A question about : What to do
I wonder whether anyone can advise. I work in a team of four, and recently it has become obvious to myself and a colleague over some time, that one member of the team has been given a much lighter workload to do the same job, for the same salary. It is almost half my workload and has been for some time, and so far looking at plans for next year, there is evidence that it is half for the whole of the year (2015). We don't know the reason for this and in my one to one with my manager on Monday I need to approach him about it, ask him whether he knows, and find our whether this is official.
She works the same hours, but for some time clearly worked from home more than the rest of us (usually over Fri and Mon) and - this is unofficial as from gossip but she told her boyfriend, who works here, who told a colleague, who told me, that she enjoys it here because she 'gets to work part time for full time pay'.
I don't have a union, I'm scared of this but need to say something and get it sorted. I have quite a lot of stress and am a good worker, as is my other colleague who has noticed. It seems that the willing and good workers get lumbered with more work, whilst the fake manipulative lazy ones get let off lightly. If there is some reason for the disparity, it surely should have been discussed with us. Effectively the team is doing half her work.
Moreover, this happened with her predecessor, who did more work than her, but badly, and it took the manager and director four years to notice she was disruptive and was not fulfilling her role well at all, and could not in fact (which may well be the case here). She has been here for two years and I for seven and the other colleague 9. We are livid, as we feel our goodwill, efficiency and ability is being taken for a ride. I'd be grateful for any advice on how best to approach (apart from staying calm and getting the facts from the manager in the first instance).
What's more, we have both asked to work part time in the past, and work from home more, and been refused due to 'workload'. It is quite typical of this dept to mess up in this way, very bad management indeed with no awareness of what is going on around them, not to mention not much honesty and transparency. I can't let it lie though. I have to speak/act but am annoyed at being put in this position by the manager. 
Best answers:
- You need to concentrate on your workload not that of colleagues.
If you are feeling the stress of too much work then in your one to one suggest that your manager could help by sharing the work around more evenly.
This would hopefully reduce your problems and give others more work too. - I would suggest that if you are going to broach it that you do it with the other member of staff at the same time to show that its not just you its affecting.
But, do remember that the manager can run it how they see fit......and consequently deal with the issues how they see fit and as you have alluded to there maybe genuine reasons as to why it is as it is. - As above, focus on what you are doing, her workload is not your concern. Perhaps they have offered her adjustments due to a hidden disability? If this is the case it is none of your business.
- Agree with what has been said, concentrate on your own stuff.
What is striking is that you are working with third or even fourth hand tittle tattle.
It is also probably a truism that everyone thinks they work harder than everyone else - they can't all be right. - I'm basing it on evidence on the dept spreadsheet listing what we are each doing. It is blatantly clear that she is not pulling her weight, and it is obvious that other team members are going to be unhappy about this - because we are doing it. It is a question of favouritism at the least, constructive dismissal at the worst. Thanks for responding but I disagree. I have been concentrating on my workload but someone doing half for the same salary is really not acceptable. She can't handle the job, and I worked hard to handle it, so clearly needs to be discussed and out in the open.
If she has a reason for it they don't have to divulge this, but they should employ another person to do the part of her work that she is not doing, and give us the chance to say no to it by explaining that it has been pushed onto us. Anything else is rather underhand. - I agree with the OP. Unfortunately, this sort of thing is to be found in many organisations. They get away with it, as do the bad managers.
- It is very disillusioning and demoralising to see this going on. I would try to raise it in an adult, objective manner without getting upset, angry or mentioning unfairness - much easier said than done.
- Team of 4 only 3 mentioned.
Depends on the work and how easy it is to identify the load and how it comes in.
Weekly meetings to review the week ahead, all 4 members of the team and manager dish out the work......discuss.
Weekly meetings post work to discuss what has been done that week and how to be more efficient, these quickly identify slackers as those that do stuff can big it up.
if workload is easy to distribute evenly often holidays and sick usually identify the slackers. The key is the workers don't take up slack when one of the other workers is off.
a clue to the type of job would help with specifics
edit :
had my dinner between starting and finishing.
if there is a spread sheet showing the workload then what is the boss boss doing about it..... talk to them if they don't know. - You don't know if there are any adjustments needed with regard to the other employee.
How do you know what salary she's on?
If she's under-performing, that's for her line manager to address via informal or formal means (e.g. performance management).
Her workload is really none of your business - only your work, and your workload are. The collective output of your team sounds like your managers' responsibility.
If you have an issue with your workload, you need to see your own manager about it in a professional manner. Not frame it from the POV of this post: "Person X is working less, and I have a problem with it".
If that's unacceptable to you, I'd (genuinely) suggest you think about moving on.
Either her workload is accidentally lighter (in which case it's poor management) or purposefully lighter (special adaptations for reasons you don't know, right through to favourate-ism, or her just being more efficient)... you need to concentrate on your output primarily. - You don't know this other person's situation. They worked from home for a while and now have a lighter workload? Sounds to me as though they suffered some form of stress/anxiety and are now being managed on their return to work; sometimes that does mean that the person doesn't return to full capability. Alternatively as others have suggested, she could have a hidden disability and they've made reasonable adjustments. Or she could even be subject to performance management, and they are giving her time to improve her performance before going down the route of letting her go.
But all of the above are matters between this individual and the manager - and none of your business.
Sometimes due to headcount/budget issues, it simply isn't possible to employ an additional person to pick up the slack caused by somebody who, for whatever reason, isn't pulling their weight. Budgets aren't that flexible. It's even worse when your headcount includes people on maternity leave, you're paying for them and they're not even there, but somehow you have to find the money to fund someone else to cover. - I have had similar issues in the past and made the mistake of pointing out this from "their workload" angle and it wasn't appreciated. You might be correct and you might be getting more work for the same money while she is slacking off but pointing this out directly will just come across wrong.
Talk to your manager first about your workload. You might mention that some people work from home while you can't.
I'd suggest if only then your manager doesn't do anything about it, perhaps you can point at the data you have?
If you will be unhappy you might look to move on indeed as a last resort. - As these project finish become very busy on the remaining ones so the new ones go elsewhere.
Projects that on average take less that 3 hours week why do these need a separate project manager.
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