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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Have I behaved badly

107 replies

mimp · 05/03/2020 15:00

I work for a small company think 5-6 staff. Director has been off for a couple of weeks. Business is slow at the moment. One of the guys just sat around for the two weeks and one day I caught him fast asleep. He didn't even try to look for work do those odd jobs that never get done.
Director is back work still slow and I knew he had to think about letting a couple of people go I told him about this staff member. I feel awful and I don't know why I did it but his behaviour just astonished me. The lack of any effect! He will be let go this week or next I have been told. Feel guilty but it's a bit late for that. I actually think I am a bitch. AIBU ...what would you have done?

OP posts:
MatildaTheCat · 05/03/2020 15:12

I would have done lots of odd jobs and kept busy and made sure it was clear that I had done them. Not sure I would have named and shamed.

I suspect your boss Was perfectly aware of the lazy person though. So I doubt you are the sole reason he’s being let go.

Ellisandra · 05/03/2020 15:16

The director left you all without any direction, when business was slow. Clearly slow enough to be letting people go. I don’t see the motivation to much other than sleep. There surely weren’t enough of the “never get round to it” jobs for all 5 of you? I think you stuck the knife in, to be lower down the firing line.

Ellisandra · 05/03/2020 15:18

Are you in a more senior position, to have the war of the director (owner?) like this? Seems unprofessional that you knew people were being let go (if they didn’t) and now you have information that it’s this man. I do think you were a bitch. It’s not the sleeping employee’s fault that business is slow, and that the director didn’t leave directions for alternative work before going away.

KarmaStar · 05/03/2020 15:28

Ywbu.I would have kept my mouth shut and hoped my work ethic kept me my job.
You did this to save yourself which is why you feel guilty.

Taddda · 05/03/2020 15:32

It does seem a bit of a 'save my arse, drop him in the shit' move...I agree with the pp I'd have kept mouth shut and have left the decision making to the decision maker....

GiveHerHellFromUs · 05/03/2020 15:37

Unless you are the next most senior person after the director then yes, you were a massive bitch.

And if you are the next most senior person, you should have given him work to do.

Sexykitten2005 · 05/03/2020 15:41

Yeah you might of snitched a bit but this bloke has done no work for two weeks!! I think if I had been doing my work and filling my time effectively watching someone else literally sleep on the job would piss me off enough that I would snitch too. Why should people get away with being paid for doing nothing or the bare minimum. We’ve got a couple of people like this at our work and I am waiting for them to be sacked. If they weren’t up our managers arse I would be vocal about how lazy they are but for me it wouldn’t work.
Good for you standing up for yourself

Sirzy · 05/03/2020 15:43

So nobody was left in charge and you where all just left to do what you felt like for two weeks with no actual work to do?

I’m not surprised he couldn’t get motivated to be honest!

Original poster
mimp · 05/03/2020 15:44

My role is senior and totally different to this man. Director was already very unhappy with his attitude. He had witnessed some questionable behaviour before hand. He did have his line manager there who gave him work but he still didn't bother. His line manager was covering for him I guess that was his call but I didn't see the point in pretending otherwise. Yes I am a bitch I am going to own that.
This wasn't a case of protecting my role. I am office based he is factory based just for context. He couldn't do my work and I couldn't do his.

OP posts:
BaronessBomburst · 05/03/2020 15:45

You snooze, you loose.

Sirzy · 05/03/2020 15:45

It is up to his line manager to sort it not you. That post does make you sound even more unreasonable as you interfered in something nothing to do with you

LettertoHermoine · 05/03/2020 15:46

Lowest of the low thing to do. Don't envy ya the karma of that one!

HowlsMovingBungalow · 05/03/2020 15:48

Too many lazy cunts in the workplace getting away with it. Good for you.

DamnYouAutoCarrot · 05/03/2020 15:49

It's sad that you have been put in a position whereby you've had to say something @mimp, but why should this person be paid to sleep? The business is clearly struggling, why should you keep your mouth shut and let it sink by allowing that to carry on?

I'd certainly be incredibly thankful if you brought this to my attention. I'm surprised at the attitudes of some on here.

The only person to blame is the lazy sod who thinks it's OK to steal money from his employer by sleeping on the job!

updownleftrightstart · 05/03/2020 15:51

While it seems bitchy, I'd have felt really guilty if I didn't say anything and when it came to let one of the staff members go, it was a hard worker who ended up losing their job.

AmIbeingtoomean · 05/03/2020 15:56

I suppose in such a small company, one person slacking can put the whole business and everyone's jobs at risk. YANBU.

Ellisandra · 05/03/2020 15:57

Why write an OP mentioning twice that business is slow, and suggest employees had to look for work to do - and then drip feed that this man was given work by his manager and didn’t do it?

Two completely different situations Hmm

Original poster
mimp · 05/03/2020 16:04

Work is slow (very slow) but jobs like sorting out stock, tidying warehouse, cleaning equipment etc Plus we are moving premises so packing up needed to be started. I''m sorry not looking to drip feed.
Line Manager just got on with it and found jobs but this particular man didn't even bother.
I was like a crazy person doing my work and covering Director while on holiday and lazy man didn't even bother to bring the post up the stairs to the office or make tea just support others while we worked. That I think is what annoyed me. Other staff will work and chip in this one man never has in two years he's always done the bare min. After a while and when things are so tight it grates

OP posts:
motherheroic · 05/03/2020 16:08

You do two completely different jobs in different locations? Wasn't really your place to get involved then was it? It was his line managers. All seems very throw someone under the bus so I can stay.

lottiegarbanzo · 05/03/2020 16:08

His line manager sounds like a poor manager who doesn't delegate well.

WorraLiberty · 05/03/2020 16:10

I actually think I am a bitch. AIBU...what would you have done?

Even with the drip feed I agree with you that you were a 'bitch' as you put it.

Yes YABU.

What would I have done? Kept my nose out.

Vulpine · 05/03/2020 16:11

He shouldn't be paid to nap. If it was my company I'd want to know. Fuck him

lottiegarbanzo · 05/03/2020 16:12

I think it's really weird to refer to yourself as a 'bitch' in this context. Weirdly personal and derogatory. Would you refer to your colleagues that way? Either it was the right thing to do professionally, or it wasn't.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 05/03/2020 16:17

Well, the voting's a relief anyway ...
You said the Director was already very unhappy with him, so if it wasn't this it would soon have been something else that caused them to get rid. The guy's clearly brought this on himself, so I really wouldn't agonise over what you did

DuckbilledSplatterPuff · 05/03/2020 16:17

Do you think that perhaps with business being so slow, they were deliberately giving him enough rope to hang himself and let him display his lack of action to give them an excuse to let him go? His line manager could have been giving him things to do as you say there was packing etc, knowing that he wasn't the pro-active type., but they didn't. Sounds a bit odd.
You probably should have left it to his line manager to report him as that is their job, then you wouldn't be feeling so guilty.