Need advice on how to deal with a work colleague ...

[qwerty30]

I work for a very small business (4 of us in total 3 females and our Director is Male). I have worked there for 12 years now and have worked with a colleague who is now a friend for 10 of those years, we sit opposite each other, and sometimes socialise with our families. At the start of this year I was promoted to a supervisory level and we employed a new female part time member who is very hard working. However, my other colleague (and friend) is starting to take the pee basically, on her mobile all the time at her desk, not answering the work phone, always on email and internet, and when our boss walks behind her she shuts it down etc. Constantly receiving calls from her sons and family, taking numerous loo breaks to wander around the building on her mobile. Our boss has had a word with her and she stopped for a week! But he is out of the office a lot of the time. I have had a few words telling her to be careful with mobile and internet use etc, but she just seems to see me as a friend and not her supervisor. BUT she is leaving most of the work to me and our part time member which is not fair. To put it bluntly she has become very lazy, and does not seem to care that she is leaving most of the work to us!! I dont know how to deal with it...............help?? I love my job, but dont like the situation at the moment...........:-((((

[waterboatman]

You must be a supervisor first and foremost. Your friend is taking liberties and not being a friend at all. I know it's hard, but you must take her aside and have a serious talk to her. she is not being fair to her friends and workmates, she is also putting your new position in danger. That is not being a friend. You have to tell her in no uncertain terms that her behaviour has to stop. You must do it for your own sake.

[Jan1957]

I agree with wbm. You must say something to her and say she is not being fair to her colleagues and especially to you as she is putting you in a difficult position and make it clear you are talking to her as her supervisor and not her friend. I had a similiar situation when I was working and it really started to get me down so you have tell her before things get worse. If she really is a friend she should understand that.

[qwerty30]

I know. She is not meeting deadlines, and I end up doing publications and worksheets for her so she does not get into trouble, its getting a joke, she is such a nice person and would help anybody, but her family life is totally overtaking her work time.

[WELSHYORKIE]

Qwerty30 - I would agree with everything that wbm has said - you must put your foot down and impress upon your 'friend' that in the workplace her behaviour will not be tolerated. If she doesn't pull her socks up tell the boss.

[waterboatman]

She doesn't sound too nice to me qwerty. To put it mildly she is taking liberties at your expense. You cannot allow it to continue. The more you let her the more she will do it. Here family must be dealt with in her time, not yours. she is not being a friend at all. A friend would not do that.

[mrsweasley]

Hi, if I can join in,hope you can take action today,like answers above say. Its nearly christmas, and if you don't say something, firmly, she won't change-if works only for a few days, hint she could lose her job-everyone reading your question will wish they had her job. Good luck

[venator]

Do you do staff assessments?

[lady-janine]

you really have to do something sooner rather than later. she is proving herself not to be a friend in any way just taking advantage of your feelings. a true friend would be pleased for you and your promotion and then just continue as before. now she is putting not only her job in jeapody but also yours. eventually your boss will realise exactly what is happening and could dismiss both of you. her for wasting time and money and you for not being able to function in a supervisory way. she is just making life very difficult for you and trading on your pleasant nature. definitely not acting as a friend.

[venator]

Here's a sample staff assessment form - there are lots online.

As the setup has changed, new staff etc., and the boss is away a lot of the time, it would be appropriate for all staff to have annual assessments.

Her work problem could be formally discussed, together with any help she may need.

I'm not sure of the current rules & regulations, probably the EU has complicated it.

[EDDIE51]

Unless you do something the new hard working part timer is going to start to notice ( I bet she already has) and feel the need to say something to the boss. This will get both of you into trouble .
As the others have said you MUST have a serious word with her. Make it informal at first but if there is no improvement you need to make it a formal verbal warning.If still no improvement you need to start a disciplinary procedure. Hard I know, but it has to be done.
Most work places ban employees from having a mobile turned on during work time remember that. Also it is possible to get company computers to block non work related web sites , I could not get AB, Facebook or eBay on a work computer for instance the IT dept has blocked them. This is easy to do, you could have a word with the boss and suggest it without saying it was a particular person in mind. (but then in such a small place it would not be hard to work out who you had in mind)
Your ''friend'' is taking advantage of your good nature and friendship , such action is not that of a true friend.

[Philtaz]

Is there any way you could compile a graph or chart of breakdown of recent figures for the three of you that could be 'left casually lying around' for her to stumble upon?

If you're (understandably) reluctant to tackle her head-on, maybe a shove in the right direction may have the desired effect.

It is something of a quandry for you, but as the others have said your 'friend' needs a reminder as to who she is accountable to, particularly in the current climate.

[Tizzi24]

I agree with wbm and everyone else. You must tell her that you are her supervisor whilst you are working and she must pull her socks up. If it were me, I wouldn't do the work that she's supposed to do. That just encourages her to carry on being lazy!!

[EDDIE51]

Tizzi has given me an idea, could you suggest to your boss that you need a 'work plan' for each of you in the office.
You could phrase it as an idea to make each worker more aware of their specific targets and increase 'production/decrease unnessesary ' work.
This would be a 'feather in your cap' as far as the boss is concerned. Then when the new plan shows that the 'friend ' is falling short of the expected output ( surpise, surprise) you can say to the boss '' Do you want me to 'have a word with her?''
The boss will almost certainly say ''yes please that would be a great idea'' (or words to that effect)
Then any further action on your part can be put to the ''Friend'' as the bosses orders , I am just doing as he tells me but he does have a point I have noticed .................. etc

[qwerty30]

Thanks for your replies. I told her I was too busy to take phone calls yesterday, and would have to divert my phone to hers for the day! She looked a bit shocked but got on with it, and seemed to buck her ideas up!

[venator]

Well done, Querty! Now you've broken the ice, you need to keep up the gentle pressure.

You could suggest to the boss that targets and/or staff assessments would be useful when time allows, then announce that they would be coming in.

If she didn't buck her ideas up, then you could actually introduce them.

[albaqwerty]

Here's hoping it just wasn't for one day tho qwerty. If she goes back to her old ways today, start following some, if not all, of the above excellent ideas.