Work Colleague

[snash12]

I know someone posted here earlier that this isn't a forum for employee / employer issues but I literally want to smash my stapler into my face right now, repeatedly.

I have one work colleague who just takes the piss all day every day. I genuinely wonder if she does any work at all. She is excellent at appearing busy / flustered when anyone asks her to do anything.

My main issue is her phone calls to and from her husband. On average i'd say it's anywhere from 10-20 calls per day for maybe 5-10 minutes or the occasional 30 minute call. She doesn't hide it, go outside, move to another room for these calls so it is so distracting.

Its infuriating for me because I sit right near her and its otherwise a fairly quiet office.

Because they speak so often they have NOTHING to say to one another. So I have a big chunk of my day trying to block out

"Yeeeah"
"No"
"How was the traffic" "have you had lunch" followed by 5 minutes of byes .
"alright then darling, I better get back to it.... what'?" and then it starts all over again
"okay then baby love you, love you, ... what?" starts again

WWYD - just tell her to shut up?! I've tried ear phones with music but she has a very loud laugh so it doesn't often work.

Has anyone been in this position? The bosses are fully aware because she often answers the calls in front of them or is on the phone to her husband when they enter the room. I guess it doesn't bother them so there isn't much point in complaining.

He said "I know" - "what can WE do about it"

One suggestion is that he promotes you, and therefore makes it a WE problem. Would you be up to telling her as her superior that her behviour is disruptive? If yes, then go back to your boss with that proposal.

You will of course need a salary raise to go with the additional responsibility.

Oh too slow!

100% guarantee that if you move desks and he has her in an office on her own she’ll take the piss even more.

Figure out where you want to sit and leave her to it. Her productivity is not your problem, yours is.

I can’t believe he is finder no this one difficult, dread to think what would happen if something serious needed dealing with!

What ever happens take him up on the desk move. Even if oldmums brilliant suggestion took place there is a high chance husband caller will disregard it as she knows she has a weak manager so you will still be listening to the calls all day!

OP has said they do different jobs upthread. She cannot be in an office on her own, she'll never do any work!

I’d take his offer up for your own sanity!

I think you should just move office and be grateful its no longer your problem.

Don't create drama or try to solve something that isn't your problem to solve.

Keep your good working relationships and enjoy your new peaceful office

Actually, why should you move, tell him to move her nearer to his office.

I cant believe your boss has been so spinesess! Surely a small business in these economic times can't afford passengers? At least if you move, she won't irritate you any more. It's not solving the problem, but it solves your problem. Him paying someone to sit around doing nothing all day is his problem. If she can do nothing all day with no effect on the business, she should be made redundant.

I wonder what would happen if she was deluged with calls all day long.

You know the sort that happen when you put ridiculous for sale adverts on gumtree and the like?

It's a bit late in the day for my creative brain, but I am sure there is a way to word the advert to be specifically about a lot of phone use as a double whammy - say, "For sale, iphone X have to sell as I am using it too much and in trouble at work, call sue on ..."

Urgh. I hate bosses who make problems a 'group effort'. No really. That's why you get paid the big bucks. Sort it out

Sorry op. I would send the perfect response earlier outlining what your boss should have said! Say something along the lines of - here's what WE should do about it.

She's just a seat warmer...

I've come across these managers (who don't manage) previously...
So you have to do the thinking for them...
He's bought the company, presumably to make a profit...

You can phrase it as either her stealing /. Taking extra holiday...

So every week.. It's a minimum of 10.5 hours per week(2 hours per day and at least one early departure)... So one a half days a week she's getting paid for and she's not working.. So that's over 500 hrs a year she's skiving...
Or to put it another way.. Over 13 weeks a year...

Enjoy your OP

Oh yes... What oldmum said too... Definitely!,

What on earth?! Ridiculous response from your boss!! He should step down and put you in charge!

But, in the meantime, just move desks. It’s not fair but it will help your sanity and if husband caller says anything, tell her the truth!

He said "I know" - "what can WE do about it"

Seriously? How difficult would it be for him to say to colleague: "Your work output is less than anyone else's and I've noticed that you spend a lot of work time on personal phone calls. We pay you to work. From now on that is what you have to do. If you want to make non-urgent personal calls, it will have to be during your lunch break".

Or, indeed, as you suggest, simply announce a general policy tightening up on personal phone calls. Why be scared that it's obvious whose conduct has prompted it? If your colleague decides to make a fuss, the sensible manager points out that it's perfectly normal workplace policy which, I assume, no other employee has an issue with; if she feels it's targeted against her, she needs to reflect on why it affects her more than most and what the hell she thinks she's paid to do when she's in the office.

Well done for raising this, OP. Just move offices. It is no longer your problem but remains his.

It normally does not go down well to tell your boss, especially a weak one, how to do his job.

Take him up on the offer of a move.

Thanks for all the replies. I thought about it on my way home and I think I’ll take the move. All the people from what I see tend to just get on with work.

Her job role changes depending on what she does that day but she is supposed to answer the phone And do some general office admin. The rest of us are fee based working directly for our own customers.

I’m not sure how he will explain to her why I’m moving!!

The get out of jail free email was awesome but I just don’t think he would send it!

Op do you work in advertising?

It's just you said figures were down on last year.

I work in quite an intimate office with two males (a same level colleague and a deputy manager)

The deputy manager's wife calls him numerous times a day. Often he puts it on vibrate and rolls his eyes. Other times he will answer it and tell her he's busy and to call at lunch time.

I guess it's different as he doesn't encourage her, but colleague and I often mutual eyeroll when deputy's mobile goes..!!

Your manager has no balls. I'd take the offer of moving.

I’ve emailed him back from my phone

Dear boss

Yes, moving would certainly be an option that would help me with my own productivity.

I’ll come and speak to you on Monday so we can decide where.

Snash

Just say bossman is reorganising I think and that means I'm moving. No need to explain, let her stew especially when no one else wants to sit with her

@chapter no, not advertising.

The only time she seems to really jump on work is when she has to buy something. The boss asked her a few weeks ago to buy him a private printer for his office and it’s the most dedicated I’d seen her in weeks. To the point of huffing if someone asked her something.

Maybe you could suggest that in order to be fair, you take the hour or so a day she is on her phone as paid leave. So its equal and all.