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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Awkward Work Moment 🙄

189 replies

Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:25

I am getting really tired of my work colleague. She is always talking about her personal life and her husband who she makes sound awful. She has been with the company for 3 years and it's all she talks about. She seems to need the attention. What is worse is she takes liberties all the time. Currently it's taking well over her 30 minute lunch. She goes out of the office, which is her choice but spends around 45 minutes. She goes to the GP, the supermarkets all at a distance and then comes back and eats her lunch whilst working but she likes to chat so isn't really working and this disturbs everyone else who are working. Well today she was gone for an hour and the receptionist called me as she was truly concerned about her. She didn't sign out of the building. The colleague walked back in having been home (some distance) made a sandwich etc. I was on the call to the receptionist as she walked in so when I ended the call I told her that she was worried as she had been gone so long. Before I knew what I was saying, I had told her that it really was unfair that she keeps taking so long for lunch when everyone only gets 30 minutes. There was no reason other than "I went home to get some money and then decided to make a sandwich" I told her that she did this every day and that she only gets 30 minutes like I do. I just could not stop myself. Its not just that but she comes to work and does her makeup for 10 minutes every morning. I did tell her that people are noticing and it's only a matter of Time before they report it to the boss. What she doesn't know is the receptionist had to tell the boss as she didn't sign out of the building and they need to know this.

Anyways, it was very uncomfortable after and she sulked all afternoon and kept making snide comments about working her time back etc.

Whoops 🤭

OP posts:
Zarene · 17/06/2021 18:29

Totally get it’s irritating to work with a piss taker.

But I find it odd that the receptionist was monitoring her like that! Was she actually worried that a grown adult had been away for an hour?

WorraLiberty · 17/06/2021 18:32

It all sounds very childish.

If the way she acts is having a negative impact on her colleagues, it's down to them to report the issue.

Although I would've recommended having an adult-like word in her ear first.

LadyJaye · 17/06/2021 18:41

What kind of gulag do you work in that your receptionist monitors people to such an extent?

Original poster
Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:41

Well its getting me down so I did have a word with her. I wanted to do this first to her face rather than report to management. Its very frustrating when you are sticking to the rules and someone else just flaunts them. Regardless if anyone else was bothered by it, I am bothered.

OP posts:
socalledfriend · 17/06/2021 18:44

You have a shit manager problem.

Original poster
Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:44

Well I agree about the receptionist as she is a bit nosy but regardless of that, I felt it needed to be said. She isn't signing out so that the boss doesn't find out and has been doing this for months and months. People that work with her are bound to get annoyed by this surely?

OP posts:
Original poster
Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:45

Agreed!

OP posts:
potter5 · 17/06/2021 18:45

Good for you! I would do the same. Piss taker.

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 17/06/2021 18:45

I'd imagine the receptionist is well aware of this person's foibles and has just been given enough rope to do something about it with the not signing out of the building.

I predict HR involvement soon!

YelloYelloYello · 17/06/2021 18:47

Is her job (and yours if you have the same role?) very demanding? Is she getting her work done in the time she has? Is her piss taking putting extra pressure on other people?

WorraLiberty · 17/06/2021 18:48

@Movinbaby

Well I agree about the receptionist as she is a bit nosy but regardless of that, I felt it needed to be said. She isn't signing out so that the boss doesn't find out and has been doing this for months and months. People that work with her are bound to get annoyed by this surely?
Yes but I'm not sure what they'd get out of telling a public forum all about it?
Original poster
Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:49

If truth be told, the receptionist was annoyed by it. She was more annoyed that she hadn't signed out when she went for an hour but unfortunately, she called our office and I answered. Whilst she was talking, my colleague walked in. At the end of the call I told her that the receptionist was worried etc and then I just had to say what I was feeling. I wasn't horrible at all but I told her that I felt it was unfair and that her lateness was being noticed.

OP posts:
Aprilx · 17/06/2021 18:49

I have worked in an office environment for best part of three decades and almost without exception lunch breaks have never been timed. The only time I have known to be on the clock was when I worked in a call centre as a student. Your colleague doesn’t report to you, her lunch break is not for you to manage, I think you were out of line.

