@Loopylooie I sympathise
What are you actually allowed to do about this? I think you should speak to his manager.
There's definitely something going on in the workplace, I've posted about it before
There could be any number of reasons he's like this
But basically, I think a lot of of us are plagued with people who just have no interest in doing their jobs and can't even focus on things.
I've had a battle today with two people who couldn't cope with an email that had eight points in it. They were clear questions and they're the ones with access to the answers, which are incredibly straightforward - mostly just figures.
I sent the email last week, I had to chase it up yesterday, they said they would deal with it and today, a more senior person contacted me and said "they get overwhelmed with stuff like that, can't you clarify on the telephone?"
The whole point of the email was to get it in writing. As far as I can tell, they're perfectly nice. But so many people just seem to drift around not achieving anything and panicking when asked to do... their job. I'm freelancing and these are the two people I was told to go to with these sorts of questions.
It's not the first time I've noticed it recently and I genuinely wonder if my services would be required if people were doing their job jobs properly in the first place.
I think some people have weaponised the blank stare thinking that it will get them out of doing anything, because so many people will just think "it's easier to do it myself than it is to explain to someone who is completely out of it".
I wouldn't have any hesitation in speaking to the manager. It's not easy to recruit but then it becomes a question of "do you literally just need someone to be present" which in a hospitality situation might be the case, especially if he's good at other parts of his job.