Dealing with a workshy colleague

[Blueyisnotreal]

Being deliberately vague on details here as some of my friends may recognise me… also daily mail are scumbags lol

How do I deal with a colleague who is just a pure workshy arsehole?

Made a life changing decision to leave previous job of 10 years for another in a completely different field, a lot of stress and soul searching involved but I did it, and here I am almost a year in doing really well, glowing reviews, getting on well with colleagues and clients alike, feeling part of the team and working to the best of my ability, company is expanding so 3 months in and I’ve been asked to train new colleague, I’ve prepped and helped in every way I can, new colleague not very chatty and doesn’t say much when asked questions which is absolutely fine, no judgement.

Colleague made a lot of mistakes in their first weeks / months which is fine, we all do, especially when new, but 3 months in, they are making the same mistakes and don’t seem that bothered when told. They are not dealing with anything urgent, going for 2 hour lunch, disappearing to various rooms in the building, not answering the phone, when meeting with clients giving the wrong information or saying they don’t know when asked a question, etc etc. Part of my role is covering when they are on holiday or absent and there’s been many comments from said colleague to me that there’s too much work (I disagree with this as I did their job as well as my own for a few months) and what am I doing to help them!

I’ve repeated 3 or 4 times now that their job is their job and I have my own, I’ve mentioned this separately to our joint manager who has confirmed I am correct and that they will be having words with said colleague as it’s not on. Well this was weeks ago, colleague said again to me today I have too much work will you be able to help, I’ve said no I have my own job to do, the reply was oh I just won’t get it all done then in a huffy tone. Said colleague will ask me again tomorrow, I can absolutely bet on it.

Other depts have started relying on me to get urgent items sorted as they never get a response from said colleague. The phone goes continuously and I can see my colleague ignoring it. All my other colleagues are in agreement that said colleague doesn’t do much (I try to not moan but they come to me about it) but no one else seems to want to do anything about it.

What started out to be a good career move and personal achievement has been tainted by said colleague and the companies’ inability to deal with it. i love my job and I have been more than fair - I’ve given hours of my time to train someone who just doesn’t seem to give a damn and is very clearly not a team player. I’m starting to resent my place here, as I’m the only one my colleague deals with on a daily basis.

Anyone been in this position and have any advice? I’ve tried dealing with it, raising it with management, being sympathetic, ignoring it, nothing seems to work. Said colleague wants an easy life and yawns a lot loudly even though they have lots to do!

You've told them their job - you have flagged to uninterested management.

I say fuck your colleague off - focus on your job and let them sink.

Not your monkey, not your circus.

Start documenting everything and make a formal complaint.

Every single call, email or query that they should be dealing with you forward to them, copying in the original requester (?), saying 'I'm forwarding that to lazycow as she can help you with that.

No exceptions.

Thanks all. I’ve started to “drop the ball” as in not helping them out, directing some of the other depts to them, which is why I’m getting the attitude. But it just doesn’t sit right that the work doesn’t get done which could hurt the companies’ image and if said colleague were less of an arsehole of course I wouldn’t mind pitching in to help. Said colleague is on paper much more experienced than me in qualifications as well which is why I can see my manager choosing them over others. So frustrating!

Put examples in writing to their manager to address this during his probation period (assuming that he has one). Sounds like he isnt a good fit for the role unless he bucks up his work ethic!

Yes. I have very, very extensive experience of this. It absolutely killed me!!!!!! It was unbelievably stressful.

The three pronged approach:

1. Just refuse to help her and when colleaguesbtry to get you to sort it, refer them back to the colleague and to the manager.

1. Report everything to the manager and don't stop.

1. Look for another role or ask to be separated from this person.

Do not get manipulated into feeling like the bad guy for holding onto your boundaries. Your colleague doesn't care about yours and they are getting paid to do a job, just like you are.

You have my every sympathy. My ultimate advice: don't give an inch and don't worry about coming across 'bad' because these people don't care about you and just want to suck you dry.

I have, my manager asked me to provide examples which I did, I had lots to choose from. my manager has form for always having too much on their plate, I’m having to remind them of urgent tasks, I have offered to help take some of their workload but they are reluctant to pass anything over. Unless I develop a thicker skin I can’t see I’ll be happy here which is such a shame!

Drop the ball. Just drop it. Sometimes things/people have to be allowed to fail. Your manager won’t do anything because they know you will pick up the slack. If they complain of too much work tell them to go and complain to their manager. If they can’t do something properly let them do it wrong. Once they start letting the manager look bad things will hopefully start changing.

