My colleague came to me in tears and asked to borrow 3k

[Motheroffive999]

She will lose her home and has 3 weeks to find it.
I didn't know what to say , I don't have that amount of money , I have some savings but not that much , and I may need it.
Today she asked for 1k which of course I still do not have at my disposal, but could get it in a few days.
I am torn , I don't want to be unkind but she has bought things recently , lots of small things , things that I do not have the spare money to buy.
What can I do ?

I disagree with everyone saying not to tell your boss.

If she's asking you at work (more than once) then it definitely is a work matter. Especially given she's quite new.

I wouldn't be moved in the slightest I'm afraid.

There's not a chance I'd give my savings to anyone other than my (incredibly sensible and frugal) mum, but in her case I wouldn't expect it to be repaid.

A colleague? No way.

Do not give her the money.

If you do you will Never see it again! Even if she has good intentions it wont be repaid.

I'd also make management aware in an I'm concerned about Laura sort of a way

Oh my gosh absolutely not. Completely understandable that you feel sorry for her but do not lend or give her any money, you could be putting yourself in a tricky situation financially by doing so and you’ve no idea if she may have borrowed from people in the past because she can’t manage her money. Direct her to citizens advice and HR and be sympathetic but explain you aren’t in a position to help

Lots of similar threads,once the money is lent and spent the impetus to pay back isn't there.
A couple of payments to start then the excuses,the kids,the car , the boiler etc.

Adding to the choir- do not give her any money. This is not a friend, and you don’t have it to lose.

Remember this is not your problem to solve, don’t get sucked into conversations about how she could get it as you can’t help her.

Definitely do not do this. You won't get it back and you will put yourself in a vulnerable position as your colleague may well keep badgering you for more, either because she's genuinely desperate or taking the piss.

Her issues aren't your responsibility. Direct her to professional sources of support if she's likely to be homeless.

Absolutely not! OP can't afford to lend any amount of money. She has less than £3000 savings.
Any amount iffered will be taken and never returned.

It's not a personal matter. It's one colleague asking another colleague for a significant sum of money whilst at work. This is not a friend of OP's.
I would absolutely be telling my boss about this OP. She is turning on the waterworks and trying to get money out of you, and potentially other colleagues. It's not even just once, she's came back and asked again. Who on earth asks their colleagues for large amounts of money? She's probably a scammer.

Nooooooo!!!

Banks don't refuse to lend for nothing. Remember they make most of their profit from loans. If a multi-million pound corporation doesn't want to gamble with lending her money then you definitely shouldn't be gambling your life savings and your kid's inheritence on her. Just tell her no and if she persists keep saying 'my answer is no' if she asks more than 3 times tell her 'I've already answered this question a number of times. My answer is not going to change so I'm going to stop answering it now' and totally ignore her if it's mentioned again. This is the approach I take with my persistent 7 year old but clearly some adults weren't told no enough and still need this approach. She will almost certainly guilt trip you and tell you sob stories. Just remember that she's probably doing/done the same to loads of other people and grey wall it. Use your head not your heart. You know really that this is a bad idea.

I agree

@Motheroffive999
Don't do it, don't even offer her the lower amount.
You hardly know her, 5 months.
As harsh as it sounds, shes not your problem.
It'll upset your peace of mind until (if) she pays you back.
If it was close family I'd lend it but not to a colleague at work.
Someone who provides a service to me asked to borrow 20k recently, it was so bloody awkward, I felt really under pressure, awful feeling trying to say no, looking for an excuse to say no that didn't sound like a lie.
I eventually said all my money is tied up, that I literally don't have access to that kind of cash (partially true)
Maybe you could say something similar.
In reality we should be able to just say no!
Don't lend her anything.

And if she’s crying in works time, don’t pay any heed. Fetch the boss and they can deal with her.

She could hoover up cash and disappear in to the blue yonder.. she's only 5months in Christ she might not even be past probation

That’s what I was thinking. She might not pass probation or may have another job lined up already.

That’s crazy. She barely knows you. Only someone with a lot of front would ask a work colleague of 5 months to lend her 3k. Tears or not, I’d switch your sympathy for scepticism and not get guilted by her efforts. Why would she come to you and not the boss, who has more money and the ability to get repaid from some arrangement with her wages? Why not? Because she’d rather target a softer touch and put you in an awkward position. Definitely don’t lend anything and tell your boss what’s going on. She’s not a friend, it’s a work matter and not one you should have to deal with.

I don't understand why you can't understand that the op is "torn". You may not agree or you wouldn't be torn but you can understand that other people have different boundaries (or none) are people pleasers, have been taught to always say yes etc? That's understandable.

I would say op isn't the right person to be a shoulder to cry on as this will just prey on her mind and upset her given she was contemplating giving her the money!

Completely disagree- pressuring one person in the work place is enough and it's completely inappropriate. This person has only been with the company 5 months and she's already trying to manipulate money out of someone she has only just met at work and yes, using tears to get 3k IS a manipulation.

The fact she comes across as lovely and nice is irrelevant - thats typically how manipulators work.

Take the emotional manipulation out of this (the fact she's "nice", the fact she's in tears) and look at the actual facts: this is a person the OP barely knows who has already hit her up for a £3,000 loan whilst at the same time is visibly spending money on stuff she doesnt need.

This woman knows EXACTLY what she is doing and it should be reported.

I can't believe that someone of only 5 months acquaintance and a work colleague at that would ask for such a large sum. I would be hard pushed to give even a close family member that amount .

She could disappear and never contact you again.

Is this a council eviction / private eviction or a bank repossession? Ask her to contact citizens advice or shelter who can advise on housing options after the eviction
if it’s a repossession she should stay in the property until a court order / bailiffs arrive , unfortunately without doing that the council will say she made herself intentionally homeless by leaving , she should also approach them first anyway to explain the situation and they can give her some options
as depends on reason for eviction as to wether they help you
if it’s a council eviction her only bet is to rent privately but she may need a deposit first - although there are some schemes that don’t require rent in advance- the council should advise on this
i wouldn’t give that kind of money - number one you need it as you say and number 2 if anything happens in your situation, you don’t have any other money to fall back on because you’ve already given it out, number 3 why would you put yourself in debt for somebody hardly know ?
often £3000 is not enough to solve issues like this - more likely she is in a lot more debt , please refer her to shelter
if you can’t afford the rent now, if she’s not going to be able to afford it in three or four months time she’s going to be in the same situation. She needs to find something within her means - renting a room or bedsit or staying with a friend

Whatever you give you'll never see again

Be supportive but do not give her money. I have a relative who got roped into lending a work colleague money with a sob story and it took a long time and the small claims court to get it back. It turned out that she wasn’t the only one in the same workplace she’d ‘borrowed’ from!

Is this a council eviction / private eviction or a bank repossession? Ask her to contact citizens advice or shelter who can advise on housing options after the eviction

There isnt an eviction- this is a story to get money out of the OP.

Absolutely this