I do not have children

[Suncottage]

I have a query. My work hours are 8.30am to 5pm. I drew up the contract for my new co-worker to work the same hours. I am not her boss she is a PA to the directors.

I work those hours and am paid for them. That was the norm.

My new co-worker has decided she does not want to work those hours and comes in at 9am because of the school run, leaves at 3pm (because of the school run) and comes back at 4pm. Then she leaves at 5pm because she needs to get home.

Her child is 15 and goes to school a fifteen minute walk from her home.

I am picking up her work and staying late but she has not had her salary adjusted down nor has mine been adjusted up. I am covering her desk for the times she is away.

I am a more than a little non-plussed by this. My HR manager just said "She has a child".

I am a little bit stunned by this.

it is wrong.

Definately wrong IMHO, I have flexi time etc but I still have to do the hours I am paid for.

I'm all for flexible working - but this is taking the piss. Not much you can do about it though as its really none of your business.

one hr & a half less than you per day - shocking. Does she take breaks?

I'm sure that's wrong, I have a flexible working arrangement with work where I work different hours and days to my usual rota, but I pay for that in a reduced salary (I work less hours than I'm originally contracted for). I'm sure her working arrangements could be accommodated within a flexible working agreement, but there's no way she shouldn't sacrifice some pay for it (unless she's agreed to work at home during the weekends/evenings) and you shouldn't be picking up her extra work.

Unless she is making up the time elsewhere, this is unfair! Does she work through lunch?

Are you in HR - are you sure about her pay?

In any case, you should be paid extra if you're doing extra work, no matter what the circumstances. I would assume a 15 y o who couldn't get to school and back on their own might have SN, so I wouldn't query that.

Nevermind her personal position, you're picking up the slack and not being paid nor, presumably, is it in your contract.

What would happen if you ceased to cover her desk and workload in the times she is absent?

Thanks. I thought I was the one going mad. We are very busy at work at the moment and it is 'all hands on deck'.

I am drowning in work at the moment - my assistant is on holiday this week which has not helped but she needed the break .

I have cancelled my time off twice in the last two months and I am sooooo fed up with this.

Her DD is 15 and has no special needs. I brought it up in a meeting that I had to struggle to cover both desks.

I was told "my daughter has never been on a bus before and doesn't understand them. I have to pick her up".

Jeez.

Thanks guys - I was going to jump in the lake earlier - I may postpone that

jiggery

Nope she is being paid the same - I do the payroll.

And yes she does take lunch breaks - she goes to Tescos every day to buy 'stuff for supper'

[slaps forehead with hand]

A fifteen year old who doesn't understand buses has special needs. Perhaps her mum prefers not to discuss her dd's needs at work?

But whether or not the dd has sn is of no consequence to the work situation - you are being exploited. Why is the boss so afraid of this woman?

A fifteen year old who doesn't understand buses could have SN but equally could have an overprotective mother - who sounds lazy!

If she needs flex working it should be done officially and her hours or pay (or both) should be adjusted.

I think that they should issue an ultimatum-the 15yr old gets a bus timetable and finds the bus stop! Does the mother not realise that in less than 3 yrs time the same DC can get on a plane to Australia (by herself)and as long as she has the money the mother can't stop her?!! She can join the army or get married in less than a year!! She needs to start giving some independence. I bet the same mother doesn't let her stay at home on her own or cook a meal! I would make waves-she isn't pulling her weight.

Sorry- I see that she doesn't even have to understand the bus timetable-she can walk!

Thanks everyone - I am tired and hacked off and needed to let off steam.

I think her 15 year old daughter could walk to school and back with no problem we live in a nice area. I am not being a witch or a child hater but I am run off my feet at the moment and just need the management to understand that.

If her child was ill I would bend over backwards to help .....but she is a teenager who just will not walk anywhere.

Too tired to think at the moment and settling down to do the accounts at 11pm on a Friday nght.

My fault - not being a martyr. I want to have a weekend.

Okay petrol costs - 40p a mile and he has done 675 miles in a 1.8 litre car which is measured in tax purposes at ........

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have a child with low to mild SN. I am a single parent too. I have told my boss and asked for special considerations in my working practices - which was given to me. Which means everyone else will be there at certain times, and I will not. I have not told any of my co workers.

The one thing I do different to the above, is I do deliver and I work extra hours to cover my work. And I'd probably skip the lunch breaks. (I don't cos I cover enough extra hours as it is).

I only say this because no one at my work is going to know my details (despite me being there for years). And it might appear I am getting away with stuff others don't.

However having said that - she might be taking the p*ss, but please don't dismiss the possibility that she isn't - just because you haven't been told.

What you need to do is focus on getting mgmt to recognise you have too much workload and not about her. You don't know why they are cutting her the slack.

whether her DD has special needs or not, has used public transport or not...

the fact remains that if she is coming in 30 minutes later and taking an hour gap between 3pm and 4pm whilst taking a lunchbreak too (as she should be, they're there for a reason, legally obligated, etc)... this is wrong... and you are having to pick up the slack for it.

if there was an emergency, that's life, but as a regular work routine you CANNOT, for your own sake, allow this to become the norm

i would bring it to HR's attention that you are swamped in your work and to adjust your hours/workload and/or salary in light of this. don't focus on "it's not fair that she's doing xyz" or point out that her DD could walk (it's not really any of your business, she could be getting a haircut in the time away and the negative effect on you would still need attention) , just mention it briefly but focus on YOUR needs in the discussion

that's my advice, i hope you resolve this :)

agree that it's not about whether her DD could walk/take the bus or not (that's not really your concern)

it's about whether she is doing the hours she is paid for and whether you are having to pick up the slack.

If she needs flexible working hours then she can apply for that in the normal way. Pay may be cut pro rata if she wants reduced hours.

As others have advised, go to HR, tell them what is happening, focus on the fact that she does not make up the time at other times and therefore you are having to do 1.5 hours of HER work every day.

Hang on, she is arriving and leaving half an hour later/earlier AND having an hour off in the afternoon. That makes 2 hours a day, or 10 hours a week less, on average 45 hours a calendar month less. I would feel seriously pissed off.

You could always put in a claim for equal pay on the grounds of equal pay for equal value and ask for the same hourly rate (cynical emoticon)