Colleague has called in sick when they definitely aren’t!

[peedoffandtired]

My colleague has been on a fixed term contract with a plan to go into another job at the end of it. They’re not exactly the best employee at the best of times.

They got rejected from that position and asked our boss yesterday if they could stay. The boss said no.

So they just walked out. They’re not in today and to be honest I’d be surprised if we see them again. I’ve already picked up the work of one colleague who has left. Now I’m picking up this work too. AIBU to be totally peed off and fed up?!

Why would you take their work on?

Because there is literally no other option. It’s not like things can just go away, there are very tight deadlines and things that must be done every week. There’s no other option.

But you can only do what you can get done in your time at work. So what does it matter?

Why doesn’t your boss do it?

Ok, but then surely you just do what you can do and anything else just doesn’t get done. Eventually someone important will be inconvenienced and make a fuss.

Then surely you’re not surprised that they’ve decided not to come in, can you? Sounds like they weren’t doing much work anyway, so there won’t be too much extra to take over from them if they don’t come back.

You've never worked in the public sector have you? I worked in a public sector in a public-facing office where recruitment was "on hold for two years" but the work didn't stop.

There should have been at least six permanent staff but there was only two and a bit (I was part-time).

In those two years there were lengthy periods when no-one else turned in for work except me due to stress.

It was only when I took went off sick with stress that expensive agency staff were employed. It was another year before permanent staff were recruited by which time I couldn't work there any longer for my own sanity and I left.

No. Have you ever worked in healthcare? There is literally no option other than to get it done.

Is it reasonable for someone to leave a contract job with no notice, and not take into account the consequences on their colleagues, in circumstances where they've been told they are not being kept on? Yeah, i'd say reasonable enough. They won't get a great reference but maybe they don't care.

You're not their friend, you're just someone they worked with for a few months. Life's too short to be working somewhere you don't want to be for fear of offending a co-worker who - let's face - doesn't even like you.

Succession planning is your boss' job, not your co-worker.

I get that the job still needs to be done. But there is always emergency measures that can be taken when their are unforeseen issues with resources. What if you broke your leg tomorrow? Your boss isn't going to do the work of four people. Someone would be pulled from another area or department, temporarily. Your boss isn't doing that because they know that despite your grumbling you'll work overtime (probably unpaid) to fill the gap.

Get some boundaries. Go to your boss and say it is not possible for you to do X, Y and Z, you are already at breaking point. Tell them that you'll do X, and half of Y, and they'll need to get someone in to do the rest. If not, you can see no other option but to go to your GP and get signed off for mental health reasons, and then they'll need two extra people.

But you said they barely do any work and make loads of mistakes anyway, so will her not being there make much difference?
And there is an option to the work being done… the work not being done. If you all martyr yourselves and take on the extra work, those responsible for allocating resource won’t think there’s a problem.

They’re already overstretched!

I agree @Merkins and then we get criticised for things not being done on time etc. Luckily my director is very good at persuading HR and the senior CS that we have to have more staff but for a few years we have had a massive backlog and are all doing our best to plough through it and get things on track. I can genuinely say that there is no one in my small org that doesn't pull their weight but years of underfunding has had a profound effect. I've worked in other departments, and the private sector, where there are lazy incompetent staff as well as the classic "too many chiefs", but this org is fantastic.

Anyway OP, sorry to derail, but total sympathy to you. All I can suggest is going to your boss, and perhaps including their boss on the email, and lay out what you can do and what you cannot fit into your day. Ask for their priorities, and whether there is any chance for recruitment coming up.

When though? If you’re working 40 hours a week and an extra 40 hours a week of work now needs to be done, will you start working 80 hours a week?

The golden question. Things get sloppy, mistakes get made and managers get angry but nothing changes because there isn’t the money to bring in anyone else.

That’s not how it works, I’m afraid. They won’t suddenly find the budget for more staff just because important things aren’t being done. They will keep pushing the remaining staff until they go off sick, and then say, “I wonder why we can’t retain staff? It’s a mystery’. Then they’ll spend £M they don’t have on temp contractors in their panic to get the place back on track.

I understand, I really do, what it feels like to be so tired and overworked that everything gets on top of you and you feel like there’s no way out.

But if you manage, in normal working hours, to get done what used to take three people to do, you’re just confirming the opinion of The powers-that-be that the department was overstaffed before and it’s not necessary to have three staff to do the work.

I don’t blame them for thinking of themselves. I’m only at work for me because they pay me, I certainly don’t worry about anyone else there.

You said she was sloppy and made mistakes anyway, and was barely at her desk, so maybe things won’t change as much as you think. It might even be easier now she’s gone as she was so bad at her job.

YABU. Firstly you have no idea if your colleagues is unwell or not and no right to question it. You are not a manager.

Secondly if you’re already covering one person’s work, you have every right to refuse to cover a 3rds.

Agree with this. Stop struggling on, if you’re managing what incentive do they have to get more staff.

I work for a service that is hugely backlogged.

I don't concern myself with that. Nor do I overwork.

I do what I can in the time available; and I treat each service-user with consideration, allowing them the time that they need.

And if the backlog grows, my managers can deal with that - or not

They should have been sacked anyway!

Yet more waste of taxpayer money… 🤷‍♀️

So has the colleague called in sick or just not turned up?

To be honest if I wasn't wanted I'd walk out too! They must have done quite a decent job if you're missing their presence!

If you want things to change with staffing levels then don’t pick up the extra. Let it drop. Make sure you have sent emails to your manager advising them of the situation. Sometimes you need to let things break before they get fixed.