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.

Generally, people can be shits. They only think of themselves.

The only thing you can do is find another job.

I had similar, where I employed my best friend to be a Team Leader. I went off sick for a month and during that time my team was restructured and I was made redundant (after over a decade there).

I never spoke to her again but I’m still livid 25 years later.

Please take your future into your own hands. You can’t change anything within the NHS.

It’s a British English abbreviation in common use. Obviously if you think it inappropriate do report my post.

No, I'll just laugh at "report it anon" with its Elizabethan flavour 😅.

Forsooth, however, unless the "anon" allegation has hard evidence attachèd to it, it shall be deleted forthwith.

OP, you are right to distance yourself from her. You definitely need to stop doing her work as you are covering up her laziness.

Ring ACAS for advice on employment rights and redundancy, zero hours etc, so that you know your rights and can present them to HR if they say anything different.

Shes not saving money though - she's getting overtime comming in on weekends & it costs more long term as she's a full time employee so tax/contributions are higher then with OP doing it during the week while she does her own job

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

For a ‘close friend’ you really don’t like her much. I guess she feels the same about you?

"when you hate somebody, you hate everything about them"

Id imagine every thing this woman has done is being regurgitated now OP sees what she's like towards her behind closed doors but the signs were probably always there.

You are using an archaic version of the word to being with . No problem.

To being with what?

Indeed. But a lot of other industries are going to be in for an even bigger shock, many of whom who are still hurting - and making people redundant as a direct result of Labour's employer NI increase.

I've worked in the public sector most of my life. Sadly, there are a majority of public sector workers who believe they are irreplaceable (they're not) and who still hug onto their magic money trees.

An agile economy needs zero-hour contracts to deliver the services that you want. Many of you supporting Raynor's bill will be shocked and no doubt posting here when your Amazon delivery doesn't arrive.

Labour's position, as much as they have one, beggars belief. I am old enough to see what this kind of meddling does to an economy, and it's not going to be pleasant for the majority of ordinary people.

Socialist policies, like Raynor's Employment Rights Bill, seems absolutely fine until you begin to run out of spending other people's money - and it won't stop people being exploited in the workplace.

Management must have their reasons for this, whether that be cost savings or concerns about OP's performance and/or attitude. In the current climate, recruitment decisions are scrutinised really carefully.

She's picking up OP's full- time job in some weekend overtime, which can't be more than 1 day as they bave to ensure adequate breaks. Paying her overtime for one day versus OP 35 hours... it's cheaper, of course.

MatildaMovesMountains
Just for reference I have no firm form for being a meddler or stirrer!…

Waterweight is correct, she’s charging them more because she’s on overtime. At 40% extra.

You have form in this thread. It’s not for you to be picking apart her sick leave. It’s not for you to ‘pass on’ on info about her performance from senior management. It’s all toxic.

Spot on, thank you x

The NHS has gone to shit. So annoyed to be funding people like OP’s colleague.

No firm form, which means they have no concrete proof. Judging by this thread you clearly do have form, though.

Being emotional doesn’t help. They are having to cut a crazy amount. You have to help yourself a bit and not stay in precarious roles. Sorry if that sounds harsh.

OP, for whatever reason you have chosen to be, or ended up as, a (presumably) band 3 admin on a zero hours bank contract, with no union membership, which is a really insecure setup. Do you feel any regret at all about your life decisions? Instead of hating on your colleague, could you invest some time in making your situation more secure?

OP I think you have been given a hard time on here. I get where you’re coming from, the fact you’re bank and you know that isn’t relevant when you feel like this friend has deliberately undermined you when you’re vulnerable.

I hope you get your work situation sorted, just be aware that your colleague will likely get found out very soon as it will become obvious that the work isn’t being done. Keep your distance and I hope you find the job of your dreams in the mean time.

Your colleague, whatever her faults, has what you don't have, which is a secure income. She's winning at life. Find your own way to win! You're not going to find it by trying to do her down.

People do become close friends at work - it’s not unusual! They even get married sometimes.

I don't think OP is married to her colleague?

@fib88 don't complain. Just say to the manager that as she's forwarding x report on to you to do, wouldn't it be more efficient for it to be passed straight to you in future.
She's stolen your work so steal hers back with a smiley helping the team out face on.

I was responding to a previous poster who seemed to be suggesting that it was laughable that you could consider a work colleague a trustworthy friend.