Work colleague thinks it’s ok to steal my job because I’m “just” bank!

[fib88]

I work in a hospital and been in my job 2.5 years - I am on a zero hours contract (bank staff) and as such considered a temporary worker (so basically have no employee rights). The hospital are making 500 redundancies and looking at which staff to get rid of with bank employees being first in the firing line.

A permanent staff member, being a woman that I work closely with, who sits next to me (and I considered a close friend) has gone behind my back and offered to do my job resulting in her being allowed to do part of my role at weekends and is being paid overtime for this. She has made my position even more vulnerable now. To say I’m devastated at her betrayal would be an understatement. Because of her actions I’m literally hanging on to my job by a thread. She is very close with our manager (go back years) and this is how she has managed to talk her away into being allowed to do this. She is lazy, constantly being complained about my other members of our team for passing her work to others, including me. She talks all day and doesn’t pull her weight. She has had at least 10 weeks of faux sickness over the two years I have known her whilst I’ve had four days in total (Covid) and work very hard with hardly any holidays off over that 2 years.

I don’t know how to handle this, she knows I’m unhappy and has said such to other employees and passes it off as “it is what it is and she need to get over it”! if I complain to our manager, he will take her side as they have a long history together. She is going on holiday and keeps complaining she needs the money badly as she in debt.

The fact that a so called friend would betray me, who incidentally I’ve stuck up for repeatedly has gutted me, my question is how do I behave going forward - if I kick off they’ll get rid of me anyway for being a troublemaker. I just don’t know how to behave and what is my best course of action?.

Needless to say she is not my friend anymore, but I still have to keep up the pretence/professional front in the office. I haven’t been able to sleep for days over this. Maybe I’m just got to accept what she’s doing is acceptable in the workplace. I feel very disillusioned with people right now.

You can't insist on a permanent role, particularly not during a recruitment freeze. You can only apply for a vacancy if there is one.

@time4anothername Other people like me that work in the NHS posting based on what op has said isn’t ruffled feathers. I’ve had colleagues off with cancer be at the end of rubbish like this, you shouldn’t speculate on others sick leave or police it. End of. And no way should anyone be reporting back about another colleagues performance when they weren’t at the meeting.

Thanks you’re 100% correct - I think of my job as if I’m a normal employee ie for instance if I want to take a day off - I always give them notice and treat them with respect as if I was a normal employee. My manager actually laughs and says “you can do what you like you don’t have to ask me” but I always do.

I come in early and I work late and I’m diligent and conscientious in everything I do. The saddest part for me is I actually really enjoy the job..

I do a very responsible function and have learnt a lot whilst doing it. I have got quite upset in the past when I hear people talking about Bank staff as if they’re lesser beings and disposable. In some places in the hospital things will grind to a halt without them. I would much rather have been a permanent member of staff but it wasn’t ever offered.

HR were very defensive when I asked them and I decided to wind my neck in in case I expedited my departure. They just said if you signed a bank contract you’ve signed away your rights but I guess that doesn’t negate the uk employment law.

More fool you!

gattocattivo
I’m asked to help other people out who are struggling so it’s not dishonest at all.

Yes I feel stupid for telling her it was misguided loyalty and I realise that now. I should’ve let her swing

Hope that gives you some clarity. At the time I thought she was being maligned maliciously and it wasn’t true.

She’s not doing all of my work she’s just doing a part of it. I can’t explain any further or it would identify what exactly I do - but needless to say she is not doing my full role. She’s just looking at a short-term quick gain. She has no wish to do my function permanently. It has just been an opportunity to make some money on the side. My complaint was this has made me vulnerable in an already very vulnerable workplace.

Ah sorry your colleague has done this but learn from it. Number one rule at work trust no one. When it comes to it at work everyone will ultimately put their needs first.

She told me in her own words why she was off and what she was doing. I definitely didn’t speculate. She’s even written it to me in texts. It wasn’t my business, it was between her and her boss. Luckily for her, I won’t take my revenge in that way because it’s not my style. I vented on here and that has helped me immensely today. I would never behave that way to anybody especially one I called a friend.

If I do go, I will do so gracefully and I certainly won’t allow her behaviour to define me going forward. She knows what she’s done and probably the worry that I know about her antics and have proof is probably enough of a punishment in itself.

Maybe I actually enjoy the role - it wasn’t ever offered as a permanent position. It has always been temporary due to trust funding/budgets to a particular department. It is very worthwhile and it is a necessary function for people suffering from cancer. Money may not be my driver in this instance. I may have held very senior roles in the past and been out of work for many years and may be a returner - you’re very judgemental if you don’t mind me saying. My original post was on the fact that somebody I trusted deliberately and coldly betrayed me for a very small financial gain and in doing so put my head above the parapet.

How can you say you had no idea that she wasn't performing to standard and thought it was malicious when she told you she was swinging the lead and you were also doing her work for her ?

If she wasnt performing/meeting standards then she wouldn't, as part of a PIP, be allowed to take in extra shifts until her performance improved.
By doing it for her you have actually caused your own downfall!

