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 call this woman a friend and then go on to insult her in every possible way. Now you are pulling the rug from under her and enjoying her discomfort. Neither of you sound particularly nice.

On your employment situation, as you have been there for more than two years you do have enhanced employment rights. Speak to ACAS.

The permanent employee got the extra shifts (colleague) not the bank staff (you) It's been all over the news for days that NHS trusts are to stop using bank staff. It's not personal, no one has betrayed you. Focus on getting a permanent role. The days of bank are coming to an end.

Your mistaken in a few points here
Where I work bank are NOT paid more than the permanent staff we are paid the same.

There is a total recruitment freeze and no new bank posts are being allowed or advertised job for permanent roles.

when I say made redundant, I mean get the sack although by law after two years in the same role on a zero contract you should be entitled to employee rights equal to the permanent staff but my hospital dispute that. Tribunals are backed up by three years so not much point in trying to take them on anyway..

Go discuss this all with your union. They can advise on employment rights over 2 years. They can give you the advice you need.

I’m not a member of the union - people who work on zero contract hours for more than two years should by law have the same employee rights as permanent staff according to the UK government. I did ask the question with HR a while ago and they told me not if you sign up to Bank.. I do know that employment tribunals are backed up for over two years so there’s not much point in trying to take them on even if I could or had the stomach for it

So basically there's a woman at work, everyone else has always hated her, but you thought you were her friend and now she's fucked you over?
Honestly I think the takeaway for you is that you should listen to other people more because you're a poor judge of character.

Everyone should do what's best for them at work, very few people have genuine friendships at work that carry over to life outside work. You're already vulnerable by being zero hours, get that CV up together!

Also working the bank is different to working as a temp employee, you won't get far unfortunately pursuing this line.

I understand why you would feel upset by this turn of events. The NHS can be a dreadful place to work in terms of how they treat staff, and this woman clearly doesn’t view you as a friend.
Working as bank staff is by definition insecure work and this is now biting you in the arse. If you need more secure work then you need to change jobs. What is the alternative job availability situation like for you?

It’s not a shift it’s my job I work full time and still doing so - she’s just stealing some of my work opportunistically and making my function vulnerable. She has no appetite for doing this long term.

Why shouldn't she try and pick up extra hours for a holiday, I had a colleague desperate for me to leave, job adverts shown to me on a daily basis so she could keep her role, I saw through her , her role ended, mine didn't

She hasn’t actually done anything wrong. She wanted extra work to make some extra money and management have given her your tasks. From what you’ve said, your job was at risk regardless and you will always be the first cut from the role because you are Bank. Her doing some of your work isn’t going to change that.

Whether she’s lazy or unlikeable or incompetent or all the other negative ways you’ve been describing your friend is irrelevant. The only thing you should be focused on is your own job and position. Bank staff isn’t stable work and if you can’t afford the risk you need to be looking for permanent positions.

You won't be sacked
You aren't a permanent member of staff
They just won't book you if work isn't available for you or they are cutting back.

You seem to lack boundaries.
Work is not for making friends, it's not school, it's work
Stop labelling coworkers and talking behind their backs
It's unprofessional and will get you a reputation for being unpleasant in the workplace
Quietly get on with your work, be polite and reliable but don't be over helpful

I used to be a bank nurse.

1. we do not get paid more than the permanent staff. We get holiday pay, contribute to superannuation, incremental increases, paid training, but no sick pay.
2. I too have been told things like “we dont really see you as a bank nurse you’re more like a permanent member of staff” etc. I have had a permanent “line on the rota” would get 1st pick of all the shifts etc. You do feel part of the team if you work in the same place for a long time. But when they dont need you they quickly stop saying all. Over the years I have lost shifts to permanent member of staff with fairly short notice.
3. The joy of being bank is that you can do what you like, for years I never worked Xmas took all my holidays during school holidays etc. never worried about a request for a particular day off being declined. I could cancel a shift simply because I wanted a day off to do something else. Often you can say you’ll work a certain shift but only if you can go home an hour earlier or start an hour later.
4. it’s easier not to get involved in departmental politics.
5. you dont have to take on extra responsibilities.
6. you can find out about a dept/ward and see if you like the team or not and vice versa you. I agree some teams are toxic (many aren’t) and as bank staff you can find this out. Ive also worked in various specialities as a bank nurse some I thought Id love but hated others I thought Id hate but loved, and can often also get experience in an area that you know nothing about. I got my current permanent job because I did a years bank in the same role in a different trust discovered much to my surprise I loved it and was able to offer a years experience.

