Lunch breaks and colleagues taking the mick

[baxterboi]

I have one colleague who just royally takes the piss with lunch breaks.

Say they leave the office at 12:30, they come back at 1:30 but with their lunch which they then heat up / prepare and then spend 30 mins eating at their desk whilst reading or facebooking. They only do this when both managers are out of the office. I am not this persons line manager, just sit right near them.

Twice a week they have to pop home to let their dog out and they live about 20 minutes away. They're often 90 minutes or more but again this happens to fall on days that both managers are out.

I just feel that if it was the odd occasion its fine but when it is 2-3 times a week (even worse when a manager is actually on annual leave!) it actually makes up a lot of time!! I tend to bring lunch with me and go for a quick walk at lunch time just to stretch my legs.

AIBU to either say something directly to them or even tell a manager?

I'd do the same!

Nice.

Is it impacting on her work or is she making up the time elsewhere? It may not be actually affecting her overall performance.

If you do address I would talk to her directly, as if you go to her manager you'll create bad feeling and your manager might think you're just telling tales.

Does it add to your workload? And/or is it inconvenient/does it hold you up in the sense that, for example, you might need something from them in a tight timeframe and a 90-minute lunch break leads to you not having what you need in time?

If any of these are the case, ie if there's a business reason you can take to a manager, then fine, speak to a manager. I wouldn't speak to colleague direct though.

If it doesn't affect you in a business sense then I'm not sure how you could raise it without just looking like a snitch.

And take proper lunch breaks yourself!

Do you have flexi? Lots of people at my place will take extended lunches but we have flexi clock in/out so it just comes off their balance.

If it’s affecting you - as in you having to pick up the slack - or it’s creating extra work for the team then fine, say something. Otherwise leave it be, you don’t know what flexitime arrangements they have and if they’re getting all their work done then there isn’t an issue.

We're a really small company and I just feel they're disrespecting the two owners who work really hard to have a successful business.

We do totally separate roles so no it does not impact on my workload.

I don't understand this mentality of "if you can get away with it, do it". They're paid to do their hours and yet they're not doing them.

No flexi time, we all work 8-5.

Does it have an impact on your work? If no, nothing to do with you.

I've got someone on my team who thinks it's her responsibility to inform me every time another guy is late, gone home early etc. It's very annoying, I know what everyone's output is, as long as they do their job i don't care what hours they keep.

If they are getting their work done in the hours they are working then I don't see the issue. I hate presenteeism.

If management are not happy with the person's work then I'm sure they will take it up with them.

If it isn't affecting your work and you aren't responsible for them, it's none of your business. If they are delivering what they are supposed to, or more, then there isn't a problem.

If the owners haven’t noticed then it must not be impacting on her work.

I would keep out of it.

And a 45 hour a week contract is quite a lot, as presumably that's a minimum. I'd feel I wanted to steal a bit back myself.

Why is it any of your business? Busybodies getting their beak stuck in to other people’s lives is so annoying.

I don’t even notice what my colleagues who aren’t part of my team do. None of my business is it.

If their manager has an issue they’ll address it directly with them. Take your spoon out the pot.

If she’s able to get her work done still then I don’t see the problem. If you’re really bothered then tell your boss.

Yanbu, they’re taking the piss!

If they are getting the work done in the reduced time then the business only needs to be paying them a reduced wage.

I don't understand people who can sit in an office with someone else taking the piss and be able to ignore it because it doesn't directly affect them.

If the business is paying more than it needs to then it could affect whether it makes a profit, if I was a small business owner I would want to know

How petty of you a) to even notice and b) to consider snitching.

I used to work in an office where two people "double lunched" ie spent 30mins in the kitchen preparing and eating something, and then announced that they were going out "on their break" for their allocated 45mins. Daily. Pisstake I thought, but as I wasn't managing them I kept out of it.

Book a meeting with them during the slots they go missing?

Piss takers affect morale and can have a ripple effect to the behaviour of others - I would tell my manager as it is done in a way that hides the behaviour from management - then it is up to them.

OMG! I can't believe so many are saying it's not OP's business! Skiving like this is definitely OP's business because they're getting paid to do the same number of hours as her but aren't working the same number!

If that was my business I'd want to know. Definitely tell your boss.

I do the same thing sometimes but I am working from 6am, at my desk by 8, and can sometimes work until 6-7 and will often work from home on top. If you don’t know the ins and outs of her work pattern then you will only harm morale by complaining.

It depresses me to know how many on this thread have such a poor work ethic.

As a co-owner of a small business where we work bloody hard, I'd thank you for saying something, OP. And wish we had more employees like you. We treat our employees well, and deserve the same respect back.