Line manager getting away with doing no work

[goteam]

Very frustrating. Around 6 members of new staff started last summer including me. I chose a part-time lower level but interesting role for low stress. My manager started at the same time, is full time and basically isn't doing any work. She is getting away with it as she is v good at blagging and grandstanding and talking to the right people about 'big exciting projects' she is planning. However, she never replies to my emails (she manages 3 of us and they feel the same), elects to work from home most days but is uncontactable. We have a shared calendar and she doesn't have meetings in there. She is very cagey when you ask what she is working on and because of the way we work ( I have to do bits of work on her projects that I can't do until she has put info on our database) it is holding my work up.

I don't want to out myself so I'm a bit vague about what our job is but basically, her manager is so snowed under I think she is just trusting that the work is getting done. It isn't though, because our team leader isn't pulling her weight. We are in a 6 month probationary period which is up next month and I feel I need to address this. I love the job and the working conditions are great for me as a mum but I can't stand my manager'so defensive attitude and shirking. WWYD? Should I talk to her manager? I feel like, if she's like this during probation, what will she be like after?

Can you wait until the probation period is up?
We have a senior member of staff who is like this too. She is very friendly with the manager though (they have worked together a long time and came from the same place).
I would think of a way to highlight 'the problem' without putting yourself in a bad position. Would the others back you up?

The thing is, I don't think she should pass her probationary. I think others would back me up but peoplare nervous as she is a v slippy character ad bluffs hervwaynout of things...

Could she be doing lots of stuff you don't see?

No Carol, because our project progress should be recorded on our database which triggers certain actions for the work to go ahead. Also that wouldnt explain why she's so cagey when you ask how things are going and if she is doing stuff without us knowing that's poor management as we are her team and need to make sure webarentnduplicating work. We used to have fortnightly team meetings but she started working from home on those days so they stopped even though we asked for them.. She avoids opportunities to update us because there is nothing to update on.

I think she has blagged her way into a job that she can't manage but she isn't the sort of person to ask for help and twists things.

It's difficult as I ageed flexibl working cnditions when I took the job (not through her but HR) and she seems like the sort of person who would make life difficult for anyone who pulls her up. Her not fulfilling her job is affecting me both by making me and my colleagues stressed and snort that everyone else works do hard. It actually means that I am unable to fulfil my role a she has yo set stuff up on the stem first. This should have been done ages ago.

*snort?! I mean 'angry'!

Country, that's what I need to know! How do I approach it? Who do I approach? What do I say? Will it just make me look confrontational? I can prove that her work isn't being done. I can prove that she hasn't responded to emails.

Start recording everything in writing - not aggressively, but factual. If she doesn't attend meetings, send an email to everyone including her stating attendees, apologies and absent. Send an email documenting actions/ deadlines after each meeting. Also use con call if she wants to work from home.

At month end or similar p, send a highlight report with progress, issues etc to everyone including the overall manager.

When it gets to your probation review, raise the fact that she hasn't been present/ undertaken tasks which were assigned to her - again, really factual, no comment on why. Just say that this is causing an issue in being able to progress and if she is busy on other deliverables, something needs to change for this to stock being a blocker.

The key is to keep it focussed on the deliverable/ output not criticise her. She may not be delivering or she may be too busy.

Sounds stressful. Bookish has good ideas.
When recording anything, focus on the process, not the person, eg by recording how many tasks missed the target completion time (or whatever) and if relevant, noting at which stage the delay arose, if it's easy to identify. It can be done without you apportioning blame - you are just setting out facts.

You can use these records to support you in your own probation review, and any other reviews (eg annual appraisal) to show that you are working effectively, progressing tasks when they are passed to you and that you are not the cause of any delays.

Hope you get it sorted.

Thanks both. Really good advice. Initially the problem was just her defensive, unhelpful attitude but it's almost lucky that she is also not delivering her work as that's a tangible failure to do her job.