What does it take to be completely untouchable at work?

[PithyMintFawn]

I work in a big corporate and I’ve noticed there’s this one guy who seems completely immune from any expectations or consequences. He shows up to meetings when he wants, barely contributes, and yet no one complains or even acknowledges it. It’s almost like an unspoken rule - he moves between teams every few years and people just know not to involve him in projects. If he does something unprompted, everyone reacts as if he’s done something amazing.

From what I’ve gathered, HR won’t touch his case, and there seems to be some underlying reason he’s so protected. This is unlike anything I’ve seen in my career. AIBU to wonder what kind of situation would lead to someone being completely untouchable at work? Have you ever seen this happen?

If the bloke constantly makes mistakes and conducts himself in ways detrimental to the business then he must know some dark secrets. Or be a nepo of the owners.
Or maybe he's the chairman of West Ham?
Burning my irons shirt on the BBQ

Currently dealing with this myself at work, she’s a manager and crap at her job, in her case she sleeps with everyone to get her own way. Shes been through the managers, warehouse and delivery staff so far 🙄

Own the place or the person who holds power in that place and prayers they don't lose that place.

Calculate whether those in power have a backbone or not.

Know the company handbook inside and out. Most managers can be held to the wire because they have no idea of or how to exercise company policies and procedures.

In my experience it's usually someone with a high status – ie class, nepotism, connections etc. I've seen it happen many times.

In my previous school, one of the staff seemed untouchable. It turned out she had threatened legal action for age discrimination. When she left the following year she persued the case anyways, and won.

You can be the most useless cunt in the world... As long as you know some immoral shit heap who's happy to hinder others, they'll give you a job.

Equally . You can be bright, capable, talented and pleasant, but if you know no fucker, you're stuck applying for any old shit where you compete with others who people.

Luck and nepotism, that's what it boils down too.
.went to school with the right people... You get to be prime minister one day...

He either knows where all the bodies are buried, is related to or in a relationship with someone very senior, has a particular aspect to his life that means getting rid is incredibly difficult without a big tribunal, is senior or knows someone senior in the union, or they are giving him enough rope to hang himself.

I've met people like these in a workplace, nothing ever happens to them, it's a waste of time giving it any headspace because no one will do anything anyway except breathe a sign of relief when he leaves.

Last one I came across started to do things to try and physically harm me, I even dropped a pile of stuff I was carrying in front of a line manager because she purposely tripped me up, I know she did, she later on pushed me in the back while my hands were full too, in front of him. Line manager said he only saw me drop the things and colleague was close but not that close to me. I spoke to senior management and HR both said they'd log the incident but without proof couldn't do a thing about it.

Because he is liked by senior management. Maybe people have tried to highlight this lazy git but it's come back to bite them on the bum . I think most workplaces have a lazy bum like this who are very good at looking busy I'm front of people that matter . I watched an incompetent manager get away with delegating and doing very little . They were only exposed when staff was cut to the bone and it was obvious she wasn't up to the job . It took 18 years. 18 years of doing very little and taking - not earning - but taking their wages .

I've seen this happen a number of times. Usually because they're connected through family ties to someone with real power in an organisation with enough clout to hide a useless uncle.

I've seen this happen with a CEO who protected people he'd started his career with because they knew where the bodies were so to speak.

Either related to, or besties with, someone very senior.

There was a guy where I worked who was like this. Lots of complaints about him which were ignored and he was never pulled up about any of it. He was absolutely vile and a bully.

My theory was that top management were very weak and he did their dirty work for them. He had also applied for a very senior role years before and I think they felt guilty.

someone i used to work with but thankfully not in my team. He had a hotline to HR and the union, he was known to be willing to go legal.

He left in the end and he pulled off the ultimate CF move that left most of us amazed!

He would get the bus to work. Say he started at 8, the bus would drop him off virtually outside the door at around 7.45. he would then go into the building. I very much doubt he logged on so would have been making a brew etc.

When he left he billed the company for the 15 minutes he was in the building each day, it was around 2 to 3 grand. It was not the companies fault the bus got him there early and he choose to go into the office early.

But they paid it, as they knew he would go to tribunal.

Having worked in local government for years I would say incompetent management and too many workers rights.
At the first sign of any complaints about their work some people will run to the unions and complain of racism/bullying/mental health issues.
Instead of reviewing the situation and seeing if they have a case the unions automatically back them and management cave into threats.

Mental health issues make you pretty untouchable ime

If that was the case surely every one would be slacking / doing enough to get by / sailing close to the wind ? I think it's more a case of a gift of the gab .

No because not everyone could live with themselves. It’s why everyone doesn’t tax dodge or steal or falsify their expenses even if they know they can get away with it.

Usually it’s nepotism.

Sometimes you get people who are so incredibly charismatic, everyone loves them and thinks they’re brilliant, but don’t actually do very much. They might have done something really successful once and having been dining out off it forever.

tbf, I don’t think anyone is truly untouchable in the private sector. It just takes a change at a very senior level and they’ll be out on their arse. Worked with a woman who got away with murder because she was shagging the big boss. When he was removed from his role, people stopped putting up with her behaviour and she went a few months later.

Agree that in a dysfunctional organisation this happens. I see it happen a lot with high performers, even if otherwise extremely difficult to work with. They can't afford to lose them.

If he's mediocre, I also assume he's got something over them somehow.

I used to work for an organisation which had a small clique of bullies, including a departmental manager. For years they got away with terrible behaviour thanks to the manager’s nepotism. But eventually, the departmental manager was made redundant and over the next few years, many of his henchmen were made redundant too.

I don’t think anyone is truly untouchable. Even if it’s a family business and all the family have the same mindset, there’s always the risk that the badly-managed company will fold. I know of a small charity that’s in real danger of this - they can’t keep staff due to managerial bullying, and the service they provide is deteriorating. If they can’t sort it out, they’ll lose their contract with the local authority and that will be the end of them.

I've frequently worked with 'untouchables'. Beggars belief what some people can get away with not doing

Claiming “mental health” issues or being good at sales are the free passes I’ve seen colleagues given in my career

Sometimes they can be otherwise crap but have even a small amount of knowledge about something that'll cause a huge headache if they're absent. Eg Our data manager was a pro on Excel and regularly did a quick job for someone that'd take them days. But otherwise a negative drain to work with who ground everyone down and wasn't v good at the day to day job.

There's always one, isn't there?

More fool them