Employee starts new job in 4 days while their clingy, ‘helpless’ coworker will be left to their own devices: ‘I've almost made myself insane from trying to help her’

Author image for Lana DeGaetano
Lana DeGaetano • "Show me to me please."
Nov 14, 2025 9:00 AM EST

If you've ever trained another employee who couldn't seem to understand the job they were hired for, you are owed compensation in the form of emotional damages. It's not easy being the only employee at your company who actually values work ethic and doing things the correct way, especially when you and the other three slackers on your team are getting the same biweekly paycheck and merit bonuses.

Some would argue that the "adjustment period" after being hired is normal, that the whole "in one ear, out the other" ditsyness is temporary. After nine months of the same helpless behavior from your colleagues, however, you might begin to wonder if they're simply not cut out for the job they were hired for.

This next story focuses on an employee who starts a new job in less than a week, and their "helpless" coworker, who hasn't understood anything about their role at the company in the nine months they've been working there. Endless repeated questions, suffocating shadowing, and everything else that might push a few buttons in a close-cubicle space can really exacerbate your existing frustrations at work. Just ask the employee who shares this story—we're sure you've come across a colleague at some point in your career who just couldn't get a grip. Scroll below to read the full story.

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  • 01
    tired office employee with her hand over her head in distress
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    "my coworker is completely incapable of doing her job, and i’m leaving in 4 days. she’s so sc**wed."

