Coworker constantly expects employee to cover for her lateness, manager starts getting suspicious: 'I panicked'

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
May 18, 2026 9:15 AM EDT

Is covering for a coworker always the right thing to do?

Nobody likes a snitch, but sometimes we get put into positions in the workplace where we feel like we have no choice. If somebody's behavior is having a genuinely negative impact on other people or ourselves, it makes sense that we may feel the need to come clean about what they are doing (if we even know).

The reality is that if a colleague is not holding up their end of the bargain when it comes to working as a team, there has to be some kind of action taken. It can get to a point where it is not fair to those around them, no matter what their reasoning may be behind the way that they are acting.

It is understandable to want to support a coworker in some situations where they may not be doing everything by the book, but are still more or less OK to work with. When it becomes a habit, though, it might turn into something more consequential that can't be ignored. Even if you try to do that, management will not necessarily let that happen.

 

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  • A woman holding a cup of coffee in an office hallway
    via Jotform

    A woman holding a cup of coffee in an office hallway

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

  • Would I be wrong if I stopped covering for my coworker when she's late and just said "I don't know" instead?

    So there's a woman on my team, I'll call her Dana, who is chronically late. We're talking 20-40 minutes almost every day. Our manager notices and asks me sometimes because we sit near each other and I guess he assumes I'd know where she is. For the past like 5 months
    via Iron_Specter3
  • I've been saying things like "she mentioned traffic" or "I think she had an appointment" even when I have no idea. I don't even know why I started doing this. I think the first time I panicked and said something and then it became a thing.
    via Iron_Specter3
  • Dana knows I do this. She's never asked me to, never thanked me for it either, it just sort of became the arrangement. She's not a close friend, we're friendly at work and occasionally have lunch together, that's it.
    via Iron_Specter3
  • Last week my manager pulled me aside and asked directly if I knew Dana had been having issues with punctuality. I kind of fumbled and said I hadn't really noticed which was an obvious lie and I think he could tell. I felt genuinely awful about it, not because of Dana but because I don't want to be the person who lies to their manager.
    via Iron_Specter3
  • I'm not going to report her or anything. But I want to just stop doing this. Next time he asks I want to say "I'm not sure, I haven't checked the time" and leave it at that. Not throw her under the bus, just stop being her alibi.
    via Iron_Specter3
  • WIBTA? She's never asked me to do any of this but I also know stopping will probably affect her and she'll know it was me.
    via Iron_Specter3
  • A man holding a cup of coffee in an office hallway
    via Jotform

    A man holding a cup of coffee in an office hallway

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

  • GreyStormOfLight I don't think you'd be the AH but you might want to let her know that the boss is pressing you and you're uncomfortable continuing it.
    via GreyStormOfLight
  • KLG999 "I haven't seen her" is the perfect response. You do not owe her - or anyone - your reputation. Find a way to be honest with your manager's questions.
    via KLG999
  • Shadow4summer When I was working as an assistant, he asked me to not tell the big boss where he was if he asked me. I did like he asked. I was later called in the boss's office and reprimanded and told I worked for him not the man I was an assistant to. I never did that again. You will
    via Shadow4summer
  • become untrustworthy in your boss's eyes, and you do not want to be in that position. Always be honest, if you're not, it could ruin your reputation.
    via Shadow4summer
  • BeepingJerry Back away from this immediately and completely. The fact that she can't get to work on time is HER problem. By making excuses (and lies) is going to make it YOUR problem.
    via BeepingJerry
  • Azlazee1 Just say you haven't seen her. Let her explain herself when she gets there.
    via Azlazee1
  • Foreign_Primary4337 Why are you putting you reputation and possibly your job on the line for someone who doesn't give a sh&t about you?
    via Foreign_Primary4337

  • An employee got into the habit of covering for the coworker who worked on the desk next to theirs whenever she was late. This happened often, and they were always coming up with different excuses when their manager asked them where she might be instead of telling the truth.

    Eventually, the boss had a private conversation with them about whether they knew if their colleague had issues with punctuality. They were put on the spot, and they didn't want to expose her. However, they were wondering if it would be better to be more honest about what they knew going forward.

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boss employee manager work coworkers workplace late
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