Real life dilemma - coworkers that do not pull their own weight
My part time job is wonderful: I work with a bunch of fun, friendly females in the retail sector. As long as the work gets done and the customers are served, I see nothing wrong with enjoying some banter and converstion with coworkers while at work. However, there are only three or four coworkers with whom I can work and talk to at the same time: the other coworkers either do the bare minimum to get by, or stand there yakking away while I work–and they don’t feel bad watching me run around the store trying to tidy things as they stand there, leaning on the counter, chewing gum, talking or sending and receiving text messages on their cell phones.
Oh, and complaining: “the day is going by so slowly”…”I’m bored”…”there are no customers”. Any attempts on my part to stop the litany of boredom by pointing out that even without customers we have a lot to do is ignored (there is always tidying, cleaning, filling of products to be done). My dilemma in a (rather large) nutshell: some of my coworkers stand around doing nothing and refuse to pull their own weight, resulting in me rushing around trying to get work meant for two people done. A side complaint is that since this is shift work, it often turns out that people working the earlier shift, for no good reason at all, didn’t accomplish their tasks and these tasks get passed on to the evening shift (of which I am a part) and I have three hours to finish work that the day shifters have 8 hours to complete.
What would you do? Would you tell the manager that these people are not pulling their own weight? I don’t mind being a tattletale but I think it’s ridiculous to even have to contemplate such a thing and so I basically refuse to. Instead, I’d love suggestions on how I can reach out to these coworkers. I want people to come to work and…work! I’d like complaints to be left at home and a willingness to work brought instead. It’s not hard or stressful work and time goes by so much faster if one is working rather than standing around whining about how slow the day or evening is going.
Please speak up!
coworkers, lazy, coworker dispute, pulling your own weight, lazy coworkers, how to motivate
June 8th, 2007 at 9:50 pm
Suggest to the lazy buggers, something like “while I do all this tidying up, could you please give me a hand and just file those for me?” Sounds like they’re doing you a favour… but result is they might do some work they should be doing anyway! Make sure you put that little word “just” in - makes it sound small and easy (and make your task sound horrid somehow LOL). At least it sounds nicer than what I’d really say…
… “While you’re just standing there, you might as well do that filing!” (for example)
June 8th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Oh.. say it when you have your hands physically full with something too, you look busier then, and in more need of “help” LOL
June 9th, 2007 at 12:28 am
nark on em
June 9th, 2007 at 12:37 am
Thanks for the idea, Denise. I will definitely try that with my coworkers. I think it just might work. Now I need a tactic for dealing with my coworkers who are gone by the time I start my evening shift!
And Matt: I don’t want to tell on them! I want them to want to work while at work!
June 18th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
Just keep working hard and your boss and others will notice it. This will eventually lead to a promotion. I had it happen to me. I was always positive and asking what can I do now. I became obsessed with being busy. The store owner noticed and actually vetoed my layoff when my boss was trying to cut me. Just keep telling yourself that you are there for the paycheck not to make friends. If these people are as lazy as you say then eventually they will move on to other jobs. The squeakiest wheel may get the most oil but it is also the first to get replaced.