This.
You also need to make it your managers problem...
This toad should have failed his probation - if probation hasn't ended yet I'd be turning up the heat

Email every time

Hi X,
Dickhead asked me to cover / do his work again. I advised I am at capacity and cannot help, he said then it wont get done.
This will impact team A so I am flagging it now to ensure you have visibility / there is a clear plan.

Another vote for dropping the ball.

As pp have said - drop the rope and just concentrate on your work. If your colleague asks for help, just say that you have your own tasks and deadlines to meet. Suggest to them that if they feel out of their depth to go and speak to your manager. Every time they ask for help - email your manager with bullets points of your conversation.

When other departments reach out to you, refer them to your manager and copy them in, that will get his attention as he won’t want to look bad to other departments.

I agree with PP to drop the ball and let things fail.
Make sure you have documented all the training you have given because workshy colleague will undoubtedly blame you because 'you never showed him X' or 'never had time to show him Y'.

Have you informed management of the colleague's 2-hour lunch breaks?

To be fair to the manager, it's often really hard to do something when a colleague keeps picking up their work. You need to let them fall so your manager can act. Otherwise, workshy can just say that they were about to get to that task but OP did it before they had a chance etc. It's much easier to take someone through a performance process if you can show the impact of them not doing their job.

Hi, I completely understand this point. For the past couple of weeks I’ve really concentrated on another area I’m covering and haven’t covered for them at all, hence why the comments have increased tenfold from said colleague. I don’t know what more I can do other than tell our boss and keep saying the same thing to colleague over and over. Colleague asks me every day what I’m doing (hint hint, can you help me with mine) I sometimes reply factually (I have my own job to do as well as covering another colleague) and sometimes I don’t even reply at all, it doesn’t stop them asking. Sometimes I’m amazed at how brazen they are!

Another colleague in our department has recognised that said colleague has made lots of mistakes and is slow at completing work and has even mentioned it to boss themselves around the same time as me but again nothing has seemed to happen. I really appreciate the comments on here and it’s made me feel less alone. Thank you. I do often wonder maybe I’m being a little unfair but it’s clear I'm not. I’ll continue to ignore and report.

Don't worry about the company reputation, if they cared about that, they would deal with it. Only worry about any impact on your personal reputation. Distance yourself.

If you were asked to train a colleague presumably your boss would have put a time frame for this, when the training came to an end what happened then is that colleague on probation or have they passed probation, you trained the colleague unless you are asked to pick up their slack by your boss don’t. It’s then your bosses problem if they are not pulling their weight. You sound over invested, yes your are a team but you shouldnt be really discussing them with other colleagues even if you do think they are not pulling their weight.

How do you tell your managers? I’d put everything in writing and I’d keep flagging what it happening.

How do you tell your managers? I’d put everything in writing and I’d keep flagging what it happening.

How do you tell your managers? I’d put everything in writing and I’d keep flagging what it happening.

You’ve done your bit. This is your/their line managers problem not yours. Keep updating your manager when necessary but just drop the rope and do your own job.

Thanks all. I’ve tried to distance myself from it all today and not interacted at all.

Said colleague cooked their lunch today and left the kitchen in a mess, just walks away when the printer runs out of paper, lets the door go when you’re directly behind, goes and sits in the loo for ages, etc etc. Not a team player generally in life as well as work! I’m going to try and not let it bother me but I’m keeping my eyes on the latest job adverts, I can’t believe how people are allowed to pass their probation when they do things like this but there you go!

Sometimes I’m amazed at how brazen they are!

This is a big mistake. Do not be amazed. Expect this person to sink to new, and more desperate lengths in order to avoid work. I guarantee that they have coasted through every job by have zero regard for decency and moral professional conduct. These people do not care about how their behaviour impacts on others, so long as they get away with it.

As I said before, I worked with someone who I initially felt sorry for, then my patience started wearing a little thin, then I started getting very angry and eventually I was worried that I was going to really lose my temper and do something I would regret. I was direct with my colleague and dropped the ball but my only regret is that I didn't make more of an absolutely show of the colleague in front of our managers. I should have dripped her in it in a much more obvious, paper-trail heavy and blunt (some might say 'rude') way.

I fully second copying your management into every single email that your colleague sends you requesting help. I would also give the colleague zero leeway because these people take the slightest sign of kindness as a huge weakness.

Your colleague doesn't care about you at all, so please try not to feel a sense of obligation to them to support them with their work. They don't want your help. They want your free service. They want to get paid for your work. These people are frauds and you need to be ringing it from the bell tower.

I hope you didn’t clean up after them!