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Work colleague thinks it’s ok to steal my job because I’m “just” bank!

278 replies

fib88 · 17/05/2025 05:09

I work in a hospital and been in my job 2.5 years - I am on a zero hours contract (bank staff) and as such considered a temporary worker (so basically have no employee rights). The hospital are making 500 redundancies and looking at which staff to get rid of with bank employees being first in the firing line.

A permanent staff member, being a woman that I work closely with, who sits next to me (and I considered a close friend) has gone behind my back and offered to do my job resulting in her being allowed to do part of my role at weekends and is being paid overtime for this. She has made my position even more vulnerable now. To say I’m devastated at her betrayal would be an understatement. Because of her actions I’m literally hanging on to my job by a thread. She is very close with our manager (go back years) and this is how she has managed to talk her away into being allowed to do this. She is lazy, constantly being complained about my other members of our team for passing her work to others, including me. She talks all day and doesn’t pull her weight. She has had at least 10 weeks of faux sickness over the two years I have known her whilst I’ve had four days in total (Covid) and work very hard with hardly any holidays off over that 2 years.

I don’t know how to handle this, she knows I’m unhappy and has said such to other employees and passes it off as “it is what it is and she need to get over it”! if I complain to our manager, he will take her side as they have a long history together. She is going on holiday and keeps complaining she needs the money badly as she in debt.

The fact that a so called friend would betray me, who incidentally I’ve stuck up for repeatedly has gutted me, my question is how do I behave going forward - if I kick off they’ll get rid of me anyway for being a troublemaker. I just don’t know how to behave and what is my best course of action?.

Needless to say she is not my friend anymore, but I still have to keep up the pretence/professional front in the office. I haven’t been able to sleep for days over this. Maybe I’m just got to accept what she’s doing is acceptable in the workplace. I feel very disillusioned with people right now.

OP posts:
fib88 · 17/05/2025 05:26

Mkuter Thanks for replying - maybe, but the role due to budgets was only ever offered as bank and the department budget is rolling every couple of months. I love my job and not paid a higher salary either. I get holiday pay but no sickness so considerably disadvantaged opposed to permanent staff.

Porridgecake I do pay into a pension so not lost my right there.

OP posts:
Mkuter · 17/05/2025 05:19

I'm sorry that you have ended up in this situation where you feel so anguished. I do wonder however if you are projecting some frustration onto her.
She is an employee with rights, and you are not. It sounds like unfortunately you were in a very unstable position anyway. Presumably you have stayed bank for the flexibility and higher pay, but the flip side is you are more vulnerable then when it comes to cost cutting.
You haven't been privy to the conversations with the manager.
It might be mutually beneficial for the department budget and for hers to be able to take more shifts. There will be huge pressure to get shifts filled internally rather than paying bank- you've acknowledged yourself the drive to cut staffing costs.
The sick leave is also her entitlement and she will have been subject to absence management.

porridgecake · 17/05/2025 05:17

I would consider looking for another job or join an agency. You have already given up your pension and employment rights so looking at agency work might be worthwhile if it pays more.
Is there a reason you want to stay as bank staff?