Dear Christine,
I REALLY NEED your advice. I started a new job about three months ago and now I absolutely hate my co-worker.
He is unproductive, undependable, constantly calls in sick, and takes extra-long lunches.
This causes me quite a lot of strain as I’m the only one who could cover for him. Overall, he has a very bad attitude to work and spends most of his day playing with his BlackBerry, visiting websites which have absolutely nothing to do with work, gossiping and following football and cricket.
In fact, he streams live cricket video for hours.
I brought all these facts to the attention of our manager but nothing was done. Later I found out that my co-worker and boss are pretty close; they often go golfing together. Sometimes they go during work hours, leaving me to complete all the work.
Even when my co-worker is in the office, he gives very little output.
I’m feeling stressed having to finish work for two people every day.
The resentment inside me continues to build.
Little things about him now bother me on an exponential level; for example, the sound he makes when he clips his nails at his desk, the constant BlackBerry message alerts, and when he uses the speaker phone instead of the handset.
I’ve started looking for a new job but none have been forthcoming. What should I do to cope until another position comes up?
– AHG
Dear AHG,
You may not agree with me, but first you’ve got to learn to love this co-worker. The resentment and hatred you are harbouring will only make you sick and stress you out more.
While he sits down with a carefree spirit and ensures he relaxes by playing golf, you are simmering.
Rather than complain to the boss, who is obviously your co-worker’s buddy, you should meet with both of them and have a decent discussion about the situation.
If this does not help, you may need to share your concerns with the human resources manager if there is one or with someone in higher authority.
If this fails and you cannot cope with the situation anymore, keep looking for that new job.
– CHRISTINE
