Awkward Work Moment 🙄

[Movinbaby]

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 🤭

@Lifethroughlenses

I think this post epitomises what is wrong with office culture in this country. If she gets her work done, that is what is really relevant. Some people can do in one hour what others do in three. I’d personally rather timesheets were abandoned and people were judged on productivity. Time at a desk is a terrible measure of a person’s economic worth to a company in most situations.

It’s about sticking to rules.

@Haffiana I have to correct you. I did not gossip in anyway about this colleague. I understand that you don't know me but that is not what I am about at all. I just listened to the receptionist and tried to get her off the phone as soon as I could but I did agree and I really was angry about not just the daily late lunches, but about the 15 minutes making breakfast, 10 minutes doing her makeup, calling her Mum, husband, constantly disruptive chatting, telling everyone about her private life. Did all that contribute to me telling her, yes it did. Do I like her for it, no I don't and that's my honest view. Zero respects given.

@Lifethroughlenses

I think this post epitomises what is wrong with office culture in this country. If she gets her work done, that is what is really relevant. Some people can do in one hour what others do in three. I’d personally rather timesheets were abandoned and people were judged on productivity. Time at a desk is a terrible measure of a person’s economic worth to a company in most situations.

If you RTFT you’ll see why she needs to be in the office for a certain amount of time.

I work with loads of piss takers in the NHS. Just you do you . If you keep batching to each other and she finds out she is within her rights to put in a bullying complaint. Can tell what you were like at school ugh!

You sound like the class creep. Also why shouldn't she talk about her abortion? Shame? Any other topics off limits? You would be beside yourself if you worked in the hospital I work at. Some piss takers are on 30k more than me! Sounds like you all have enough time to monitor this woman. If she finds out she will be within her rights to put in a bullying complaint.

I really do not think you should be putting this on social media. This is for the manager to address not you.

If someone recognises you from this post you could be in trouble as you should not be discussing your colleague on here.

I would not like to work with you, you come across as proud and smug at how you handled the situation. You also seem to be a bit of a gossip too, as people reading this post will know alot about what she does at work, what she talks about and her family life, all disclosed by you. I also think you are resentful she is paid more than you. This just comes across as tit for tat.

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@Jeschara

I really do not think you should be putting this on social media. This is for the manager to address not you.

If someone recognises you from this post you could be in trouble as you should not be discussing your colleague on here.

I would not like to work with you, you come across as proud and smug at how you handled the situation. You also seem to be a bit of a gossip too, as people reading this post will know alot about what she does at work, what she talks about and her family life, all disclosed by you. I also think you are resentful she is paid more than you. This just comes across as tit for tat.

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You must be new here

Out of interest OP, are you going to have another awkward conversation but this time with your manager? He too, is clearly not doing his job. He is also getting paid more than you. His lack of management is also impacting your ability to do your job without interruption and you are now taking on his role by doing the people management part of his role as well as your own role? I’d be interested to know if you will be as direct with him???

@ELOU1111

You sound like the class creep. Also why shouldn't she talk about her abortion? Shame? Any other topics off limits? You would be beside yourself if you worked in the hospital I work at. Some piss takers are on 30k more than me! Sounds like you all have enough time to monitor this woman. If she finds out she will be within her rights to put in a bullying complaint.

OP doesn't sound like the class creep, just fed up as many on here can empathise with, about people who take the bloody piss at work.

It's demoralising. What's the point of putting your shoulder to the wheel and having to pick up someone's slack?

Sounds like you've become desensitised to it or is it a case of can't beat them so join them?

@CharityDingle

Worked with someone like that. It drags a team down, if not managed. The senior manager who should have taken her aside, instead would say, in general, at staff meetings, something about timekeeping which then pissed everyone else off, because it only applied to her. And we all knew that. I expect she is still out there somewhere, coming in late, and leaving early, 'working' through lunch, which meant being gone from her desk for at least 30 minutes while buying a sandwich, then surfing the net for another hour. Make up had to be fully refreshed before leaving work in the evening, so that was another long diversion from work. Numerous phone calls, to her mother throughout the day. Ah she really was too busy to work!

@CharityDingle - yep, she joined my team! The phone calls to her mum are so loud that I have to leave my desk.

But I have to be careful of what I say to her lest I be accused of bullying

@ELOU1111 and you sound like a pissed off piss taker 🤔😁

@jeschara Is this not a place to discuss these topics. It is a discussion forum after all. God help everyone else that posts here then. We will all be in trouble. I think maybe it's the wrong place/thread for you to be.

