Fit to EXPLODE - re work colleague

[cofingalthetime]

Sorry for the rant, but honestly, I feel like screaming.

So a colleague, who has worked with me for about 18 months just finished in this role, and has a new job - different department.

BUT, she just won't "let go" of her role. I'm supposed to be looking after her work until they get someone, which I was so happy to do as I don't have enough to do at work, and I want to be busy.

Already the manager has tried to take work off me, and says she will do it until they get a new person - but I argued and said it was no problem

Anyway, what is making me explode today is this colleague is actually on Annual Leave, starting today, until Tuesday - but she is still on her email - she sent her first one at 7.30 this morning. She won't put on an out of office directing queries to me, or to the generic inbox. She is replying to everything, and doing everything herself and just copying me in. I responded and asked her to put on OOO directing them to me, and saying she's on leave, but she hasn't replied and in the meantime has replied to more emails. i've copied in the manager, but she is silent - as she always has been since this started - colleague has been trying to do her job and mine since she began in the role.

It's just so demoralising - I mean what is the point of me even being there. She had a meeting with another person yesterday, and told them she was moving role, but they could still contact her whenever they want. I just replied to an email that came through to the generic inbox - but was too late - she got there first!!!!!!!!!!!

I feel like just logging off and letting her get on with it. I mean, she can't keep doing this can she? The manager hates me, so she just stands back and says nothing, or just laughs it off, and says "ha ha, XXX is just very dedicated".

So fed up

BTW I am looking for another job, but have failed in 2 interviews - it's not easy to get another job - well for me anyway.

No because it's part time

I was in for 8am, had a meeting until 9, just taking a break in between working. I dn't have enough to do that's the problem
Honestly I don't think there is enough for 1.5 posts - I'm the 1.0 and then my colleague is/was the 0.5. But she was/is very manipulative, and even sneaky at taking all the work, even when I've proven time and time again that I'm very efficient and able, if I'm given the chance, but sometimes I admit I have just 'given up' and taken the easy road, because it's so wearing constantly fighting to respond to emails etc etc. Even though she is/was part time she works on all her days off, and at weekends, and responds to everything, so often there is nothing left for me to do. If she gets/got the choice she does things "for me". I just hate it. And manager probably gets the idea that I'm incompetent and that colleague has to constantly pick up my work. It's awful.

Like even yesterday, she started at 8am, and by the time I got in at 9am, she had answered every email, followed up everything, updated everything, met with people I was due to meet that day, and happily told me "everything is sorted". And she was supposed to be working in her new role? I was left twiddling my thumbs half the day.

Yesterday even when I went to lunch - only took 20 mins - she was at my desk when I got back taking some of my work to "help". I said to her, just leave it, I've got it, and she just laughed, along with the manager, and said 'ha ha, I'm just helping you'. I'm afraid to even leave my desk.

I would make sure there was ample evidence I was attempting to do my job and had raised concerns but was fobbed off.

Then I'd sit back and enjoy getting paid for doing less work. And carry on job hunting in case their end game is to show your post is redundant.

What do you think would happen if you actually said to her oh well, if you want to do my job as well as your own, I'm still getting paid so it's your choice?

Oh god, I work with two of these. They work together together to try and take over everything in a constant quest to prove they are the most valuable employees. They are constantly doing my work, the manager is aware and sympathetic but doesn't do anything about it. Me and two other colleagues are looking for new jobs, I'm secretly hoping it all aligns so that we all leave at the same time. There's no other option if the manager won't do anything, I cant work with them, they make me want to scream.

You are being managed out I'm afraid.

Your manager clearly wants you out, I'd be upping the job hunt.

I would reply to the emails that she has copied you into saying that she is no longer working within the team and queries should be directed to you in future. Cc your manager into this.

Use the time to apply for other jobs!

I’d be very suspicious of her. It looks as though she’s frightened to be off/hiding something. Make sure you are professional and clear what you are doing via email. I’d raise it with manager and hr by email - I have been asked to cover x but Tracy is still working on x. Then if it transpires she’s stolen money/done a dodgy deal etc there’s no come back on you.

Are you able to schedule a meeting with the manager (possibly also involving HR, though that might seem a bit intense at this stage) and put to them something along the lines of:

"Since taking over the role of ABC from [colleague], I had assumed that my additional duties involved W, X, Y and Z. However, I have noticed that [colleague] is continuing to do W, Y and part of Z in addition to her new role. She's also carrying out some of these functions whilst on annual leave.

I am concerned that this might cause confusion with our colleagues/clients/customers or make us look unprofessional if two people are dealing with W, Y, and Z, as well as in situations where [colleague] is continuing to engage with people who are aware that she has changed roles or that she is on annual leave.

