I (26F) work in a small office. One of my coworkers left in the middle of a really busy day to go to an event with a guy she met on a dating app just two days ago, even though she’s still seeing her ex. I was stuck handling her tasks on top of mine, and honestly it felt ridiculous.
I told her she needed to handle her own work this time and refused to cover for her. Some coworkers overheard and now they’re saying I was being rude and that I should have just helped her like I usually do.
I’m frustrated because this isn’t the first time she’s bailed on work for personal stuff. I feel like I’m always picking up the slack, and it’s exhausting. I also don’t want to start drama, but I can’t keep letting this slide.
AITA for refusing to cover for her this time?
nah girl, you’re not the office babysitter. she chose to ghost her work, you did not. ppl gotta learn boundaries somewhere
You 100% did the right thing. If you let her do that unchecked once, she’ll do it over and over again. Good for you for establishing a boundary!
NTA- covering for your coworker once is fine, but if you keep doing it and they don’t cover for you, then you’re getting taken advantage of. I would talk to her first but if that isn’t well received then go straight to management. I’m sure your boss wouldn’t approve of her going to social outings on company time.
You get paid to do one job — your own. Thank your coworkers for volunteering to cover for her and “help,” since you’re no longer available.
NTA and those co-workers can pick up her slack if they want to help out your co-worker
NTA. If this is a repeated thing she does (which it sounds like it is), it might be time to have a word with your team supervisor about how often she tries to push her work onto you and bail, because if you’re scrambling to do 2 persons’ work, it may end up impacting things getting done on time or the quality of the work. Your supervisor needs to be aware so they can step in.
NTA. If coworkers think someone should cover for her, they are welcome to do so.
Ew. No.
Fuck your coworkers. If they think you’re being an asshole, they can pick up her slack.
If she was doing this shit on her own accord and it didn’t effect anyone I’d say stay out of it but if you are having to work more because of it I’d tell her to fuck off.
The more work you have the less attention to detail you’ll have. Meaning this will mess with your individual workload as well.
I’d throw her under the bus so hard.
NTA. You didn’t refuse to cover someone in a medical emergency, you refused to cover for a coworker who ditched her job to go on a dating app adventure while still juggling her ex like a side quest. That’s not busy life, that’s telenovela scheduling.
Nta. The hardest lesson I had to learn at work was that you’re there to work, not
make friends.
NTA.
She is a co-worker, not a friend; therefore, she is competition. Your other co-workers are unprofessional if they do not understand this.
How would you like it if you continued to cover for her, management noticed the fact her work was always good and on time, and then she got promoted over you.
If it becomes an issue where you are being bullied about it, go to management because they get paid the big bucks to manage.
EDIT – And do not let your co-worker become the victim as in “Why did you do that to me?”. “You did it to yourself.”
Those other coworkers are free to pick up the covering slack! NTA and good for you for standing firm.