Great Britain
Man sues his employer – because half his skull is missing after an alcohol-heavy company binge
Colleagues drinking together (symbol image)
© VAKSMANV / Getty Images
28-year-old Michael Brockie spent six months in the hospital and had to have half of his skull removed – because his boss urged him to drink alcohol.
28-year-old Michael Brockie works for the financial firm PricewaterhouseCoopers, and actually liked it. Until one fateful day that almost cost him his life. A manager had invited the staff, which included Brockie, to an after-hours drinking session. So-called “pub golf” should be “played”, a drinking game where the object is to drink as much hard alcohol as possible in as little time as possible. Michael Brockie, who was rather unwilling from the start, was to be doomed by this “cheeky” plan.
One would think that the 28-year-old could easily have pulled out of the group and refused the alcohol. However, the manager was not just interested in a nice evening with colleagues – no, the results of the “pub golf” were recorded in writing and should be posted in the office. A young employee hoping for a future in the company naturally feels pressured. Brockie wanted to belong, to keep up. But as the evening progressed, his body could no longer cope with the vast amounts of alcohol. He fell badly.
That the man survived: a miracle
“Doctors and police concluded that I fell and didn’t use my hands to break the fall and ended up hitting my head on the ground,” Michael Brockie told ITV “The next thing I remember was four weeks later.” Doctors described the fact that the 28-year-old survived as a miracle: he had to be temporarily placed in an artificial coma, and half of his skull bone was removed.
It was six months before Brockie was fit enough to work again. He still works for PricewaterhouseCoopers because he really likes his job. Nevertheless, he is now suing the company: He is demanding around 237,000 euros, as well as money that could later be necessary for possible follow-up costs of his injuries. As this is an ongoing process, the company does not want to comment on the case in detail at the moment – but makes it clear: “As a responsible employer, we are committed to offering all our employees a safe, healthy and inclusive work environment. We also expect of everyone who attends social events to take responsibility and ensure their own safety and that of others.”
Sources: “The Guardians”, “Mirror”