Employee refuses to cover for coworker who has constantly called out of work on Fridays over the past 8 months: 'I didn't think it was fair for the same people to keep absorbing the impact of recurring absences.'

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  • Man working on a laptop at a desk
  • Am I the bad guy for telling my manager I won't stay late to cover for a coworker who calls in sick on Fridays with suspicious regularity?

    Some context. I work a standard Monday to Friday schedule. I'm in a team of six and we have one colleague, i'll call him Dan, who has called in sick on a Friday at least once a month for the past eight months.
  • I've kept rough track because it became noticeable. I have no proof of anything and i want to be clear i'm not making an accusation, i just notice a pattern and other people on the team have noticed it too.
  • The issue is what happens when Dan is absent on a Friday. Because of how our workflows are structured, his tasks don't disappear, they get redistributed.
  • And because Fridays are often when we close out weekly reporting, the redistribution tends to land on whoever is willing to stay a bit later.
  • For the first few months i covered without complaint because i genuinly thought it was bad luck and i didn't want to be the person who makes a fuss when a colleague is unwell.
  • Man lying in bed looking miserable with a mug of tea
  • Last Friday my manager came over at about four thirty and said Dan had called in again and asked if i could stay an extra hour to cover the reporting.
  • A man in a suit standing in front of a brick wall
  • I said no. Not rudely, just clearly. I said I had plans and that i didn't think it was fair for the same people to keep absorbing the impact of recurring absences.
  • My manager looked uncomfortable and said he understood but that the work still needed doing. I said that was a scheduling problem, not my personal responsibilty to fix on short notice every time.
  • He ended up asking someone else who also said no, and he did the reporting himself.
  • He hasn't said anything directly since but the atmosphere has been slightly cooler this week. A couple of teammates told me privately they were glad i said something.
  • AITJ? TL;DR: Colleague calls in sick most Fridays. Manager keeps asking me to cover at short notice.
  • I finally said no. Manager did it himself. Now things are slightly awkward.
  • Beautiful_Arm8364 Sounds like the manager needs to learn to manage Dan. NTJ.
  • Kitchen_Biscotti_747 NTJ. You said no politely, explained your reasoning clearly, and two teammates privately agreed with you. The manager being uncomfortable is a him problem. A pattern of Friday absences for 8 months is a scheduling issue he should have addressed long ago, not outsourced to whoever's willing to stay late.
  • cloud_orbit NTJ. You declined unpaid labor, not sabotaged a colleague. Manager's "coolness" is guilt for exploiting your goodwill. Fairness isn't insubordination.
  • Soledaddy873 manager having to do the work might change his attitude toward Dan. good for you for saying no NTJ
  • Brief-Composer-6663 NTJ Management needed to be inconvenienced so maybe they will actually say something to Dan. It isn't fair to you or the other employees and if Dan calls in, it really is up to his supervisor to cover. Good for you for finally saying something.
  • DisastrousWar3095 Glad you spoke up. That's so unfair what has been going on. I'm curious at to how Dan reacts come Monday. Does he ever say anything? I mean at this point I'm with you on that this is intentional. It's the bosses' responsibility but you'd think Dan would feel a little. remorse or something for over his teammates.
  • Emergency-Ad9791 NTJ. The manager needs cover that shift if Dan isn't available

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