Hypothetical
So. Let's say you have a coworker who constantly complains about how she's overworked and has no time to complete her projects and grouses any time anyone asks her to do anything, especially things that ARE HER JOB TO DO. Let's say that this coworker also comes in at 11 a.m. every day, leaves at 12 for an hour-long lunch break, leaves again at 2:30 for an hour-long shopping trip, and then probably leaves as soon as everyone else in her line of vision is out the door (which is usually around 4:30 because these people either (a) come in early or (b) are pregnant and can't sit upright past 4:30, and even then, that person often takes work home with her). (HYPOTHETICALLY, of course). Let's also say that for most of the time that this coworker is actually sitting at her desk, she's either texting her boyfriend or doodling on her notepad while listening to music and podcasts on her headphones.
If you're in this hypothetical situation, what do you do? Do you suck it up because she's an adult and you're an adult and you're trying really hard to be mature and, besides, it's none of your business? Or, because it is your business (because all her missed deadlines fuck up schedules for everyone in the office, including yours, HYPOTHETICALLY), do you tattle on her to the boss? And does it make it easier or worse to tattle on her when you know that someone else tattled on her for this very same thing last month and, what do you know, her productivity positively skyrocketed for about two weeks afterward?
If I were in this situation, I would really really really want to be the bigger person about it--and would have no trouble doing so if my gripe were just a matter of principle and not based on the fact that the constant slacking is a detriment to the entire company--but I also think there'd be a point at which I'd go batshit crazy to sit at my desk day after day, doing my part to meet deadlines and support fellow coworkers and be present to communicate with people during business hours, all the while she's either texting or doodling or decorating jewel cases with markers or, say, digging things out from underneath her fingernails, which is what I imagine this hypothetical person would be doing in this hypothetical situation RIGHT NOW (and for the last ten minutes).
What would you do? Would you say something to the boss? To her direct supervisor? To her directly? Or would you just keep a log of her comings and goings* and then vent about it passive-aggressively on your blog and hope to god things improve without your ever having to confront anyone?
*Today's log might look like this:
12:15 arrive at the office
1:00 disappear for lunch
1:46 come back in and get on the phone with a friend
2:12 get off the phone
2:13 text, doodle, decorate a jewel case with markers, and dig stuff out of fingernails while listening to podcasts until other coworkers go home
How about an anonymous message to the boss?
If not... then go to the boss. It's not your place to go to her, I think.
I'd go home and complain about it to your boyfriend. Like, every day.
HOLY SHIT! Are you me? Do you work with me and I have just not noticed it all this time? Um, I think we are living the same life just in alternate zones? I am going through the same thing, I mean, SAME EXACT THING. I went to the boss though dude, b/c when I leave, they are SCREWED. Not only did she lie on her resume to get the job, they saw it as their mistake and didn't have the stones to let her go. I can't, this is too weird, I can't go into it, but I really think you might be me, or vice-versa. I'm totally creeped out, I'm going to go throw my computer off my deck.
And SHIT THE BED, I just saw that your text comes up as "Whisker Biscuit" today. Not to creep you out or make you think I am stalking you, which I totally do but not in a creepy way, but whisker biscuit is me and my sister's favorite phrase. You know what it is right? We were out shooting our bows not too long ago and we got to talking about whisker biscuits and we were no more good.
Now I'm really going to go throw my computer this time. It's been real.
At my company, we have a strong ethics policy. And because our recorded time has to strictly match the work we're doing, in this situation, it would be my responsibility to bring this up to my manager, or any manager, or the ethics committee, or HR, or anyone I felt comfortable talking to.
I don't think you (hypothetically) would be tattling. I think you'd be protecting the company's productivity. And your sanity.
such a great blog some how i found you lookin for things on our sons birth defect esophageal atresia
simon's comment ftw!. . .
Yikes. Well, how does she (hypothetically) keep this job when her inability to do anything is so apparent? Does the boss not see? (Is she one of those "OMG! BOSS! AM SO PRODUCTIVE!" people?) Obviously I have no idea how your office works, but if she's messing up all this other stuff by being caught up in other, very important things, then I think I'd...um. I don't know. How long has this been going on?
P.S. Simon's comment = ha!
It is not your job to keep a log of what she is/is not doing. (Though - ha! it's funny/tragic.)
BUT! I think you're doing yourself a disservice by not having a chat with the boss. You need to turn it away from tattling and into specifics of how her inactivity affects you and your customers. When she failed to do X that meant Project Y was late and Client Z was pissed.
It may not result in any action, and you need to decide how you feel about that. What do you expect to get out of the conversation, etc.
Also, what Simon said.
I think I would have tried to be the better person for a while but ultimately it would have annoyed me, especially when her performance is directly impacting your work load and performance as well as the company. In a smaller company I understand that there is no human resources department to address these sort of complaints and perhaps your boss is looking for someone else to speak up or gather some information of their own before address your other co-workers complaint. I would speak to my boss though, I think there are ways to have that conversation without sounding like a tattle tale.
Oh and of course I would go home and tell my boyfriend about it every single day.
