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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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:
Anecdoche · 09/09/2017 00:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Abouttoblow · 09/09/2017 00:21

It's been brought up before when she doesn't clock out (machine on the wall) but it's always "oh, I forgot" I feel.so relieved that some of you get where I'm coming from. I've had so many comments saying I'm unreasonable because we have different roles and because I'm not picking up her work it's nothing to do with me! That's not the point. If I work my contracted hours so should she!

OP posts:
CodLiverOil556 · 09/09/2017 00:24

You should so clock her out on these occasions...I would

Abouttoblow · 09/09/2017 00:28

I think I should Kernit. I shall update on that Smile

OP posts:
Anecdoche · 09/09/2017 00:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kailoer · 09/09/2017 00:38

Op I would raise a concern with your line manager based on the morale impact. It's the truth isn't it?

Laughter at this it whereas HR is a more strategic taking a key role in workforce development and partnering the business to develop its people's capability -in many many years I can count on 1 hand the HR people I've known who would fall under this.
It would be more accurate to call the function "hiring people & making sure we don't get sued".
HR professionals at my employer talk about their people development skills, "talent retention strategies" and I've never met a more useless impractical bunch of incompetents who are so more disconnected from the operation in my life. Loving the kool aid corporate speak though!

Kailoer · 09/09/2017 00:40

That quote was by MarcelineTheVampire

Shinesweetfreedom · 09/09/2017 00:44

I think you absolutely should be doing the same as she does.
You are only following her lead and it would be discrimination if you were picked up on it and she wasn't.
Playing by the rules is only causing you stress whilst ms piss taker gets away with murder.
Damn right I would be booking stuff in work time.
Been there and know what a complete ball ache it is to work with someone like that.

Windytwigs · 09/09/2017 00:50

OP the only thing you can know for sure is whether she clocks in/out on flexi time, so I vote for everyone in the office 'helping' her keep on top of this by shadowing her in/out until she gets the message Grin

Abouttoblow · 09/09/2017 01:01

Kailoer Yep, Marceline* was very concerned with the whole Personnel/HR definition but she did apologise.
Anyway, I've decided I shall now be known as the clocking our ninja Smile

OP posts:
LexieLulu · 09/09/2017 01:22

Oh my gosh, I would 100% report her! Whether she's in your department or not! She's employed by the same boss, you get paid for the hours you work, and she gets paid for the hours she's meant to?!

Also is there not an insurance regulation? Not clocking out would mean she's still "in the building" in case of a fire or something?! (Thinking more for your case)

Jedimum1 · 09/09/2017 01:53

I would clock her out too. Quietly. Don't tell anyone. Let her wonder, even worry. I like the "clocking out ninja" label. Grin

EBearhug · 09/09/2017 02:37

That's a crap excuse she's got. Surely her husband will survive without wearing his wedding ring, and if he can't, then it should be up to him to fix it. At least my skiving colleague comes up with ailing children or something credible. (Also, manager is having words about his presence and productivity.)

jacks11 · 09/09/2017 02:52

It's not good for morale if one member of staff gets away with taking the piss/bending the rules or gets special treatment. It creates an unhappy working place and one where there is less goodwill.

Surely the other danger in all this is that the flexible arrangements may come to an end- negatively impacting everyone, including those who stuck to the rules like OP has. All it takes is one thing to happen which highlights it and the flexibility is curtailed because of abuse. Happened in a friends work- although abuses not just by one member of staff. An important deadline was missed- and when it was investigated it was found to that members of staff were abusing flexitime/WFH. Clearly, the management team had not been doing a good job of supervising what was going on, so big failure on their part too, but the end result was that there was a big cut down on flexi/WFH and significant monitoring, which made it a bit of a tense working environment for quite a while. Everyone suffered. If I were OP, that would be my main concern.

Timmytoo · 09/09/2017 04:34

Could it be that it's a form of anxiety that she calls so often. Maybe she makes the appointments during work as her children are being looked after during those times and she can't take them with her to appointments as they badly behaved or something. Just looking at possible scenarios. Maybe your boss knows these are issues so makes allowances.

Longdistance · 09/09/2017 04:55

I worked with someone like this. He would call/text to say he was going to be late as his car was in the garage getting fixed/his son was unwell/his wife broke a nail. Lots of it was BS. He used to leave early too. He was eventually put on capability, and was asked to leave.

It was really annoying as we'd all worked out hours and then this guy rocks up taking the piss.

Definitely clock her out. She's taking the proverbial.

IamtheDevilsAvocado · 09/09/2017 05:48

It is bloody frustrating when you have an obvious pisstaker....

For me, it would completely balance on whether it was a private company or public service..

If I own my own firm and I've employed a couple of no-hoper mates... Then it's really my choice... I know that these people are flaky, but ultimately my decision... Although I wouldn't tolerate paying people regularly taking the piss...

If you are working in nhs/local authority... Absolutely, do what you need...

She's essentially stealing /committing fraud(is she regularly submitting time sheets with inaccurate times etc?? And everyone that pays tax is paying for her loafing!!

