Bossless and how to handle a coworker

[YellowRoseTex]

My boss gave her notice at work and they have decided not to replace her. Guess that is the way these days, when someone leaves they don't replace them. :mad:

The plan is for the head of USA finance to come to our office once or twice a week. For the majority of my dept it is not that big of a deal, although I think we do need someone there to ask questions to and be the go to person when we need someone higher up to make a decision. Still not that big of a deal. My main concern is that there is one co worker who abuses the freedom we have. She did it when we had a boss onsite, can only imagine what is going to happen now. She comes in late, leaves early and doesn't account for her lunch breaks. Example: she arrived shortly before 9am one day, took a 2 hour lunch and left before 5, yet recorded 9 hours. Spends alot of time on the phone, disappears for an hour or more alot, more often now that our boss is gone.

It really makes me mad when people cheat the company like that. She is putting 40 hours on her timesheet so she should be working 40 hours, not 35. We've surmised that she think that she should be paid for her lunch and phone time. :stomp:

How would you handle the situation? There is a co worker who is documenting her ins and outs. She actually started a spreadsheet :signlol: But what do we do with the information? How do we bring it up to the higher ups? I hesitate to go to Human Resources as she is buddies with them.

It really makes me mad when there are so many people out of work who want to work and would give 110% and we have this employee who gives maybe 50% at best.

[jcme]

Kim,

That's a tough one. Is this person impacting the work of others or just abusing the freedom you have? Did the person who left know about this? If so would they have turned this information over to the USA Finance guy?

I also hate it when people do this. Not just because it is wrong but I've seen the people who follow the rules and guidelines have their freedom taken away because of one bad apple.

Is she completing her work? If so, maybe she just doesn't have enough to keep her busy all day. If that's the case, she needs to get more work to do so she can't waste all that time. However based on how your post was worded I don't think that is the case. :rolleyes:

I encountered a similar situation years ago. Me and my co-worker (we were a team of 2 + 1 contractor) ended up talking to our manager.

The contractor came in late, left early and made an unreasonable amount of long distance calls. We knew he lied on his timesheet because this was before there was work from home and he always said he worked 40 hours. At first we figured it was our manager's responsibilty since he was assigning our work and needed to approve this guy's timesheet.

Then we had a comment made in a team meeting about long distance cals to some city in CA. All 3 of us said we didn't know anyone there, then the next week this guy is talking about going to this same city visit his friend. Soon after my coworker and I were starting to put in extra time to do the work he wasn't able to complete, so we decided to talk to management.

If you do talk to management, I would NOT mention the spreadsheet. To me that makes it look like your coworker is spending time monitoring her instead doing their job. You (or your co-worker) can say you jotted down a few examples though.


Good luck

[YellowRoseTex]

JC,
Thanks much for the input. It is tough indeed.

Another issue is that she doesn't know what the heck she is doing and makes all kinds of mistakes. Other co workers are doing clean up work (not sure if they have reported these instances or not).

She does NOT complete her assignments timely. I think that she probably does have enough to do, but has no clue about deadlines and has no sense of urgency. And not to be unkind, but she is really an airhead, she has no business being in accounting.

I truly think she just does not care and thinks the world revolves around her. Examples (unrelated to work) she lost "20" Sam's Club cards in a 2 year period, than was miffed when they wouldn't issue yet another. She got hauled into the pokey because she "forgot" to show up for court for a speeding ticket AND had an expired registration. It was all someone else's fault and she found it funny. She has 2 kids and throws around all the time "I am a single mother". Oh and she has no money but is going to Italy in July. It is mind boggling!

Thanks again JC, I really appreciate your comments and suggestions.

[jcme]

It sounds like she has no business being in any kind of professional position. These kind of people are just wired to think about themselves and are oblivious to the world around them. :o

What would happen if people just stopped cleaning up her mistakes and let her miss deadline?

One thing you and your co-workers can do is update management about how you are "helping" this woman. It can be worded as you are pitching in because there have been inaccuracies in her work (not good in accounting, but at least this shows you are team players) and helping her meet her deadlines.

With what you are saying I think her work hours are the least of your concerns.

Take care

[YellowRoseTex]

Thank you JC

It is getting worse. Yesterday the co worker came in at 8, left for an hour and a half to get her brows done, came back, ate lunch and proceeded to chat with her neighbor for another hour, I saw her at her desk with her feet up and her arms folded, she was definetly NOT working, she left at 4pm. Her timesheet shows 7.50 hours worked yesterday! :eek:

I wasn't feeling well yesterday and just could not take the chatter, chatter, chatter with no work getting done so went home to work.

I need to get with my coworkers next week and have a confab about how to handle. Yes, besides her in and out time, we need to start documenting her mistakes, lateness on deadlines and anything else we can think of. I may get someone from another location involved, as they are aware of her inabilities and have more pull than I do.

If we don't do something there is going to be a blow up in the office and that would look bad on us. :(

Unfortunately, we have another slacker, she is part time, guess at least she is honest on her true worked hours.

These two just do not take pride in their work at all. I just don't get how they can possibly think they are doing a good job. Than again, maybe they just do not know any better, despite us trying to teach them, which they don't want to listen. In one ear, out the other.

I've yammered on enough here. :signlol: Thanks for listening. It does help to get it out and to get some constructive ideas.

[jcme]

Kim,

Good luck. I hope all works out well. I know you are in a difficult and frustrating situation.

It's hard working with someone with different work ethics than the rest of the team. Eventually things work out and the preson either fits in with the team/company culture or they leave.

Hopefully it works out soon.

[YellowRoseTex]

It is not working out very well. One of the gals on our team talks to the boss alot so she took the opportunity to discuss the situation. It did not go well. I feel bad that we didn't go in as a team, but than again, I think it would've made it seem like we were ganging up on her. :( I have come to the conclusion that it is a no win situation so I will go in and do my job to the best of my ability and ignore everything else. She can do whatever she wants, as long as it does not interfere with my business.

I am making other plans for while I am on vacation. There is a gal from another office that can take over one of the items that cannot wait until I get back. We will see how that goes over.

Such a shame, a real shame that someone who doesn't have a clue and doesn't care has a job when there are so many capable that really want to work and would appreciate having the job. :(

[jcme]

Kim,

Sorry things didn't get worked out. Hopefully things work out soon. It doesn't sound like a good work enviroment.

Take care