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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think that this is odd (office queen bee related)?

62 replies

ArabellaBoo · 18/08/2015 21:09

I just wondered too if the queen bees (or their male equivalents) at other workplaces do this too, as I've worked in three different workplaces each with a definite queen bee ruling the office and they have all done the same thing.

Basically rather than just using the office/desk as a functional work space, they try to stake their claim on it by bringing in loads of stuff from home and just basically doing lots of 'home' things at work that are often inappropriate. Presumably for attention and to show others that they are so 'in' at work that they can do as they please?

The queen bee at my current workplace does things like cook a roast lunch for herself in the staff kitchen, taking ages when she's supposed to be working and making the whole office smell. I think it's a bit weird, as surely workplace kitchens are just intended for making hot drinks and heating up the odd microwave meal?

She also sits and paints her nails at her desk, does her make up at times, and has just brought in several large boxes of her kids old toys to 'store' in our office until she gets the chance to sort through them. They take up loads of room!

Plus there are the constant, very loud, personal phone calls; complaint calls to companies, calls to family members and her DH, phoning travel agents to book holidays....

Like I said too, other queen bees in other workplaces I have worked at have behaved in a similar way.

Does anyone else think it's odd,and has anyone else come across this kind of behaviour?

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Andrewofgg · 19/08/2015 19:18

I thought a queen bee at work was a woman in a senior position who prevented - or was perceived as preventing - other women from doing well?

I worked for one years ago. I had the uneasy feeling that my male colleagues and I were getting the interesting and higher-profile work that might lead to promotion. She did not want - or so it seemed - any other women at her level in the hierarchy.

Andrewofgg · 19/08/2015 19:20

vienna1981 Did she have a brother from the Four Yorkshiremen sketch. We were so poor . . .

SteamTrainsRealAleandOpenFires · 19/08/2015 19:37

She also sometimes cooks a fried breakfast in the office kitchen. Then leaves the grill pan for some other mug to clean.

I would put it on the desk even if there "important work" already there Grin with a note stating "you used it & guess what?...you clean it!"

vienna1981 · 19/08/2015 21:34

Andrew. If she had any relations I'd be amazed if any of them acknowledged her existence. BTW the husband I mentioned earlier was her SECOND. As the Americans say, go figure.

SuperFlyHigh · 20/08/2015 09:45

Andrew my Queen Bee was like this - only because she was a legal sec/PA and had worked in a hospital before she knew she was senior to me only by age (12 years or so) - my experience more than trumps hers...

and oh yes... another woman who looked better etc than her (eg me) was a threat. it was only in my last month there when she panicked as I was leaving that she was nice to me and complimented me on a new skirt I'd bought....

Weathergames · 20/08/2015 13:46

Ours is a bloke. He sometimes doesn't bother coming in (looks at our line managers online diary), goes home to let out/walk/feed dogs (even though his wife and teenage kids are home). Cooks full on meals for lunch, comes in late, goes home early, fabricates work that he's done, takes TOIL saying he's done "10 extra hours this week" (WHEN?! I work in the same fucking office?!). Promises the earth to clients then does none of what he's said (leaving colleagues to clear up his mess) moans constantly about how "busy" he is, runs his eBay business while at work and as soon as our totally ineffective management were on to him he got signed off sick for 6 months (he is also fucking union rep so knows his rights inside out Angry).

Yes this is LA and we are all under threat of redundancy AngryAngry

notquitehuman · 20/08/2015 16:17

We had one of these, except she had no actual power. She had been at the company 20 odd years, and her old contract had been grandfathered in while the rest of us only got 6 month contracts at a time.

She would act the boss, yet had the same shit lowly job as all of us. She barely did any work yet always whinged about how busy she was. Most of her day was spent making long phone calls to her daughters, giving out unhelpful advice, and being an utter bitch about anyone not in earshot. She was also an obsessive Xmas buyer, spending £1k each on her two DGC, yet always complaining about how broke she was. Anyone who ever dared to stand up to her in the slightest was on her shit list forever. Last I heard they'd finally got rid of her somehow. I'm betting she kicked off big style.

Andylion · 20/08/2015 19:52

We had a student employee who worked nights.His wife used to come in and make his evening meal in the staff lounge.

ArabellaBoo · 05/09/2015 00:16

I just had to pop back onto this thread and update

QB was at work today and decided once again to cook a meal in the office kitchen. Today it was - wait for it - spaghetti bolognaise! This took her over an hour and she left the kitchen in a state; she made it for her and two of our managers.

Also one afternoon last week she put her ipad on her desk and watched an entire film, loudly without headphones, whilst the rest of us were trying to make phone calls.

Totally weird, domineering behaviour!

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HoursTurnIntoDays · 05/09/2015 00:39

Is this for real Grin
It made me laugh anyway!

How do you get to be a queen bee - do you have to be so good at your job that you can take the piss?

HoursTurnIntoDays · 05/09/2015 00:40

Why do they pay her to come in and watch films - I don't get why they tolerate it Confused

ArabellaBoo · 05/09/2015 00:43

Hours, the office queen bees that I have known have all been super confident and very flirty and friendly with management. So I think management are then both too scared to say anything to the QB about her behaviour, and as she's pally with them they don't want to upset her.

I have no idea why they tolerate it at my workplace though; she literally does as she pleases.

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