A workplace grumble

[Tinselandturkee]

This has been happening since the start of September and it’s really starting to piss me off. I work full time as does my colleague, 9-5.30pm roles. Colleague is relatively new, perhaps 10 months. She has her lunch at her desk at 11, goes out for an hour every day for a walk and then leaves just before 3 to collect her son from school to get back to the office for just before 4. She’s meant to be using her lunch hour to collect her soon, not have 2 lunch hours plus eat at her desk. It’s really, really grating on me. Should I live and let live and get over it or am I in my rights to say something?

I can see how that’s grating but just focus on your own work

You mean turn a blind eye?

Why? I’m interested in your thinking here.

If she's working while eating at her desk I'd let that bit go.

But the 2 hours a day break? Nope. You need to raise it with someone.

I honestly don’t mind the eating at the desk, i suppose I added it to emphasis the fact she is eating outside of her other two lunch breaks which she deems she should have. The ironic part is part of her role is hr so she is often pulling up other staff members as to where they have been and why.

will try and let it go.

Im guessing she’s eating at her desk and working so that doesn’t count as a break. That’s still working. I do it all the time.

Has a manager not already picked up on the fact she goes for a walk and then leaves at 3?

I'd say something directly to her first. Does her doing what she is doing impact on you? Is she due a three month performance review?

Does this directly affect you? Are you having to pick up more work because of it?

What does her manager say about it?

Don't presume managers aren't already aware and monitoring it.

I have a few people in my team who are taking the piss with their hours and am at various stages of monitoring/gathering evidence/review meetings and the rest. Their colleagues are unaware of any of this and just presume nothing is being done.
I also have other members of staff who have arranged extra breaks with me for various reasons and, again, their colleagues have no idea.

If you do raise it, bear in mind managers may already know and there could be a reason for this. Focus on the impact this work pattern has on the rest of the team - with examples, if you have them.

It's a difficult one, as you have to work with this person. Grating as it is, you don't manage her. She's taking the piss on the surface, but you don't know what's been agreed with her manager. I'd be thinking, does it directly impact you, are you having to take on more work? If the answer is no then I'd leave it. If it's yes I'd speak to my manager about it.

Is there a manager present witnessing this? Not sure id report it, but depends how much it started to annoy me. Not fair she’s having 2 lunch breaks and getting paid the same as everyone else. Maybe ask your manager if there’s been a change to policy which means parents can collect kids from school in work time! Then play dumb, like you genuinely wondered! Drives me mad, we have to do 40%, so many people can’t seem to manage it, every excuse under the sun why they aren’t in 40%. Managers are doing a poor job of managing this

Unless it resulted in more work for me, I wouldn't care or get involved.

Focus on the impact of it rather than the work pattern itself.
Do you have to take her calls whilst she's out?
Are projects not getting finished in time and that extra hour would help?
Are meetings difficult to arrange as a result?

I'd avoid going to managers saying that a colleague is taking too many breaks because there might be known reasons for it EG could it be a "reasonable adjustment" for mental or physical health reasons?
Could it have been negotiated at interview and is reflected in her pay?

But if it's impacting on you then you could say to your managers EG it's difficult to arrange that meeting around Sarah's breaks as the client can't do mornings"
Or
The project ran over the deadline, I found that Sarah's reduced hours meant we had less time to spend on it.

I do pretty much this exact thing about 3 times a week, but because my manager insisted that I do because I work so many hours around it. I work from home though, log on early, working late etc etc. Supposed to be 9-5:30pm but we are usually really busy so end up working late. So she told me make sure I take 2 breaks, a proper break and then she knows I do the school run most days.

BUT, if someone was doing this and it wasn't agreed and they were working less than their contracted hours I would be pissed off. Is it possible this colleague has an agreement where she makes time up at home/weekend etc? Are management aware of what she's doing?