Why can't I get this comment to stick. Third try, here goes.
I would talk to your boss about it. I understand in a smaller company that there isn't a Human Resources department to address this issue anonymously. It is possible that your boss is hoping to witness this behaviour first hand or is hoping that someone else will come forward before reacting to your other co-worker's complaint. Once someone else starts to affect the performance of others and the company I think it's time to say something. Why should she sit there and get paid while the rest of you work your butts off?
Oh and of course I would go home and complain to my boyfriend every single day.
And Simon, when are you going to do a Simon says about soon becoming a father? I would love to hear it, though I know this is Leah's blog, we like when you highjack it once in a while.
Oh I see, the comments only disappear for a few minutes and reappear when I have retyped it and of course can't remember what I said and have to compose it all over again in my head. lol.
I think I would set up a secret video camera to catch her in action (Or, um, NOT in action).
Hypothetically.
Ha! I am this person at my job. I swear though for the first four months I asked daily for work but finally I just got tired of asking. So I sit on google reader all day. I'm going out of my mind really but soon (when SOMEBODY is hiring!!) I'll get another job and go back to my extremely hard-working, over-achiever self.
As far as telling the boss, it depends. Mine gets very angry when people come to him with issues about anyone but themselves. He's completely unresponsive. So feel out what your boss might say before you do. My suggestion when you see her doing nothing is ask her to help you with something. Good luck.
I personally hate confrontation so I would go the anonymous route to the boss or end up just sucking it up..I really hate confrontation.
I would say something to my boss. Who knows what's going to happen with the economy in the next several months? What if things get bad, and, HYPOTHETICALLY, your job is at risk because SHE misses her deadlines which cause YOU to miss some of yours? You'd both be out of luck, and she's the only one who would deserve it.
Plus, it would just drive me too stinking insane. I'd never get anything done, because whatever she was or wasn't doing would CONSUME ME. Kudos to you for managing to stay productive.
What do you do when it's your boss who behaves as you described? Thus far our dept works around her as much as possible. Still her mistakes do reflect on us. It's infuriating.
I would totally say something to my boss. I mean, obviously there's a RIGHT way to say it and a....not so right way, but I have full confidence that you'll do it the right way. Seriously, it would drive me CRAZY if I saw someone pulling this kind of crap, especially if her behavior had a negative impact on my ability to do my job too. This chick is DEAD WEIGHT. Say something to the boss! Vote her off the island! She is the weakest link! Goodbye!
I think you should mention to your boss; I would totally be passive-aggressive about it and keep the log, but if someone else complained and it got SOME result, then maybe your complaint will get a bigger result. Maybe you could talk to the co-worker who talked to the boss before and ask him/her how s/he couched the complaint.
Good luck!
Well it's certainly more entertaining for ME if you continue to hypothetically track your hypothetical co-worker's comings and goings. But if, as I suspect, you do not live to humor me, then perhaps you would be better served by speaking up. Having
worked in an identical situation with identically spineless management, don't expect to see any rapid solutions to the problem. Good luck!
1. You know your boss, we don't. Some appreciate to be kept in the loop about underlings, some don't care. I'd say that the bosses I've had (typically) and the supervisor I tried to be would notice because they/I was always in the trenches, too. There's no "I" in team, but there are often Idiots.
2. If you go to the boss, don't take a detailed log of your co-workers' time. Then there will be suspicion about what you do all day, even if your work should speak for itself.
3. Don't ask for advice on the Internet, especially from adoring fans.
4. Not working is the new work. I mean, BTO's old, moldy song "Takin' Care of Business" is about NOT working, but it's used out of context all the time to advertise taking care of business. And employees are hired to not work. What a world. The dumb thing is I never actually listened to the lyrics of the song until a few weeks ago.
Oops, I'd have more dumb things to say but I need to get back to work. Actually, score! It's lunchtime. I'm gonna go shopping, too.
Now, see, her hypothetical ineptitude in this case is hypothetically interfering with your work and production levels. So I think you would have a good hypothetical case to make to your/ her boss because you could say, "I have some concerns about X, because of Y and Z."
We have a hypothetical co-worker in our office JUST LIKE THIS, and it's maddening, for sure. She literally comes in after me every single day (hours and hours after) and leaves hours before I do, and it makes no sense at all because while she's actually "present," she takes so many "smoke" breaks that it's distracting to nearly every one in the office, especially the people who work in her department. UGH.
So, my comment is completely unrelated to anything: I was reading in my People Magazine about how the Paisleys are expecting a sibling for Huckleberry, and WOW, the person who said that Simon looks like Brad Paisley hit the nail on the HEAD!! The likeness is uncanny!! I'm sure your son will be just as yummy and adorable as Huck (though hopefully bearing a different name...).
Um. I totally sympathize, but the passive-aggressive blogging DURING WORK HOURS sort of undercuts your point, doesn't it...?
Not that I doubt that you're the far more productive and responsible employee, but still.
What I would do:
1) complain to my husband
2) complain to my mom
3) work up the nerve to confront her directly
4) chicken out
5) wait until her boss ask my opinion and then tell him all about it.