Colleague taking the piss….

[Laughingteacakes]

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….😊

I do this with my diary. We are also trusted to get on with our jobs and it would be noticed if I didn't keep up with my work. So I never have meetings before 10am so I can do the school run but I often reply to emails on my phone before then, and then I often write up my work in the evenings/weekends.

To my colleagues it may seem I roll up late and leave early but I do my hours. I can't quite work out how you can be so sure her workload is so light. Do you hold a set number of cases or how does it work? Is there parts of her job she could be completing outside of normal work hours? I am individually responsible for my own caseload - is yours different that her absence directly impacts you?

You can't be sure she doesn't have an arrangement with the line manager surely?

In our workplace (also public sector) my manager is concerned with output, not number of hours diligently sat at our desk. If we are producing the goods, she's happy. There's a lot of flexibility which I'm very grateful for. It actually makes me want to work harder. If every minute of my time was being watched and recorded I'd be less inclined to work hard as it would feel so claustrophobic!

Sounds like a management problem. If the manager does nothing. Escalate it above them or HR. If there is none then If possible divide the work in a way that your work is not dependant on theirs and just let her struggle. Don't do her work.

Her reason for doing this is irrelevant. Management should manage it.

Do you work where l work?! I’m in your position for clarity and lm sick of it. Especially after working 9-7 today with no break (my contracted hours are 9-5 with a half hour break). Personally lm going to mention it in supervision in a general sense, about attendance and distribution of workload across the team. I am also going to be a lot boundaried about tasks and hours. I’m in the morning sickness phase of a much wanted and waited for IVF pregnancy, so lm super reluctant to burn myself out. Whilst others swan around doing what they want

Good luck with it all. I know it’s hard working with people who aren’t team players and are wrapped up in themselves

I work in the Public Sector, my teenage daughter has ASD, and starts a new college next week. Until she feels confident enough to get the bus, I’ll be doing drop off and pick up .. I won’t be in morning meetings until 9:30, and I’ll be out between 3:15 & 4:15 every day. I’ll still get all my hours done, and I’ve let my manager know.
i am confident that every one of my colleagues will be supportive, and nobody will question me

You've every right to be pissed off she's taking the piss report to your manager as you're all picking up her work

I can't quite work out how you can be so sure her workload is so light. Do you hold a set number of cases or how does it work? Is there parts of her job she could be completing outside of normal work hours? I am individually responsible for my own caseload - is yours different that her absence directly impacts you?

I'm also trying to work out how OP can so conclusively state that the "50% increase" in her own workload is a direct consequence of this colleague's alleged slacking.

I have colleagues who do school run, etc but the ones I know are certainly making up their hours. Some decide to take their lunch at pick up time so don’t book meetings for that time. If there’s a choice to book a meeting for whenever she’s available then that’s what she’ll do.
If she’s not making up her hours, then that’s up to your manager. It’s as simple as you all stop doing her work and they’ll notice.

If you're working beyond your hours and without a break, and resenting it, it's a you problem, not a colleague problem.

Taking contracted breaks and leaving on time are healthy boundaries, not people swanning around wrapped up in themselves.

I get it, I martyr myself for work sometimes but that's on me. Looking around at colleagues and getting angry they're not doing the same is to just cause yourself pain.

There’s a very big gulf between this and skiving off, not working the hours you’re paid for or delivering the workload you’re employed to do and leaving your colleagues to pick up the slack.

Feel free to find your balance between work and life but skiving off from the work you’re paid to do because you’re too cool and special to work as many hours as you want the money for, is something else. It’s basically a form of fraud. If you want to work part time, find a part time job ffs. People can be so unbelievably entitled!

@TiddleyWink

I think you have misunderstood the sentiment I was agreeing with.

I think you should embrace the new normal of flexible working time yourself rather than bitterly monitor your colleague. Don’t pick up her slack, get YOUR workload done in your own time and be happy you work somewhere that is output focused rather than pedantic about bums in seats at a certain time.

I find it strange that you’re looking at her calendar to see she doesn’t book meetings before 10am… maybe just decide what would be an appropriate workday for you and do the same, as it’s clear that your workplace is flexible… embrace it!

I work from home and yes because of this I no longer have to use after school care for my daughter, but the hour and a half she’s home while I’m working is a nightmare and I’d much rather be in the office. Our role has moved to home based since covid so I don’t have the option.

I work evenings and weekends unpaid to catch up on anything I can’t do while she’s home, it’s no fun trying to work and be a mum at the same time believe me.

Your boss won’t care about an equitable split of the workload between you all as long as the work is being done.

Have you heard of ‘quiet quitting’? This is what you need to do. Do your fair share of the workload and no more. Once the higher ups realise stuff isn’t done, they’ll have to investigate and they’ll pick up on who the weak link is. They’ll have to sort it out then.

I’m in this exact same position too OP with multiple colleagues. Have talked about it on MN threads and gotten some variant of:

Come on! Being a working mum is hard, why make things harder for her? She's trying to raise children and work.

MN hates a skiver unless it’s a mum, then everyone must pitch in and help her work far fewer hours for the same pay.

You need to raise with your manager but I’m also in public sector and I know chances are they won’t give a shit as long as the work’s done. You may have to just stop doing it, crap as that is.

it’s no fun trying to work and be a mum at the same time believe me.

Yup. Feels nigh on impossible some days!!

Yes this. I'm also a public sector manager. As long as the right people are attending the right meetings at the right time, and I get the papers etc that I need to do my job, I can't honestly say I don't care what hours are worked or whether someone has a young child at home while they are working.

Luckily my team appreciate that being able to work that way is a privilege and so don't take the piss. If anyone did, then it would be a strict 9-5 in an office and no fucks given about kids or dogs at home.

Before going to your line manager, how much do you know about your colleague? She may have flexible working in place or have other things going on in her life that she is struggling with and has spoken to your manger about working round her commitments because of x,y,z. Which would be none of your business and your manager nor your colleague would have to explain any of this to you.

you seem very presumptuous about your colleague and could end up looking the fool.

If work load is a problem for you maybe you should speak to your manager about flexible working hours for yourself…

@Noln the problem with working in public sector with vulnerable individuals, is the wheels fall off at the least opportune moment. We are spread thinly already so there is rarely a back up

2 of my colleagues won’t take their turn with team tasks. Come in late, don’t attend meetings, leave early etc. Not answering phone calls during work hours etc. These are definitely swanning about and not healthy boundaries!

@thesurrealist

You sound similar to my (public sector) manager.

@Laughingteacakes
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.

Who is giving her this lighter workload?
Why is her diary not as full as others?

I'm so glad I'm a stay at home mum, all this stress is no insensitive to get back to work.

@Snoozer11 when there is equity in terms of flexible working then I agree with absolutely everyone you have said. Within a workplace it all falls down when individuals avail themselves of flexible working practices to such a degree that it is not possible for others to have any benefits of flexible working.

Is it not an option to pay for the after school care rather than sacrificing your evenings and weekends?

I say this as was in a similar position when after school care was cancelled during covid times but I now pay for the care as it’s available, so I can get my work done.

I’m acutely aware how hard being a working mum is thank you…😊