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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Office Princess

63 replies

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:25

So we have this really difficult and fucking lazy colleague. Every day she has a new health issue which TBH I now ignore. She is one of those people who always has to make a fuss, thinks everyone is out to get her and falls out with everyone. She isn't just allergic she's really allergic to x y and z. There are others including myself who suffer with hay fever but take pills etc and get on with it (sometimes my eyes just stream!) but when she is there she has it the worst.

Our office is at the back of an old youth centre and the sun always comes in in the afternoon massive windows overlooking a huge playing field. Lovely.

In the winter it's freezing in the morning but the sun blazes in through the windows in the afternoon - we have a couple of plug in heaters which she takes charge of and will take to the side of her desk and straddle when she arrives Hmm.

While ago we raised our concerns with her manager as she arrives late, leaves early, does fuck all while she is there and spends hours on personal phone calls. There was a meeting where office "rules" were agreed which she still continues to ignore esp while just her and I there. She falls out with everyone - including partners (schools) to the point she cannot work in some schools.

Last few days with the heat we have had all the windows and the door open, the fan on and it's hot but bearable. Hay fever not great due to feild, itchy eyes nose those ears etc but most people in the office unaware I suffer unless my eyes are steaming and is preferable to sweating.

Office Princess arrives and closed all the doors and windows and blinds saying the "warm air" was making it hotter and opened all the fire doors to the old youth centre.

I did challenge her (even went down the health and safety route) but she argued and I backed down as crap with conflict.

But have spent the last two days sweating my arse off Angry

What do I do?!

OP posts:
KeepServingTheDrinks · 21/06/2017 00:29

whoever is in charge needs to performance manage her.

Or else you need to start looking for another job!

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:31

Her manager is same grade as me and my friend and I have told her in an official capacity about her lack of doing anything but nothing came of it.

She has filled the office and the outside with plants which she will spend a good hour a day fucking about withAngry

OP posts:
KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth · 21/06/2017 00:34

I'd start by raising the fire door issue with colleagues higher up and cc her in to it.

If she is ruining relationships with partners or colleagues then this really needs to be raised with senior managers as it is this type of thing which leads to a loss in business and therefore jobs.
Do you have evidence (email trail, witnesses) of her behaviour toward the external partners?

I worked in a non office environment with a self styled "girlie princess" it got to be dangerous. So one day I was quite abrupt with her in front of several colleagues. She did something which was selfish and dangerous so I said "Kate, you have had quite enough things your own way for a long time and right now I think we need to do it this way for the benefit of everyone else. Your needs in this matter do not trump everyone else in this environment and you are causing a hostile situation on every shift."
A few of my colleagues even clapped.
She was shocked into silence and kept her head down for about 3 months before moving on.

KeiraKnightleyActsWithHerTeeth · 21/06/2017 00:35

How many plants does she have? I suspect YOU are possible allergic to them, huh? What a shame they all have to go.

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:35

Well done Grin

Problem is it's LA and you would actually have to abuse a child to get sacked - or disciplined Sad

OP posts:
GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:37

Oh god it's bordering on 15 now totally in line of vision if other colleagues and a load of outside plants now too we are meant to be fucking working

OP posts:
belmontian · 21/06/2017 00:42

She isn't just allergic she's really allergic to x y and z.

We have one of these and what's more is that she gives her symptoms speshul names. Eg someone in the office has very bad periods and really suffers (gracefully) with them, she on the other hand has even worse ones, they are called "large clot periods" and she passes placenta sized clots every day. What makes it even more Hmm is that we are working in a medical environment and she should know that we know that her 'conditions' don't even exist!

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:45

Yeah she has horrific periods and has to run out and be sick but isn't bad enough to fucking go home where there is no audienc she can rest.

She also has Asthma, Excema, a twisted knee, is trying to conceive, gets migraines, fucking everything other than work.

OP posts:
GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:45

there is no audience

OP posts:
GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 00:47

It's exhausting and she said yday when she walked into the fairly cool office "I feel sick I can't work in here I'm going home" but didn't.

OP posts:
Queenofthestress · 21/06/2017 00:57

Hide the plants one by one? I would Grin

Chloe84 · 21/06/2017 01:03

We have one of these princesses, OP.

She has grown men (senior management) wrapped around her finger.

How the fuck does she manage it? Confused

RainbowJack · 21/06/2017 01:07

If you refuse to confront her, passive aggressive might be the way to go.

Start with binning all her plants.

MontyPythonsFlyingFuck · 21/06/2017 01:22

No, start with weedkilling all her plants.

Teabagtits · 21/06/2017 01:30

Don't kill the plants... adopt them. Give them names & personalities, refer to them as your friends in conversation then get involved in long drawn out bitch my conversations with the plants in front of her. Freak her out, humour her... just don't take it out on the poor foliage

viques · 21/06/2017 01:53

Actually I think she is right about closing the blinds! I think it does keep it cooler if blinds are down and windows are open.

blankface · 21/06/2017 02:25

As it's LA, which dept deals with sitting in on your office shadowing the employees to assess their performance?

Surely she's due some form of performance review?

MrsOverTheRoad · 21/06/2017 02:27

She was right though. I live in the hottest state of Australia and nobody opens windows during a heat wave. You close them...and the blinds.

MrsOverTheRoad · 21/06/2017 02:27

You open them again when the sun begins to set IF there's a breeze.

Zaberwocky · 21/06/2017 06:42

She STRADLES the heater?

Doesn't that make the office smell like hot fanjo? And burning pubes!

Redsippycup · 21/06/2017 07:01

God i worked with one of these - but she was in her 50s so they obviously don't improve with age.

Happily a new manager started and 'managed her out' basically there were lots of performance reviews where it was pointed out she wasn't doing her job, and eventually she pissed off.

She used to straddle the heater too Hmm

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 07:23

We have no air con though so opening the door and windows creates a flow of air!

OP posts:
MrsOverTheRoad · 21/06/2017 07:27

Girl we had no aircon...it's still understood that you don't open windows and doors unless you want a room full of hot air.

You have fans on and windows shut.

GirlOnATrainToShite · 21/06/2017 07:28

I get that but it's a large office and we have 1 poxy fan Sad it is better with the door open (I notice I sweat less!Confused)

OP posts:
CuppaSarah · 21/06/2017 07:30

I thought you were talking about my sister at first! Not much help, my sister is hf autistic so totally unaware how much she's getting on peoples tits or acting twatty. Might be worth checking with her line manager, because if she is autistic too you'll need a much more direct approach to her behavior.