AIBU?
Colleague taking the piss….
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:16
I work in a team alongside a colleague, we do the same job, we are on a small team in a public services workplace - don’t want to be too outing. We are able to work from home but also have an office base and we do work in the community, around the area of our office base.
This colleague has small children, she doesn’t have childcare in place consistently, she seems to be working her job around her childcare needs rather than pay for the right amount of childcare (money isn’t an issue, think expensive car, large house etc). She also travels from home to work in her work time so that she can be at home at the times she needs for her childcare, without making up the 1.5ish hours this takes her each day. The rest of the team are working really hard, extra hours, lots of stress about getting through the workload, she is breezing along with a much lighter workload and therefore managing to continue to be at home whenever she needs to for her children. It is driving me crazy, I am so pissed off that the rest of the team including myself are working so hard and she is taking the absolute piss. I know different people have different work ethics but I feel this is really out of order. It’s also causing lots of negativity in the team with people feeling so cross.
This has been going on about a year, but is getting worse. I need advice, how would you deal with this, our manager doesn’t seem to be interested as the teams work is getting done.
YABU - you should just get on with it and not get involved.
YANBU - this is a piss take and you should do something to try and get the workload more even. Thanks for any views…I’m that worked up about it I can’t think straight….😊
Am I being unreasonable?
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fairgame84 · 01/09/2022 20:19
Are you sure she doesn't have a flexible working agreement in place that let's her do this?
If not then YANBU to be pissed off.
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 20:20
You focus on your own job
if people want to work extra and be working martyrs they can do that but no one is forcing them
ExtraOnion · 01/09/2022 20:21
The only person who needs to address this is your line manager, talk to them, and let them get on with it
buzzbuzzybuzz · 01/09/2022 20:21
Ask if she has a flexible working agreement.
If she doesn't then assume you can do the same.
MynameisJune · 01/09/2022 20:23
Maybe she’s negotiated this with her boss?
It’s not her problem that others are happy to sacrifice their social and home lives for work, she clearly has different priorities.
sounds like jealousy to me
Whowhatwherewhenwhynow · 01/09/2022 20:24
I agree this is a line manager issue to sort out. I don’t understand why people are stressing to pick up her slack? Just let things be undone and if asked why you can explain why.
i don’t really blame her if she can do this and still get the work done. If work isn’t getting down though it clearly needs addressing.
wherearebeefandonioncrisps · 01/09/2022 20:27
An unpalatable truth here, but loads of people are wfh and saving a fortune by not paying childcare. Colleagues picking up the slack.
Pisses me right off.
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:27
How do you know she is "breezing along with a much lighter workload"? Does she say this? Is there other evidence of this?
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:37
Defo no flexible working arrangement, we work pretty independently so line manager just not aware re the travelling in work time and being at home for her kids. I know she has a much lighter workload because we are all aware of each other’s workloads and diaries etc, we do the same job, it’s hard to explain but we all know exactly what each other has in their monthly workload.
And I appreciate the comments about people choosing to do extra hours and being martyrs etc, I fully agree with this and it is my choice to finish work in my own time, however as the colleague isn’t actually working her full hours due to the childcare commitments, it feels unfair as she could be taking more of the workload so that her colleagues didn’t have to take on the extra, we are all paid the same number of hours.
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:42
Is her work diary necessarily an accurate reflection of everything she is doing, though? My work diary sometimes doesn't accurately reflect everything I do. On a daily basis I Am often pulled into ad hoc meetings/ emails/ phone calls etc outside of the scheduled commitments that show in my diary. If a colleague looked at my diary it might look like I had a lighter workload than them, but it wouldn't account for the other ad hoc stuff I'm doing.
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 20:44
No one has to work extra hours
perhaps if you all stopped doing that your line manager would be aware of the problem
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 20:44
How is your manager not noticing if you can all so obviously see it and you all do the exact same job
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:46
There have been loads of times where it’s blatant she not working when she should be, eg collecting kids, has the kids (3) in the background on meetings, misses things early in the morning at school run times, she doesn’t even try and hide it sometimes, so I appreciate I may not know every little thing she does in her day but I 100% know she’s not working her hours.
TheNextMrsC · 01/09/2022 20:49
How do you manage workloads etc, do you cover different areas so have different intensities of work perhaps? The thing is, if her work is getting done, the manager is happy with her results and she is presumably happy too, there isn’t actually an issue aside from the bad feeling the rest of you are creating which isn’t great for any of you.
I think the workplace is changing with wfh, work / life balance is far more flexible and the days of burning yourself out for the sake of looking competitively busy and productive are over. Could you maybe look to manage your own working hours more effectively or work more flexibly, do you have children or other commitments to think about yourself?
carefullycourageous · 01/09/2022 20:50
Either tell your manager, do the same, or focus on your own life. They are your only options.
One thing I'll point out though is when you say money isn’t an issue, think expensive car, large house etc) - cars can be on credit, mortgages can be expensive. People can have difficult finances whilst living in nice homes.
thefirstmrsrochester · 01/09/2022 20:52
wherearebeefandonioncrisps · 01/09/2022 20:27
An unpalatable truth here, but loads of people are wfh and saving a fortune by not paying childcare. Colleagues picking up the slack.
Pisses me right off.
Yep. Hybrid working policies taken advantage of by some for savings on childcare and also care for lockdown dogs.
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:52
carefullycourageous · 01/09/2022 20:50
Either tell your manager, do the same, or focus on your own life. They are your only options.
One thing I'll point out though is when you say money isn’t an issue, think expensive car, large house etc) - cars can be on credit, mortgages can be expensive. People can have difficult finances whilst living in nice homes.
Agree. Having a nice car and house definitely doesn't mean money "isn't an issue".
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:53
misses things early in the morning at school run times
Such as what?
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:55
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 20:44
How is your manager not noticing if you can all so obviously see it and you all do the exact same job
We have an office base but manager is barely there and we are all in and out depending on what’s in our diaries….there is no sign in or out system, we are trusted to get on with our work.
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:57
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:53
misses things early in the morning at school run times
Such as what?
Meetings sometimes, but also just doesn’t put anything in her diary till 10ish when she can have done the school run and drive into the workplace, despite being paid from half 8.
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 20:57
Either she’s doing her job or she isn’t but it’s for your manager to decide and you only know the picture your choosing to paint you don’t know the whole story
if you have to much work and you can’t get it all done in your working hours that’s the conversation you can have with your manager
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 20:58
carefullycourageous · 01/09/2022 20:50
Either tell your manager, do the same, or focus on your own life. They are your only options.
One thing I'll point out though is when you say money isn’t an issue, think expensive car, large house etc) - cars can be on credit, mortgages can be expensive. People can have difficult finances whilst living in nice homes.
True…but said car was bought a few months ago. And if you are urging an expensive car on credit that means an expensive monthly payment, that could be being bused for childcare costs?
lancsgirl85 · 01/09/2022 20:59
Is it possible she works later past her finish time, to make up for the 1.5 hours missed on a morning?
Laughingteacakes · 01/09/2022 21:00
Thanks for all the views, appreciate them all xx
niceaspaella · 01/09/2022 21:00
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