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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:
stressedbeyond123 · 09/10/2017 14:46

ooooh - can you see in the room, are there tears - usually a good indication of how a meeting is going is whether or not you can see tears!!!

thatdearoctopus · 09/10/2017 14:46

I wonder if she'll attempt to use this meeting time as flexi?

CoraPirbright · 09/10/2017 14:47

OMG it's so unfair I owe 153 hours Sad how much do you owe?" And you and your colleagues will all be like, erm, none.

Grin Cagliostro

astoundedgoat · 09/10/2017 14:57

I've just got myself up to date on this - I wonder if she's being given a chance to resign gracefully, or if she's going to stick out the audit? It sounds like it's a lot more than a couple of long lunches, but about 150 hours over the course of a year - surely gross misconduct, right?

FortunatelyUnfortunately · 09/10/2017 15:02

Wow! Epic thread.

I used to work in HR for public sector (and agree that HR / Personnel are interchangeable terms), and one of the things all managers were required to do was to examine the flexi records of staff and HR were on hand to help manage any shortfall or discrepancies. It sounds like your system is much more sophisticated (ours wouldn't automatically log times when we had to be in meetings or on site visits) and it shold therefore have been easy for the manager to quickly identify the lack of activity when she was at her desk and the early morning late start pattern.

Totally excited to hear the outcome of the meeting!!

TittyGolightly · 09/10/2017 15:06

agree that HR / Personnel are interchangeable terms

My dissertation and 15 years' work experience says otherwise.

ASDismynormality · 09/10/2017 15:07

Shock at her cheekiness!

RavenclawRealist · 09/10/2017 15:13

I don’t think there will be any you owe x amount of hours conversation. From what you have said and what the audit records will show she’s getting fired for gross misconduct surely? I can’t see any other outcome?? Before I get flamed I’m not saying that is what I want or should happen but honestly I think it’s the most likely action?

I know you didn’t complain op but I think someone else in the office maybe more than one if they are doing a full audit ect.

FortunatelyUnfortunately · 09/10/2017 15:16

Who is in the meeting OP? Has she got someone in for representation? They can't be (or will be unlikely to be)firing her unless she has.

RandomMess · 09/10/2017 16:37

Her twins will be at school!!

I wonder if she's just in crying at the boss...

SomedayMyPrinceWillCome · 09/10/2017 16:48

I love a real time CF thread

SomedayMyPrinceWillCome · 09/10/2017 16:50

Do you think she's "swiped in" for coming in today, ya'know to use the flexi time... 😏

Tiredmum100 · 09/10/2017 17:29

Well just catching up with this thread. Wow. Glad I don't work with her. I work 3 days a week, make all my appointments etc for my days off, if I'm working and I have an appointment I ask to switch my day to work to another day if possible. I was in work Friday when my sons school rang as he'd injured his finger and did I want to pop and check it was okay (they did say he was fine and what treatment they'd given) so I said I was in work wouldn't pop to see him as it would be at least an hour out of my working day by the time I drove 20 min to the school 20 min back etc but to let me know if anything changed obvs. I believe when you're in work yo actually you know work!

CoraPirbright · 09/10/2017 18:17

What news, OP?

Original poster
Abouttoblow · 09/10/2017 18:30

We have an update!

FTCF says she requested the meeting as she thought it was being made into a much bigger deal than it needed to be Shock and she has agreed to the sanctions just to put an end to it. She was offered the opportunity to have someone, staff or union, with her but, again, felt it best to just get it done. She was giving the impression she was doing everyone a favour!!

Anyway, she no longer has flexible working. She has set start and finish times. If she has personal appointments that absolutely cannot be done on non working days she has to get permission from the boss who will record it and will be checked against the system weekly. If boss is not there she has 3 other contacts. She needs to get permission from one of them. If she has to leave for anything not seen as an emergency she needs to pay it back. She seemed to have a list of what was deemed an emergency but didn't share it.

And........... She has lost 5 days leave!!!!

No mention if the audit happened or not only that she has agreed to this. She has to lose them from next year's allowance as she has things arranged for her remaining leave this year.

Holy shit! Shock

OP posts:
ToadsforJustice · 09/10/2017 18:34

Bloody Hell!

ShiftyMcGifty · 09/10/2017 18:34

So for her, 5 days leave takes as long as 10+ days for full timer to accrue. She's going to work half a year just for that annul leave.

I predict lots of illness next year.

squadronleader87 · 09/10/2017 18:34

Great outcome! Your bosses have clearly shown that there are consequences for taking the piss like that.

Buscake · 09/10/2017 18:35

Holy shit indeed OP!! At least now she will have to do what everyone else does and work her hours instead of skiving off

RandomMess · 09/10/2017 18:36

I wonder if union/husband had managed to get through to her that she was in deep shit...

RandomMess · 09/10/2017 18:37

Just think how much more work she can be given!

blueskyinmarch · 09/10/2017 18:37

Blimey. She is going to find it tricky actually just working and not wandering off whenever the whim takes her. I am willing to bet she will violate the rules very quickly!

ToadsforJustice · 09/10/2017 18:39

Her boss should get FTCF a GPS tag and plot her movements via the FTCF app!

thatdearoctopus · 09/10/2017 18:41

Wow.

But I'm another one who predicts that she's about to suffer a number of minor illnesses.

RavenclawRealist · 09/10/2017 18:45

Illness is a good shout I wonder if she has just agreed to these conditions so she can find something else?

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