Colleagues who have come back after being furloughed doing as little as possible.

[comfyslipers]

For clarification I was not furloughed and worked through having suspected coronovirus (my choice). It has taken me a long while to feel anything close to normal but wanted to do as much as I could to help my boss out during a difficult time. A lot of staff were furloughed and are only now starting to come back. The thing is, even though they don't do the same job as me they are doing the very bare minimum and it is so frustrating. They seem to be doing less than they were before and nothing is being said. They are meant to fill up the stationary so that it is available just to lift when needed - they are now just dumping it in a cupboard and you have to fight your way through a pile of boxes to find what you need and then open it and sort it out. I am getting really pissed off. Oh and they were chatting most of the day and they aren't even trying to hide it. Do some people have no work ethic at all? Really pissing me off.

I have an issue with people coming back to work and basically taking the piss.

Then take that up with management.

ffs when two people who are supposed to do it stand there chatting while you have been run off your feet and watch you humph boxes out and don't do anything to help then I'm sorry but I do have a gripe.

it's yet another one of those problems that could be solved with "please unpack the pens etc i need to get some. Or splitting on them to the boss that they're not working.

@BubblyBarbara karma can be an utter bitch, so be careful.

Oh give her a break. She's worked right though lockdown and she's exhausted. Understandably.

OP, productivity can drop in those who haven't worked for a while. If I was generous, I would suggest they've simply forgotten their usual pattern of work. Their manager needs to get in there and start assigning, checking and reviewing work to get them back up to speed - of course their manager may be in the same state of malaise.

Keep your head down, remain employed. If there's any talk of making you redundant, that's when you drop the rope.

I'd been working from home for months with a reduced work load, minimal motivation and no one really caring what I was doing. Going back has been hard. I'm not lazy, I'm generally considered to be one of those people you go to if you need something done quickly/well but have found it really hard to get my old motivation back. Not there yet.

I think there's been such a wide range of what people have been asked to do, the workplace feels very inequitable atm. Also having seen that the world carries on without you in your previously very important role, it's hard to feel valued or like your work matters.

I think a lot of people are suffering with mental health issues/depression in some form atm too with summer plans disrupted, an uncertain future, confusion and conflict re what we should/shouldn't be doing and that leads to a lack of motivation too.

karma can be an utter bitch, so be careful.

I agree and entirely my point. The people who sat on their hands and are now not working properly at OPs workplace will experience the karma of that attitude in due course. I'm retired now so it doesn't bother me either way, I just have sympathy for the OP unlike you

There's two separate issues.

Firstly working from home when you thought you might have had Covid was a fairly silly thing to do. If you're ill then you're ill. Nobody needs martyrs in the workplace. Choosing to work when you thought you had Covid isn't a trump card to play each time you want to moan about your colleagues.

Secondly, your colleagues do sound a bit lazy and I sympathise with you. Common sense says you get on with your job when you're back at work. If their lack of work is affecting you doing your job then it needs raising with a line manager.

I do have sympathy, OP, but i think you'd be better off either addressing it directly or speaking to someone in authority.

However: working when sick. You do realise that if any jobs are precarious because some people have been doing way more than they should (not taking vacation, working while sick, too much unpaid overtime instead of looking to get a fairer workload) you're on the hook there? And people on Furlough have seen repeatedly online comments about "when the wave of redundancies come, they'll be the first to go" so why should they bust a gut when they're waiting for the other shoe to fall and there are other mugs* who will do all the work, no problem.

*your version will vary whichever side of this you're standing.

I think some of the people you work with are on here op.

Start working to rule op. Don't do their job for them. Anytime an aspect of their job isn't done, inform the manager and let them know you can't do your job now because other work isn't being done. If work gets held up, oh well, not your problem.