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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to grass this colleague up?...sorry, long!

107 replies

Whatafuzzfoot · 02/04/2012 14:46

ok, so I started a new job 8 weeks ago today and another new guy started about 2 days after me.
Working hours for both of us were stated as 9-5.30.
It is a very small office (9 of us including me and said guy, but only 5 of us work together in the upstairs office)
It's a very relaxed laid back working environment. 2 bosses that share the business equally. I report into one of the bosses, he reports into the other (2 separate areas of the business)
Both bosses are mostly out of the office at meetings or working from home so we are mainly left to get on by ourselves.
There should be no issues with this as we both have plenty of work to get on with, know what we are doing etc and we could call our bosses if we needed anything.
The first few days was fine, but 2 weeks in he started taking the piss a bit.
He doesnt drive so his wife has to drop him off and pick him up, but they live 5 mins drive from the office.
Every day he slopes in at 9.10-9.20 and calls his wife to pick him up anytime between 5-5.30
He also doesnt have a mobile phone so uses the office phone several times a day to call his wife/family/book weekend activities etc (His wife also calls the office to speak to him at least twice a day)
He smokes quite alot and goes out for a cigarette break several times a day, roughly one fag break every 1.5 hours (not sure if that's normal as I have never smoked so dont know what is considered acceptable!)
He sits next to me so i can see exactly what he's doing on his screen all the time - and 9 times out of 10 he is on facebook, looking through pictures or writing private messages to people.
using FB in office hours is not exactly frowned upon though, as we do a lot of business through it, and my role genuinely requires me to be on it a fair bit. (As well as MN Grin )
However, he works for a different part of the business, (our sister company I suppose you would call it) and there is no reason to be on FB at all for his role.

The other person in our upstairs office has noticed this too, but she already had a bust up about him stealing her sales (they are both commission based) so I think she is reluctant to say anything for fear of making things any more awkward

When his boss is in, he does his job (basically calling companies from our database and trying to sell things over the phone) but because his computer is turned the other way, I can see he is still on FB as he knows his boss can't see

So, what I'm asking really is AIBU to 'grass' this guy in?
I know it's not really my place and its not that I'm pissed off that I am genuinely working and arriving and leaving on time, its more that I'm angry that he is taking the piss out of this small family run business that the 2 bosses have worked hard to build from scratch.

So, should I say something? I don't want to come across a snitch or make my boss think I'm a twat but he's winding me up big style with his piss taking
TIA

OP posts:
MrsDeeBee · 02/04/2012 14:48

I would. So UANBU. Smile

Charliefarlie1192 · 02/04/2012 14:49

yabu, he will get caught out in the end. You say he works for the sister company so its not like you are picking up the slack, it doesnt directly affect you. If your bosses are vigilant enough they will notice

PullUpAPew · 02/04/2012 14:49

I would think your boss can probably work it out for himself tbh, and if he can't then your boss is either very silly or happy to put up with it for some reason.

So I would say YANBU for wanting to but I would be tempted to just focus on your own job.

I had a team member similar and it was very obvious very quickly as her output was pathetic.

Moomaloo · 02/04/2012 14:52

I would leave it to be honest. It will become obvious if he is not working, particularly as you say he is commission based.

Proudnscary · 02/04/2012 14:52

As 'the boss' I have to say, fairly or unfairly, that it does change my opinion of people when they 'snitch' as you put it BUT it depends how it's done.

If someone comes to me going on and on about how dreadful someone is, I do wonder if there is personal motivation. Do they just not get on, is one employee jealous of the other?

However if someone keeps their complaint fairly specific and brief I have more time for it and will help them work towards resolution and keep a closer eye on the situation.

Although it's important for me to know what's going on my organisation staff issues like this are a headache. Also, I am (nearly) always aware of all the strengths and weaknesses of my team so it's unlikely I'm not always aware of someone who is not pulling their weight.

nickelhasababy · 02/04/2012 14:53

not sister company, other side of the same business.

yanbu, but i would do it anonymously, or plant something - maybe something that you pass on after 5, so he doesn't see it till the morning?
thinking something like email him (cc in boss) after 5 and say "can you do this before the end of today"..)

he has to be grassed up, he's been doing the job for 8 weeks! Shock

NatashaBee · 02/04/2012 14:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Greythorne · 02/04/2012 14:58

I would be appalled if someone on my team grassed one ofntheir colleagues up in the way you are suggesting.

Let his results speak for themselves. Let your boss do his / her job.

If he slopes in at 10 and leaves at 4 and yet gets his sales figues, they might well be hapoy with his performance and you will just look like a tell tale.

