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.

I'd stop helping her. She'll struggle doing her own job as well as extra at the weekends, because she's naturally lazy. She'll end up with a warning for poor performance, hopefully you'll get your hours back. She is no friend of yours! No birthday card or gift for her! What a piece of work.

Well, she will have to do her own work first, and you’re not going to be the silly mug who finishes it off for her anymore or helps her out anymore.

I don't know if this has been said but the agency workers regulations take effect after twelve weeks. After twelve weeks you have the right to the same benefits as permanent staff.

With two years service you also have employment rights and should be part of any restructuring consultation.

Stick to the law and take the personal stuff out of it.

Bank just isint secure .
She has job security and owes you nothing ( it's back stabbing but she is seeing an opportunity for her as you are vulnerable to this cull )
Friend of mine agency for 20 years. It comes out in the wash ie there is cost saving now and she isint getting the work she once did by managers who she thought of as friends. My pal should have taken a permanent contract like you should have but didn't. Now it's pure stress!! Look for something else
It's employed with security that have the upper hand here with any manager ( don't even have to be friends )
It's like illegal and legal in The US

@fib88 todays posters have really helped me come to terms with all of this

Oh dear. Worry not, cancer survivors, abuse victims etc., you're not alone, OP has now "come to terms" with not getting her own way at work. 😂😂😂

She was never a friend. Nobody could be that close a friend in less than 2.5 years.
You were just the only person in the office to be foolish enough to enable her. Stop giving her excuses. By doing so youve probably actually upset other staff.

Your only obligation is to yourself and to your patients /job.

From now on no covering and her failings will reveal themselves or she'll have to start working harder to earn the overtime.

You don't have to be more than professional and courteous at work. You're no longer available for friendship.

Other people are right you don't have any comeback due to the employment set up you have so now it's time for something permanent if your priorities have changed and you need security.

OP do you have other skills that are transferable to other types of work? Could you retrain? It looks on the face of it as if you're not hugely well placed to find permanent work?

Offer to do her job "now she's falling behind & going on holidays" or better yet deal with this head on - request proper working rights or you'll find somewhere else/go for redundancy

Potentially you could complain to a higher up management if you work in a hospital. Complain that your unhappy with your current work load & feel it's being used to end your job due to your colleague & managers prior friendship.

Yes, do go to senior management - they're bound to intervene on your behalf.

I agree with that … I lost sight of her tardiness and work shy behaviour and over looked stuff I should have seen. I was wrong to give her a “heads up” too born out of misplaced “loyalty” on my part. I had hoped she could improve before it was too late. I’ve had an epiphany today by digesting everyone’s comments and seen my mistakes too.

You're a meddler, not a saviour. Start minding your own business and take a hard look at your own life choices. Why are you in low-paid, insecure employment with no union membership?

Yes I’m cheaper and better at it!

You are contradicting yourself. She’s simultaneously known as workshy and lazy by management, but also she’s getting away with it because you keep picking up her work. Absolutely nobody likes her (except you), yet she’s besties with the manager.

If management were really having high level meetings about how shit she is, they wouldn’t be agreeing to her doing extra paid hours, would they? It can’t all be true at once.

Honestly the more you post with your ‘too kind’ ‘saviour complex’ the more you are revealing about yourself.

I work for the NHS and agree that there are cuts being made everywhere. It's completely possible that if OP doesn't get any more hours, that they will simply not replace her and expect the other members of the team to cover the work.

I agree that while she is allowed to do what she did, it's morally uncomfortable, and second all the suggestions about stepping back the cover and help you give her - I can see that you have started doing that already.

Your management are really unprofessional though, discussing people with their team mates.

Redundancy is an objective, structured and legal process.

Temporary staff will, of course, be without work before anyone on a contract.

@fib88Some people have sounded quite harsh to you calling you a meddler but I do think they have a point, even if it’s expressed in a tough way.

The dept you’re working in sounds toxic. The managers know they are paying a lazy employee and then paying bank staff to do the permanent staff’s job! That’s an outrageous use of tax payers’ money. And you’re enabling that.

If this is a microcosm of the NHS, than frankly thank god the writing is on the wall for this type of thing. It’s absolutely right they’re having to manage their budgets properly and stopping pissing money away.

im sorry you’ve been caught in the crossfire but there’s a massive problem here.

Forget the personal stuff and other people. You do have employment rights - join the union and/or look at your house insurance policy. Legal protection is a common add on to house insurance and if you have it check if it covers employment issues.

You don’t have to wait two years to go to a tribunal - the objective is to get a better settlement whilst you find a better place to work.

In the next job try to keep the personal stuff out of, especially where some staff maintain personal relationships with the management.

A similar thing has happened to me as a supply teacher with my long term p/t role given to my TA now working at a higher level. The pressure will have come from above as a cost cutting measure. NHS bank staff are paid really well (unlike supply teachers!) and the hospital sees they can make savings by getting other staff to do overtime. She would have found the extra money attractive when she was presented with the option. It won't have been personal or instigated by her, so there is no need to feel a grudge against her. Sadly, unless you have a permanent contract, you are very disposible and first out. It happens in supply teaching all the time. Pull up your big knickers and get your agency to find you another role elsewhere for the sake of your mental health (can't be sat next to someone you resent) and where you might have some longivity.

Sometimes tough things need saying. The OP is focusing on the wrong things rather than why she's left herself so vulnerable.

I think many workplaces are toxic sadly.At the end of the day everyone has to be there to earn a living ,not the same as heading off to a nice niche group! I would use this as a lesson for future reference ,be polite and friendly only .No meet ups out of work ,no "sticking up" for her and defo no extra work .An old friend used to say "people are assholes" in a strong accent .very funny but true sadly .

This kind of staffing decision isn’t personal. Bank staff are the first to have hours cut.

This, to be honest you take a real risk staying in zero hours work. You should have left to get a permanent job years ago.

All that means is she can stay employed by the Bank
There are no guaranteed hours/shifts with Bank work
It's pretty clear when you sign up

The NHS is in for a very big shock then when the Employment Rights Bill is introduced.

I think you and I have very different definitions of friendship. I wouldn’t be friends with someone I thought so little of. Maybe she’s picked up on this too? I think you are taking this too personally, everyone is entitled to try and expand their job, she wants more money, she doesn’t want you to have less money. If she was so bad at her job, then why would she be offered more work?

I think I get where you're coming from and it is a kick in the teeth. She sounds a bit dim tbh and short sighted
Don't do her work any more then at least her shortcomings and your strength is seen and do try and get a permanent role if there is one. Easier said than done though
I feel for you