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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU reporting colleague

197 replies

endofmytether4 · 10/02/2022 12:07

My colleague is in a senior position to me. In our office we don't have a clock in/out system and we have no onsite management.

Part of her job is to fill in a timesheet on behalf of everybody in the department.

Over the last year or so she has never worked a full week and marks on the calendar that she has a couple of hours holiday leave to take maybe twice- three times a week. I was suspicious for a while because although she doesn't take full weeks off, it seemed like she had a lot more leave than anyone else.

Her leaving early means a lot more work for me as we get busier towards the end of the day and if she took a full day off, someone would cover her role but not if its just a couple of hours.

Last week when she left early I checked the timesheets and she hasn't declared any of these hours. She has almost four weeks of leave left and we have been offered payment for any days left at the end of the year (April- April) so I'm assuming she's going to cash it in.

Our manager has no way of knowing she's doing this unless someone explicitly tells her.

YABU- she might have a reason she needs to leave early so much/she might need the holidays and the extra money.
YANBU- she is abusing the system and making work life more difficult for the people who have to pick up her slack.

OP posts:
melissasummerfield · 10/02/2022 14:57

Complete missing the point but your organisation should not be paying you in lieu of taking statutory holiday, its not legal.

RantyAunty · 10/02/2022 15:08

If it's a very small team, how does the manager not see her leaving?

Maybe she submits her own timesheet to be signed?

2bazookas · 10/02/2022 15:13

Worth letting the manager know that your colleague's timekeeping record (compared to actual hours in office) is raising eyebrows among her co-workers. So it needs to be tactfully checked.

Meanwhile I'd be keeping a dates and times record of her real time at work.

Original poster
endofmytether4 · 10/02/2022 15:14

@RantyAunty

If it's a very small team, how does the manager not see her leaving?

Maybe she submits her own timesheet to be signed?

She's based offsite and we've seen her once in the last year.
OP posts:
looklikeanelephant · 10/02/2022 15:20

Wow I'm surprised how many people are okay with someone taking the piss like that. And if it is leave that the manager knows about but they've not put in then it won't be an issue will it? And hopefully they'll find a way then to help OP with her workload.

girlmom21 · 10/02/2022 15:21

If service users miss out if you don't stay, instead highlight to your manager at around 2.30/3pm (or about half an hour before this woman usually leaves) the outstanding work and ask them to allocate it equally as some of you always end up staying over and others don't.

whenwilliwillibefamous · 10/02/2022 15:23

Was in a similar situation once - it was my line manager doing pisstakingly short hours - and I went to my manager's manager "for a chat".
But, I knew my manager's manager was a straight dealer.
It was a regular private company - not civil service, council or a charity - and so the company as a whole could and did get rid of people if needed. I know that's not always the case depending on where you work.

If you trust whoever you would talk to, and the management in general, then do have a quiet chat.

Focus on the work-related issue - that other people are consistently having to pick up the slack, which means work won't be done as well because people are tired and rushed, and in the long term, staff retention issues. Stuff that would be true even if your colleague were leaving early to help develop a cure for cancer and World Peace with full blessing from the management.
Have all the evidence to hand so that if they say,
"What are you talking about, extra leave, there's nothing in the records" you can show them photographs of the office calendar, maybe copies of the timesheets. You should play it by ear - it might be ok to say that you noticed inconsistencies, "...but for all I know there could be private circumstances which explain this satisfactorily - I want to focus on the workload situation really".

If you don't trust the management - start looking for a job where you do, is the short answer! You can put up with a situation like this in the short term but in the long term it's corrosive of your general contentment with life.

I am happy to say that in my instance the offender was removed - I'm not privy to the details but it was a big company so they had dealt with things like that before, though.

RantyAunty · 10/02/2022 15:28

OP are you working today?

MayThePawsBeWithYou · 10/02/2022 15:31

Its time the manager put in a clocking in system

RussiasGreatestLoveMachine · 10/02/2022 15:34

She's based offsite and we've seen her once in the last year.

How does the fill out the paper calendar on the wall?

