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?

In your position OP, I’d be concerned about any implications for me if and when colleague’s behaviour comes to light.

Given that it’s a very small company, you’ll struggle to say that you were unaware of what was going on. Will it affect your relationship with management if they perceive you to have been complicit in your colleague’s skiving?

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

I’m an employer, I pay wages to people for their skill,knowledge and ability not just how long their arse is on a seat.

I've never noticed that people who take the piss like this are more effective than other workers. Quite the opposite, really.

Actually it depends on the buisness.

We have a small buisness that is quite fast paced and driven. I’ve been spending s bit of time at our office and I’ve noticed when he goes out they are facebooking, scrolling the internet, snap chatting. They get paid really well and it’s an abuse of trust.

It takes the piss tbh, they are not concentrating on their work and in our sector it’s vital.

They are both being monitored now (un aware) and rather the pay rise they have been promised (by dh) could be reciving their P45.

I’d say something it’s a piss take

*two women not all the team

Btw, most people who are EMPLOYED are paid to work certain hours, not to acheive a task. That’s why they can also be paid overtime.
If she is employed, she is paid to work a certain number of hours.
If she isn’t, she is not following the rules of her contract andis putting herself in a precarious position.

Very different than someone who is freelance an is paid to do xxx.

And again very different than someone who is freelance but is paid by the hour. (I wouod consider someone who is billing 10 hours of work when they are working for 8 a thief)

I take my lunch 12pm - 1pm and then I cover the phone and reception for a colleague 1pm - 2pm. However, she leaves five minutes early every day (cutting my lunch short), comes back at 2pm after being out running errands and then takes half an hour to eat her lunch and read the paper.

Our office is quite volatile and full of divas so I can't bring myself to rock the boat further by bringing it up.

The colleague might, in that case she should raise this openly with her boss that she doesn't have enough work for her contracted hours.

Or maybe she's just efficient??

I am not disagreeing with you, she might be the most efficient employee they have, but as she is paid to work a certain number of hours she should be transparent and tell her boss this and not skive off away on extended lunch breaks only when the boss isn't around. Not only is it dishonest, it is gross misconduct.

And if she was merely efficient and getting all the work done in 3/4 of the time, why doesn't she take those extended lunches when her boss is there?

I can see it is frustrating if you feel you are putting in more than others and not getting more recognition in some way. However if the managers haven't noticed it suggests she is doing everything she needs to and it really isn't something for you to get involved with.

I would say something op. Have in the past at my work because people regularly take the piss with their lunch breaks. Nothing happens of course, but I point it out so they know, their problem if they do nothing.

All the people that do it too are useless at their jobs. Constantly ask for help after years in the job, get shunted to different departments as they aren't wanted, do the minimal amount of work and complain if they get more. Then complain that they don't get promotions or pay rises. Duh..

I’m an employer, I pay wages to people for their skill,knowledge and ability not just how long their arse is on a seat

So am I. But I pay my staff because I want them to fulfil the work load they said they wanted to take and be apart of our team. It must be lovely to have such a relaxed attitude towards work practice. However we work in the finance sector and every member needs to on the ball and not taking the piss.

I understand your annoyed about it, although it must not be obviously effecting the business or the owners would've noticed but to be honest i probably wouldn't say anything myself because its not really my business although if my boss were to ask me about something like that i would be truthful.

Just a point though, if you do say something make sure it is not obvious to your other colleagues, you wouldn't want any flack from it.

I take my lunch 12pm - 1pm and then I cover the phone and reception for a colleague 1pm - 2pm. However, she leaves five minutes early every day (cutting my lunch short), comes back at 2pm after being out running errands and then takes half an hour to eat her lunch and read the paper.

Don't bring it up and make it a big deal, tell her you aren't ready to take the reception at 11:55 (tell her a cheery you are going to loo/for a cup of coffee but you'll be back for 12 on the dot) and then when she gets back switch it back to her at 2pm (go for another loo break/coffee/meeting) whether she has had her lunch or not. Not your problem. Meeting is probably a better idea the first few times so you can warn her you will need to switch back at 2 sharp.

Not impacting you therefore not your business, can you try thinking about something else?

That's an unusual attitude for a business owner needsasockmonkey imo.

Why would you pay office admin staff for more hours that there is work for them to do? It would be more profitable to tell them that you're realised their role can be done in 5 fewer hours per week (or whatever) and change the contracts and salaries so they can take 90 minutes for lunch every day and go home if they need to Obviously I'm ignoring employment law to illustrate the point

We have lunch from 1-2pm, however I frequently finish what I am doing toward ! so most days its 5, 10 or quarter past before I actually leave my desk to get lunch, so sometimes I'm only back at 2pm but I start back to work and eat my lunch as I'm doing it.

I’m an employer, I pay wages to people for their skill, knowledge and ability not just how long their arse is on a seat.

So you would be happy with a member of admin staff lying to you (by omission) and skiving off for hours every week, demotivating your other staff, when they could be doing something else value add to your business instead?

What does your contract say about core times? We can take up to 2 hours a day for lunch if we need/want between 12 and 2. We clock in and out so we work our specified hours anyway - I never take more than 45 minutes because I prefer to leave at a civiised time in the evening but if other people want longer breaks and to get home later, that's their choice.

The orginal Cockney rhyming slang phrase was "Taking the Mickey Bliss" eventually shortened to "Taking the Mickey" to avoid actually saying "Taking the piss". Nothing to with racist comments about Irish people.

I used to do this a bit when I was in an admin role, however I’d begged for more work, demonstrated that I didn’t have enough to fill my time and even gone round other departments asking for work to do. I was bored and it was bloody demoralising.

Unless you know the ins and outs of her workload I would try and just let it go.

Do you have a sign in/out sheet as part of Fire/Emergency evacuation?
If not, you really should
Very clever, Weezol.

I'm waiting for the 'senior management' poster who locks her staff in to rock up

The orginal Cockney rhyming slang phrase was "Taking the Mickey Bliss" eventually shortened to "Taking the Mickey" to avoid actually saying "Taking the piss". Nothing to with racist comments about Irish people

That's interesting. Yet, I keep reading that it is racist. Think this is one I'll steer clear off, just in case!

www.tuc.org.uk/sites/default/files/SERTUC%20Migration%20of%20Labour%20Event%20-%20Saturday%2013%20May%202017_0.pdf

Anti – Irish racism became rampant in Britain and the derogatory term “Mick” was, constantly, used along with the anti – Irish racist phrase, “Taking the Mick!”