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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Leave it or not?

74 replies

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 18:49

I know I’ve posted in aibu , I’m ready!

I’ve also name changed about six times and changed key details to protect the guilty and innocent!

I have a colleague at work who is completely taking the piss.

Manager works part time. On the days manager is not at work, colleague doesn’t come in. In the beginning, colleague used to text in or email and say they’re working at home or they didn’t feel well.

Now they don’t even do that, just don’t come in. It was even worse during the summer when said manager was off on planned sick leave for six weeks. Colleague had around two of those weeks off completely, taking various days not to come in.

It’s becoming even more of a problem because now it’s so obvious and colleague is so bold about it. Last week he even posted pictures of himself out and about with his children on a day out when he should’ve been at work.

There’s also been a few incidents where collegue has ballsed up
deadlines or forgotten work because of these ‘holidays’.

With a small team of only six , based in a satellite office of a large company, I guess that’s how he’s been getting away with it for so long. Nobody says anything although I know other colleagues are annoyed, And seem to have taken the tack if they don’t care what colleague does as long as they don’t get caught and it doesn’t affect anyone else.

It’s driving me silently crackers, and the Christmas holiday is sort of tipping me over the edge. Basically colleague, knowing manager will be off for most of the Christmas holiday, has booked less days off than they need themselves. The idea being that they just won’t come in those days and the manager will never know.

I don’t know what to do,. If I speak to the manager and tell him exactly and what’s being going on, it’s going to be obvious it’s me as I’m really the only one who spoke out and said what colleague is doing is totally out of order. To top it off colleague isn’t all that nice a person and will probably make my life pretty uncomfortable.

Do I just leave it and not say anything? Basically this person is having two full days off per week. They aren’t working at home, they have an admin role and certainly aren’t doing the admin that they should be doing. Emails are unanswered, phone calls not picked up, because basically they treat in that time as a day off.

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Caterinaballerina · 03/11/2019 18:53

This sounds like the need for an anonymous tip off to the manager. Or can you set up some scenario that will call this person out to the manager? Or at least work it so they have to attend to something urgently on one of their planned days of skiving? Just for that small victory back in your favour.

RedSheep73 · 03/11/2019 18:56

Someone is bunking off work altogether and none of you says anything? Don't be ridiculous, he is taking the piss and absolutely deserves to be grassed up. He hasn't even asked you not to, and is certainly not your friend if he's leaving you to do all the work. Just ask the boss whether he knows what's been going on, just in case it's been approved.

Scarydinosaurs · 03/11/2019 19:01

If we work from home, we know HR could spot check it. This is how someone was caught not doing the flexi hours they claimed.

I would contact HR.

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:02

Red I know! It's ludicrous, and has been boiling my piss for months.

Funnily enough in the beginning there were a few texts , like oh I'm not well, please don't tell manager, blah blah. I, and I think a few others, were getting subtle texts trying to find out who was in the office the next day - i guess so he could see if anyone would notice if he didnt come in. I stopped replying to these a while ago.

Caterina - yes that would be a thought, ideally manager would change his days off without mentioning it and then find chappie not in...

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messolini9 · 03/11/2019 19:02

I cannot fathom how, in a team of 6, 1 member pisstakes so blatantly & nobody does anything but seethe.

What is wrong with you all?

Just report the facts, straight up.
Presumably the other 4 won't be too lilylivered to confirm the unauthorised days off?

If Pisstake Holidayhead makes life awkward so what? Every time they do, loudly observe that they are being petty because you whistleblew.

If you had come to me, as your boss, with this tale, first I would have said what's taken you so.long? Then I would have sacked Holidayhead
So fallout may not even be an issue.

Get on with it.

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:04

I know colleague has complained of being bored and not having enough to do. Obviously that's up to him to sort out with manager. I've given him work to do and he hasn't done it or 'forgot'.

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Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:09

messolini9 you're absolutely right, it's appalling and I'm astounded myself. So many people have said to me oh don't rick the boat, you'll make life too difficult in the team ,blah blah blah. I'm not the most confident and am pretty quiet. I think maybe one of the reasons he's got away with this for so long is that the rest of us are often out and about at different sites and not 'seeing' it, if you get what I mean.

Last week's photo essay and the christmas holiday issue is it for me though now. Just unsure best way to go about it. Manager is a nice fella but I reckon will be gutted at the piss having been taken of him from under his nose.

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TheTrollFairy · 03/11/2019 19:09

I would just be saying something to the manager.