You do you then 🤷‍♀️

I really hope you find something if you do get let go. Your ex friend sounds like a right cow but hopefully you won’t make the same mistakes in your next job. Also no more helping her doing work she hasn’t done. Anything she tries to give you do what a PP suggested and email the manager and say you are too busy or whatever. Let them know she’s trying to palm her work onto you. Ignore her birthday and be politely disinterested.

Hopefully once the NHS makes all these cutbacks the crap staff will be exposed and if there are no bank staff to make up for the work not being done the management will be forced to performance manage them. There will be no room for staff who aren’t pulling their weight. Not sure how likely this is to happen but that’s what should happen and would happen in most organisations. Good luck!

OP, forget your friend for a minute. If you’ve worked the same hours for over 2 years, you almost certainly have the same protections as a permanent employee. Are you a member of a union?

No she hasn’t, that’s the entire point of employing people on the bank.

Legally she should have @blossomtoes. Prevailing employment law over-rides what a bank contract says.

It's not black and white any more. With the change to have actual hours count if there has been continuous service, she should be due 2 weeks (12wk average) redundancy pay after 2 years (1 week if under age 22, 3 weeks if over age 41). If she took period off during the 2 years, or if hours varied significantly, then she may be due nothing.

I'm not personally convinced that introducing elements of legislative doubt actually help individuals nor HR to understand rights, now that contractual wording, hours worked and "integration" with the team affect payments. In OP's case, I would guess HR will chuck her 2 weeks money or offer redeployment to another team (shittier team with fewer hours). Given the lengthy elapsed time to get NHS jobs, she would be better off applying now regardless, or moving into another temp field.

Agree

Oh OP this does suck... I'll be honest, I'd personally be looking to work somewhere else, even if you're not made redundant it sounds like you'll be up against people that are close to management and as much as they aren't supposed to be biased, a lot unfortunately are.

Hi @fib88. You sound lovely. Very hardworking, dedicated to providing a good service to patients and a good friend to your colleague.

I’m sorry this has happened. You must feel very aggrieved.

You’re right to distance yourself from the colleague who’s offered to take on your work at such a time. She perhaps didn’t think how it’d affect you. She sounds like she’s not the most proactive or considerate of people, in thought or deed.

What’s done is done. You’ve tried to protect and warn her, at some risk to yourself, that her slacking’s being noticed. You’ve been kind and thoughtful to her. But it hasn’t been reciprocated. It’s her problem, not yours. No point beating yourself up about it.

Just don’t bother any more. You can be pleasant to her, and not gossip about her or deliberately get her into trouble. But you should no longer carry the load for her, even if it means patients are affected. As long as you’re working hard on your allocated work, and can prove it, that’s for the manager to worry about. If you’re directly asked how much she’s done, be honest, without getting unnecessarily elaborating. But no longer cover for her.

IMHO you should also seek a permanent job, in a different department or setting. You don’t appear to be valued in your current post, when you work so hard and take so little time off. You care about serving patients. You’re supportive to colleagues. You’re exactly the sort of staff member the NHS should have on the payroll.

Realise your worth and go where you’re appreciated. Don’t allow yourself to be taken advantage of by your employer or colleagues ❤️

You still don't seem to get it. I think over reliance and overlong usage of bank employees in the NHS hasn't helped in situations like yours. Your thoughts and feelings on this woman are irrelevant. Like it or not, she has a permanent contract, you don't. Someone has approved she does this work. I think your energy would be far better invested in being professional, doing what you are paid to do, understand you could be gone tomorrow and put all that anger annoyance and frustration into applying for contracted work. NHS errors in using bank for long fill ins has caused this. Good luck. Oh and stop helping her do her job.

you don’t sound like much of a friend saying how lazy and disliked she is by the rest of the staff, plus she’s right there’s nothing you can do about it. If she needs the money and has been offered the extra hours she is hardly going to turn them down.

Sounds typical care staff ! Especially if they have been in the job a long time,Very bitchy and back stabbing. As for being bank, I’m amazed you manage to get the same hours and same place every week/month.
I have just left my job at a hospital, I’ve worked the wards, have worked bank and then got a nicer job in OPD, which was one of the nicest teams I worked with.However I know anyone of those members of staff would steam roll me or anyone for they own greedy benefit. A culture of dog eat dog.
im reluctant to go back to working in care or the NHS due to the shocking bully culture that is rife .

Start looking for another job.

Life is too short for this BS. Continue going to work. Don’t say another word about your feelings on her actions. Then dip once you find a new job.

Is it? Please tell that to the bank who are my employer! I get paid the exact same as any other bank 5 who has been in the role the same amount of time I have. I've been on 3 different nurse banks in 3 different health boards and they've all been the same.

Agree, this seems to be a common misconception, may have been true years back but not anymore! I've been bank for my trust since 2019, from choice as in my 60s and have my pension and I like the role I do. 20 years experience at top of band 6 and I get paid bottom of band 6 as bank as that is our trusts policy despite level of experience. I also don't get sick pay so when I caught covid from a patient in 2020 and was unable to work for a long time there was no pay for months!