I would so be getting together with your decent colleagues and 'help' pisstaker with her memory with clocking in/out

... My bet: once manager really have cast iron proof that out of the 16 hours she's been paid for she's actually absent for 50% it will be much easier for them to warn/performance manage..

She'll either leave or stop behaving so outrageously..

I've come across some outrageous excuses... But delivering your husband's wedding ring to him??

I remember having the rage with a nice colleague who I never take lunch break as I collapse all my hours into 930-230....so she was paid for 5 hours daily.. However she would take a long fag break every 45 mins for 15'20 mins... So these 5 hours she was paid - she would only be actually at her desk and involved in work for about....also madly long loo breaks several times a day... Most days she would probably only be there for probably half the time... Also lengthy personal phone calls featured heavily.... My she was fun to work with...

minisoksmakehardwork · 09/09/2017 06:29

Are you supposed to clock in and out every time you enter and leave the building? (I used to work for a co where you would have to clock out even for a fag break). The reasoning being, in an evacuation situation, a print off could be obtained of who was on site at the time. If you failed to clock out, then potentially emergency services would waste time and endanger themselves further by looking for someone who wasn't actually there...

So the 'clocking out ninja' would actually be doing everyone a favour Wink

TheDailyWail · 09/09/2017 06:58

I wonder how long (if at all) your CF-Co-worker will take to realise that someone is clocking her out?

minnymoobear · 09/09/2017 07:08

She's taking the piss well and truly! OP I'd deffo speak to HR about flexi arrangements as her actions are really bad for overall morale

Princecharlesfirstwife · 09/09/2017 07:39

What's with the husband's wedding ring btw? Why is she so desperate that he has it that she takes 1.5 hrs out of her working day?

ZenNudist · 09/09/2017 07:47

I remember my boss taking the afternoin off as "ive got to go home and book my holiday"! Also when had tge day iff because his dog died, or 4 months off with "stress", involved a lot of foreign holidays and golfing. (Im sure he was stressed but he took 4 monthe because he could get away with it)

Everyone telling you its not your business is right. As far as i can see, although it doesn't affect your jib it is affecting yours and others morale. I actually want you to make a complaint on these grounds.

It sounds like management are afraid of her or extremely weak.

Also you could start keeping a record of what she is up to. Youre doing it mentally anyway. Write it all down on a spreadsheet. After 3 months go back to her manager and say the time hasnt been made up. Ask why its being allowed to continue.

I also dont see why you all dont do the same as her. If everyone took the piss theyd have to stop it.

WipsGlitter · 09/09/2017 08:14

That would be very annoying.

strawberryblondebint · 09/09/2017 08:46

I can't believe no one is checking her clocking in and out. She's abusing the flexi system. I would report her for that. Unacceptable. I get where you are coming from. And the wedding ring .... aye right. Total bullshit. He should get it himself if it's that important. Except he probably can't as he works in s job that doesn't have flexi or won't abide piss takers. That would boil my piss op. This is why companies withdraw flexi. Due to people ripping the arse out of it like her

Jedimum1 · 09/09/2017 09:35

Zen, I don't think the excel spreadsheet is a good idea. It is when you are the boss and are trying to monitor her. But as an employee, whose job is not affected by her, it could be intercepted as obsession, bullying and personal vendetta. The other person can make up excuses, or say all that is not true, and it doesn't matter what's in the sheet, most would be OP's word against this woman. It can certainly turn back on OP in a nasty way. It would not make her look in any way either. However, clocking her out discreetly will bring these issues to anyone in charge of time managing, and she might start to be investigated as a consequence. As a minimum, there will be an official log of her hours that she cannot deny. OP can also excuse herself by saying she has only done in on occasion when walking past the machine, as she often claims she forgets. It is not right, agree. I want her to be found out and given a good b**ing. I would like all the office to be vindicated and bring their fist down with a joyous "Yes!". BUT I think keeping a log and going to the bosses in a few months will actually look bad on OP. She has already reported it as well. Although NOT true, it would be SEEN as: you don't trust managers to do their job (which true or not, you cannot tell to your manager. You don't know if they are keeping a log already for dismissal), you cannot let go and are spending a lot of time recording someone else's times instead of doing your work (as she's not directly involved in your work, you'd have to actively enquiry, so go out of your way), you don't have new managerial skills that involve conflict resolution without picking on people's negatives or telling off (I'm sure this is what is needed in this case, pure telling off, but if OP is aiming to have any promotion in that area, it looks bad on her managerial skills), you cannot be part of a team, as you constantly look at what others do and get ( again, this not the case, but it can be seen this way), you have a personal vendetta against this worker, which can made look true if this other person makes up incidents with op of a personal nature, etc.

If you put this in a STAR style, it backfires: Situation: There was an employee that was bringing down morale because of privileges. Task: I decided upon myself that I would expose her. Action: I recorded a log and escalated it to Personnel because the boss wasn't listening. Resolution: I got her fired / My boss opened a file for bullying ... I think it looks as if OP is problematic. I know it's not the case, but she could be perceived as such. I still think there's more to it than we and OP know. The only way I'd suggest a log is if the whole department agrees to do it, everyone records it when they see it, and the most liked and trouble-free person goes with the log as representative of the office. If not, is just OP against her and it will look bad on OP as well