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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Passive aggressive colleague

11 replies

Zig27 · 28/04/2021 11:25

I am doing some temp office work at my old employer. My colleague booked for me to go in the office. I left after half an hour as someone had gone in with a cold and I didn’t want to put my health at risk with covid so I emailed my colleague. I didn’t want to not be honest and lie because she would check up to see if I had been in the office.

Later I rang her to clarify a work query I was unsure of. She was quite stand offish and talked down to me as she thinks I’m trying to get out of working because she has booked next week off to move house leaving me with a manic week ahead. This wasn’t the case and I genuinely needed to clarify something. She said to contact her on her week off if I need help and I don’t want to do this as that is harassing someone on annual leave.

I’m annoyed as I’m also studying and need a day off to carry out observation which will need to be rushed at the last minute now.

I just at feel it’s not worth all this hassle for a temp job when I’m doing the favour for her, not the other way round. Every time she interview people for the temp role she couldn’t get anyone as they would decline the offer and I’m starting to think now they probably picked up on her brashness and passive aggressiveness.

I had a cry earlier which doesn’t happen often.

OP posts:

Unanananana · 28/04/2021 11:35

Are you CV? Seems a bit of an overreaction for coming into contact with someone with a cold?

I assume this person has tested for covid as is becoming common in workplaces.

skirk64 · 28/04/2021 11:53

Just leave, it's not worth the hassle for a temp job.

The person with a cold shouldn't be coming in. If there is one positive about the pandemic is that more people are realising that it's not acceptable to go into work if you are infectious. Stay at bloody home. If you are that important that you have to go in, you must be pretty shit at your job - anyone whose work cannot be delayed or shared with others is clearly an incompetent delegator.

melj1213 · 28/04/2021 12:19

Tbh if I had a temp who left after 30 minutes of the first day because someone had a cold (and presumably they know it is a cold not covid as most workplaces have strict rules about testing/isolating) then I would not be happy as I would assume they were going to start messing me about, not turning up or leaving early when I need someone reliable who will turn up every day (barring emergencies)

The person with a cold shouldn't be coming in.

If someone is coughing and spluttering everywhere I would agree they shouldn't come into the office, but at this time of year I tend to get a bit of a cold as I have hay-fever and find that the change in temperature as it starts to warm up makes me more congested. If I took time off every time I had a day where I sneezed a few times and had a bit of a runny nose, I'd never be at work.

Original poster

Zig27 · 28/04/2021 14:01

The supervisor should not have booked me in the office as they say work from home still. It’s just because the server was not working yesterday for an hour but usually I have no problems.

OP posts:

Unanananana · 28/04/2021 14:20

Loads of people are back in office with covid measures and testing. If you aren't CV, then I'm not sure you can refuse to go in?

Either negotiate work from home or don't go to the temp job. No seeing the angst to be honest.

MadeOfStarStuff · 28/04/2021 14:22

Leaving work because someone has a cold is an overreaction, I’m not surprised she was funny with you over that!

Not sure why your observations are now going to be rushed because she’s on AL, unless she’s doing them?

But it’s a temp job, if it’s not working for you, you can leave.

ArnoldJudasRimmer · 28/04/2021 14:25

Leaving after half an hour because someone has a cold is a bit ridiculous, I dont see that she's done anything wrong here.

MPForFlydaleNorth · 28/04/2021 14:29

Did you work from home after you left? I this it's reasonable to not want to catch a cold from someone, but you probably should have run it by someone before you left, and logged on once at home. I think that would colour my view of if you were being reasonable or not

MaizeBlouse · 28/04/2021 14:35

Am I missing something...
You left after 30 mins because someone had a cold? She (imo generously) offered for you to get in touch whilst she was off if you needed help? You say you're doing her a favor but I assume this is a job you applied for and are being paid for? I don't really see how she is such a terrible employer tbh, sounds like you're the rubbish employee. Surely you knew your study timetable so could have ascertained whether you had enough time to so the job and your course.

Original poster

Zig27 · 28/04/2021 17:16

Thanks to those who haven’t been rude on here. It’s all sorted now and I won’t ask again as it’s better to resolve myself than get involved with energy vampires on here.

OP posts:

Jux · 28/04/2021 18:58

If someone says to contact them on their week off then it's not harrassing them to do so, is it?

I'm not sure I follow your op completely, but as far as I can make out, you agreed to do a temp job on a week which will now be manic and is inconvenient given your Uni work. You see this as doing the person you'd be working for a favour, rather than you working and them paying you to do so. You went into the office but left because someone had a cold (which is not COVID).

Is that substantively correct?

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