I used to work in an office where one of the female managers and her male TL were quite obviously an item. No one would have cared if it wasn't for the fact they would regularly disappear for a couple of hours in the middle of the day and return dishevelled - she actually lived a 10 minute walk from the office so it didn't take Einstein to work out what had been going on.

maybe some of the 'OMG mind your own business, don't be a snitch lot on here think that's acceptable as well

You do not sound like the class creep, OP, I suspect a number of those criticising you are piss takers themselves or you've hit a nerve with them about the way they behave when at work.

Your colleague knows what the rules are in your work place, if she doesn't want to respect them or abide by them she should look for another job and for all those on here whinging about the rules at OP's workplace, you are not working there so it's not your problem.

@BronwenFrideswide

You do not sound like the class creep, OP, I suspect a number of those criticising you are piss takers themselves or you've hit a nerve with them about the way they behave when at work.

Your colleague knows what the rules are in your work place, if she doesn't want to respect them or abide by them she should look for another job and for all those on here whinging about the rules at OP's workplace, you are not working there so it's not your problem.

Exactly

@SamW98 🤣🤣 brilliant. I do appreciate all the comments and advice. Having read them all, I personally feel like I did what I felt was right given the circumstances and the moment. I now feel comfortable with it. I know some disagree and I respect that but if I had to do it again, I would do the same. So thanks 😊 feel free to comment amongst yourselves.......

Movingbaby Incidents such as you posted about,should be dealt with at work and that is where it should stay. Also it is your manager who should be dealing with this not you.
If someone other than the manager had spoken to me like you spoke to your colleague I would tell them to mind there own business.
Get on with your own work and dont worry what your colleague does, and if it affects you let someone more senior than you deal with it.
What you posted was not a discussion but a character assaination of your colleague. Also I did not ask for your opininion on whether I should come on this thread, not your business. You have had your moment, now leave her alone. You saw fit to say that she gets paid more than you, your resentment shows very clearly.

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@BronwenFrideswide

You do not sound like the class creep, OP, I suspect a number of those criticising you are piss takers themselves or you've hit a nerve with them about the way they behave when at work.

Your colleague knows what the rules are in your work place, if she doesn't want to respect them or abide by them she should look for another job and for all those on here whinging about the rules at OP's workplace, you are not working there so it's not your problem.

I agree. She's signed a contract and if she doesn't like the terms she agreed to then its not the right job for her

As I said earlier, I managed a team of 20i my last job. As a manager, I don't have eyes in the back of my head and I spend a lot of time away from my desk and so I do appreciate the team sorting issues out amongst themselves. Or if they don't feel its their job to, then speak to me and/or the TL letting us know the issue and we will then take whatever action is needed.

We've all worked with or managed piss takers and why should they get away with it?

@jeschara I appreciate your thoughts on my thread and maybe this is not the right place to post, but for me, it was the only place and that is the point of this forum. We should all be free to use it as its intended without people having to retort to being rude to each other. You may not agree and that's cool and you have a right to say so but don't be rude to me, that's not cool😩

[quote Supergirl1958]@Groovee omg I think I had about 30 seconds for my lunch today! If anyone works in a school it’s impossible to eat!![/quote]
We didn't have enough staff one day to ensure ratios were covered, so I ate with the children.

If you don't take the piss then no-one would feel the need to speak to you about it Jeschara, nor inform management, nor talk about you outside of work.

It was the OP's business the piss taking colleague's behaviour directly impacts on her and also the Receptionist. Piss taker is there to work and abide by the rules of that workplace which don't include buggering off home for an hour to make a sandwich.

Sounds like a terrible place to work

I work with a piss taker and know how frustrating and demoralising it is. I have repeatedly raised it but my manager is scared of tackling it. Said person has a variety of excuses and will definitely use the bullying card if challenged. We are on flexi but this person has not worked a full week for months - usually about 4 hours short each week. I have to ignore it now for my own sanity but I keep interaction to a minimum. Try to keep out of her way and just report it when it impacts your work (every time).

If she's not be signing out for months, why has this not been raised with your manager sooner, and if it has, why has your manager not taken her to task over it? I don't think what you did was necessarily wrong but it's most certainly damaged the working environment and you'll get no thanks from anyone else. Next time, complain to your manager.

I know all that Bronwen, but this should all be kept in the workplace, and better still let the manager deal with it.
I would never put revealing details like this about a colleague on a public forum, and remember we only have one side of the story.
I am not a piss taker, I get in on time, take my allotted lunch hour, and honestly do not have the time to worry about other people. That's what their manager is for. I only complain if it affects me.
You also need to be careful what you post on social media, as some of it could be to outing and if the person see's this they would have cause to take out a grieveance.