Leave well alone.

nickelhasababy · 02/04/2012 14:59

the thing is, early on in a sales job, the targets would be pretty low - you're given grace to learn the ropes etc, so low sales wouldn't be so unusual at this stage.
he obviously knows that and is taking full advantage.

nickelhasababy · 02/04/2012 15:01

another problem is that the longer someone is employe ,t he harder it is to get rid of them.

she has to nip it in the bud, because it's costing the employer a lot of money

i'm a business owner and i would be fucking fuming if this happened to me.

MrsMuddyPuddles · 02/04/2012 15:02

It's neither reasonable nor unreasonable. Have you come across the mneomic "THINK" regarding saying something? It stands for asking yourself whether what you want to say is True, Helpful, Inspiring, Necessary, and Kind... don't grass unless you are sure that all of these can be met.

FredFredGeorge · 02/04/2012 15:03

If he's commission based - then his sales will give him away - unless of course he's good enough to do everything you think is wrong and still meet all his sales targets, and in that case, YWBU to "grass him up" as he's fine.

Concentrate on your own performance, not others.

cornflowers · 02/04/2012 15:04

I think his boss will draw his own conclusions about your colleague if his performance isn't up to scratch. I used to work with someone like this. When the team was rearranged he was the only one to be made redundant. Don't say anything - it won't reflect well on you.

glastocat · 02/04/2012 15:06

Mind your own business. It doesn't have any effect on you, and you will look terrible to your boss if you grass. Unless you want him thinking you are a snitch.

ebbandflow · 02/04/2012 15:11

Have you written this in work time?

Panamama · 02/04/2012 15:11

I think you need to be more detached from the situation. I can understand being annoyed at him and thinking it's a shame for the business, but leave it. Look out for yourself when it comes to work, do your own thing, protect your job security. Let your productivity speak for itself and his behaviour damn him on its own.

HalfPastWine · 02/04/2012 15:15

Op, I can understand how you feel. You work hard and he takes the piss, doesn't seem fair does it? However, if you've noticed his slack behaviour I can guarantee others have too or will do very soon. And, how do you know they haven't already tipped off the management and he is already being monitored.

I think the best thing to do would be to concentrate on your work and let this slacker dig his own grave. He'll be found out soon enough.

KenDoddsDadsDog · 02/04/2012 15:15

Is there any way that you can discuss this with him?

scuzy · 02/04/2012 15:32

Grin ebbandflow wondered the same myself.

dont say anything. keep your head down. do your own work. he will eventually hang himself.

OTheHugeManatee · 02/04/2012 15:34

I'd stfu and leave your boss to work it out for him/herself. It's annoying when colleagues are dossing about but it's not on to grass them up.

scuzy · 02/04/2012 15:35

plus if you snitch on him you BETTER make sure you are the model employee who never makes a personal call, go online and use MN Wink during work hours or be five mins late back after your lunch.

Original poster
Whatafuzzfoot · 02/04/2012 15:37

Thanks everyone for some good feedback.
I am a little unsure about this kind of situation as I have been here before in a way - in the previous company I worked for my direct boss was really not pulling their weight, doing things against company policy, generally taking the piss etc. and I said nothing as I felt very awkward, with it being my boss. I got a huge flaming from a more senior manager for not speaking up about it (it eventually came out via another colleague who couldnt put up with it anymore and walked out of the job.)
Greythorne Not sure what you mean by 'I would be appalled if someone on my team grassed one ofntheir colleagues up in the way you are suggesting.' - in what way? i havent said I am planning to grass him up in any way?
MrsMuddyPuddles that THINK is useful - I will bear that in mind, thanks!
ebbandflow Thanks for your smug, judgemental comment. No actually I haven't - I'm sat on my mobile at home on a day off, is that OK with you?
KenDoddsDadsDog I'm not sure, if I did it would have to be in a light hearted way like 'god your on FB alot aren't you' type joke?

I don't think I'm going to say anything. Like you have all said, it will show through his work/sales. Although him arriving early/leaving late wont really show through that.

OP posts:
scuzy · 02/04/2012 15:40

"i havent said i am planning on grassing him up"

erm ... OP .... look at your title!

scuzy · 02/04/2012 15:41

ebbandflow's comment is a reasonable one. you better make sure you are "perfect" before grassing someone up as you so put it.

ShatnersBassoon · 02/04/2012 15:43

Let it lie. It doesn't matter to you.

Even if he is eventually found out, nobody will look to you and wonder why you didn't speak up - his job is not related to yours and they'd know there's no reason at all for you to be monitoring his timekeeping, fag breaks or phone and internet use.