Difficult colleague - WWYD ?

[Lemonadedrinker99]

Long story short - i had to move teams because i was being bullied by my boss. As part of the bullying my boss slated me and now there is some general negative thoughts about me/my work/behaviours with senior management.

In my new team a lady sits next to me who is my equal. She has been in the team a long time. I still need to go to her for queries sometimes as new stuff crops up all the time that i have not dealt with/learnt yet. However, this lady is constantly watching my screen. I have a few other areas at work that i volunteer for and get involved with. If the other lady sees me working on the other stuff - and she has no idea I do it/am involved with the other areas and she has no need to, she is not my boss, i think she presumes i am doing personal stuff - she will make comments like 'oh the email's are building up and 'oh there is so much to do'. The other day i was asked to proof read a job application but the person didn't want anyone to know they were applying for another job. I was reading through the application and the lady in question kept walking past my screen, at one point she wheeled over to my desk and started randomly asking what i thought of so-and-so in the office. By that time i had scrolled to the bottom of the document so all she could see was a blank page, but she later said to me 'oh are you applying for another job because i saw the words 'application' written at the top of the document header. I told her no i wasn't. she then asked who was and i told her someone asked me to proof read and I walked off.

I am soooo bloody sick of her looking over at my screen to watch what I am doing. I know she does it because the other day i went to process something and she said 'oh ive already done that' - she must have been looking at my screen to know what i was doing. Its like i am being watched 24/7.

The problem is I don't want to make a fuss after the sensitive circumstances of why i was moved to my new role. Senior management already think im a trouble maker because of the nasty (but untrue) comments my old boss made about me. If i complain now about this lady i feel it will only serve as confirmation to senior managers about what my old boss (incorrectly) said about me.

Im so unhappy at work because of this lady. My boss works in a very 'open and honest' way so she would have me and the lady in a room while she mediated the meeting and it was aired and created bad feeling. i don't do confrontation or awkwardness.

For the time being, while you're finding your position in this new team, my advice would be don't get involved in anything but your core duties. You shouldnt be volunteering to do anything else - proof reading someone's job application really isn't your priority and all you're doing is opening yourself up to criticism.

Have you tried a nice smile and “Judith, haven’t you got your own work to do? You seem very interested in mine!”.
Go on, do it.

I agree with daisychain...just get on with your own work and don't let her get a wedge in. She has probably been asked to check in on your to the manager. So don't give her any ammunition.

Is there any way you can rearrange your desk to prevent her being able to see it from her normal working position (or arrange with your manager to move desks, on the basis of the confidential stuff you have to deal with from time to time and you need to not be overlooked). Then if she comes over to have a snoop you'll have a bit of warning and you can shut everything down to desktop if it's sensitive and ask her if she needs something.

I am a bit confused by the volunteering though. Agree if it's just something you choose to do for mates then now isn't the right time to have mixed priorities (and it's not really work). If it's an actual volunteer role, like staff rep or something, that's recognised by the company how do people know to approach you if it's not common knowledge that you fulfill that role?

She sounds like a snooper and a brown noser who is well established in the team.

However, if you're at work you need to focus on doing what your manager has asked you to do, not using work time to proof read other people's job applications or things who've volunteered to help with (unless it's been cleared with your manager).

Focus on doing your job well, be polite to the colleague and don't do anything that's going to open you to criticism. Your card is marked so doing anything othet than your job is silly.

Just type -stop looking over my shoulder!!!

Get an anti glare shield for your screen, then she won’t be able to see. Also, don’t do non-work stuff during working hours.

I do think that if you are doing stuff you don’t want her to see, then you shouldn’t be doing that stuff in work time
Proof reading somebody’s job application is not working- that sort of stuff should be done in your own time, as should anything else you are volunteering for

In fairness you can't blame her for thinking you're doing things other than your actual work - you are!

You should have proof read that thing on your lunch break. Or better still if it was confidential, on your phone in the loos!

You need to own that you are doing jobs other than the one you're paid for and from her perspective, you are pulling the piss.

You need to really prioritise your work and only do stuff you volunteer for at preset times such as last hour of the day. And always keep her in the loop about doing these jobs. How is she supposed to know??!

For a start, if you are in an open office, there is most likely an understanding that screens are not private so anyone can look at others'. Her keenness on spying on yours is likely a result of your odd activities. Volunteering during pay hours sound strange. Is it a recognised activity that you should help internal people twith their job applications? If so, just explained this to her and tell her that due to the nature of it, you can disclose information, although really if it is a recognised activity, you should be able to ask to go to a private room to do it.

I suspect it is not something officialised, assuming that indeed, it was someone else application and not yours.

thanks for the replies - just to be clear the other work i am doing is volunteering to be part of wider areas in work, something that we are all encouraged to do. In fact, one of the areas my boss is involved with too. So none of it is personal/non work related stuff. My boss is fully aware I am doing it and fully supports it all. She sees some of the work i do for the volunteering group she is involved with with me.

The job app proof reading was a one off thing - that said, we are allowed to help others with job (internal) applications to some extent, and this was an internal application.

Also, i don't feel like I need to/should have to justify what i am doing to this lady. Is all work related stuff which my boss knows about.

So none of it is personal/non work related stuff. My boss is fully aware I am doing it and fully supports it all. She sees some of the work i do for the volunteering group she is involved with with me.

In that case, use your outlook to mark off when you are doing this, check with your manager that you have the amount right in the coming week and when she asks why you are asking, tell her that you keep being asked by Sandra, so you want her to be happy with it as the constant querying of your time management needs to stop and you are not sure if it is coming from Sandra herself or her as your manager.

I work in an open plan office dealing with confidential, often extremely sensitive information... looking at other people's screens is not done at all. People go out of their way to look the other way, avert their eyes, they will stand in a certain angle so nobody can accuse them of prying. We are constantly monitored so managers know with a click if someone does personal stuff anyway. Does your colleague need a Data Protection refresher?

No, she is not your boss and should keep her eyes on her own screen. I think you have to tackle it head-on and say something about her staring at what you're doing. Can't you move your desk or computer?

@sack - ''constant querying of your time management'' - that totally sums it up.

Could she see you as a threat? If she’s been in the team for a long time, she could be worried that you’ve been brought in to eventually replace her. It sounds from your post like you’re both doing the same job, so she could feel that you’re treading on her toes. This could be why she’s keeping such a close eye on what you’re doing.

Windows + D is a very useful keyboard shortcut that instantly bring up the desktop, so try using this quickly if she comes over. I would also try to move desks if possible.

@minta - i def think she sees me as a threat. On top of all the looking at my screen stuff she also talks to me like I am a child. In fact, the office junior in our team side stepped to a diff role as he could no longer take the constant questioning and speaking to him like a child.

Tbh it sounds like neither of you are very busy How do you have so much time for volunteering work and how does she have so much time to screen your work.

It sounds petty but is the type of thing that drives people to change roles.

Stick to your vote job and as a PP suggested, set aside the last hour if your day for volunteering work tasks. Your colleague will then have no reason to constantly scrutinise your work and/or think you are a slacker.

• core job

Why can't you just say 'oh, I'm doing x for the so and so department' before she starts snooping. Then there's nothing to snoop at.

Sounds like your boss would be supportive if you asked for their approval to get a privacy screen for your computer. You could tell the truth why or use an excuse about glare from your screen giving you headaches etc.