difficult coworker
By KhittiKhat77
@KhittiKhat77 (27)
February 20, 2008 8:28am CST
Hi, I haven't been here for a few days but I'm hoping someone can give me some advice. I have a coworker who should've been fired years ago, but my boss is rather soft hearted and feels sorry for her. She has become a real pain in the neck to work with. She has been with the company for a very long time(15yrs), but it's like she doesn't know her job yet. She does not like working there and we all know that. she constantly complains about everything, but only to a couple of us, not to the bosses. She is not a happy person at work or at home, and everyone knows that. I use to feel sorry for her, but after 5 yrs of listening to the same old thing everyday, and seeing that she is doing nothing to change her situation, i am having a hard time feeling sorry for her anymore. I cover for her mistakes quite often because i know that if i said anything she would definitely get fired. I'm not a mean person, so i haven't said anything, as a few other coworkers have done the same thing. Its getting harder to work with her though, because by covering for her that means more work for me. Should I finally say something to my boss or just let sleeping dogs lie?
6 people like this
16 responses
@hey_baby (425)
• Philippines
30 Mar 08
you need not tell your boss about it, just stop covering for her. you are there to do your job and she should do hers. it will be better for all i think- you don't have to worry about anything anymore, you boss will stop wasting payroll on an unproductive employee, and your co worker, if she gets fired, will finally realize what she should have done a long time ago, either quit or did her job better. all of you will eventually get over it.
i'm sure you have your own personal problems to deal with, you don't need additional stress. so stop carrying her problems for her.
good luck to you.
1 person likes this
@bubblyapple (2653)
• Philippines
30 Mar 08
have you talk to this difficult co-worker of yours? if not why not talk to her and tell to her straight forwardly (of course with respect) about the things she is doing. maybe she is not aware that all of you are pissed off with her complaints in life. actually it is not a surprise that she didn't know her job after 15 yrs of service because i think all she knows is to complain in life... so its better to inform her of the wrong things she's doing, and maybe she will change. and if after letting her know and she continue to that then i think its time to get your boss attention.
@chiyosan (30183)
• Philippines
30 Mar 08
okay.. now that is really a difficult thing to handle. I have not encountered such a person who really is becomming a nuisance than a good help to her/his peers.
Maybe the best you can do is not mind this person and do not cover up for her anymore. Afterall, are you sure she will do the same for you? even so... enough is enough. You should try to give all her works to your boss in itself, do not alter and let them see for themselves how she works... so they can decide what her ratings will be.
1 person likes this
@Czheckproductions (151)
• United States
21 Feb 08
Id let this person know how you feel and give them another chance or just tell the boss how you feel it might not make you feel good but it seems like the right thing to do-Czheck
@jhl930 (3601)
• United States
21 Feb 08
I think that if everyone is having a problem with her and she didn't know how to do her job well...I would say that you should go and have a talk with the boss about her..just bring it up not like saying you need to fire her...just say like I noticed that some of the people at work doesn't really think that she is doing a very good job and see how he reacts to that...because if you just say we need to let her go he may think that you have something against her and just want her fired
@bijuparekkatt (16)
• India
21 Feb 08
In my opinion you should not support her. You are just killing her individulaity and ability by supporting her. What u can do is tell her frankly that you are not going to support her and you give her a deadline by which she should rectify her mistakes and still she continues the mistakes tell your boss.
@kareng (61946)
• United States
20 Feb 08
I would never cover for anyone they kept on whining and whining. That's uncalled for and so unprofessional. Let her take the rap for her mistakes, she is an adult and the way it stands you are doing your job and hers. But you are only getting paid for doing yours.
@rsa101 (38166)
• Philippines
20 Feb 08
What I don't understand is you're still covering for her? Why? If you find yourself having a hard time working for her why would you do that for her? I know you don't want to hur her feelings about it but then it's also about you are you really happy doing this for her to save her or what? I think you should start to let her realize that ranting is not good for her and the company she works with. If she is not happy with her work then leave and find a work that will make her happy. Or is it like she uses these to cover for her mistakes and you pitying her and helping her out instead.
