SINGAPORE: A Singaporean worker took to social media to vent about her “useless” colleague who hasn’t been pulling her weight since joining the company.
In a post on the r/askSingapore forum, she explained that this colleague holds a “lead title” but has only been handling the tasks of a temporary staff member whose contract expired because she could not manage her original responsibilities.
“Her work was then given to me,” she wrote. “She could not even manage the job scope of a temp and complained almost every day that she was drowning.”
The worker also mentioned that whenever this colleague didn’t get her way, she would stay silent and refuse to engage. “She has had pending tasks with her since 2 months ago that she refused to do and respond to,” the worker explained.
What made the situation even worse, however, was the fact that management wasn’t stepping in to address the issue. “They just keep taking work away from her and make others do it instead,” she said, adding that it felt unfair, especially since this colleague was ‘earning more than most of the team but doing less than even a temp.’
“There are many other things that happened too. For example, she didn’t do a single handover when I took over her portfolio. She doesn’t even reply to me at all,” she said.
Feeling increasingly demotivated and overwhelmed, the worker contacted the community for advice. “What should I do because my job intersects with hers, and she doesn’t respond to emails?? It has made me unhappy for the past few months,” she wrote.
“Document everything, put everything in writing, including emails, chats, etc.”
In the discussion thread, many suggested that the worker keep a thorough record of all interactions with colleagues who aren’t responding or completing tasks. Others recommended cc’ing the boss and HR in emails to build a paper trail of the ongoing issues.
One Redditor shared, “My colleague faced the same issue; After 4–5 months of picking up the slack for her team lead, she stopped it.
She started to CC her direct superior and HR when sending her emails and @ her superior on Slack when asking for most of her input. Her superior was silent on comms, but he had probably conducted an internal investigation. Fast forward a month later, my colleague is currently the team lead of her department.”
Another wrote, “Document everything, put everything in writing, including emails, chats, etc. If you have meetings with her, note the minutes and blast them out. Then go ask for a pay hike, saying you’re doing the work of a lead.”
Some others speculated whether the colleague in question had gotten the job through a personal connection. “Wonder if she is a nepo hire lol,” one said.
Still, a few gave the colleague the benefit of the doubt. One Redditor said, “Does she report to you? Doesn’t seem so.
If management delegates her tasks to others, either she has influence over the decision makers there (thus deemed to be untouchable), or you don’t know the extent of her roles/tasks that she’s doing and underestimate her contributions towards the company.”
What to if you have a useless/incompetent colleague
Leah Lambart, a Career and Interview Coach from Relaunch Me and Seek Career Expert, suggests that if you’re dealing with an incompetent colleague who isn’t pulling their weight, it’s better to address the issue directly before approaching your manager.
Ask if they need help or additional guidance. By offering your support in a friendly, non-judgmental way, you can help them feel more comfortable and potentially improve their performance. It’s also crucial to approach the situation with empathy and balance. When you discuss areas where they could improve, highlight what they are doing well first.
Acknowledge their strengths and any positive contributions they’ve made. This will help them feel recognized and appreciated, making it easier for them to accept constructive feedback.
However, if speaking with them doesn’t resolve the issue, you should bring it up with your manager. Do not badmouth your colleague; instead, share your concerns and explain how they impact things. Have specific examples ready so your manager can have a clear and productive conversation with the colleague.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)