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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU for thinking my work colleague underworks?

71 replies

Wendywoodd · 23/03/2021 01:06

There is a bit of issue with my department, performance and team morale. I’m on the bottom level of salary/responsibility and have two colleagues. One works full time and I job share.

We were going to approach our new boss due to various issues and I wanted to mention workload. My colleague who works full time said “no don’t mention workload because they will think you aren’t up for the job”?

The said work colleague is in a bit of trouble with management and they’ve cited they don’t think she does enough work.... but I’ve never done her job so I don’t know.

AIBU for thinking she is happy with her workload and doesn’t want more, even though the two part timers are struggling?

OP posts:
NiceGerbil · 23/03/2021 01:35

Hard to say.

If it's about morale and performance then I think you need to stick together.

Also no one really knows how much others do, how long it takes. I have worked with people who quietly worked all hours to get stuff done.

Are you in the same/ similar roles?

I'd say what you said there's a team cohesion and morale issue. Agree with the other 2 the angle. Depending on what you do. But assuming it's all pretty similar.

More visibility on team workload and who's doing what.
More working together so people can pull together/ help out.
If you want to work as a team together more then you need to approach them as a team.

Just some thoughts :)

NiceGerbil · 23/03/2021 01:36

Who are you talking to about this and are the 3 of you doing it together?

Frogella · 23/03/2021 01:52

How do you know what management think about your colleague and her work rate?

No wonder morale is poor, with everyone gossiping.

Poppins2016 · 23/03/2021 01:53

AIBU for thinking she is happy with her workload and doesn’t want more, even though the two part timers are struggling?

If your colleague is in trouble with management and is under pressure to perform/they think she isnt doing enough work, I can see why she might say "they'll think you aren't up for the job", because that's what they've told her (possibly not in so many words)!

I guess the question is whether she truly is pulling her weight or not. It may be difficult to know if you've never done her job (or do you mean you've never done her hours in that role)?

Then I suppose the question is whether it's safe to approach management, I'd want to be sure that they can't objectively say the same thing to you.

When it comes down to it, do you think it's a team issue or a workload issue? Or both?

FrippEnos · 23/03/2021 07:04

From what I can make out from your post.

You and the person you share the job with want to get the full time person to have more workload even though you have the same job and you and the other job share are struggling with the workload as well?

Or

You and your job share are leading the department and want to get the full time person to take some of your work off you (even though you are paid more)?

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 14:00

Hey sorry I didn’t explain myself fully. I’m conscious that I don’t want to give too many pointers and she reads it - however unlikely.

@Poppins2016 her ‘performance issues’ meetings have happened after this meeting. As she works more hours I feel she can have more responsibility for some tasks that are more effective when spread out via the day. The shared mail box is always a mess when I’m away - and we have KPIs with that. When I’m working I feel I do the bulk of it.

We've had extra tasks and as a result it’s quite unachievable. We’ve had new procedures and KPIs, which Me and the other part time colleague feel aren’t achievable.

So I felt it would have been better for everyone to be in unison when approaching line manager as we were approaching other issues at the same time.

However the full time colleague response was to say “they will think you aren’t capable”. Is she scared of getting extra work?

I guess I just need help in how I approach the situation and other thoughts about the situation.

@Frogella it’s not gossiping when it’s work related and communicated with the line manager. Of course a team that constantly bitches about each other is bad, and so is the performance of a team as a whole.

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Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 14:04

On reflection she may be able to get all her work done, but I can’t and neither can the other colleague. So if the two part timers can’t do it, I think line management needs to be aware. She’s quite vocal and if she was being mistreated she would speak out. It has crossed my mind that perhaps I’m not able to do enough work and it’s all my fault. But I guess what do you do in that situation?

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idontlikealdi · 24/03/2021 14:08

Don't get involved in whatever is going on with her.

Sounds more like you are being expected to fit FT work into PT hours. That is the issue that needs to be raised with LM.

