Work colleague taking so much time off

[FishOnTheTrain]

my work colleague is ALWAYS unwell. She leaves early at least twice a week due to not feeling well. She told me in the last 2 years she has gotten away with doing barely any work (honestly, she doesn’t and it ends up landing on my plate!)

Over the Xmas break, she had 2 weeks off, followed by a week off after that because she was off sick, and then her parents Bungalow flooded so she’s been off for the last two weeks helping helping them too. There are 6 siblings, so not like it’s all on her to sort. But that’s none of my business. We found out yesterday that she’ll be working from home for the next 4 weeks, which is fine, but she’s not been online once since then or responded to my messages.

AIBU to feel really annoyed? I have to constantly pick up all of the work for her and also she is earning a hell of a lot more money than me (she drunkenly told me at after work drinks one day). I’ve had to work late to pick up her work load. She’s been at the company less time. I will need to go to HR but unsure how to approach in a professional way.

Her absences are none of your business.

The only issue you have here is your workload-discuss that but not your colleague.

This. Stand up for yourself.

I wonder whether all of her absence is properly recorded? Especially if she is finishing early rather than officially calling in sick? Does she get company sick pay? Sounds like she will have had far more than she is eligible for if she does

I have a similar colleague who somehow managed to wangle WFH 3 days a week and then gets her shopping delivered, takes the dog to the groomers and generally does all of her life stuff during work hours. She’s also regularly off sick with migraines or takes extra WFH days as her IBS is playing up. It’s frustrating as I work in a school and if her work doesn’t get done it’s detrimental to the students so the other 2 of us pick it up. Now her car is broken, but that’s not a concern to her because she’ll just WFH. She’s blind to the impact this has on the other 2 of us (time spent answering phones and dealing with queries). She also has a work mobile but has never charged it because she doesn’t get a signal in her house (but manages to ring in to the office ok) meaning that if any queries arise or phone calls come in regarding her workload, it’s picked up by us again as despite having her mobile number in her email signature, nobody can ever get hold of her. It’s incredibly frustrating but it’s either suck it up or look elsewhere.

Stop picking up her work. Tell your manager you have more than enough to do with your own workload.

I'd play along and start taking sick days and "WFH" days myself. Go off sick when you move house. Fuck 'em!

I'd never normally suggest that but you're clearly being taken the piss out of by both your shitty colleague and you're equally shitty manager.

Definitely start applying for jobs, don't wait until you move house, do it now.

I know one of these, it's so frustrating and almost predictable when it's going to happen and everyone else is left to pick up the flack, in a small team. Whereas I try and be in work unless really ill.

Last time it happened I did what others have suggested, I did my work first each day, unless it was something of theirs that would impact other people, and only when that was done would I pick up theirs. It does cause me stress and frustration, and this time if i do feel that way I'm inclined not to bottle it up especially as I do have my own reason to be stressed, previously I've always been the grit your teeth and get on with it category

There are lazy people and sick people. It is very reasonable to complain if people are lazy and it means more work for you.

I feel your pain, I work in a GP practice and our head of reception is ALWAYS off. I'm the secretary so not really on reception but I started keeping a log of how much I have covered reception over the past year. I feel it's made me bitter and angry and start to hate my job which annoys me even more because I always loved my job and took so much pride in the work I done and now I just don't give a s**t. There is no actual policy in place at my work for sickness either just that you fill out a sheet it goes in a folder and it sits there never to be looked at again. She even came to me last week after taking Monday and Tuesday off to tell me the antics she got up to at the wkend. It's hard to not get annoyed. I hope there is a solution for you because there isn't one for me.

I honestly wish people like this would just leave. They're not cut out for the job and are frankly a drain on everyone else. They should pick up their self-respect and move on, to something they're more suited to.
I'd never stay in a job that made me like this. I'd be too embarrassed for a start.

Stop doing her work. Just keep it simple, “I can’t fit in this work as I have to much of my own to do so it will be left for X coming back.”

Rinse and repeat. They cannot do anything to you for not doing someone else’s work. Don’t do it. Nothing will change until the managers have to deal with work mourning up and no one doing it.

I had similar with a former colleague and picked up a lot of her work. I tried to be friendly and supportive and asked her if I could help/ support as she was new to the role. She complained to our line manager that I had upset and bullied her, affecting her mental health. This was clearly not true but left a very bitter taste. I ended up leaving and went into a lovely job with like-minded colleagues. I believe she is still there repeating the same cycles of behaviour on a loop.
You have my sympathy.

Do you work in local government for? Or the NHS?

I worked in local government for a couple of years and was so shocked at people going off sick, great sick pay leave. My sister in law like myself has a job in local government, also like myself worked in the private sector prior to this. Last year she reported a Manager for bullying, she wasn’t the first to do this. She was asked to take gardening leave whilst they investigated her ability to do her job. 4 months later they invited her to come back to work, she was more than adequate at her ability to do the job, they’d paid 4 months at full pay and the bullying manager is still there and nothing has been done. I also left due to a bullying manager, when I learned the previous two people doing my job had left for the same reason I was furious. They had tried taking her to management about it, bugger all was done. I’ve never experienced anything like it, so much money is wasted. If it was run as a business it would be bankrupt.

I hate when this happens.
Focus on work and performance and not the other person.
If I do 100 % of my work and 10 % of absent colleagues work, then I will jot it down and keep a paper trail whether it impacts my work or not, as I have evidence of it then.
They may hit back and say well it's being a team player.
If I do more than 10% of their work on top of mine, then I want compensating.
How long are you expected to take on their workload?
If you spread yourself too thin, then you will end up off sick yourself (not a bad idea) and then it will hopefully flag up how much you do. Unless another poor sod in your team picks up yours and the absent colleagues work, and burns them out.

Keep records and paper trails. Focus on how you already do more than 100% work ( as you complete your own batch and then cover for absent colleagues work) and you want to know how much you are to be paid for the extra work.
Get HR involved. Manager might just cover for her mate.