    my coworker is the most helpless person i've ever met. even after months of me (and others) training her, she can't do her job on her own.
    via llekra
  • 03
    i got a promotion and a new job, so i'm leaving in 4 days. she's screwed.
    via llekra
  • 04
    i'll call this coworker lexi. lexi started in my department 9 months ago. her job was the same title as mine, and another gal that also worked with us had the same title.
    via llekra
  • 05
    it's technically not my job to train employees, and training ultimately falls on her supervisor, but of course, her supervisor doesn't know how to do anyone else's job but her own.
    via llekra
  • 06
    so, she left her training to me, which i was originally okay with. i knew how to do my job well.
    via llekra
  • 07
    i knew all the in's and out's, and i had trained people at past jobs. i always had amazing luck with training people.
    via llekra
  • 08
    for three weeks, lexi sat in my cubicle. i explained to her how to do our job responsibilities.
    via llekra
  • 09
    i let her watch a couple times, then i let her do it herself while i watched her.
    via llekra
  • 10
    she would ask questions, and i would answer. i would catch her mistakes and explain what she did wrong.
    via llekra
  • 11
    i provided her with written instructions on how to perform her job duties that she could refer back to when she got stuck.
    via llekra
  • 12
    i made cheat sheets for her. i provided her with multiple other resources she could use to assist her.
    via llekra
  • 13
    the three weeks went well; she seemed to be a fast learner. i was very proud of her ability to quickly learn anything i threw her way, or so i thought.
    via llekra
  • 14
    she did have a tendency to interrupt me as i was answering her question. she would cut me off and ask two more questions, or talk about how she was struggling or how something didn't make sense.
    via llekra
  • 15
    i gave her the benefit of the doubt. she seemed a little anxious, and it seemed like she just needed extra reassurance.
    via llekra
  • 16
    that's okay, i'm kind of the same way. i chalked it up to everyone learns differently, and everyone learns at their own pace.
    via llekra
  • 17
    three weeks went by, and she moved to her own cubicle. everything i had taught her seemed to go in one ear and out the other.
    via llekra
  • 18
    okay, she needs a refresher on a lot of things. that's okay. she'll get it eventually.
    via llekra
  • 19
    i was constantly running back and forth answering her bombardment of questions that i had already answered.
    via llekra
  • 20
    i was internally frustrated at times, but she was new. i swallowed my annoyance, and i helped her when she needed it.
    via llekra
  • 21
    a couple months went by, and her bombardment of questions still lingered. i started contemplating on the matter.
    via llekra
  • 22
    maybe i didn't train her as well as i thought i did? but we had gone over each task and how to do each task so many times.
    via llekra
  • 23
    i was answering repetitive questions all day everyday. so i just buckled in. it was clear to me that she was the type of person that needed constant reassurance.
    via llekra
  • 24
    it wasn't my job to provide that, but i did it anyway. i shouldn't have. she got used to this constant pattern of asking even the simplest of questions.
    via llekra
  • 25
    i'm talking, things you could google. things she should know. she would ask me simple questions about excel that a youtube video would be able to explain, or she would ask me how to save a file to her computer.
    via llekra
  • 26
    she would ask me the dates certain projects were due, even though multiple emails were sent with due dates.
    via llekra
  • 27
    she couldn't figure out how to change her computer password, and she couldn't figure out how to connect to the work internet.
    via llekra
  • 28
    she also couldn't retain any of the information i gave her about how to perform her duties.
    via llekra
  • 29
    these resources explained things STEP BY STEP. she could not refer to any of the resources i provided to her.
    via llekra
  • 30
    she always had to come ask me. it got annoying very quickly, especially because this has continued all the way up to now, as i'm writing this.
    via llekra
  • 31
    every question she had was an URGENT question that could not wait (it could). i constantly had to drop everything i was doing to help her.
    via llekra
  • 32
    if i didn't respond to her message on our work chat, she would tear the place apart to find me.
    via llekra
  • 33
    close up of two young women employees talking to one another and looking at a laptop
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 34
    she would come into my cubicle needing me ASAP, and passive aggressively say "i sent you a message but you didn't answer" yeah no shit?
    via llekra
  • 35
    I CANT GET AWAY FROM YOU. she would look everywhere for me. i would go to the bathroom to take a shit, and she would come in there with 20 questions as an 8 inch turd is dangling from my ass.
    via llekra
  • 36
    she would call and text me with questions when i was on my lunch. also, this is typically how helping her goes: lexi: hey, can i steal you for a sec?
    via llekra
  • 37
    me: sure what's up? (walks with her back to cubicle) lexi: i'm working on X, and it says something is incorrect.
    via llekra
  • 38
    me: well what does it say? lexi: it says to do Y. me: okay, so yes, you would do Y.
    via llekra
  • 39
    lexi: i tried that and it didn't work. me: sits at lexi's desk and does Y (it works) lexi: i swear i tried that and it didn't work me: yeah (she didn't) this process repeats about 5x a day.
    via llekra
  • 40
    ANOTHER example: lexi: hey, i have a quick question me: what's up lexi: so i have this, and i'm not sure if i should do X or Y me: deep breath (because i've answered this question 10 times) so you would do- lexi: i just don't understand because she has this in box A but for box B it should say this (and blah blah blah) me: right, so you would do X because- lexi: OH, okay so i would do X.
    via llekra
  • 41
    me: yes. you would do X because in box A- lexi: well, that's kind of what i was wondering, because she has this in box A but for box B it should say this.
    via llekra
  • 42
    me: yes. you would do X because in box A, the employee put Y. and then in box B- lexi: i was just so confused.
    via llekra
  • 43
    that's why i came and asked you because it didn't make any sense! me: okay. you would do X because in box A, the employee put Y, and then in box B, the employee put Z, so you would still do X, ultimately.
    via llekra
  • 44
    (relieved that i was finally able to answer without her interrupting me) she has now been here for like 9 months or so.
    via llekra
  • 45
    the bombardment of questions continues. i've had to mute her on our work chat, because she constantly asks repetitive questions that i've already answered.
    via llekra
  • 46
    AND i want her to try and figure it out for herself. she refuses to use her resources that i've provided her.
    via llekra
  • 47
    she uses me as her crutch. it's partly my fault, because i allowed it to happen for so long.
    via llekra
  • 48
    she is going to be the downfall of this department once i leave. she already told me that when i go to my new job, she'll text me any questions she has.
    via llekra
  • 49
    i will not be responding, little does she know. i've tried and tried, and i've almost made myself insane from trying to help her, but it's no use.
    via llekra
  • 50
    my supervisors don't know what they're in for, and i don't plan on telling them. my supervisors have treated me poorly throughout my experience here in this department, so i think i'll let them deal with her themselves.
    via llekra
  • 51
    i've stopped answering her questions. i make my answers short, or i'll say i don't know.
    via llekra
  • 52
    i'll tell her to ask someone else. (mind you, there are 20+ other people she could direct her questions to, she just doesn't want to).i do everything i can now to avoid her, and i only have four more days left.
    via llekra
  • 53
    FOUR MORE DAYS!!! edited for TLDR-sorry for long post TLDR: coworker relies too much on me and asks repetitive questions.
    via llekra
  • 54
    she constantly interrupts me as i'm trying to answer her questions. every question she has, she deems it to be an urgent question that needs answered ASAP.
    via llekra
  • 55
    i worked very hard trying to train her, provided her with the handbook, training resources, etc.
    via llekra
  • 56
    but it was no use. my time and energy feels disrespected. i start a new job in 4 days, and i can't wait to leave.
    via llekra
  • 57
    department will be in shambles because she will be the only one doing the most essential job in our department.
    via llekra

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