how to deal with this colleague at work? AIBU?

[user6hty]

I don't wan to be too specific in case it is outing but basically i have worked in a job in the NHS for a year and about 6 months ago someone came back from maternity. they are more senior by one pay grade (there's about 6 pay grades, for perspective). i am not in training and haven't been for a number of years.

despite being back for 6 months, it is only in the last 2 months that she has started to ask me to do tasks that are way below my pay grade (i actually don't have a problem with this now and then, we all need to pitch in, but it is the only time i engage with her, to carry out these sorts of tasks to support her workload). i have my own workload of work i am employed to do.

a couple of weeks ago she asked me to stay late to photocopy. i stayed until 10pm. without giving away my job title, my salary is over 60k. hopefully this explains in some way the frustration with her asking me to do these tasks when i have my own workload that i then had to fit into the next day, along with all the next day's work. i made a point this time of saying i couldn't pick up her admin everytime she is short staffed (ie support staff aren't free) and we had words...she said that she was in an emergency situation and i should be more organised (!) and i said in response that had SHE been more organised then it wouldn't have been a 10pm job (this is true...she has basically left the admin as an afterthought then pulled me in to help).

the issue...i work from home on Tuesdays and wednsdays. i always have. i will change the day if we have a reason to be in the offices. last week i changed Wednesday to Thursday working from home. it was in my calendar. on Wednesday night she emails loads of documents to me to file. she is working at home and cant do it. i email to explain this and she tells me i hadn't informed her that i was working from home. i have heard on the grapevine that she is going to make a complaint to the manager.

it is probably hard to comment not knowing the ins and outs of the roles etc. but how would you approach this? i don't want to cause a drama out of nothing...am i being unfair here?

So who IS the admin staff?

If you are not her admin staff then you should not be doing her admin.

Well it's ok to do your own admin (we had clerical staff before computers grr) but not be dumped with hers. Doesn't department have secretary or support staff?

I work for the NHS and one paygrade and older than you doesn’t matter. She’s not your line manager and certainly shouldn’t be asking you to work overtime, that should only be a conversation and agreed with your direct managers only. If she wants you to do work for her, she needs to go via your direct managers, not straight to you.

You need to let your manager know she’s taking up a lot of your time and your worried about that.
The next time she asks you for something, you need to say ‘I’m sorry CF, I can’t today as I’ve got a lot on myself with XYZ that I need to get done. Have you asked Pauline if there’s anyone that can help?’ Rinse and repeat.
I really don’t think that you bring employed less that 2 years will have any bearing on the situation. If you come up against any trouble, get yourself on the phone to HR to make a complaint. Good luck to her with her complaint, it’s not going to go anywhere, you’ve got nothing to do with her by the sounds of it.

Who is meant to be doing her photocopying?

I think I would talk to your manager in a calm, concerned and polite way explaining the situation.

But meanwhile, I would be furious about this!! Why on earth is she asking you to do her donkey work??? Utterly ridiculous! And if you have followed all the proper procedures with regards to changing your day wfh, then why the f do you have to inform her personally? She isn’t your boss and needs to be told to wind her neck in and stop asking you to do things that you shouldn’t be doing (£60k and doing filing?!!).

Remember: Failure to plan on your part does not constitute and emergency on my part!! If she hasnt done her photocopying (and do do make sure that in your chat with your manager, you highlight this willingness to muck in and stay til 10!) then that’s on her, not you. She seems to think she is your boss and she needs to be put right!

I'm not shitting anyone. It's good pay for sure, but I know a lot of people on more (within the NHS, clinicians and office management) and obviously, outside of it, I know a lot of people on much more. But that's irrelevant. My point was simply that looking at someone's pay doesn't indicate whether they have the skills/clout to go to war with someone who sounds like they have a long-running issue and are currently targeting a newer, younger, and slightly more junior member of staff.

I'd make a record of all the things she's asked you do to that aren't your responsibility and then I'd go to HR with it. I'd say that although it has been impacting the amount of time you have to do your own work, you were willing to help out where you could. Since the altercation about wfh, and hearing that she wanted to make a complaint, you're no longer happy to do all of her extra admin work without it being formally recorded and approved by your line manager.

Could you call a meeting with her, your line manager(s) and say you just want to clarify roles? Keep the meeting request as brief as that, then you can do it all verbally so it comes across as intended - nicely and just wanting to make sure everyone knows each others responsibilities and has the right expectations of each other.

