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Original poster

Employee from hell

52 replies

MyPurpleHeart · 02/09/2025 19:52

I'm currently going through some work drama and could really use some perspective that its not just me!?

I work in a marketing firm and manage several teams. A year ago I hired an assistant, she was great. Prompt, helpful, efficient... the works... or so it seemed. So I promoted her. Since then shes turned into the employee from hell.

The moment she got a pay rise and more responsibility she found ways to do less and less work and palm it off on other people (and me) whilst taking home the pay check.. For the first few weeks I thought it was learning the ropes so I gave her lots of on the job training, regular weekly update meetings to go through any items she wasn't sure on, and had the odd firm but fair chat about her passing work on to others that was hers to do.

Well after 3 months of her in the new role I realized she still needed so much support from me that she isnt capable of the job and on reflection, it seems like she had been farming out work in her assistant role and passing it off on her own (because these are simple tasks that she still cant do)

I mosy on down to HR and we decide to call a performance related meeting.

She calls in sick, says that shes hurt her back and its caused by the work station. We obviously did all the right things when she joined and did the assessments and the induction covered old injuries of which she declared none, so its all a big surprise.

After 2 weeks signed off by the doctor for unidentified back pain she comes back to work. Satisfied that HR, Occ Health and H&S are happy that all is well again, we call another performance review. She calls in sick - stomach upset caused by stress. No GP note, no sign off, self certify.

Throughout this ordeal I have been covering her workload which is not a small amount of work.

Shes now back, we have called the review meeting for a third time.

She is now sending long long winded emails (clearly written by chatGPT) asking for evidence of any under performance and is 'working from home' until the meeting. Our company has a no WFH policy, she has a laptop but no access to the server so is doing sweetFA sat at home.

Honestly what is this tomfoolery.

OP posts:
ArtTheClownIsNotAMime · 04/09/2025 16:20

I'd be surprised if this is the last you hear from her but I hope I'm wrong!

FuckoffeeBeforeCoffee · 04/09/2025 16:22

She sounds mental.

Tallisker · 04/09/2025 16:23

Beware incoming employment tribunal! Make sure everything is written down.

fivefoottwowitheyesofblue · 04/09/2025 16:25

RidingMyBike · 03/09/2025 18:24

Had the misfortune to manage people like this a couple of times. It takes up so much time!

Good luck OP.

Same here and it's draining.
Good luck OP.

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 04/09/2025 16:25

That’s a good result. She’ll probably try and claim
constructive dismissal so make sure your records are in order. She sounds awful and you’re well rid. Worst case scenario, she brings a successful CD claim and you have to bung her some money so she fucks off for good.

fivefoottwowitheyesofblue · 04/09/2025 16:26

Result!
Good people are so hard to come by.

LaughingCat · 04/09/2025 16:40

Phew! Excellent result. Really pleased for you as that could have dragged on for ages!

Nanny0gg · 04/09/2025 16:57

Has she returned the laptop?

NoTouch · 04/09/2025 17:01

Oh we had one of those once, was fine for almost a year, nice bloke, then started acting a bit oddly - eventually he just stopped showing up for work, ignored any emails, phone calls, letters, offers to meet at neutral place etc. What made it even more difficult was he was the site directors (SDir) son-in-law.

Even the SDir's dd wouldn't discuss it with him what the issue was and why his son-in-law wouldn't show up for work, or respond to any communication (must had made their family Christmas interesting!) - we eventually just terminated his employment.

Sausagescanfly · 04/09/2025 17:09

You've got a 6 month count down now for her to bring anything to an employment tribunal. Once that time ticks by, you can really breathe easy.

I've realised that in all of this kind of thing, my ultimate goal is not to be named in The Daily Mail as giving evidence in an employment tribunal. And I suspect that is also our HR department's goal too. Sometimes it means playing a longer game than is ideal.

Velmy · 04/09/2025 17:19

Haha, what a twat! Great result OP.

Doggymummar · 04/09/2025 17:33

Sausagescanfly · 04/09/2025 17:09

You've got a 6 month count down now for her to bring anything to an employment tribunal. Once that time ticks by, you can really breathe easy.

I've realised that in all of this kind of thing, my ultimate goal is not to be named in The Daily Mail as giving evidence in an employment tribunal. And I suspect that is also our HR department's goal too. Sometimes it means playing a longer game than is ideal.