Faranth · 17/06/2021 18:51

Of course she didn't sign out, she'd have had to put the time down, wouldn't she? Then her overly long lunchbreak would have been recorded in black and white.

I've worked with someone like this OP. It's horrid, when you're a team all working from a 'pool' of work, someone bogging off to faff with their hair every half hour, or taking twice their alloted lunchbreak, or generally shirking means everyone else has to do more to pick up the slack. Of course it breeds resentment. But bringing it up feels petty.

I've also worked somewhere that the receptionists had to sign you in and out, it's not unusual. It's usually for h&s reasons. It was a large site with lots of out of the way places and machinery etc. They needed to know who was on site on case of an evacuation, to make sure everyone got out or was searched for if there was a fire, or similar.

Faranth · 17/06/2021 18:54

Sorry, just read that back, I don't mean I think you were petty, but that in your situation I would have felt raising it would be seen as petty so would have felt uncomfortable doing so.

Original poster
Movinbaby · 17/06/2021 18:57

She does a different job to me but I would say that mine is more demanding. I can only presume thT she isn't getting her work done as she has taken to working at home as well as in the office when she isn't asked to. When she left the office today, the phone was ringing non stop and only me to answer it and she is expected to help with this too. Not just that but it sets a bad tone for the office and is demoralising when you know someone is taking the piss. It makes others think, stuff it, I will do the same and that's not great. Maybe that's what I should do instead of having a good work ethic😁

OP posts:
doodlejump1980 · 17/06/2021 18:59

Those questioning the receptionist, a good receptionist knows exactly who is in the building in the event of a fire. Just doing their job!

Cattitudes · 17/06/2021 19:00

It sounds as if maybe it has already been noticed and the receptionist has been asked to monitor. Unfortunately now she might think it is you who reported her.

MrsClatterbuck · 17/06/2021 19:01

The reason for the signing in and out is probably for when you have a fire drill as well as clocking in in the morning. When we had a fire drill at work our team supervisor took the book out with them to where we were gathered to do a roll call. If you had an emergency and she had signed in in the morning but not signed out at lunchtime she would be down as being still in the building.

CuriousaboutSamphire · 17/06/2021 19:01

@Aprilx

I have worked in an office environment for best part of three decades and almost without exception lunch breaks have never been timed. The only time I have known to be on the clock was when I worked in a call centre as a student. Your colleague doesn’t report to you, her lunch break is not for you to manage, I think you were out of line.
Then again, I've worked in offices where signing in and out of the building, latterly flapping my ID card over a sensor, was absolutely the norm. And it was also normal for the receptionist to collate the logs and be sure all the ins and outs tallied.

A mix of it being a real H+S scenario, a lone worker policy and the management keeping an eye on the piss takers.

It's not unusual, in my experience.

1FootInTheRave · 17/06/2021 19:03

Shit like this breeds resentment imo.

I get your stance and think it is the preferred one. Speak up before involving management etc.

She's clearly thinking it's not for you to police.

She's taking the piss.

LoveFall · 17/06/2021 19:04

Someone with a supervisory role needs to talk to her. You are right in saying it is bad for morale and it is not fair to leave the phones for others to answer. Does her supervisor not generally monitor these things?

I worked in a relatively senior role in a department that dealt with phone calls and walk ins, some of whom were angry and upset people (benefit appeals). We made sure everyone had a break but was back to relieve the others. Teamwork it is called. Reception needed to know that we had their backs.

The executive team did the same so there was always someone there if something had to be escalated. Again, teamwork.

KnottedFern · 17/06/2021 19:04

We have 30 mins break in my depertment as well. People take the piss all the time. I think you did the right thing and phrased it as a concern for her getting into trouble rather than flat out having a go at her. She's taking the piss anyway so don't worry about annoying her!
As for the nosy receptionist, like a good gossip, spying and 'dobbing' people in as well. It's been like that everywhere I've worked in the NHS, so nothing unusual for me there.

ladysunshine · 17/06/2021 19:19

This is a huge health & safety issue. If a fire drill was called, she would be registered as missing, presumed still in building. In the event of a real fire, people would be risking their lives to find her.

khakiandcoral · 17/06/2021 19:24

Where's the boss?