Work colleague taking so much time off

I would have to say something or send your manager an email asking for help because colleague isn’t getting all her work done it’s landing on your desk. Also when she’s off it’s being left to you. Don’t mention the taking the piss stuff yet but next she says anything about not working call her out and say I know because muggings here is getting all your work. I really cannot stand lazy colleagues and she is playing her friend manager like a fiddle. So every time she’s not finished something that is left to you make a note and hopefully you will get a new better job. Good luck.

So many people who wfh seem to blatantly and openly take the piss (and boast about it). It gives hardworking people who wfh a bad name

Discuss with your manager or HR what the bounds of your job are, what you're being expected to take on and how this is affecting you. Is there a compromise such as a promotion or pay rise to reflect this or can your workload be safeguarded.

Don't get into her and her business, pay and health. I had a complaint because I was taking more time off and was coming in late. Turned out to be cancer which took months to diagnose. People aren't always swinging the lead.

Concentrate on your own workload, but don't go down a rabbit hole of whether or she is taking the Mick.

Be overt about stopping picking up the slack or it may appear as though you are in breach of a contractual clause such as 'other duties as required'. I don't think this is intended to mean 'doing someone else's job indefinitely ' but you have a valid point and I would be clear about what you want.

‘You could talk to HR or your manager about your workload but I would leave the other colleague out of it other than pointing out that your workload is unmanageable when she’s off.
If they then can’t improve things I just wouldn’t do the extra. Don’t work late, don’t work through lunch etc unless you want to on your own projects. If there are complaints then say because x team member is off the workload is too much to get done.’

this is excellent advice! When you go to HR just focus on how the workload is unmanageable for you and stick to what is in your work objectives, and what is clearly not your work. as crappy as it is don’t bring your friends performance into it - it won’t do you much good as they can’t talk about another member of staffs performance with you. If your company has decent policies and procedures then this should flag the amount of sick leave she’s taken and HR will deal with it.

Why don’t you have a leg to stand on?

you’re having a conversation about how you can no longer manage the additional workload.
get Hr involved if you need.

don’t make it personal about the other person. This is about your work load increasing to an unmanageable amount as you’re doing 2 roles

you want to know what should be prioritised as you can’t do it all

I agree with other posters about keeping it unemotional, however justified your annoyance.
Would it be possible to give clear specifics about the increase in duties being thrust upon you, and mention a possible "acting allowance"? A friend of mine was offered this when her HoD needed back surgery and she took on extra responsibilities, for a clearly defined period. It was a useful "dry run" for promotion.
The tricky part is going to be getting HR to face up to the reality of the situation.
Time was (don't know if this still applies) when teachers with really poor attendance records could be required to have a "special medical", possibly resulting in being declared insufficiently robust for teaching duties. (I was the supply teacher called in so often that most of the children thought I was a regular staff member; he managed two whole weeks once, and when I stepped into the breach yet again, one of the children greeted me politely, asking if I was feeling better!)

This is what I would do.
Ensure that your own work is getting done and only if I have time, I'd might consider doing something very quick of theirs (to show I'm not a complete shit head and I will be a team player) but anything larger should be done by them as that is their job.

As @Guest100 says - if it's left undone, then they will start to notice and care. I'd also make sure that they are aware that you have your own workload to look after so it's not going to be always possible to cover for this colleague and how are they planning on putting in place a more permanent solution to the issue?

Is it feasible to quantify the extra work? Eg additional hours, or if the work is ticketed being able to demonstrate that your tasks go up an extra 75% on weeks she is off and 50% on weeks she is wfh?

Yanbu, I have a colleague like that and it drives everyone up the wall. We constantly have to work extra shifts and longer hours to cover him because it's not the type of job that can just be left. It has a massive impact on everyone but they won't get rid of him probably because it would be really difficult to find a replacement. He's becoming very unpopular.

There are 2 issues here:

1. whether your work colleague is really as sick as she makes out

2. whether your workload, allowing for your colleagues absence, is too high,

3. You have no idea. You cannot and should not make ANY judgement over this because unless your colleague has chosen to share her medical details with you, you just don't know!

4. You are allowed to be struggling to do 2 people's work. Even supposing your colleague is much sicker than she is letting on, and it's a complete miracle that she is ever managing to come to work at all, it's fine that you can't just do all her left over work within a reasonable timeframe. After all, it wouldn't be two roles if their was really only enough work for one person!

You are fine to talk about the problems of your workload to your manager, and they need to work out a way to manage the work while your colleague is off.

I have a few colleagues who casually disappear without warning about illnesses quite often, to the degree they are unreliable and unresponsive to all comms. I noticed that in the public service they come and go as they please, where in private they would say least take a sabbatical or reduce their hours and tell people. Everyone should prioritise their health, but it pisses me off when people I depend on for deliverables don't even send an email that they are off.

I think it's reasonable to speak about the excess work load but I wouldn't mention your colleague that's between them and their manager.

She’s clearly not working. Stop doing her work. Report to your manager. Start looking for a new job. I really feel for you because these piss takers get all the care and their colleagues are just left to sink.

Presumably your manager is already aware of this? But they’re hardly likely to be telling you how they’re dealing with it, so you either have to trust them or look for a new job.

You could talk to HR or your manager about your workload but I would leave the other colleague out of it other than pointing out that your workload is unmanageable when she’s off.

If they then can’t improve things I just wouldn’t do the extra. Don’t work late, don’t work through lunch etc unless you want to on your own projects. If there are complaints then say because x team member is off the workload is too much to get done.

I left a well-paid job and became self-employed because I did not want to do other's work. Only in my instance they were all mothers with little Toby's concerts - and clocked off early. We we meant to pick up their slack. It is useless to address it with the management if it had not done anything about it - the slacking is very conspicuous, you can't not see it. Leave and let them sort her shit out, not your problem.

Go sick yourself. They’ll soon see how much you’ve been doing!

This.

Excellent advice. Try not to make it personal and about her (of course it is but they will know that).

Raise concerns about workload, practice for handing things over, confusion over whether someone is there or not and the impact that has on a task.

Maintain your professionalism and you'll get the message across better than saying 'but she has five siblings '. That just gives them the easy out of 'it's a personality clash' or 'you don't work well together' which isn't what this is about.

Talk to your manager first and then HR if things don't improve.

She told me in the last 2 years she has gotten away with doing barely any work (honestly, she doesn’t and it ends up landing on my plate!)

I have to constantly pick up all of the work for her and also she is earning a hell of a lot more money than me (she drunkenly told me at after work drinks one day). I’ve had to work late to pick up her work load.

Refuse to do her work. Only do your workload. Leave her work to pile up and don't touch it. Also go to HR and complain.

This.

its piss poor management.

If they are not coming to you and asking you to pick up her work, then approach them and say you’ve tried to liaise with her WFH, without success, how are they going to cover her work?

Detail all failures to reply to messages and go to your boss with them. Ask if she is a actually wfh or off sick

This

This.

It's nothing to do with HR at this point. If your manager is crap, THAT'S what you need to speak to HR about not "my colleague is off all the time and I think she's taking the piss".

YABU. The issue isn't what your colleague does or doesn't do, the issue is your workload.
Talk to your manager about that, and don't work outside your working hours (particularly if no one asked you to).