Hollyhead · 10/02/2022 15:34

Speaking As a manager please report it - I am in a position where I can’t possibly know if direct reports are doing this or not, and if someone whistleblew (anonymous would be fine) I’d be very grateful.

bcc89 · 10/02/2022 15:37

OP, this happened to me. A colleague kept leaving early, half an hour ish every day. I reported it to my manager and it hadn't been agreed. I was thanked by my manager. It was affecting the team's workload, even just half an hour. My manager was grateful it had been raised.

KickAssAngel · 10/02/2022 15:37

I'd also suggest that you keep a record of how many people have to stay late to complete the work. If you were all paid for an extra 15 minutes, how much would that cost the company? If they see the amount it is costing them, they might be more motivated to do something, and it also demonstrates how much the rest of the team are being put under pressure.

bcc89 · 10/02/2022 15:38

@RussiasGreatestLoveMachine

She's based offsite and we've seen her once in the last year.

How does the fill out the paper calendar on the wall?

I'd also like to know this!
girlmom21 · 10/02/2022 15:47

@RussiasGreatestLoveMachine

She's based offsite and we've seen her once in the last year.

How does the fill out the paper calendar on the wall?

The woman who's leaving early isn't the manager. She's the one who fills out the calendar.

The manager is based offsite.

slashlover · 10/02/2022 15:48

@RussiasGreatestLoveMachine

She's based offsite and we've seen her once in the last year.

How does the fill out the paper calendar on the wall?

I assumed OP meant that the manager was based offsite.
RussiasGreatestLoveMachine · 10/02/2022 15:49

Ah thanks!

Cookiecrumblepie · 10/02/2022 15:50

If you raise it, do so in writing so it can’t be fobbed off. Also take a copy of any records etc so they can’t be amended after you raise the complaint. Keep a very accurate paper trail and ensure there is nothing anyone can raise against you.

Original poster
endofmytether4 · 10/02/2022 16:00

@RantyAunty

OP are you working today?
No I’m on annual leave today.

Are you checking im not spending my day skiving on MN? Grin

OP posts:
User8721643839 · 10/02/2022 16:10

Go on to the shared drive and change her times. She may have 'forgotton' to save it last thing on a Friday

girlmom21 · 10/02/2022 16:10

Could you go in from the perspective of "I'm worried our workload capacity is being over reported as our overtime is never being logged on our timesheets. I know Sharon must have to leave early most days for personal reasons but is it worth passing over the time sheet responsibility to someone who is in the office full time? Currently the timesheets don't show we're over capacity work wise. We could probably do with an extra pair of hands so we can all leave on time every day."

Puzzledandpissedoff · 10/02/2022 16:12

It really is affecting everyone, usually once a week some of us have to stay behind to catch up with the backlog (maybe 15-20mins). We don't have flexi/overtime so this is unpaid

Then as you've already acknowledged, that's your way in; her possible skiving is management's business but the effect it's having is yours

That the manager's usually offsite was predictable since it often leads to things like this, but best hope they're capable of dealing with this - because otherwise, service users or not, you may have to put your foot down if you expect things to change

Leftbutcameback · 10/02/2022 16:20

I know this isn’t the point, but you can take annual leave in hours rather than days? We can only take a half day minimum amount.

I think the suggestion about asking management how the work should get covered is a good one. Even if she was legitimately taking this leave and notifying it you would still have the problem with cover which doesn’t seem right. This is compared somebody taking whole days leave where cover would be provided as you said.

PupInAPram · 10/02/2022 16:23

She's basically stealing off you OP. You do the extra work, she gets the pay. Email HR on the quiet.

Original poster
endofmytether4 · 10/02/2022 16:29

@Leftbutcameback

I know this isn’t the point, but you can take annual leave in hours rather than days? We can only take a half day minimum amount.

I think the suggestion about asking management how the work should get covered is a good one. Even if she was legitimately taking this leave and notifying it you would still have the problem with cover which doesn’t seem right. This is compared somebody taking whole days leave where cover would be provided as you said.

Yes, we can take it in any form- even 15 minutes if needed!
OP posts:
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