To make an official complaint about colleague?

[Abouttoblow]

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?

I'm just surprised that everyone here that thinks I'm being unreasonable wouldn't mind a colleague constantly taking the piss and would just let it go

Not everyone! I'm with you, OP, totally. It devalues your work and everyone elses if someone else gets paid to not work. It tells you that there is no point in working hard and doing your best, because your company doesn't care anyway.
Are you in a union? I would talk to them about fair working practices. There can't be different rules for one person, if you need to work to get paid, so does she!

I would mind.

I have a colleague who not only coasts, but disturbs everyone else when they're busy. I mind very much.

But I can mind and simultaneously accept that making a fuss about him, is not in my best interests.

Marceline Believe me I'm rarely rude unless it's necessary.
This thread was not about the name of a department but you felt the need to weigh in with a totally unnecessary, unhelpful point - which is factually incorrect.
In my organisation it's called personnel, offensive to the profession or not.
And does the title make any impact on my situation? No.

Completely off topic but why is it insulting to call them Personnel these days? What is the difference between the two roles?

@Abouttoblow that was as a small part of my response to you, you chose to take offence.

Unless your organisation is in the 90s I don't believe you.

Hope your situation improves.

@Theycalledmethewildrose personnel is suggestive of an administrative function whereas HR is a more strategic taking a key role in workforce development and partnering the business to develop its people's capability.

Marceline: www.hope.ac.uk/aboutus/jobs/contactpersonnel/ just one example I know.

@Jedimum1 that is suggestive of an admin function for inquiries rather than HR who the OP would need to contact. I'm surprised they still call it personnel though.

I can tell you categorically, nowhere in the public sector will it be called personnel. They are surprisingly forward thinking when it comes to HR practices.

However, it is off topic and was only a side note to the OP - I did actually comment on the actual topic.

It used be quite easy to get into HR(Personnel) in the early 2000s. In the corporation I worked for, you just had to express an interest, get an interview, declare you were a 'people person' and if a role arose, you got it. In the more recent past, they started looking for a degree in HR before you could apply. It makes me wonder if the people with the degree want to work in HR. It's the same role though and if anything, the role was less administrative and more employee orientated before a degree became part of the criteria.

@Abouttoblow I am sorry for derailing your thread - I perhaps shouldn't have corrected you- it was petty and unnecessary, I agree. I really do hope your situation has improved.

If not, drink wine and moan on mumsnet - my solid advice .

I don't know, Marceline, there are other examples in academia: www.admin.ox.ac.uk/personnel/contacts/ this one uses personnel for both recruitment and staff queries. I wonder if it has to do with wanting to be perceived "old school", so they stick with an archaic name? If so, and without knowing the industry that the OP works at, it might be used in law firms or accountancy, if they desire to have that "old" (as in established and experienced) connotation?

I am totally with you op. Hate pisstakers. Apart from hospital appts most things can be dealt with on non working days ie: deliveries. Perhaps you could bring it up at your review as more of a concern and not a complaint. Good luck with it.

I'm with you OP. In a similar situation myself except in my case it DOES impact on me and after almost a year I am probably going to have to say something. It is so bloody frustrating

As others say, I don't think it'll do me any favours but I really don't care about that.

I will definitely have my say at some point...

Is she called Dr Foster?

So today she needed to leave for an hour and a half to take her husband his wedding ring AGAIN as he went to work without it. Are we still thinking this is OK and I'm being unreasonable?

Who agrees she could go?

If anyone agrees she could go Green and this is OK I really need to start my resignation letter

She sounds a nightmare! This would drive me potty. I wouldn't be able to hold my tongue tbh.

Oh my god! That is really a pisstake! who in the office agreed to let her go? I'm more convinced now that there must be something you don't know, mental health issues or something... Wow

I bet she is having an affair and using the time off for shagging

On a more serious note OP, we've got one of these shirkers at work. I work in a really busy general practise and one individual really takes the piss. She will suddenly say "I've forgotten lunch/purse/to turn of straightners and she will disappear for an hour. No one says anything. She just seems to get away with it. Does my head in.

The affair must be with someone in the company lol. They must have had a laugh about her excuse too

It happens all the time but at the moment our boss is on holiday so no one to authorise but, tbf, thats never stopped her. There have been loads of comments throughout the thread about arrangements, mental health issues, problems with DC but please believe me none of those things apply. She is just a piss taker. And all the posters saying mind you're own business, I don't believe for a minute if any were working parents, organising childcare etc, you would be saying I would ignore it/It doesn't affect me directly so it's fine. It's appalling

I think you should mention it; she's taking the piss.

How do you clock out? Is it a card and a machine? If so, can't you clock her out and if pulled up say 'gosh, I'm sorry but I thought you'd forgot so I did it for you'

Piss-takers really get my goat and can see why you're annoyed...MN can be really funny sometimes