Pulled up for “picking on someone at work”.

[ThunderRoadRunner]

I’ve been on holiday for a few weeks, and will be going back to work on Monday. I’m dreading it.

For the last couple of days before I went on holiday I lost it at work. In all my working days, which amounts to a few decades, I’ve never lost my temper.

It centred around a number of new-ish people we have in our dept. They’ve been there about 6 months. They literally do no work, do not hand over any completed work and even just leave things in the sink for other people to wash up after them etc.

I and another colleague have assertively asked them about the handovers, ask them to clean up their mess, and point out that work has not been done, which means I and a few others end up doing it. This is done professionally. However, I came in a couple of days before I went on vacation and was told there were formal complaints about “being picked on”.

I just lost it.

WIBU to expect colleagues to do their share? After all, it’s the rest of us that end up picking up the slack.

Also, I really want to go back to work with a strategy that involves me not picking up the slack for others on top of my own stressful job. Any tips?

My advice at this point, if you don't think it's too weird a suggestion, would be to contact someone like Ben Askins (he puts videos on social media) as this is just right up his street. He may be able to offer you some constructive advice.

Definitely do a diary including what has happened since your return to work after your break. If enough of you report to OH, surely something has to be done? Can enough of you join a union??

I think everyone should take a leaf out of this employees way of working

Don’t do anything till 11, go to lunch at 12, come back at 1.30 and then go for a break for 45 mins

and if a manager complains tell them to wind their neck in

How's it going @ThunderRoadRunner ? I'm hoping management have changed their tune, and are resolving issues?

Not great TBH. Last week I did my own job snd no more, but then saw a big chunk of scheduled time in my calendar next week. I asked what it was and was told it was time for me to go off and do some undisturbed work on a project as it’s behind.

Yes, it’s behind because others don’t pull their weight. I’m furious. At the time I said nothing as I was not sure I’d say something I’d regret later. I’m taking the w/e to calm down. I don’t want to do it.

Well, at least they gave you allocated time to do it so that's a bit of a progress.

OP, I think it is now time for you to take time out of work altogether due to work-related stress. If your managers are choosing to ignore the poor performance of others for a quiet life - resulting in good staff being imposed on even more - then management will have to suffer the consequences of their absence due to ill-health / stress.
Look after yourself.

IDK... If they've put it in the diary, it means they are acknowledging that you are doing someone else's work which is useful for Reviews and Promotions. It also means they then have evidence that the person who should have done the work clearly didn't which helps them sack them!

Why don’t you want to do it? I don’t think you can refuse unless it’s above your grade really.

What you do need to do is ask about prioritisation of your usual work whilst you are doing this project.

Yes, I don’t want to do it. It’s not instead of my own work, it’s on top of it.

So you ask manager which of your usual tasks they want you to drop as you cannot complete the work in the remaining time. Stay calm, no emotional language, just a simple question.

This.
I was given an extra job, on top of my own. I asked my boss which parts she was happy for me to drop. She said none! So I didn't do it! It was crazy of her.

I used to do this when my boss insisted I did more than my own job and that everything had to be done first thing as a priority. I asked him if he could list which job was 1st first thing, which was 2nd first thing etc. You cannot do a day's work (and more) with everything being a priority.

I got a timetable to work from and a comprehensive list of my responsibilities and I stuck to it. It meant that things weren't done on time, but tough shit, this is what he told me to do and in what order. If co-workers are not doing their jobs and generally taking the piss, why do you have to pick up the slack?

In the end I got so fed up I left and found another job and the relief of leaving was like a lead weight being lifted off me. You are a long time at work so don't spend it being miserable. Spend the weekend looking for something else and when you find it you can tell them to stick their job where the sun doesn't shine.

Try the 'what do you want me to not do' approach first, OP. Then if they say you need to do all of it, I'd suggest you... don't. Do as much as you can in office hours and then go home. State domestic responsibilities. They surely can't argue with you on that.

How are you getting on now @ThunderRoadRunner?