Dishwashersaurous · 24/03/2021 14:16

Are you both the same level?

Is she doing 2/5 more than you?

If so , and she has no problem with the workload then it is you being put that is the issue

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 16:19

@idontlikealdi oh god I don’t. So much drama. Yep I am being asked to do FT work in PT hours. But how do I know if that’s valid or not? Because ultimately the FT staff will have to pick up group tasks to burden my load. I feel like the group tasks aren’t being done equally.

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Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 16:21

@Dishwashersaurous I don’t know if she’s doing 2/5 more than me. Where do you get that number form? I work 53% of her hours.

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Dishwashersaurous · 24/03/2021 16:39

You said that you were a job share, which is traditionally 3 days.

NoIDontWatchLoveIsland · 24/03/2021 16:48

A job share is 2.5 days everywhere I've ever worked.

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:02

Nope I do 53% of the hours the full timer does.

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Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:03

As @Dishwashersaurous and @NoIDontWatchLoveIsland it shows that “job share” hours are differently. Anyway I should have said part time....

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Lentillover1900 · 24/03/2021 17:05

You aren’t Siamese twins

If you approach your management, you approach as an individual. Do you own thing

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:08

@Lentillover1900 she’s our direct line manager and we had a chat about a few issues, hence why I wanted to bring up the over worked part.

We are met twins but we are a team.

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GrumpyHoonMain · 24/03/2021 17:12

It’s difficult to be a full timer in a team of part timers because management often expect them to lead everything as they’re always available in case there’s a question. If I were your manager and you told me you were working full time hours anyway, I’d probably review whether the job share was working. So she’s right on that point.

TheMethodicalMeerkat · 24/03/2021 17:15

I think you’re focusing on the wrong thing. It really doesn’t matter whether your colleague genuinely believes that or is afraid of having to do more. If your workload is not manageable but you don’t bring it up at this meeting when it would be entirely appropriate to do so, it’s going to be very difficult to argue it down the line when you’re being told you haven’t met your KPIs!

KitchenFairy · 24/03/2021 17:22

If you and your job share are in agreement that between you you're struggling to effectively manage the workload, you need to bring this up with your line manager, and leave the full time person out of it.

In the job share that I did, the very nature of the job share meant that we weren't as effective as one person doing the job full time. Job share roles very rarely are unless you're doing something like production line work - there is never a seamless handover and some tasks are not possible to be completed from start to finish by one half of the job share person.

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:24

@TheMethodicalMeerkat thank you. I felt like this was a good opportunity to bring it up. As my work colleague (who is FT) disagreed than it wasn’t the main focus of the chat with the line manager.

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Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:27

@KitchenFairy again I sound really scatty but I don’t want to write a dissertation about the situation. We now have our own areas to focus on, which is better. The tasks we do can be done by anyone. It’s admin and pretty straight forward. Just a lot to do.

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IEat · 24/03/2021 17:29

Lazy bitches in my office. Sit around for 20 mins before actually start work (start time is 8:30 so they chat then actually work from 8:50) everyday but the manager says fuck all, so I just busy myself. Fuck em is what I now feel. If the manager can’t be arsed to manage they will continue this bollocks

wombatspoopcubes · 24/03/2021 17:30

If you have a workload problem, you bring it up. It is not your job to speculate how said workload should be re-divided or if more or less or different personnel is needed. You have a problem doing x in the amount of time that you work. The solution on what to do with your workload problem is for management to decide. That's what they're paid for. You do your thing, the rest is not your problem to solve.

Original poster
Wendywoodd · 24/03/2021 17:31

@KitchenFairy the FT worker also shares jobs that we do. Eg group emails have to be responded within 48 hours and some tasks done weekly. There are a lot of tasks that the FT can do to help everyone out.

Without going into to much detail, she’s already been told to do some tasks and there have been comments by management stating she’s not doing enough work. Again, I can’t go into specifics but it’s not straight forward.

I was more focusing on what she would mean by her comment.

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