Older employee uses space heater at work, refuses to turn it off as she is the first to leave the office: 'She burns the building down'

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  • Close up of a control panel on a switched off space heater
  • Coworker, who leaves before everyone else, keeps leaving her space heater on. I used to make sure it was off before leaving every evening.

    But I am not doing it anymore. She has been told by our boss (also the owner of the business), to make sure she shuts it off before leaving every evening.
  • Myself, and another coworker of mine have made a mental note to check it before we leave
  • We have even come back to work on a Monday and it has been left on all weekend.
  • Well, I am not babysitting this lady anymore. Especially because how she has treated me over the years.
  • Insulting me. Taking personal jabs at me. Gaslighting and projecting her failures onto me. She is a narcissistic bu y.
  • Eavesdropping on my conversations with clients and interjecting. Called me "little girl" on multiple occasions (I am 41).
  • Our boss, who I have gone to and now a new employee whose sales keep getting stolen from her, will not fire her.
  • She has gotten formal complaints from other departments and how she speaks to them. She has had customers complain about how she talks to them.
  • Not even a write up. So...fine. This is not my problem. It never was. I was just being nice.
  • She can leave the space non-stop running all week for all I care. She burns the building down.
  • I make sure I do not leave anything sentimental that I'd be heartbroken to lose, and leave the rest to fate.
  • Our boss will surely regret not getting rid of her when she had many chances. I'm going emphasize here: our boss actually owns the building.
  • We are not corporate owned. And no HR. Oh! And the irony? We are an insurance agency.
  • An older female employee sits at a desk and works on a computer
  • Steam_0 My boss left her space heater on once and it caused a fire that same night. Those things are no joke.
  • ZoisNBooks16 Original Poster's Reply I know. I hope she doesn't have to learn the hard way about my coworker. And how much of a liability she is (in more ways than one, but that's a whole other story.)
  • veridigiris Make sure you're never the last one or first one in the office. They would try to blame anyone else over her and anyone alone with the heater is up for grabs. Your management is terrible for letting her stay. Her kind of folk are sketchy. Cover your b t. Survive.
  • ZoisNBooks16 Original Poster's Reply No, they won't. Boss knows it's a problem and she's told her numerous times to check her heater before leaving. As well as my coworker. It's her responsibility. I don't pass her office on my way out or anything. Her office is near the front entrance, we all go out the back every evening. There is absolutely no way this could become anyone's fault but her own.
  • Hotspur_on_the_Case I had a co-worker who kept 2-3 space heaters on her all the time. She felt any temperature under 80 was "freezing." I wondered if she had a health problem or something. I once suggested she move to India.
  • Profe55orChaos I told my employee if they left it on again, then it would be banned. 2 days later she left it on. Disconnected it and put it in my office. She complained, however the risk of fire was too great and she had too many chances.
  • okFINEyoufoundme I've got an irrational fear of unattended space heaters and there are at least 7 that are used by coworkers in the winter months. I bust their every time one is left on, loudly (including the owner of the company) and make zero apologies for it. No one paid me much attention until I started unplugging and then HIDING them. That appears to have gotten the message across, it doesn't happen nearly as much as it used to!
  • ZoisNBooks16 Original Poster's Reply Not irrational. These things are hazardous. I am just not fearful because it's not my building. My coworker is the one who will be in trouble if anything happens. I just make sure I don't leave anything valuable at work.
  • Evil-lyns-brain Make sure the insurance knows about the space heater. That's one way to get your insurance canceled quickly.
  • nightlythinki If you have anything precious to you left at work take it home, just incase a fire starts
  • MrStormChaser You and your coworkers need to all join together and file a complaint with HR and/or your boss. Gang up on him and make him hold her accountable.
  • SpiritualAd8998 Could you put it on a light timer, so it starts/stops at same time each day?
  • ZoisNBooks16 Original Poster's Reply My boss can do that if she wants.

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