their employee not their friend.

But, make sure you have a backup plan. If they are on meth and it's an owner-operated cafe then there's a decent chance that whole thing is heading down the toilet and will likely be sold off or go bankrupt and close.

 

[ad lib]

Only they can help themselves and they won't quit unless they really want to, no matter how bad things have become for them. I personally wouldn't say anything if you want to keep your job. It's not your job to look after them and try to help them live a better life. I assume they would take a lot of offense if you where to bring it up with them.

Stay out of it. It's not your place. You're their employee not their friend.

But, make sure you have a backup plan. If they are on meth and it's an owner-operated cafe then there's a decent chance that whole thing is heading down the toilet and will likely be sold off or go bankrupt and close.

I agree strongly with both of these statements. It's not your place. Although you may have good intentions, it's best to stay out of it unless they ask you for help.

 

[missmeyet?]

Yes...and calling the authorities on them will most likely not help them only cause them even more harm..it certainly will not help by any means.

 

[legalizeall]

its not your problem or life or your position to get involved. stay out of it, go to work, then go home when your done. you cant fix people. only a person can fix themselves.

 

[herbavore]

First off, I give you credit for caring which does come across to me in your post. While I completely agree that there is actually nothing that you can do to help them, especially if others have gotten fired in the past for bringing it up, I think your main priority is to watch out for yourself. I worked in restaurants for years and I worked under so many people that ruined their businesses by getting into stims of some kind that "helped" them in the beginning (allowed them to put in the long hours). Your focus should probably be on looking for work elsewhere. If they are paranoid and aggressive and covered in sores that business is not going to be around much longer. There is hope for them but they will have to find it when they are ready. In the meantime you might start looking around for something else. Best of luck to you and to them, too.

 

[nuttynutskin]

I would get the hell out of there. Sounds like the business won't be around very long anyways. But other than that, like others have said, stay the hell out of it. It's not your place to try to help them. And calling the authorities is a dick move and they wouldn't do anything anyways.

 

[teological]

Waaa, DO NOT CALL THE COPS ON THEM!! Wow, you will ruin their lives forever and they will absolutely have black hatred in their hearts towards you, even though you do care and that is why you called them...

Stay out of it 100%. If they want, they can stop. You can not fix them nor help them as an employee of their business.

 

[footscrazy]

It has gotten so bad, I would be willing to contact the authorities if need be, but I'm not even sure what they could do.

Yeah, not cool. As others have already said, if your aim is to help them this would be a very misguided attempt at this. It's not your place to do something like this or decide what's best for them, however noble your intentions may be. If their addictions are impacting your work life, your option is to leave or put up with it, if you can't approach them to talk about it.