Hello all,
Not really a aibu; although I may be!
I’m in a bit of a moral dilemma at work; and need to consult the wisdom of mn. I’ve created a new account in case what I say is outing; but I’m going to try and not make my rl identity obvious.
Sorry I’m advance for the long post, but I’m trying not to drip feed.
I have recently started a new job; the role is a middle management role; very similar to what I have done for years; although a few aspects of the job are new.
Part of my role is to increase capacity in the team; and as part of that I have been supporting a colleague with her role - sometimes taking on admin while she focuses on the core job; and sometimes doing the core job to give her chance to catch up on admin. One of the reasons I am supporting this particular colleague is that she is quite unwell... she has spent several months off in the past and will at some point need major surgery.
Although we get on well on the surface, I sometimes feel that there is some resentment and maybe fear that I am there to replace her. I can totally see where she is coming from: a lot of the working groups and other extras she used to be a part of, she no longer is and yet I am. I don’t have my own office yet, although my appointments often get made for her office. To make matters worse; before I was employed, she used to do the other part of my role (ie - what I do when I’m not supporting her) as a free extra. When she put her foot down and said she wanted the pay rise and official title, they according to her said there was no money in the budget... and then a few months later hired me to do it!
My dilemma is, that I have been unofficially asked to look out to see if she is well enough to be at work. I feel uncomfortable being a “spy” so I have not mentioned anything to my LM, and have tried to encourage her to do what she can, but pass anything at all that she’s struggling with onto me.
The problem is - and I suppose I may be being unreasonable to think this - I honestly don’t think she is well enough. I’ve watched her work for weeks and although it’s not a complete disaster and you can tell she knows what she’s supposed to be doing; she’s just not doing the job as well as it needs to be done. Things are often forgotten, not planned or planned at the last minute, key information is not sneaking recorded and several key documents are missing. I keep trying to suggest that I could sort this or that, but she seems to put her foot down and wants to prove in a way that she is able to do it. I don’t feel it’s my place to tell her she’s not.
Our employment isn’t life or death, and the odd bad day has not real lasting consequences; but longer term a poor job can have a lasting negative effect on people’s lives; so we are keen to make sure we are getting it right at least most of the time.
So... do I be a be a bit more insistent with her? Do I mentioned something to the boss? Do I neb out completely?
I really do like the woman on a personal note; and really do sympathise with her, it must be awful to be in her position; and I admire that she isn’t letting it get her down and she isn’t giving up... but I also sympathise with the hundred and something other people who will suffer a negative and lasting impact to their lives if her job role (by her or someone else) isn’t done properly.
What do I do? Help me mumsnet! Please!