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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Work Colleague Issues - is there a way out!

7 replies

Hereforthekickz · 13/10/2023 23:13

I have worked for the same company for 3 years and love my job except for one thing - a certain work colleague.

Bit of background…..

She has worked there the same length of time as me. She is a grade higher and she does HR. She doesn’t have a good reputation around the place for a few reasons. She is often late and takes longer for lunch than she should. Her work quality is poor, she misses deadlines often. A number of colleagues that work alongside her, have had to speak to her about these issues as it has created more work for them or resulted in team deadlines not being met. Unfortunately, she doesn’t take this well and has responded by taking it very personally and has even fallen out with one colleague.

About 1 year ago I asked my boss if I could do some work that would broaden my skill set and he agreed. What I didn’t realise is that this was one of her jobs and involved staffing (my job is nothing to do with HR) but I was asked to do it as she wasn’t managing it very well. I said I was concerned about this as I felt that she should be given help to manage it but I was assured it would be good for me. I know now this was a very foolish thing to accept and I made a mistake but I just thought it would be good for me to learn a new skill.

I have a deadline every day to complete this work and it is important it is right or it can cost the company extra money. My colleague completes the first part of the job and then I pick it up afterwards and do my bit. My colleague is very aware of the nature of the job and we have had meetings in the past so that we understand the deadlines and how the job works.

I have had many incidents where her work hasn’t been done on time or at all, meaning I can’t follow on from this. It creates more work for me and the job is taking me longer to complete. If she has done the work on time, it’s often inaccurate. This is important HR information about staffing.

I have spoken to my boss several times and I have spoken to my colleague to explain how this is affecting my work. I have been patient and extremely professional.

She will go for a few weeks and it’s all okay and then it will start again.

She did work in our office but she has been moved permanently to sit with a group of managers and I thought things may improve but this week it has been terrible.

She has input the wrong data for staff even through she had the correct information, she hasn’t completed her work which made my work incorrect. This has caused me extra work and the job has taken me twice as long so I emailed her to ask her if she would correct these issues.

The reply I got was very defensive and rude. She gave me every reason under the sun why she couldn’t or didn’t do the work correctly. All of which were excuses. She advised that it was none of my concern why certain things were not done. She made me feel like I was picking on her. She just made me feel like it was a ‘me ‘ problem and that there was a valid reason for not doing her work. She copied one of the top bosses into her reply. This all made me feel very vulnerable and I started to question if I was being harsh and if I would be facing the wrath on Monday !

So, I don’t know what to do. It seems my boss has done nothing about the issues I have encountered with her as nothing has really changed. I have kept a written log of factual information detailing all the meetings I have had and all the errors I have had to correct.

I am thinking that I either call a meeting with my boss again and ask for the job to go back to her (it isn’t listed on my job description and she is a grade higher than me) or I asked to speak to my bosses supervisor.

Any advice welcome

OP posts:
Cherrysoup · 13/10/2023 23:29

Definitely hand this back to your boss and give concrete examples of each time she’s fucked up along with her excuses and how it’s costing the company. She sounds like a nightmare.

Bumblebee413 · 13/10/2023 23:31

Hand that right back to your boss.

theduchessofspork · 13/10/2023 23:33

I would call a meeting with both your boss and someone senior to her in HR.

Don’t ask them - tell you need an urgent meeting. If it needs to be offsite tell them that.

Write down your key problems with her work, and explain you now need to hand his job back as it’s impossible for you to complete it.

Then follow up with an email stating the same.

Fromage · 13/10/2023 23:39

Ditch the extra job. Hand it straight back and be very clear about why.

When it all goes badly wrong and the company gets sued or headlines are made, you will be to blame. Your colleague sounds shady and slippery, she will avoid blame and you will be the scapegoat. Apologies for the dramatics but I was once in a similar situation and I was lucky to avoid having the blame dumped on me, instead of the useless twat manager who was at fault.

Run!

Ariela · 14/10/2023 00:42

I would document it all - and maybe offer to do her part of the task too., as clearly she is too busy?

Hereforthekickz · 14/10/2023 08:19

Thanks for the replies @Ariela the half of the job I do already takes up too much of my time so I couldn’t take on her part too.

The job I share with this colleague is HR based and I am not trained in HR. I am admin based and work as a team of 4. It is not covered on my job description as my main responsibilities.

I like doing the job but because of her errors, it takes me longer to complete. I also feel stressed at having to point out these mistakes to her all the time. If I didn’t do this, my work would be delayed or wrong and then it comes back to me and it’s my reputation in the line. I have had many, many meetings about this.

The problem is I don’t think my boss is doing much to address it. Her behaviour hasn’t changed since she started 3 years ago!

I sound like a stuck record and it’s starting to feel like I am going to get into trouble for picking on her. Whilst I am dealing with her mistakes and sending her emails to ask her to correct things, I could be getting in with helping the team I work with!

Our boss also oversees HR. It’s a school so the next step would be To see the headteacher.

OP posts:
Kat1981111 · 30/10/2024 08:46

There is a saying make shit roll down the hill. If your boss doest do anything then go above him but give him notice that you intend to speak to his boss. This is also effecting ur mental health too.

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