1 person likes this
@Sissygrl (10912)
• Canada
20 Feb 08
Maybe you should all just let her try to stand on her own two feet and then none of you would feel bad when she gets fired for being incompetant, i mean if she's been there for 15 years + then she should FOR SURE know how to do her job by now! It's not fair to everyone else that has to cover for her and do more work, after all you get her workload, but not her pay!! She is probably just taking advantage of you all! I say LET HER DO HER OWN WORK!! ;) Good luck ;)
1 person likes this
@checapricorn (16061)
• United States
8 Jun 08
You don't have evaluation every year? self evaluation and peer evaluation? Anyway, we have that and it helps a lot in determining whether to hire again the person for the following year! If you are tired about her, then it's time to voice out, for 15 years she didn't learn her job, that is very ridiculous. If I were you, I will be honest to myself and report to your boss about it so that the company will not be paying a person who did not contribute anything for the improvement of everyone.
@titaniumsoul (1191)
• Singapore
21 Feb 08
I think it is no use of any ideas to kick her out of the office. From the situation described, I can only give an advice which is if you cannot tolerate anymore of her nonsenses, quit the job. The reason for the advice is because your colleague seem to have laid a benchmark and knew everything from head-to-toe in the company therefore it is not easy to get rid of her or enlighten your boss. Besides, she had worked for the company for 15 years which can be considered as loyal employee. Unless, your company has another employee who worked for 20 years and above, you may want to co-operate with him/her to persuade the boss for hiring decision. If the company do not have such employee, then it will be too bad. Find another job if it is intolerable.
1 person likes this
@kishusia (1066)
• India
18 Mar 08
She is there for 15 years, and in these 15 years she has been like this. You yourself are covering for her mistakes for last five years. I think boss also knows it but not taking any action against her. Why not let the things continue in this manner.She is the responsibility of the boss and not yours. You cover yourself.
@KhittiKhat77 (27)
•
18 Mar 08
Hi, thanks for the advice. I finally decided to do just what you said. I realize that she is the boss's responsibility, so I just do my work now and let her worry about her own. If she doesn't do it or does it wrong, it's her problem not mine.
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30959)
• United States
21 Feb 08
I think it is time to enlighten the boss. I have worked with people like this and it is not good for business or for work atmosphere. We had a women like that in our company and lost many a good worker due to the fact that they just could not work with this woman. We all complained but my boss did not listen. In the end, she saw this woman's true colors and did appologize.
1 person likes this
@lnkzi62 (60)
• Indonesia
21 Feb 08
If you just let sleeping dogs lie, it means that you will make her worse. Have you ever find out what her real problem is? maybe she actually do not like her job, maybe she has big problem at home that stressed her and influence her behaviour at work. I think she needs help, just try to talk to her or ask the help of your bos to do so. Is there no performance review at your office? my company usually do the performance evaluation annually that the staf and the management can work together nicely.
1 person likes this
@Bethany1202 (3431)
• United States
30 Mar 08
Sorry, but it sounds from this as though she is a lazy and bad employee. I know every story has three sides, yours, hers, and the truth, but if the othe co-workers feel the same, you should all get together and confront her. If that doesn't solve anything, you should all get together and speak to your boss. Hopefully that will help. Even if it just helps a little, that's better than it is now, right? I don't know, that's what I would do.
If you really cannot stand the job because of her and no one is willing to speak up with you, you might want to consider finding another job where you won't be so stressed. That's my opinion.
@janiceancajas (227)
• Philippines
8 Jun 08
It's really a burden to have an officemate who doesnt know what he/she's doing. I have known someone that he is now managing a certain field in marketing but even for two years he doesnt know much. When client calls, he will always ask his staff to take all the queries, cover for his lapses and she worked that supposed for him. She wanted to tell the management about the lapses of her boss but I told her that its no used coz the top management knows what he is doing but they only ignore it. I told her that to be fair, she should only work her job, never give another favor for him coz it will make him more dull and no cover ups. In that way, he can learn the abc of business.
And for you khittikat, dont help her coz you let her be more irresponsible of her duty as an employee.
