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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have asked colleague to pay for my coat?

282 replies

GreenSnot · 09/03/2022 13:30

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?

OP posts:
Gemmathecat · 09/03/2022 18:02

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

It is not a wheelchair gemma

It is an office chair with wheels.

Tiny bit different….

Thank you for finally explaining. Vague posts tend to leave us posters astray and if the OP had made it clear as you have this conflict could have been avoided
HoneyItIsntGoodLuck · 09/03/2022 18:03

@GreenSnot

Just want to make it clear it was not a wheelchair. It’s an office chair on wheels.
@Gemmathecat - it’s not a wheelchair!

This was the OP’s second post, for those with reading comprehension difficulties.

Which she knew there would be, since it was clear to most people that she was talking about an office chair with wheels, even without the clarification.

Benjispruce5 · 09/03/2022 18:03

OP said it was an office chair NOT a wheelchair and that the whizzy whirler is able bodied.

Alandinasane · 09/03/2022 18:03

Gemmathecat you really, really need to read the thread. Grin

Mummy7777 · 09/03/2022 18:04

Go to HR. If there's nowhere to hang your coats where do HR expect you to keep them? HR might pay.

Whatthebarnacles · 09/03/2022 18:05

YABU. Standard procedure here is to claim against the companies insurance, its what it's there for. It will also ensure that the child colleague gets a talking to about office behaviour and general adult responsibility. It won't happen again then.

BeforeGodAndAllTheFish · 09/03/2022 18:05

@Gemmathecat

It was in her second post. Which she wrote to clarify the point before anyone misunderstood.

MajorCarolDanvers · 09/03/2022 18:05

She should replace your coat. YANBU

TrashyPanda · 09/03/2022 18:07

It’s a wheelchair so yes she probably does need it

No it is not.

RTFT.

You have been told this numerous times.
You have been told it is not a wheelchair many times

It is not, and never has been a wheelchair.
Except in your imagination.

Gemmathecat · 09/03/2022 18:07

If you take this case any further, a word of warning, you’re not going to be everyone in the offices favourite person

peboh · 09/03/2022 18:08

@Gemmathecat have you read any of the posts people have quoted you on, or any of the ops additional comments. It is NOT a wheelchair.

TrashyPanda · 09/03/2022 18:09

Thank you for finally explaining. Vague posts tend to leave us posters astray and if the OP had made it clear as you have this conflict could have been avoided

If you bothered to RTFT you would see it had been explained.
Many times
Including by me, before Sheldon.
Nobody was lead astray.
You just didn’t bother to RTFT.

peboh · 09/03/2022 18:09

@Gemmathecat

If you take this case any further, a word of warning, you’re not going to be everyone in the offices favourite person
Why can't she report a childish employee to management? An employee who is dicking around in her OFFICE chair.
Erinyes · 09/03/2022 18:10

CANCEL THE CHEQUE WHEELCHAIR!

TrashyPanda · 09/03/2022 18:10

@GreenSnot

Just want to make it clear it was not a wheelchair. It’s an office chair on wheels.
This is literally the second post on the thread. No confusion possible.
BOOTS52 · 09/03/2022 18:12

I would take her aside and talk to her firmly and calmly and tell her that she needs to step up and pay for it as she should not be flying around on the chair like a bloodywell idiot and that is bullying what the others are doing to you and I would call them out on it or go to someone senior and tell them that it is all out of hand and it makes you very uncomfortable and it is bullying. She is the one in the wrong and what age is she. Shocking that people like this think they are super cool and you need to relax. Am angry the way they are treating you. Hope you are ok and remember you have done nothing wrong.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 09/03/2022 18:13

if you take this case any further, a word of warning, you’re not going to be everyone in the offices favourite person

If it were me, I’d not be giving a shiny shite about their opinion. They’ve set their stall out already.

The waltzer is not going to pay.

The waltzer and the other ones putting their tuppence in with the tea bags etc., are acting like a bunch of nasty school kids.

Not much to lose in my opinion.

skodadoda · 09/03/2022 18:29

@SummerWhisper

You should really put in a grievance and make a claim against the company. She sounds like a bully who will only take the piss out of you no matter how right or reasonable you are.
Employers are responsible for the actions of their employees. It’s called vicarious liability. If your coat is ruined claim against them for a new one.
Dibbydoos · 09/03/2022 18:35

YANBU to ask. I don't care what others say, she damaged your property by being an AH. You might find your employer pays towards it, she was on their premises they have vicarious liability. Talk to your manager. In any case someone needs to manage her behaviour - someone could be injured by her.

Nat94 · 09/03/2022 18:40

I would say yabu based on the fact that i wouldn't ask for a payment. I would make it very clear how annoyed i was with the colleague though. However i think this is one of those things you have to put down as “$h1t happens” and move on from it.

PrtScn · 09/03/2022 18:45

@GreenSnot

There is nowhere else to hang coats.

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

Well given that she has damaged your coat and dented the filing cabinet, all whilst acting unprofessionally with no remorse I’d personally escalate to management. Sure they’d love to know they are paying a member of staff to dick around and damage company property.
girlmom21 · 09/03/2022 18:46

@SheldonesqueTheBstard

I’m a similar idiot girlmom Grin

Which is why I don’t go near to folk, their desks or anything else because I’m bound to wallop into them.

It is like I’m a size 8 in my head or something ridiculous.

I’m far from a size 8.

I think we might be the same person Grin
girlmom21 · 09/03/2022 18:47

@Gemmathecat

If you take this case any further, a word of warning, you’re not going to be everyone in the offices favourite person
It'd wheely piss people off.

I'll get my coat.

Oh...

BOOTS52 · 09/03/2022 18:48

Or maybe laxatives in her tea if they continue with their teabag pranks which are so childish.

SheldonesqueTheBstard · 09/03/2022 18:57

The bully at my work cut the corners off every teabag (just enough for the leaves to escape into your tea) as just another insidious thing to wear me down.

It didn’t work as I don’t drink tea. 🤣

The boss saw his arse when I made him a brew though.