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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To make an official complaint about colleague?

792 replies

Abouttoblow · 03/09/2017 15:12

I'm really don't want to go to work tomorrow as I've had enough of selfish workmate.
I really love my work. I've been in this job for 10 years, find it fulfilling, great terms and conditions but if things carry on I will go mad.
Colleague had twins 5 years ago and returned to work 2 days a week. Since she had her DC she seems to think that they take priority over her job - even when she is at work. Her DM and SIL take care of them so I would assume they are reliable and trustworthy but she rings them every half hour to check on things. Every half hour WITHOUT FAIL. She will even excuse herself from meetings.
My main issue though is that every appointment she has, doctor, dentist etc she arranges on the days she is at work. We have flexible working to accommodate for this, more so for full time staff who work every day, so we take shorter breaks or start early/finish late to make up the time but she doesn't bother. She just goes off for an hour or so at a time and that's it. This has been going on for years and I've spoken to my boss but nothing is ever addressed with her.
Anyway, her DC start school soon and she came in last week with a list of things she just MUST attend at school - prize givings, parents in-school days, assemblies and I know if they're on either of her 2 working days she will just go.
She won't have holiday leave to cover this as she is off for most of the summer and I'm sure she will want half term etc now too.
I've just had enough and it makes me so angry that she thinks this is acceptable.
AIBU to make an official complaint to Personnel?

OP posts:
Original poster
Abouttoblow · 08/10/2017 17:38

She sees us go to Dr, dentist and other appointments Green and probably thinks we take the piss like she does.

I can't stop thinking about what will happen if they do the audit and tell her she owes them 100 hours or something Shock

OP posts:
ny20005 · 08/10/2017 17:43

Brilliant 🤣 she’s giving you all the heads up when she still doesn’t get that she’s doing anything wrong

Wonder how long they can go back to audit lol

DinosaurGrr · 08/10/2017 17:44

The solution is very simple.

Report it to your fraud officer/team/department. All government departments small & big have a whistleblowing policy and a designated (anonymous) fraud process.

Then get on with your job.

CodLiverOil556 · 08/10/2017 17:44

Oh dear, if she hadn’t kicked off then they probably wouldn’t have thought to audit. They are obviously suspicious now. She’s well and truly shot herself in her foot, I hope she gets busted for it

Original poster
Abouttoblow · 08/10/2017 17:54

Dinosaur
I don't need to report it to anyone. It appears that it's now being dealt with.

I will continue to get on with my job, as i have been doing.

OP posts:
Oly5 · 08/10/2017 17:58

I think you should tell your boss how unfair it is and how it's affecting morale in there office. But an official complaint when it doesn't affect you? You're going too far.
If the bosses don't want to deal with her they won't, regardless of what you say

Oly5 · 08/10/2017 17:59

Sorry just seen update

CatsCatsCats11 · 08/10/2017 18:01

Wow she is seriously taking the piss, glad it is being sorted for you. I'm with you couldn't stand to work with someone like that.

Salva · 08/10/2017 18:03

Crikey even when you spell it out this CF just doesn’t get it. Did you tell her you flexi off for these appointments then stay late?

wineandworkout · 08/10/2017 18:08

If it didn't affect me directly I'd let it go. Leave it to someone who is affected to complain if she's not making up the time.

Bear in mind that there might be aspects of this that you don't know about ... DC health problems, anxiety issues, family difficulties.

aaaaargghhhhelpme · 08/10/2017 18:13

Blimey op. I reckon you're right. They wouldn't have checked up but her response has made them suspicious. She clearly thinks you're all in it together and doesn't realise no one else clocks in then pisses off to Costa.

It's just mind blowing she can't see the shit storm approaching...!

Have you spoken to any other colleagues? See what she's told them?

RandomMess · 08/10/2017 18:14

Thing is this behaviour affects EVERYONE indirectly!!!

If this person was working her full hours she would be getting more work done easing the pressure off the rest of team.

I don't want my taxes paying money to people who aren't working when others are under so much pressure they are becoming unwell or making mistakes!!!!

RaeSkywalker · 08/10/2017 18:24

Goodness, I bet that's going to be an interesting audit...

For the record, I work my arse off 3 days a week in a very demanding job. I'm with Ds the other 2 days. I have flexi, which I use appropriately. I would be beyond annoyed if a colleague behaved like FTCF- apart from being unfair, and fraud, it dents the reputation of all working parents when things like this happen.

SenoritaViva · 08/10/2017 18:24

Did you leave early on Friday due to personal business?!?

GreenTulips · 08/10/2017 18:33

When I worked flexi we were zero'd on the first day of the month with any credit being owed that month

If we were down more than an hour or so we would be spoken too

Usually a good reason (emergency appointment or similar)

Does this not happen?

Onprozacandmyhighhorse · 08/10/2017 18:40

OP left the office at quarter past five on Friday, she didn't leave early.

FrancisCrawford · 08/10/2017 18:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Abouttoblow · 08/10/2017 18:49

Oly and Wine We're way past that. The complaint idea was a few weeks ago. I didn't make one.

Salva We've had those discussions, even reminding her and she'll say she forgot and will remember to do it later. And never does.

Aaarrgg Not heard from other colleagues. Will catch up with them tomorrow.

I did Senorita. Booked the last appointment of the day at doctors. I started an hour earlier in the morning so was well covered for leaving 20 minutes early.

Green Ours is slightly different. We can carry/owe 7 hours. If we owe it must be paid back before the end of that month or credit needs to be used by month end.

OP posts:
Anatidae · 08/10/2017 18:56

Stay out of it.

If you were her line manager it’d be an entirely different matter. But you aren’t.

I get that it’s frustrating. Maybe she’s a lazy bugger. But let me tell you how complaints like this are perceived by management. Badly.
I had a line report who had a very good reason to work from home and take time off sometimes for appointments. One of his colleagues complained to me about it. It didn’t affect her, she just came across as petty, bitter and fixated and trying to ‘get’ him.
What she didn’t know was that he’d spoken to me about the need for certain flexibility and was making it up by covering some work in another time zones working day, so far from taking the piss he was actually working his arse off at 3am two days a week. All she saw was someone lazy.

Her card is now mentally marked as ‘troublemaker.’

Stay out of it.

SenoritaViva · 08/10/2017 18:58

Sorry about - I was joking. You seem diligent and lovely, I'd like you on my team.

Couldn't work with FTCF at all.

Salva · 08/10/2017 18:58

Does she have any awareness that she might probably be fired for this?

Original poster
Abouttoblow · 08/10/2017 19:00

Sorry Anatidae you might want to RTFT. Things developed over the past few weeks and there was no need to make a complaint.

OP posts:
Original poster
Abouttoblow · 08/10/2017 19:02

Haha Senorita I got you were joking 😀 Sorry, I was going along with the whole theme of Flexu-time Cheeky Fuckery 😂

OP posts:
Anatidae · 08/10/2017 19:11

Ok rtft... :)

You were right not to complain - it never looks good to do that unless it affects you directly. Remember that so much of work is about perceptions more than reality sometimes.
And management generally do find out who is swinging the lead. It’s usually very very obvious.
Looks like she’s caught in her own web. Maintain dignified silence and let HR deal with it.

EBearhug · 08/10/2017 20:27

This system shows when someone is offline, logged in and, most importantly, active. If you are not using your keyboard or mouse it will show you as inactive.

That presumably includes physical meetings, though, when it shows inactive? I only take my laptop to meetings if I have to present. Mind you, meeting room bookings and everyone's calenders would show it, too, so it wouldn't make much odds.