Working from home employee has roommate in same company, gets annoyed when she suggests she'll stop covering for her being late for meetings

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Mar 13, 2026 9:00 PM EDT

Working with somebody can be an intense experience, and living with them only takes it up a notch. It often means that you are spending nearly 24 hours a day with them, whether you like it or not. It probably isn't surprising that, outside of jobs that require on-site living, it is not a very popular arrangement.

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  • A woman holding a mug stands over a woman working at a laptop on a kitchen table
    via Surface

    A woman holding a mug stands over a woman working at a laptop on a kitchen table

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Most people have coworkers whom they can just about tolerate for 8 hours a day, but would struggle if they had to take them home as well. As such, it takes a close and understanding relationship for two people to work for the same company and live under the same roof. It requires a certain amount of patience and forgiveness, even with the most accommodating of roommates.

    However, there are also benefits to living and working in the same place, not least if you are remote. Maybe one of you can make lunch while the other one holds down the fort, or you can provide some cover if the other person is not feeling so good. There is an upside to everything, but it is vital not to overexploit that.

     

  • Would I be wrong if I stopped covering for my roommate when she's late to our shared Zoom calls for work?

    So me and my roommate Jess both work remotely and we actually share a co- working space in our apartment, basically we just set up our desks in the living room together about eight months ago.
    via SeriaKayter
  • It worked great at first. The problem started maybe two months ago - we're in the same department and sometimes get pulled into the same team calls.
    via SeriaKayter
  • Jess has been late to basically every single one since March. Not like two minutes late, I mean ten, fifteen minutes sometimes.
    via SeriaKayter

  • One woman got fed up with the coworker with whom she shared her apartment after she expected her to cover for her being late to meetings one too many times. They had had a coworking space in their home for eight months, and over that time, she had been late to almost every single meeting they shared together.

    Their manager always expected her roommate to tell her what was happening, and she was becoming uncomfortable having to lie about 15 minute abscences. When she raised this issue with her colleague and roomie, she was brushed off, and she wondered if it would be unacceptable if she stopped making excuses for her.

  • And every time, our manager asks me where she is because he knows we live together.
    via SeriaKayter
  • At first I just said "oh she had a small thing, she's joining soon" and that was fine once or twice.
    via SeriaKayter
  • Two women sit on a couch, one holding papers and the other working on a laptop
    via Surface

    Two women sit on a couch, one holding papers and the other working on a laptop

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • But now it's become this weird expectation that I'll vouch for her and make up some excuse, and I never even agreed to that.
    via SeriaKayter
  • Last Thursday she was 14 minutes late and I said she had a "connection issue" which was completely made up.
    via SeriaKayter
  • She didn't even thank me after, just hopped on like nothing happened. I brought it up that evening and she said I was "overthinking it" and that we're a team.
    via SeriaKayter
  • I don't feel like I signed up to be her alibi for bad time managment. I'm not her assistant and honestly it's starting to make me look bad too because I'm the one always explaining her absences.
    via SeriaKayter
  • WIBTA if next time the manager asks, I just say I genuinely don't know where she is and leave it at that?
    via SeriaKayter
  • A woman stands over another woman, who is pointing to something on her laptop on a kitchen table
    via Surface

    A woman stands over another woman, who is pointing to something on her laptop on a kitchen table

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

  • Select_Draw3385 YTA for lying for her. You are the person who lies to her boss. Is that who you want to be? The appropriate response when he asks is: You'll have to ask her. Stop lying for her unless you want to get fired when she does
    via Select_Draw3385
  • A_Literal_Fruit_5369 NTA, however because you have covered for her I personally would just give her a heads up. Like "hey covering for you all the time is making me feel uncomfortable, the last one is the last time I'll cover for you"
    via A_Literal_Fruit_5369
  • ChibbleChobble Info: You work in the same room, yet she's constantly absent. So where does she go? If she's in the house, then shouting, "TEAM MEETING IN TWO MINUTES," is enough of a heads up. You're not her parent.
    via ChibbleChobble
  • pacork NTA. Give her a heads up that in future you won't cover, will say I don't know
    via pacork
  • TracyChristina Yes, that's what you do. If she doesn't like it, then she needs to be on time.
    via TracyChristina
  • bopperbopper "Jess, I didn't mind covering you once or twice but now it's gonna make me look bad cause when you're saying you had a connection problem but yet I didn't have a connection problem and I'm sitting next to you, Our boss is gonna start to wonder. So if he asked where you are, I'm going to say I don't know because that's the truth. I suggest you get to the calls on time."
    via bopperbopper
  • fearless 1025 NTA but I would tell her that I'm not covering for her anymore and what your intention is. You do still have to live with her if she loses her job.
    via fearless1025
  • FlippingPossum NTA. "I didn't see her when I logged on. Have you tried messaging her?"
    via FlippingPossum
  • shawnfromnh1 Do it, she's just taking advantage of you at this point. Let her get fired and get a real roommate that takes their work seriously. Let her know first but immediately after throw her under the bus.
    via shawnfromnh1

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employee manager meeting work coworkers roommates entitled people
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