To have asked colleague to pay for my coat?

[GreenSnot]

Office based job. Colleague was flying around the office on a wheeled chair on Monday, I’d asked her to stop twice but she carried on. Then she ended up wheeling over my coat which was on the back of my chair (but partly on the floor). The coat got tangled in the wheels and ripped. It was a Barbour coat so not cheap but not massively expensive either. I said “you should pay something towards me getting a new one” and she said “oh chill out, it shouldn’t have been on the floor”. I said “you shouldn’t be flying around on the office on the chair!” Anyway another colleague charmed in and said she’d knocked a dent into the filing cabinet last week after crashing into it and she should offer to pay for that too.

Now a number of colleagues have taken her side and have started taking the piss like dropping a tea bag and shouting “someone needs to pay for that” etc etc

Was I unreasonable to ask her to pay towards my coat?

Is there somewhere for you to hang your coat? If so, it will be difficult to push the point that she should pay for the damage.

She sounds one stupid cow though, as do some of your colleagues. Superglue the wheels of her chair to the floor.

She ripped it she pays for it.

I assume you don't have a coat rack in your office. When I used to work in offices everyone had to hang their coats on the back of their chair as there was nowhere else to put them, unless you just wore your coat all day.....

Stupid woman, silly colleagues.

There is nowhere else to hang coats.

She was flying around and spinning around messing about, treating it like a fairground ride

well there should be somewhere to hang coats. That is a safety issue right there.

@GreenSnot

There is nowhere else to hang coats.

She was flying around and spinning around messing about, treating it like a fairground ride

@GreenSnot - in that case why didn’t pick up the coat and put it somewhere safe?

I’d then speak to management about getting a coat rack.

Next time, put your foot out and pretend she has run over it.

Do a James Dean and get sent home. Stay there for a couple of days. Surely she will be hauled up for that.

@GreenSnot

There is nowhere else to hang coats.

She was flying around and spinning around messing about, treating it like a fairground ride

Then fold it up and put it under your desk.

Alternatively, get up just before she whizzes by and give her chair a good "accidental" so that it falls over with her entangled in it.

Or loosen one of her wheels...just enough for it to fly off when she starts whizzing.

God how annoying she sounds.

I'd speak to a manager and ask for cost hooks to be installed and explain why you are asking for it.

Tie one of the wheels to her desk
Will make her think twice next time she goes spinning around

Get your office to provide a cloak room or coat stand to avoid the issue of garments being trip hazards. Surely there is a reporting system for Hazards where the safety issues of her behaviour can be addressed.

OP - how old was the coat? Was it worn or did it look fairly new?

Try the company's insurance (or, if you are in a union, see whether that insures your belongings whilst at work). Then it's up to the company as to whether they issue an edict about not zipping round the office on chairs or hanging coats on pegs, or both.

Don't do any practical jokes on her. You can't ask her to pay for it but you can have a word with your boss about health and safety or tell her you're going to.

Or ask your H&S rep. But be prepared for them to say that the coat was a trip hazard as well as the chair being used unsafely.

You're not going to get any money no matter how much fuss you kick up. It would be a pure waste of negative energy. Nor should you have to tolerate their childish goading, which might look like something not unlike bullying from some quarters and would compel your management to take their duty of care to you seriously and address the issue.

I fully sympathise with you, having to share an office with such immature, unprincipled dolts. It must make for a trying day. Some of these 'colleagues' could use a sharp recommendation, preferably from someone in authority over them, about growing the the hell up and behaving with at least a modicum of professionalism. I'd expect to be handling this kind of situation with a bunch of kids in the classroom, not a supposedly adult workplace.

I would be well annoyed at that , and your colleagues what a pathetic bunch they are .

Ok, I'll ask.

What was the original Barbour coat thread?! Link?

She was massively out of order but you've made yourself look like a grabby arse in the office by asking for money for it, as your colleagues have let you know.

Wow. HR really need to fix their recruitment process there, don't they!? Amazing that people like this are given jobs in the first place.

How annoying. Tell the boss. You asked said colleague to stop.

Both go against H&S. Both wouldn't be allowed in offices that I've worked in. You need to now take it to your manager if you've nowhere to store coats. She should offer money, but she isn't going to.

From a H&S view you warned her. But they are right it shouldn't be left on the floor, why leave a coat on the floor?!

Saying that why the fuck is she pissing about?

When she pops to the loo remove the wheels from her chair 😬

I would be annoyed too and I think she should offer to pay to repair or replace the coat, she sounds very childish.