It's 90 days isn't it? And anyway less than two years service so I dont think this counts. Plus she resigned so I dont think she has a case

Daygloboo · 04/09/2025 17:57

MyPurpleHeart · 03/09/2025 15:17

Meeting is tomorrow, I have prepared all the paperwork in advance, so far she says shes coming to the meeting.

Although to add to the madness I'm dealing with, when pulled up on unauthorised work from home and told she wont be paid and it will be a disciplinary procedure, she says that as she has been doing it for a few days now it needs to be treated as 'custom and practise' and her contract amended to suit.

Honestly some days I do wonder if I'm nuts or its everyone else!

She sounds like she's taking rhe piss.

godmum56 · 04/09/2025 18:11

delighted to hear you had a good outcome.

Sausagescanfly · 04/09/2025 18:20

Doggymummar · 04/09/2025 17:33

It's 90 days isn't it? And anyway less than two years service so I dont think this counts. Plus she resigned so I dont think she has a case

Show quote history

It's 90 days for most things and 6 months for a few. Probably anything the OP's colleague would try to claim under would be 90 days.

BruFord · 04/09/2025 18:27

Good result! Her behavior is bizarre.

ThejoyofNC · 04/09/2025 18:37

I think this sort of thing is becoming more and more common. Tik tok etc are full of videos advising people what to do at their jobs and majority of it would get you sacked. There's a real culture of people who want to do the absolute minimum amount possible and they're usually armed with a load of completely made up laws which say you must allow it.

regista · 04/09/2025 21:06

Very relieved for you OP. These things can really drag on but it seems you have a quick resolution here. If you haven't covered it already, it's worth a follow up in writing setting out the intention of the meeting, what happened at it etc. This is just for the record - it might be viewed by a lawyer giving advice to your ex employee or a tribunal. Worth stating that you were surprised that she was resigning, had hoped you could work out any issues (e.g. with WFH business).

LlynTegid · 04/09/2025 21:09

Hopefully the last you will hear from her, and that it brings you relief.

Decline to provide a reference if you are asked. Unfortunately the law does not allow you to tell the truth about a former employee and be free of the possibility of allegations of defamation.

Daygloboo · 04/09/2025 22:15

ThejoyofNC · 04/09/2025 18:37

I think this sort of thing is becoming more and more common. Tik tok etc are full of videos advising people what to do at their jobs and majority of it would get you sacked. There's a real culture of people who want to do the absolute minimum amount possible and they're usually armed with a load of completely made up laws which say you must allow it.

Yes I thought this was happening. They all need a reality check.

GabriellaMontez · 04/09/2025 22:39

KimTheresPeopleThatAreDying · 04/09/2025 16:25

That’s a good result. She’ll probably try and claim
constructive dismissal so make sure your records are in order. She sounds awful and you’re well rid. Worst case scenario, she brings a successful CD claim and you have to bung her some money so she fucks off for good.

Less than 2 years service = no CD claim.

Fingers crossed, thats the last you see if her.

ZenNudist · 04/09/2025 22:50

Brilliant result. Thought this would drag on. You really need to be aware of the 2 years service rule. Managing performance is really tough and time consuming.

AmberDuckBlue · 04/09/2025 22:58

How wierd. On reflection how did she get away with passing off other people's work as her own?

Original poster
MyPurpleHeart · 05/09/2025 08:35

I do have a fear deep down this is not the last we have heard of her, but I documented all of my points thoroughly regarding WFH (7 occasions where it was not permitted) all of the points of her role that were not being done despite weeks and weeks of notice, and areas where she had actually cost the business money by not doing these tasks.

Once we went away from her pre prepared statement she couldn't answer any questions and started getting annoyed, making nasty comments, throwing insults etc. None of these were acknowledged and I just carried on with the meeting. She was also pulling faces at me and rolling her eyes at me. It was difficult but I kept my composure all the way through.

Laptop and phone were taken back straight away and left here.

In her resignation letter she wrote that she was grateful for her time here and was looking to take her career in a different direction. I checked it before she left for any mention of issues and there was none.

After speaking with others in the team about looking after tasks while she was off sick it turned out that she had been getting people to do things for her all along, asking for favours and 'can you just do it this one time'. I'm surprised everyone went along with it and didn't mention it sooner, so when it was up to her to do it when she got back she didn't actually know how to!

OP posts:
Purplecatshopaholic · 05/09/2025 08:50

Great news op. I feel your pain (I’m on the HR side), it’s a nightmare for a manager in these situations, but following through, documenting everything and following the process means you get results, as safely as you can. Hopefully nothing more will be heard from her (sounds like she’d have no case, but some people don’t take a telling..)

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