Start the meeting by explaining that since her return to work, some working practices seem to have changed and you just want to be clear on who directs who, and what you should be doing, explain the last minute photocopying etc in a friendly "for example" way and the impact it had on you and your workload. Then make suggestions on how to prevent such things in the future and - presuming she has access to your calendar - suggest she check it on a Monday or whatever as it will be up to date for the week. Maybe suggest a weekly scrum down for 20 minutes at a certain point in the week to discuss workloads and where you all need to focus etc that week, who needs support, who can offer it etc.

My office is a small team and just been through similar. Those steps have helped.

And I think if you called such a meeting and dealt with it really professionally and helpfully, she'd be very hard pushed to make a complaint as she'd be complaining about the very thing you've raised with solutions!!

I don't get why she is emailing anything to you to file.

Sorry ignore, I've replied to wrong thread. Contacted admin to delete

Say, "Unfortunately I don't have capacity to take on any tasks that aren't in my job description. I'm sure you understand. Please contact [admin staff]."

If she repeats/insists, say, "please see my previous email." Or if it's verbal, say, "as I said, I don't have capacity to do that as it's not my job." Repeat as many times as necessary.

Don't apologise but don't be rude/sarcastic either. Be polite and professional. If she's still not getting the message, CC in your manager or, if verbal, offer to discuss further with your manager present.

Just because someone is more senior than you, it does not entitle them to scatter work at anyone at la lower grade that doesn't report to them.

As others have said raise it with your line manager. Ask them if you should be picking up lots of work from her as you don't report directly to her. Just because she has worked with them for a long time doesn't mean they will be sympathetic to someone dumping work when they shouldn't. Until you have the discussion, you just won't know. Your manager could be furious that you are doing this without their knowledge.

I have had lots of admin jobs over the years. ( I know this isn’t one but anyway) and my time in the NHS was the most difficult. A very hierarchical structure & no obvious route for complaints. Managers away in other offices not aware of the people problems in the offices they were meant to be managing

What I meant by my previous post is that any problems are more difficult than in a more corporate culture

If she makes a complaint about you it sounds like it will be found to be unsubstantiated and she could be the one to get a warning.

Start the meeting by explaining that since her return to work, some working practices seem to have changed and you just want to be clear on who directs who, and what you should be doing, explain the last minute photocopying etc in a friendly "for example" way and the impact it had on you and your workload. Then make suggestions on how to prevent such things in the future and - presuming she has access to your calendar - suggest she check it on a Monday or whatever as it will be up to date for the week. Maybe suggest a weekly scrum down for 20 minutes at a certain point in the week to discuss workloads and where you all need to focus etc that week, who needs support, who can offer it etc.
I wouldnt do this. It makes it sound likes there is a pool of work to share and the op can be allocated the photocopying . There’s not, it’s her job! I’d catch my manager and say FYI Lydia seems to think I work for her and keeps allocating me her photocopying . Maybe it’s my fault for actually helping her one day- she seemed really stuck so I stayed to 10pm for her! But I regret it as now she seems offended if I can’t do her crap work instead of my actual job, so you should be aware.

You must be on at least an 8c which is a senior management role in NHS. I'm on an 8b and no way I'd have got to this level without being able to handle this type of thing with ease.

Bedfastbird, I quite agree.

Sorry I’m
Confused.
You say she’s 15 years older, just back from maternity, one grade higher than you (and you’re in 60k....) and yet ‘not earning as much for her age as you’d expect?’
I call bs

£60k salary isn't so high that she must have the skills/experience to cope with this herself. wtf 😂 how some people must live! I manage a care home on less than half of that...might tell the owners I'm not paid enought to cope with basic people management!

Fwiw I'd love to be paid 60k to photocopy!

For you to earn £60+ you need to be on band 8b. Minimum.

In a previous thread you said you’re 33. Which makes your colleague 48. Back from maternity? Really?

Ah ha! I very much like this from timeisnotaline:

I’d catch my manager and say FYI Lydia seems to think I work for her and keeps allocating me her photocopying . Maybe it’s my fault for actually helping her one day- she seemed really stuck so I stayed to 10pm for her! But I regret it as now she seems offended if I can’t do her crap work instead of my actual job, so you should be aware.

seriously...I purposely gave vague details and yes shes in her 40s with a 1 year old!

why on earth would I make up a thread like this?!

thanks to posters who actually offered advice.

I know a lot of B8b's who are technical specialists with zero people skills...it's entirely possible to get to that rank without years of managing staff.

That said, I believe she'd be an entitled person regardless of grade or seniority. It's what drives her behaviour.

Make a note of requests and definitely speak to your manager.

It sounds as if she is not good as planning her work to pull in the appropriate support staff for admin. You need to mention this to your manager. They may be able to help her plan things better.