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 say the manager likes her and they go back years. Well, there you go. I always say that 90% of a chance of job success is if the boss likes you. You can be the most talented and hard-working employee in the world but if the person with the power is not on your side then you really up against it.

Why did you stick up for someone in the wrong? Then complain about the manager being her friend and seemingly doing the same?

Agree friend isn’t a friend and to be avoided!

Is there evidence of the work she keeps giving to you to finish? I'd offer to the manager to take on part of her role if you regularly have to do her work for her.

"Oh hi Bob, Jane keeps needing to forward the x spreadsheet to me to do as she doesn't have time, can it just be sent direct to me to save her time? Then I can just crack on with it straight away rather than waiting until Friday afternoon!" With a bright smile

you've chosen to take the higher pay for lower commitment of being bank staff.

Respectfully, read OP’s update - literally one post above yours.

AlphaApple

How am I enjoying her discomfort ? … she doesn’t have any she gets with murder in the office and the only person who’s defended her has been stabbed in the back for very little gain.

You’re not what I think most people consider bank - ie a flexible resource which means flexible both ways. The gov have used bank staff as a scapegoat in the past for the issues with the NHS and some of the comments in this thread show how that has landed. Instead you’re a victim of recruitment freezes and the unintended consequences, and this is exactly what the two year rule was meant to stop.

But the public sector are awful at actually following the law (I know, I am public sector too).

In our organisation we are very very strict about not letting people stay on temp contracts after two years, so although I take your point on tribunals being backed up the fact you have been there more than two years and have mentioned this to HR might make them nervous about getting rid of you. They might not want to take that risk if they can avoid it, and so you have that one your side.

I know that your post was more about your colleague’s behaviour, but just thought I would mention this.

It's not clear
Is your role clinical?
I used to be a nurse so my experience of bank staff is of bank HCA,s and nursing staff picking up shifts that couldn't be filled there was usually loads of work available and it worked well for some people as it was very flexible.

I'm going to answer the question that was actually asked (not lecture OP on something else entirely 🙄)

YANBU - she sounds really unpleasant. You've every right to feel betrayed.

Why did you stick up for her repeatedly over her failings?

I doubt I'd want to be friends with someone ho was work-shy and this resulted in me having to do HER work on top of my own.

In future, don't cover for people like her.

No I’m admin not nursing - it’s very specific and has a clinical element to it.

Unfortunately, your manager being matey with this piece of work will matter more in the long run than the fact that you are better at your job. It’s taken me a startlingly long time to accept this fact of office life. And if you object you will probably be let go faster, as no manager likes to think they are doing something illogical like offering professional preferment to someone who is ineffectual because they like them personally. This will make them feel uncomfortable so they will project those negative feelings onto you. The fact you are bank staff makes this 100 x easier.

Depressing as it is, I would see it as a wake up call and look for a permanent perch if at all possible. As PPs have said, there are cutbacks coming so look for something that looks future proof even if it’s not perfect.

And absolutely, no bloody card for Ms Poundshop Machiavelli.

OP has said several times that she isn’t paid any more than permanent staff. She is’t paid for being off sick, so l’d guess in monetary terms OP is cheaper. That’s not the issue. She’s bank staff and NHS are not using bank staff any more.

OP your'e being ridiculous. You are BANK if the works not availabe you'll be the first to go.
I was in a smilar position after 4 years as bank - totally my choice. When work dried up I weighed up my options and decided to apply for a permanent position.
Role on 2 years I now manage the team I worked in as bank.
To be frank you dont come across as someone I'd want to work with, maybe work on yourself before worrying about others.
Interesting how majority seem to be under impression bank staff are on a higher rate - its actually slightly lower in my sector.

It's work, OP - you have to try to stop taking it so personally. Can't you find a permanent post?

Thank you for such sound advice - I have felt a bit under fire today by a lot of the responses but I think you totally get it and my predicament. I particularly like the “Pound Shop Machiavelli” - you’ve summed her and the situation up to a T. x

When jobs become insecure people turn on each other and it does become each for themselves. At the end of the day, people will put their job security, their family and home lives above their work friendships. She also probably stopped investing in the friendship that was advantageous to her at work because she calculated that you won’t be in the workplace much longer so will shortly be of no more use to her. Sorry but I do think some people are that selfish and callous.

She has shown you who she is and you have stopped cutting her any slack or doing her any favours. I don’t see what else can be done, really.

Join a union for next time. I can't understand why anyone would forego the protection that union membership confers.

What higher pay? Are you getting bank confused with agency?

OP, kindly, you're making yourself look incredibly unreasonable and unkind. I'm sorry you're in a vulnerable job situation, but that doesn't justify your vitriol against someone you call a friend. She hasn't stolen anything and it's ridiculous to say she has.

yanbu, this is pretty dire behaviour by your colleague. I think your best bet is seeing the union - as even if it doesn't keep you in this post, then it might give you more of a chance at another job with the same organization.

She's not in a union. Unfortunately.

If I were you I'd ask senior management (above this boss who is friends with your co-worker) for a 'minimum hours contract'. As a zero hours employee, you have the right to do this.

They are not going to make you redundant, because on a zero hours contract they don't have to - they can just stop offering you work.

I've worked with bank staff on zero hours contracts like this in the past, and whereas the whole point of it is flexibility - so staff can refuse shifts if they want, just as management don't have to offer shifts - what actually happened was that because of short staffing, with very few exceptions, bank staff would be consulted about availability on the rota way before other staff, and could choose all the best shifts. Which naturally led to bad feeling - these were not 'real' zero hours contracts in any meaningful way, and the nature of healthcare is such that I wonder if this is the way you work? It's actually meaning you have no job security, but are assumed to be available to them just like a normally contracted person.

As you are on a zero hours contract, you are free to accept work elsewhere at any time. so my advice would be to begin doing that.

You chose to take a zero hours contract with all the benefits this confers to you and knowing the potential pitfalls. I have a post-retirement zero hours contract so know what I'm talking about.

As a retired public sector manager I also think you show a level of unwarranted victimisation and entitlement in your posts. You are not as important or as indispensable as you seem to think you are.

Enjoy your weekend.

I agree with PP who have advised contacting a union or ACAS. I’m not a lawyer or HR, but my understanding is that If someone has worked the same hours over a period of time (especially over 2 years) they may have some employment rights.

The other thing to be aware of is that changed to zero hours contracts are pending - another reason for the NHS to reduce regular bank staff as well as the financial ones.

My third point is that the NHS cycles a lot. They reduce staffing, people leave, then a crisis happens due inadequate staffing and recruitment is allowed again. If you want a job and are well thought of, there will almost certainly be work in future. It depends if you want it. You might want to join an admin agency in the short term to explore other options and decide if you actually want to put up with NHS crap mind.