Please could you clarify which duties you would like me to carry out, and which duties you would rather have her continue to handle?"

Something like that. Then, if you get a clear response but the situation continues, you might be better able to go back and say "in your reply of [date] you clarified that you would like me to deal with W, X, Y and Z. However, [colleague] is continuing to correspond with callers concerning ABC and I feel that this may be inadvertently* undermining my role..."

(*if you want to appear to give your colleague or manager the benefit of the doubt!)

Hopefully, as your colleague's new duties start to take over, she might have less time to devote to her old role.

Best wishes with it, and I hope you can find a solution that works out well for you.

Other tactic is to be very proactive if you have it in writing you are doing x job now. So ignore fact she’s emailed client and you reply saying Tracy has moved to another role I’m x and I’m now dealing with it. Please redirect all questions to me. It makes company and her look shit but you can’t be criticised.

I'd email your manager saying that it's pointless having 2 people cover one post so from now on, you'll step back on it.

They obviously don't want you to do it for whatever reason.

OP, Sounds like you are being bullied out of your job, by your colleague and Manager. If you are a member of a Union you need to be in touch with them now. Ignore all the posters telling you to sit back and enjoy taking the money for no work, ignore them, it can be used against you. Make a timeline of everything that has happened in detail

You need to put all of this in writing to your manager and then raise a grievance meeting with your union rep if nothing happens.

If you had taken over her role permanently and she was still stepping in, I’d say you need to clamp down on it - but if you’re only supposed to be covering until a replacement is recruited, I’d be inclined to save myself the hassle and let her get on with it. The only issue is if your manager then expects you to do some kind of handover, but given that you’ve raised again and again that your colleague won’t let you get involved, you can legitimately say ‘Every attempt I made to cover this work was shot down - X has made sure that I’m in no position to provide any guidance to her successor’.

Awwh, did that make you feel good?

This is a ridiculous situation for you and amounts to bullying. Speak to your union rep. The manager already hates you and you're looking for another job so you've nothing to lose. Might as well put the wind up them as well. Any policies in working when on annual leave, etc to back up your case? Sounds as though your colleague's new job is a non-job if she's still doing the old one.

What sector do you work in???

There is a famous story of a Japanese person (woman I think) who got multiple awards from her bank for turning up at her bank job every single day for decades, never even took holidays. Within 2 or 3 weeks of retiring her decades-long frauds started unravelling, and I think that this is the reason why banks insist on every staff member taking a full two week holiday at least once a year - to make it harder to get away with such fraud.

She sounds awful. I would find it very difficult to work in an environment like that.

And it's very foolish of the company to be paying two people to do this job when it's clearly not needed.

Why do you say it's not easy for you to get a new job? And why did you fail at two interviews?

I do agree that this colleague sounds awful
and the environment sounds stressful and frustrating, however, if you're saying your manager "hates" you, you're getting turned down at interview, and it's "not easy" for you to get a new job, I'm wondering if you're guilty of something as well? You say your boss thinks you're a trouble maker. What are some of her rules that you pushed back on?

I would definitely be redoubling my efforts to get out of there, and looking into why it wasn't happening.

Does the line of work involve anything where fraud is a possibility ? I ask because there seems to be a pattern here - working through holidays, working weekends, getting in early, picking up on everything before you do. It sounds as though she has something to hide - either something she’s done in the past which may have repercussions, or something ongoing. Your manager really should be picking up on this too if there’s a potential for fraud. I’m with PP’s suggesting that maybe you request a formal meeting with HR and your manager - and possibly your colleague as well, to avoid any confusion. Get clarification on what elements of the role are your responsibility and make it clear that you expect to be left to get on with it unhindered.

You responded to another poster that you haven’t applied for the vacant post because its only part time, but that you don’t feel there’s enough work for 1.5 posts. If you don’t have enough work to keep you busy, could you not suggest that you absorb the part time post into your own role permanently, thus saving the company another salary ? Don’t let on that you don’t feel you have enough to do, just frame is as you having enjoyed being very busy with the extra work and feel as though you could handle it as part of your role - maybe suggest a trial period.

It does seem from what you say, as though there’s a bit of collusion between your colleague and the manager, and you have to wonder if they’re trying to manage you out. With that in mind maybe it’s time to involve HR, and possibly your union, as you say you’re a member. I can’t help wondering what effect all of this is having on your colleagues’ work in her new post. Does it not give the impression that there isn’t enough for her to do - is that also part time ? Does her manager have any problems with her work standards and are they even aware that she’s still so involved with a former role ?

I remember reading something similar a while ago - may have been the same story. I think banks also audit the employees work while they’re away. Makes sense.