Vent: Coworker driving me nuts with her work ethic or lack thereof!

[VirginGorda]

I just have to vent. Someone else out there must experience this also.

 

I am sick and tired of coworkers who abuse the fact they know they not going to get into serious trouble for slacking off, showing up late, leaving early etc... Our office manager who doubles as the head partner's AdAmin is the source of my contempt today. Everyday she slacks off, doing research on the car she wants to buy. Naturally me being the next one up the ladder I get to cover work she is meant to be doing - "she's always busy". She shows up 15-20 minutes late 3-4 days a week, this after the partners adjusted her hours so she could come in at 9:00 instead of 8:00!! If I ever showed up that late that consistently or tried pawning my job off on anyone one else in the office I would get to told in no uncertain terms where to go. She however always seems to find a way out of doing things she doesn't want to. She is the charming sort who, I have come to the conclusion, can manipulate anybody into doing what she wants, a characteristic I have an incredible amount of contempt for. She has been called out by a one of the partners but the head partner simply doesn't wish to go through the aggravation of finding another assistant. To make it worse the office is very small so I don't even get to sneak away to a corner somewhere and avoid her. It has gotten to the point where I am seriously thinking of finding another job!! And when I leave I will explain why.

 

Off course I guess I am being a little hypocritical since I am writing this rant at work!

[morrigan]

Here's a link to a discussion of a workplace narcissist:

 

http://samvak.tripod.com/faq81.html

 

I worked several years ago in a nursing home where my supervisor basically dropped her workload onto my three co workers and I. She would at times take 2 hour lunch breaks, came in a half an hour late to work several times a week, wrote sarcastic comments on our progress notes. . .just a bunch of bull. I guess we were all scared of losing our jobs; we didn't band together and go directly to the administrator to complain. I kept sending out resumes until I found a better job.

 

Sorry to say this, but since this woman's work performance has already been brought before the head partner of the company, and he doesn't want to deal with it, you may just have to find a new job or put up and shut up. It doesn't seem fair, but if the head doesn't seem to care that her lack of work ethic could cause his business problems, it's not worth your trouble to do her work for your salary. Good luck.

[HokeyReligions]

Not that I'm trying to take sides against you, but could it be that she is doing work or working hours that you just are not aware of? Perhaps she has some kind of family crisis going on the partners are giving her a little slack right now to help her out.

 

I was kind of on the opposite side once. It looked like I was slacking off in a huge way, but much of what I was working on was of a confidential nature and a sporadic one too, where it appeared I wasn't doing my job. What those who compalined didn't know is that it was cyclical and there were times each year when I worked all night or left at 4 am or something to meet a deadline. I would leave when they did, go get supper, and come right back. They didn't see that. Where I am now, I spend most of my time waiting for others and then its a mad rush to do my part of the job and right now that allows me lots of time on LS! But if anyone were to look at how I am working, it appears that I screw around a lot. If the partners are giving her some slack, then if you ever have a personal crisis it would be nice to know that you can ask for some flexibility too.

 

I guess I just give the benifit of the doubt. If you have a problem getting your work done accurately and on time, then document everything and go to the partners and ask them for some guidance in adjusting your workload. Don't bring the other woman's name up if you don't have to, and certainly not in a deragatory manner. Just give the partners the facts and your suggestions for solutions. You can alway tell them "if so-and-so would take this off my hands, I would be able to focus on these other things and everything will get done on time" and that may help you with your workload.