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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Work Colleague WWYD?

107 replies

KBabs · 19/10/2014 01:34

hi there

I have a job where I share an office with one other person. This person is new to me (he's a bloke I am a woman) we have worked together for about a month.

We are from totally different cultures (and native language), but we've had a good chat, I think we work together well.

This week, a female colleague who works on our floor has started coming into our office to talk to this new colleague and I've had to literally ask her to move, when I need to log on the computer. It is very awkward

This sounds really weird, she is apparently showing him how to "do origami". When I arrive for work she sits in my chair at my desk and won't budge!

Normally I turn up at around 9am (I am on flexitime), he starts work around 8am. Recently, I've not been sleeping so well so I've been coming into work betweeb 7.30am and 8.30am so I guess I might be encrounching on her time slot!

I have a very good working relationship with this male colleague. She is becoming increasingly hostile towards me

I have no idea what to do - this woman pitches up in our shared office during the working day, saying she wants to "do origami" with my colleague and pfaffs about with paper-- this is clearly not work and she doesn't seem to care that we've got a busy workload

I've worked in a variety of workplaces in a number of circumstances never have experienced something so bizarre. I come from the private sector and this is in the public sector but it appears to be totally disfunctional

WWYD?

OP posts:

SmatteringOfPatois · 19/10/2014 12:13

how about "oh, you here again, I thought the chatter about you in reception/at the coffee machine was a joke but obviously not". Alternatively, "get your fucking arse off my fucking chair" may well do the trick.

Agree that your colleague is a wimp, tell him you are logging the time he is paper folding and he can make the time up.

riskit4abiskit · 19/10/2014 12:17

Is it sad I actually really want to know what happens next?

Flipflops7 · 19/10/2014 12:20

I do as well. In fact I'd like a daily progress report. Feel pretty annoyed on OP's behalf :)

theonlygothinthevillage · 19/10/2014 12:21

This is bizarre :D

Getting management to sort it out sounds like the best option. Play it straight. And absolutely agree with sonjadog here. Don't sink to this woman's level of pettiness by being tempted to drop hints: this idiot should not be hogging your desk with her pointless crap. If I was using a colleague's desk for my pointless hobby and the colleague caught me at it, I would be extremely apologetic and would move immediately, as would any considerate and conscientious person.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 19/10/2014 12:33

1 vote for Amser's proposal. Origami wars. Excellent.

JesusInTheCabbageVan · 19/10/2014 12:40

"Oh, that? My train was delayed this morning so I thought I'd give your origa-whatsit a try. It's actually quite fun!"

MassaAttack · 19/10/2014 12:40

Replace your swivel chair with a fuck off great big origami throne.

whois · 19/10/2014 13:34

Arrive in office. Chick your bag down on your desk squashing her paper shit and say loudly and brightly 'out of my chair out of my chair out of the office I have work to do' while making a 'shoing' motion as if she were an annoying cat.

She sounds really strange. I'd deg get your manage for hers involved, ither behaviour isn't on.

But also, your team mate needs to have words. Tell him to ensure she doesn't get in your way, and that he has to say no to origami during work time.

CrumpleHornedSnorkack · 19/10/2014 13:42

You need to do

riverboat1 · 19/10/2014 14:24

I am very non-confrontational, but this is so clear cut I would have no problem annoyedly telling her 'I need to sit down at my desk now so that I can work'. It is in no way acceptable for her not to immediately get up when you arrive.

If she didn't immediately get up, or it kept happening, I would tell her it was MY desk and I didn't appreciate battling her for it every day.

If it still didn't stop I would speak to a manager.

Gruntfuttock · 19/10/2014 14:32

Almost as bizarre as the woman's behaviour is your colleague's tolerance of it, especially as she's talking to him as if he's a child. I'd be asking her why she's doing it in the first place, because it's such a weird thing to do. Definitely don't put up with it any more though. Such a ridiculous situation.

riverboat1 · 19/10/2014 14:41

I wouldn't get involved on your office-mate's behalf, BTW. Speak for yourself, not for him. If he wants to do origami with her then whatever, but it can't happen at your desk!

whippetwoman · 19/10/2014 14:42

Sorry, buy this thread has made me laugh so much. Please please get an origami throne!

SuperFlyHigh · 19/10/2014 14:44

It sounds to me as if your colleague is enjoying the attention. But really although he's involved it's your personal space this woman is invading, not his. Like others say if he wants to do origami or anything else then it's away from your desk and your working day.

Can you speak to your agency and/or line manager about it? The agency can often step in with the support of a superior or involving a superior if you can't handle the situation.

It does sound stupid but really YOU are the one allowing HER to have power/control in this situation.

You just need to tell her to get up and move as you have work to do. And be careful as she may slink back into your chair at your lunchbreak or at other break times. Again just be firm and tell her to move as you have work to do.

You could even reiterate that you have targets to meet, you're training your colleague, that you're paid by agency therefore (word this carefully) your time costs money being externally paid (does that make sense?)

SuperFlyHigh · 19/10/2014 14:47

smattering I think swearwords as we should all know are not permitted in an office and can I think in most count as gross misconduct.

I also think joking about it would just make it into even more of an issue for origami woman and for her to maybe stay there (unwanted).

Also really no need to get colleague's involvement, it is OP's chair, she sits there, she works. It's not impacting on her male colleague's work (unless he doesn't want to work). He shouldn't be telling origami nutter to leave, OP should!

SouthernComforts · 19/10/2014 15:05

I'd say to her "as you are clearly short of work and love paper so much, can you go and make me 100 copies of this? Thanks" and hand her some paperwork.

Original poster

KBabs · 19/10/2014 21:04

thanks for all the replies, suggestions and viewpoints so far. I shall take them on board

Will update the thread when progress has been made hopefully avoiding death by papercuts or a stapling incident

OP posts:

Fluffyears · 19/10/2014 21:18

Aargh I had a colleague similar to this. I say next to my boss and every time I got out of my chair for the loo, printer or whatever reason she would come over to discuss something with my manager and take my seat. I'd come back to desk and she wouldn't move out of my seat so I had to stand there like a spare part. I always thought if you borrowed a seat and the owner came back you should move used to pee me off.

calla23 · 19/10/2014 21:48

Develop a "back problem" and ask to have your office chair replaced with an ergonomic exercise ball chair instead. 1) she might not want to sit on it and 2) it'll be much easier to tip her off when you want to get at your computer!

Scholes34 · 19/10/2014 22:04

Just move back to the private sector where things are a little less disfunctional.

ScrambledEggAndToast · 19/10/2014 22:08

Origami

HahaHa. Nothing to add apart from that, sorry OP.

ajandjjmum · 19/10/2014 22:19

Arrive at work when you want to, and tell her to shift pronto. If she doesn't, ask if she has a problem with this request, in which case you will flag it up to your line manager, and do so.

Cheeky *

CointreauVersial · 19/10/2014 22:26

LOL at this thread. I'm dying to find out how the drama.....unfolds.

SwedishEdith · 19/10/2014 22:42

I'm so envious that you only have to share an office with one other person . Well, two atm but...

JockTamsonsBairns · 20/10/2014 00:00

What sort of stuff are they making? Just interested, like...

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