There have been times in my life when the advantages have outweighed the disadvantages and then vice versa but whatever you may think of your bank job and how competent you are and whatever anyone in the dept you work in may say when they no longer need you for whatever reason they will simple stop booking you. A few years ago I could see that the number of bank staff my hospital was going to need was going to start declining and its going to be even less going forward by then luckily I already had a part time permanent position so I now have a full time permanent position. There are times when I look wistfully back on my days as bank nurse but the security of 6 months full sick and guaranteed hours is at present sufficient compensation.

Realistically OP with such sweeping cuts being made they either need someone doing the role or they don't. You won't be sacked you just won't be booked anymore, with literally hundreds being let go if the job is genuinely needed they will fill it with one of those people who wants to have the opportunity to apply as part of the redundancy process rather than you regardless of what this woman says or does. It's time to look for something else.

So it is cheaper ( for NHS and therefore tax payers )to have her or you?

Zero hours contract isn't really a job, they could take that away and give you no shifts anytime they want. I'm sure there will be permanent positions created. Two years ago my oh went through this after 14 years contracting. Now he gets healthcare, holiday. Sickpay, pension, shares dental and wishes he had done it years ago.

My advice is just be bright breezy and professional or you will seal your own fate with this one. If she’s mates with the manager, has secured herself more hours and you start being perceived as difficult, by being at all funny with her about seating, birthdays or whatever, than you will likely be released as the easiest solution to that issue.

not necessarily fair but I’ve seen this happen many times. If you need this job I’d vent on here but not at work

You covered for a colleague who you knew to be lazy and widely disliked? That’s incredibly unprofessional.

Unfortunately in the current climate I think it really is every woman for herself. You have to start behaving the same.

This is a shitty situation and great to hear you are standing up to this lass and not covering up for her anymore. Unfortunately lazy people so often get away with not doing their work, particularly if they charm management.....
Possibly need to put in a formal complaint about her!
For yourself, you must join a Union (if not already) and/or contact ACAS. You have been there for over 2 years so the law is on your side re regarding redundancy. You really need to get some proper legal advice to support you.....

Why do people keep telling@fib88 that being bank is a vulnerable position? She already knows it is vulnerable, since she is the one facing unemployment/redundancy/no more shifts, however you phrase it!

She is upset that someone she thought was a friend has screwed her over to get a bit of extra cash for their holiday. In a few weeks/months time, the colleague will be uninterested in doing fib88's work, but she will have helped ensure her position is untenable.

Fib88, I think you are completely right to be angry and hurt by your colleague's selfish behaviour. I would remain professional, but also tell a few trusted colleagues what has happened (just the facts), so that everyone realises what a bitch she is. They probably know anyway.

Your primary problem is your vulnerable position and how your employer is treating you.

Have you and colleagues with long service on this basis had union or other advice on your employment status for employment rights?

If senior managers are saying explicitly they ‘don’t think of you as bank’ that’s unhelpful to you and unprofessional of them and doesn’t align with your organisation’s position.

Can you talk to anyone in a position to offer you a permanent position based on your work record.

I went thru similar years ago, the hospital gave 2 of the temporary staff, FT contracts during cutbacks.

The language here seems confusing. OP is a Bank employee and Bank employees are normally used to fill in occasional shifts or hours that permanently employed people can't/won't. So if it's true that you have been working the same hours consistently for more than 2 years that may give you scope to claim that you are actually an employee. Talk to ACAS and find out exactly where you stand.

https://www.acas.org.uk/contact

As Bank employees are intended to be deployed occasionally when needed, they can't be made redundant because they don't actually have a set job. So redundancy — which is quite a long and complex process, done properly — doesn't really apply. It sounds as if the management have decided to cut back on use of the Bank, which is what a lot of employers are doing.

I wish you luck, OP, in finding new, permanent work. Talk to ACAS, work out exactly where you stand. Your colleague has been told that you're going to be let go and your hours are up for the taking and she's taken them. I know you're furious and frightened, but think about it — wouldn't you take the hours and the extra money if something like this was to happen to a fellow worker? 'Hey, Olivia, Emma is leaving, do you want some of her hours?' This isn't the personal stab in the back you see it as.