What is your job? Anyway of making it so something crops up that only bunking person can do and you have to call manager as bunking person isn’t in?

RubyWho · 03/11/2019 19:09

Very outing of me but oh well. I have a member of my own team who did this (ie someone I manage). I work away from our office a lot - at other sites etc, and had a feeling that when I wasn’t there, they didn’t turn up (they’d been caught out a few times where I changed my plans and came in, only for them to text/email and say they were unwell - obviously realising I would rock up and they wouldn’t be there). It finally came to a head where I asked a colleague to check something with them on a day I was at another office and it was confirmed They weren’t there. We went down the disciplinary route, and performance management. It hasn’t happened since, however, I have a feeling they’re starting to edge towards this behaviour again. If that does happen, then it’s dismissal - most likely.

It wasn’t fair on me, or the rest of my team, who had to pick up this persons slack (often me who had to whilst mid travelling, extremely stressful).

You have to say something, even anonymously.

Freemind · 03/11/2019 19:10

Maybe you could ask if you can do the same as your colleague and share out the "working from home" days? Explain to your manager that you want to run it by them (just in case the colleague has been given some sort of special permission), and ask whether others could also have that opportunity ..... That way you are not exactly 'shopping' the colleague, but asking for fair treatment for the rest of you. Good luck!

willloman · 03/11/2019 19:11

Do not go to manager (they're not managing v. well are they?). Send anonymous tip off to head office with dates etc.

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:13

Ruby thanks for that example, very similar going on here. There has been slack that's been picked up. We are lucky in that we get a lot of freedom to be out and about and to my knowledge this isn't abused by anyone else. The travelling and different locations is what makes it such an interesting job.

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HisBetterHalf · 03/11/2019 19:14

if colleague definitely isn't working on those days (and what evidence do you have to support this other than a facebook post?) then use the whistleblower policy as colleague is committing fraud

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:15

willloman that could be an idea. No manager isn't managing very well; he's busy himself and prides himself on not micromanaging - although I think a few weeks of that could work well in or team. As it is his hands off approach is leading to this mess...

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NeedAnExpert · 03/11/2019 19:15

It’s fraud. They’re getting paid for work they aren’t doing.

Report to manager and or/HR. (I’m HR and would support a dismissal in the circs you’ve described.)

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:15

I feel such a twat, it's been doing my head in for ages.

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OnlineShopping · 03/11/2019 19:16

I know you think your colleague will immediately suspect it was you but he has no reason to not equally think it was one of the others. I would tell your manager and then, in the very unlikely event he isn’t dismissed and does make things awkward at work, submit a grievance against him for harassment/bullying in the workplace.

RubyWho · 03/11/2019 19:17

It IS fraud - this man is contracted to work 40 hours (or whatever) and is only working...less than that, but is taking the pay for those 40 hours.
He’s got a brass neck, that’s for sure.

The paid for X hours / only working for a fraction of them was bought up In my employees disciplinary. The whole thing was galling to be honest.

bridgetreilly · 03/11/2019 19:18

Definitely tell your manager and/or HR.

misspiggy19 · 03/11/2019 19:21

I would report to your manager and HR.

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:22

The whole thing has just gotten out of control. I know colleage had some time off for mental health issues a while ago and then asked me and someone else not to say anything when they didnt come in during the smmer, as they had had too much time off sick. I think that's probaby led me to leaving it after initally being aghast and saying something.

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GenuineKlatchianPottery · 03/11/2019 19:25

He’s defrauding your employer. And by not saying anything you and your colleagues are enabling him.
When he’s eventually caught out it’s not just him that’s going to end up in the shit.
You could seriously end up getting the sack too OP.

Beautiful3 · 03/11/2019 19:28

I would send a factual email to the manager, with bullet points. Explain that it's unfair and causing friction in the team.Ask him not to disclose your name, as you dont want any hostility towards you. To be quite honest there needs to be a manager present during all working days. An good way to keep him in the loop on his days off, would be to email any absences that day to the boss. That way he can pick up on the frequency of it. I would definitely say something.

Itsallpetetong · 03/11/2019 19:28

Have you taken screen shots of the family day out in case it’s deleted?
I would have to say something, imagine if all the team did that! Why should he be paid extra days holiday above his entitlement?

Chugalug21 · 03/11/2019 19:29

Genuine I totally agree, I think that's why it's become more stressful for me, especially in the last few weeks there have been two potential issues caused by his jaunts which could have got us all in the shit.

I'll have a hard think tonight about what route to go down next week, hr or manager etc. I must sound like such a nob!

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