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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

...to report my colleague? (WWYD?)

94 replies

WheresMyMountainGoat · 10/02/2017 22:03

I've NC'd for this.

I work in a small team of two in an open planned office, with our boss working in a different location.

In the past few months I've noticed my colleague spending a lot of time doing non-work activities on their (work) computer; things like online shopping / personal photo editing / news reading.

I'm not sure if this has gone unnoticed by my boss. We rarely share deadlines, but I have noticed these being missed. Delays are often blamed on other people within the business.

The lack of work doesn't really impact on my role, which is why I've kept my nose out thus far. However, its increasingly annoying watching the procrastination happen (often for most of the day), and then listening to the bullshit stories covering for it.

Whilst a few people in the office have noticed, they won't comment as separate teams - they're also my friends, so more likely to mention it to me!

WWYD? AIBU to mention it to my boss?

OP posts:

Gwenhwyfar · 11/02/2017 08:48

So depressingly British. More solidarity with the management than with your colleagues. Unless you're having to cover for her, why would it bother you that she goes on the internet. You're being petty and nobody likes a telltale.

EdenX · 11/02/2017 08:55

If its not impacting on you then don't tell tales.

ImNotWhoYouThinkIAmOhNo · 11/02/2017 09:03

I have a staff member who frequently grumbles about staff on other teams who do things she doesn't like, such as leave early. For some reason this winds her up to a rage, even though it has no impact on her whatsoever. I've told her it's none of her business but she brings it up periodically. She seems unable to accept that they may have a legitimate reason for doing so, eg for business reasons, or an agreement to work the time back etc.

OP, you need to be sneaky and manipulative if you want this to work. You'll have to find a way to set this colleague up in such a way that no-one has any idea you were behind it: allow her to be 'found out' by someone else, or at least if you have to be involved, make sure there is a paper trail keeping you in the clear.

I know this is the way to do it because my staff member above has form for operating this way. So, can you somehow cause an office-wide review of computer logs to have to be examined? Maybe it will come to light that her surfing the web is slowing the network down for you and stopping you being productive.

trying to put self into staff member's head

If you can't be this level of sneaky (and I couldn't be!) then I suggest you ignore, while making it very clear to all those who need to know, just how effective and productive you are. Actually, you should be doing that anyway

bulletjournal · 11/02/2017 09:05

More solidarity with the management than with your colleagues

What a sad "them" (management) against "us" view. Management ARE your colleagues, with slightly more responsibilities. If your business makes no money, how much payrise do you think you can expect?

It's perfectly fine to do some private things whilst at work when your job doesn't suffer from them. It's another entirely to do nothing and blame other people for your laziness.

Again, I wouldn't report it directly, but I would make damn sure I get compensated for doing more. If there is not enough work for 2 people, then that's what redundancies are for.

GahBuggerit · 11/02/2017 09:16

god no. if it goes to investigation you would potentially be asked to provide a statement and if internet misuse is not gross misconduct (rarely id for first offence unless certain sites) in your company you will have the pleasure of working with this colleague when they know you grassed on them. meaning you will have to be squeaky clean for the rest of your working days there.

let the managers manage

GahBuggerit · 11/02/2017 09:18

oooh just seen your colleagues want you to report. very smart of them, ask yourself why they wont report.

Leeloo2 · 11/02/2017 09:18

If colleagues are pushing you to say something, you need to put it back to them. make it clear you haven't been personally affected and don't feel comfortable saying anything, but that they should feel free to do so if they feel it is necessary.

In the past I've allowed myself to be wound up in situations like this, have lost sleep/friends etc over other people's grievances, when lo and behold the complainers have worked out their angst through me and then tick along happily.

Be comforted that you are doing a good job, keep a paper trail when dealing with this colleague if necessary to protect yourself and let the stress float past you.

JustSpeakSense · 11/02/2017 09:22

I'm very surprised at the responses to this thread saying just ignore it.

Your colleague is getting paid to do her job, and she is not. She is missing deadlines and lying. This is someone who is a member of your team, her performance impacts on your team.

Why on earth would you sit by and watch her get away with it?

SoupDragon · 11/02/2017 09:26

Why wouldn't you just mention to the actual colleague that youve noticed?

Vinorosso74 · 11/02/2017 09:27

If anyone should report them it needs to be someone who is being affected by this colleagues lack of work.
Although a number of years ago three of us were all doing the same job. Me and one other did nearly everything. When I mentioned how little the other one did to my manager (who was a complete bitch to me) she made it my problem to fix not hers nor that of the colleague who pulled his weight! Of course lazy arse wouldn't listen to me and guess you got the crappy end of year rating? Me. Bitch boss left and new manager dealt with it much better. Sorry slight derail.

