How do you feal with lazy and rude co-workers?!?!?!

[pom bear]

Hi Everyone,

I really need some advice. I love my job and nearly everyone I work with, but just one person is pushing me to the point of needing to leave as I can't stand the atsmosphere anymore. It's a small firm of 12 people, a lot are family members of the boss who I all get on with. There is no HR department. My particualr area there are four of us, me, a woman who is part time, the senior agent and then the problem staff member. We sit facing one another in a bank of desks and there is nowhere else in the office anyone could move.

We've recently lost two members of staff so most of us have taken on extra duties whilst we look for replacements. It's always busy there. Problem Man (I'll call him PM!!!!) refused to take on any extra work.

Due to this, it has been decided that in our team of four, we all need to learn how to do each other's particular role in case of holiday/sickness etc, which makes sense. I'm not overjoyed about having to learn new stuff either as I'm already snowed under, but I understand the need for it and accept it. PM though is furious and is constantly moaning about it and has even been very rude to the senior agent.

He's always been lazy, but now he's got worse as if he's protesting against everything, He constantly takes 15 minute bathroom breaks, plays on his mobile phone for hours at a time, when he takes a call intended for someone else, he's rubbish with the message taking.

I work flat out, I start early, work through my lunch etc. I'm not trying to get bonus points, but I was out of work for over a year and I value having a job. I also realise that knock on effect that if my part of the work doesn't get done, it holds my colleagues up.

PM is now also saying things that have scared me a little, like how we don't realise how much energy it takes for him not to explode every day and for him to appear calm. He also made some vague threats against another staff member.

I have made complaints about PM before, and he has been brought up before the boss, but we have the softest boss ever. If you make up a sob story he will buy it. He also HATES confrontation. Now I am quite close to the boss, and he has told me countless times that hiring PM was the worst thing he ever did and how he is not happy with PM's performance, but he won't do anything about it.

I am getting so fed up of doing all this extra work, when he is just sitting there doing nothing and is being rude. The boss has made it obvious he won't do anything about it. The senior agent is not a manager so has no power over him.

This whole situation is making me so stressed. I just don't know how to deal with it and it is making me so fed up.

Please could someone tell me how to deal with this! Sorry for the long post too!!!!

Sorry about typo in header too!!!

[Ultralight]

Well, it all depends on the situation. I think people should do a reasonable amount of work in a reasonable time frame. They should not be totally drained after work. But I also don't think people should just sit around on their duffs.

Here is where I have a problem, and this happens at my workplace.

The department I work in is the only one that has deadlines or has to be accountable. The other departments can make their own schedules and are really not accountable to anyone. So when people need something from us they need it to be perfect and now. But if we need something from them they can literally say: "We'll put you in the queue. It'll probably be 6 months."

But 6 months will come and go and no one is held accountable.

The insane thing is that I am not exaggerating.

[Ultralight]

Hi Everyone,

I really need some advice. I love my job and nearly everyone I work with, but just one person is pushing me to the point of needing to leave as I can't stand the atsmosphere anymore. It's a small firm of 12 people, a lot are family members of the boss who I all get on with. There is no HR department. My particualr area there are four of us, me, a woman who is part time, the senior agent and then the problem staff member. We sit facing one another in a bank of desks and there is nowhere else in the office anyone could move.

We've recently lost two members of staff so most of us have taken on extra duties whilst we look for replacements. It's always busy there. Problem Man (I'll call him PM!!!!) refused to take on any extra work.

Due to this, it has been decided that in our team of four, we all need to learn how to do each other's particular role in case of holiday/sickness etc, which makes sense. I'm not overjoyed about having to learn new stuff either as I'm already snowed under, but I understand the need for it and accept it. PM though is furious and is constantly moaning about it and has even been very rude to the senior agent.

He's always been lazy, but now he's got worse as if he's protesting against everything, He constantly takes 15 minute bathroom breaks, plays on his mobile phone for hours at a time, when he takes a call intended for someone else, he's rubbish with the message taking.

I work flat out, I start early, work through my lunch etc. I'm not trying to get bonus points, but I was out of work for over a year and I value having a job. I also realise that knock on effect that if my part of the work doesn't get done, it holds my colleagues up.

PM is now also saying things that have scared me a little, like how we don't realise how much energy it takes for him not to explode every day and for him to appear calm. He also made some vague threats against another staff member.

I have made complaints about PM before, and he has been brought up before the boss, but we have the softest boss ever. If you make up a sob story he will buy it. He also HATES confrontation. Now I am quite close to the boss, and he has told me countless times that hiring PM was the worst thing he ever did and how he is not happy with PM's performance, but he won't do anything about it.

I am getting so fed up of doing all this extra work, when he is just sitting there doing nothing and is being rude. The boss has made it obvious he won't do anything about it. The senior agent is not a manager so has no power over him.

This whole situation is making me so stressed. I just don't know how to deal with it and it is making me so fed up.

Please could someone tell me how to deal with this! Sorry for the long post too!!!!

Sorry about typo in header too!!!

Epic rant!

Sometimes we need to vent!

[Zoe Girl]

oh yes, my last job had plenty of things to rant about and frustrations, so i get the need to get it out.

I wonder if some skills around communication may at least make you feel better. I love the newsletter from vital smarts. This newsletter is associated with crucial conversations book. For a more soft approach (maybe your boss would like this) is Nonviolent Communication. It takes some training, and I wouldn't necessarily recommend it if you were in a situation where accountability could be counted on. I am NOT suggesting that you are the issue, but learning these things has helped me in impossible situations.

[Yppej]

Look for another job. Nothing is goiing to change where you are. The job market is good now.

[Ultralight]

Look for another job. Nothing is goiing to change where you are. The job market is good now.

What is the old Zen saying? "Wherever you go, there you are."

[razz]

What is the old Zen saying? "Wherever you go, there you are."

Not sure that is what the OP is looking for. UL, you are job searching to leave a dysfunctional position so how are you handling the current challenges of your job? That could provide some support so that the OP feels your understanding of the circumstances presently going through.

Pombear, do the family members see the situation in the same way that you do? Are they getting overstressed as well? How are they handling this individual and his complaints in ways that you could follow as well?

Sometimes, the stress can cause one to focus on one problem giving it greater power over one's thinking? Is there a way that you could get some counselling right now to help you manage and regain confidence with the stress as you are understandably anxious after an earlier joblessness.

[Simplemind]

Ah yes, the manager that doesn't like to manage.... been there done that. Also had the scenario with one of our employees. You are right to be concerned and keep to that C word instead of Complaint. A threat is something that can not be ignored. Start to document everything (for yourself at this point) PM does and says that is outside of what he should be doing. Document who witnessed it. You have an obligation to go to your manager about his threatening statements. Do not wait for it to escalate Say that you are concerned about the statements PM is making. You don't feel safe because of his threats to *****. Document his response. Your manager can shrug his shoulders over 15 minute bathroom breaks and substandard work performance but he can not look the other way when it comes to employee safety. If he fails to do so he is legally liable.

This is a small shop so they may not be savvy enough to do the right thing. Some managers are OK with letting an entire work group be uncomfortable so they don't have to. So while you do the above it may be a good idea to look for something else in case push comes to shove (no pun intended).

[Ultralight]

Most people become managers for the pay and/or ego boost, not because they are leaders or even want to become leaders.