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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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Mar 14, 2026 9:00 AM EDT

Experience does not always equal competence, and that can prove to be a huge liability in the workplace. Working with somebody who acts inappropriately but has been around for long enough that they are not willing to take criticism is the kind of problem that nobody wants to deal with at their job.

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  • Close up of a control panel on a switched off space heater
    via Donald Teel

    Close-up of a control panel on a switched-off space heater

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

  • 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.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • Myself, and another coworker of mine have made a mental note to check it before we leave
    via ZoisNBooks16

  • Far too many employees have experienced it at one point or another: the old timer who does not seem to care about doing anything properly in the office, leaving others to suffer the consequences. They are always so set in their ways that the mere suggestion that something has to be done differently always comes as the greatest offence, and is usually ignored. They are not interested in changing at this point.

  • We have even come back to work on a Monday and it has been left on all weekend.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • Well, I am not babysitting this lady anymore. Especially because how she has treated me over the years.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • Insulting me. Taking personal jabs at me. Gaslighting and projecting her failures onto me. She is a narcissistic bu y.
    via ZoisNBooks16

  • This kind of coworker is annoying enough when they are taking pride in their own toxicity and incompetence, but when things become a safety issue, that is even worse. Even if they insist on being a pain to everyone around them, the least they can do is ensure that they and their belongings are not at risk of coming to physical harm because of their actions. Still, they believe that almost everything that has the potential to cause a problem should be somebody else's job to fix.

  • Eavesdropping on my conversations with clients and interjecting. Called me "little girl" on multiple occasions (I am 41).
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • Our boss, who I have gone to and now a new employee whose sales keep getting stolen from her, will not fire her.
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  • 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.
    via ZoisNBooks16

  • Ageism in the workplace is a real issue. Plenty of employees have been unfairly treated or even forced out of their jobs purely because of their age, and that shouldn't happen. However, when somebody uses their presumed level of experience to act however they want and damage the operation of a team in the process, they should not be let off the hook for that. It should be up to them to show up with enough professionalism that they are not difficult to work with, and sometimes that involves something as simple as turning off the heater in their office.

  • Not even a write up. So...fine. This is not my problem. It never was. I was just being nice.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • She can leave the space non-stop running all week for all I care. She burns the building down.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • I make sure I do not leave anything sentimental that I'd be heartbroken to lose, and leave the rest to fate.
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  • 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.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • We are not corporate owned. And no HR. Oh! And the irony? We are an insurance agency.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • An older female employee sits at a desk and works on a computer
    via Wright Building Center

    An older female employee sits at a desk and works on a computer

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

  • Steam_0 My boss left her space heater on once and it caused a fire that same night. Those things are no joke.
    via Steam_O
  • 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.)
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • 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.
    via veridigiris
  • 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.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • 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.
    via Hotspur_on_the_Case
  • 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.
    via Profe55orCha0s
  • 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!
    via okFINEyoufoundme
  • 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.
    via ZoisNBooks16
  • Evil-lyns-brain Make sure the insurance knows about the space heater. That's one way to get your insurance canceled quickly.
    via Evil-lyns-brain
  • nightlythinki If you have anything precious to you left at work take it home, just incase a fire starts
    via nightlythinki
  • 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.
    via MrStormChaser
  • SpiritualAd8998 Could you put it on a light timer, so it starts/stops at same time each day?
    via SpiritualAd8998
  • ZoisNBooks16 Original Poster's Reply My boss can do that if she wants.
    via ZoisNBooks16

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insurance employee work coworkers heater Office fire safety workplace
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