GahBuggerit · 11/02/2017 09:30

Justspeak im not surprised at all. have seen the situation i described above happen too many times - someone grasses, employee findsout who grassed, employee bucks their ideas up, becomes back in favour with everyone,grass is forever known as the grass and has to watch their arse constantly, grass leaves job.

southall · 11/02/2017 09:33

Do you see yourself still working there 3 years from now?
If so you should raise the issue. Otherwise i wouldnt bother.

Workplace morale is everyone's business and if projects are late, management won't be happy and it can change the atmosphere from a fun place to work to a stressed workplace for everyone.

There is also the issue of spoiling it for everyone else, I worked at a place where they restricted internet for everyone because one person was using it too much.

Original poster

WheresMyMountainGoat · 11/02/2017 09:34

I wouldn't feel comfortable mentioning it to the colleague. Whilst we get on really well, I feel they would take it badly (they're prone to overthinking).

The colleagues/friends who think I should mention it work for very different teams and have no contact with my boss. Unless they went to the central HR, it would be very odd for them to report.

OP posts:

southall · 11/02/2017 09:36

Forgot to mention.

If you are going to grass, then do so anonymously.

GahBuggerit · 11/02/2017 09:36

if projects are late its up to management to investigate why, not create an atmosphere because they are pissy about it

GahBuggerit · 11/02/2017 09:38

well, no, it wouldnt be odd at all for them to report if they have noticed as they work for the same company.

they just want you to report it. not them.

ThumbWitchesAbroad · 11/02/2017 22:32

In reality, the better thing to do would be to get the ones who are being affected by this to put the pressure on your colleague - pop in to the office regularly and say "Have you finished XYZ yet? because we need it before we can do ABC" - them popping in rather than phoning, will cause her to either have to hide what she's doing, or if they see it, then they'll be able to pass some comment about "oh you MUST have it finished then if you've time to do that!"

Work it at her level rather than taking it higher, see if that has any impact at all.

Gwenhwyfar · 11/02/2017 23:15

"If you are going to grass, then do so anonymously."

It will probably be obvious who it was though.
A complaint was made in one of the places I worked. Unfortunately, the person being complained about saw the email on HR's desk.

Gwenhwyfar · 11/02/2017 23:18

"More solidarity with the management than with your colleagues

What a sad "them" (management) against "us" view. Management ARE your colleagues, with slightly more responsibilities."

It's even sadder to have let yourself be manipulated by management into spying on your colleagues on their behalf. They must be laughing their heads off.
I doubt OP's pay rise depends on this one colleague's performance.

38cody · 12/02/2017 00:02

Didn't your mother tell you not to tell tales? You will get some pleasure from brown nosing your boss but everyone else will think you're a bitch.

Jenniferb21 · 12/02/2017 00:12

I'm a regional manager looking after 30 employees or so, some office some road based. I would personally not blame someone coming to me with genuine concerns about others for this sort of thing. I would be thankful for their honesty. However, I would appreciate more knowing that they tried to address it directly with the other employee first regardless of being on a different team as managing colleagues is a cery valuable skill.

The thing is only you know your manager and their style. However, i doubt it would show you in a really bad light because most managers would be livid if staff were being paid to not work. further to this point it's not fair on others who are working.

I would therefore address it with them directly. I'd say 'name I've noticed you've been spending a lot of time persuing personal interests online. Are you not very busy?' This way you've addressed the issue and if they ignore you I think it's more than okay to speak to your manager. There's plenty of good motivated individuals who want wok in this country, this person is very replaceable and should be replaced if they are not doing what they are being paid to do.

Zucker · 12/02/2017 01:09

I wouldn't feel comfortable mentioning it to the colleague. Whilst we get on really well, I feel they would take it badly (they're prone to overthinking)

Clearly they're not prone to over thinking their job! Say nothing, the messenger tends to get shot.

MichaelSheensNextDW · 12/02/2017 03:54

Does the business not have an internet use policy?

Postagestamppat · 12/02/2017 04:24

Office politics. I completely understand why it would be irritating to watch someone being lazy when you and other people are working hard. Being stuck with the same person for up to 40 hours a week is annoying in itself let alone knowing that they are not pulling their weight and dropping others in it. But this could reflect badily on you. A couple of pp are apparently managers/owners and have stated that they would think of you as a tell tale presumably because it is easier to cast aspersions on the bearer of bad news than recognise that there may a problem that they have missed (putting them in a bad light). I'd just suck it up and hope that they leave soon. Office politics is sadly mostly about protecting your own back because that is what everyone else is doing. Also if this person is prepared to blame other people for missed deadlines etc what they do if pushed into a corner by management? If they know it was you that spoke up things could get really nasty.

daisychain01 · 12/02/2017 04:44

When it's time for your yearly review, or after a few months, you have evidence that you have effectively done the job of 2 people and you deserve a pay rise/ promotion accordingly. Your boss can draw his own conclusions

I don't agree. That's a blatantly self-serving thing to do. And it will come across that way.

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