Employee constantly covers for lazy coworker, gets written up by boss when he stops: 'He said I used to be more helpful'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Sep 27, 2026 12:30 PM EDT

Is it ever worth covering for a colleague?

Of all the types of annoying coworkers that it is possible to have, the ones who simply don't do their jobs are some of the worst. If it were only their reputation and success on the line, then they could blow that up however they liked, but usually, they affect the people they work with when they persistently slack off. It is a simple way to make enemies in the workplace.

When you find yourself dealing with a lazy colleague at work, it creates a dilemma. Do you cover some of the things they are missing, or do you just leave it be? If the company is functional, it should realistically pick up on the lack of output from certain employees and do something to rectify it, especially if their coworkers complain. However, not every workplace is that simple. If one person falls behind, so do others, and they are not going to look sympathetically on the unit as a whole. It means that certain workers are going to have to step it up to make up for whoever isn't pulling their weight, even if it only causes resentment to rise.

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  • Two men sit around a coffee table, with one throwing his head back.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Two men sit around a coffee table, with one throwing his head back. Picture does not depict real parties.
     

  • An employee had spent two years dealing with a coworker who did not seem to be interested in doing his job. He took over much of his work when his slacking started to cause multiple missed deadlines, as he believed that management would step in sooner or later.

    This didn't happen, and he began to get annoyed at doing everything for his colleague. He stuck to doing his own job, and the performance of their team suffered. As a result, their boss gave him a warning for lackluster performance. He was offended that it didn't seem like he had figured out who the real problem was.

  • I got written up for "negative attitude" after I stopped doing my lazy coworker's job for him

    I've been on this team for two years. For the last eight months, I've been quietly picking up the slack for a coworker who spends most of his day on his phone, takes two-hour lunches, and somehow still misses deadlines. I didn't mind at first. I figured management would notice eventually. They didn't. So I stopped.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • Last month I decided I was done. If a task is assigned to him, I let it sit. If a client emails him, I forward it to him instead of answering it myself. I kept doing my own job and nothing more.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • Suddenly, things started slipping. Clients got frustrated. Deadlines were missed. And this week, my manager called me in and handed me a written warning for "negative attitude" and "not being a team player."
    via Admirable_Island9640

  • The manager saw a change in his performance.

    I asked what specifically I'd done wrong. He said I "used to be more helpful" and that my "energy has changed." He never mentioned the coworker once. So apparently doing my own job well and not doing someone else's job is now a performance issue. The person who actually isn't working faces zero consequences, but I get a write-up for not covering for him anymore.
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • I'm honestly considering just letting the whole thing burn. But I need the health insurance. Has anyone dealt with this? Do I fight the write-up or just start job hunting?
    via Admirable_Island9640
  • A man lounges on a chair with his feet on a coffee table in front of him.
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    A man lounges on a chair with his feet on a coffee table in front of him. Not actual story subjects.


     

  • It was time to be on the lookout.

    softshoulder313 I would start job hunting.
    via softshoulder313
  • HK_Mercenary Never do once what you aren't willing to do repeatedly. By doing part (or all) of his job, you established a norm / pattern. So when it changed, management saw it as your performance slipping. I've had similar experiences at most jobs. You can rebut the write-up and explain
    via HK_Mercenary
  • where management may have mistaken the issue, but I would also suggest job hunting. If management likes that other guy, they won't take kindly to someone disrupting 'his peace.' Best of luck OP.
    via HK_Mercenary

  • He had stopped fulfilling his role.

    That_Ol_Cat Start job hunting. Managers who blame productive people for not doing the slacker's work aren't managers, they're drones. Drones don't produce and pretty much just hold in place. So get out of there and go somewhere a little more dynamic.
    via That_Ol_Cat
  • LuvToDanceInTheRain I've dealt with this before & my reply was, "So & so makes x amount of money & this responsibility is on their job description. My position only pays x amount of money & it's not my responsibility.
    via LuvToDanceInTheRain
  • While I'm all for being a team. player, it's not fair for me to be doing their job while they sit at their desk scrolling on their phone. If you're okay with them being on their phone for hours & expect me to do their job, then pay me the additional $5/hour that they make, but double it because I'm going to have to work overtime to complete their job responsibilities on top of mine."
    via LuvToDanceInTheRain

  • He shouldn't have helped in the first place.

    justhereforgossiping Never cover for someone else's laziness or plain negligence.
    via justhereforgossiping
  • icnoevil Move on, this is a company.
    via icnoevil
  • berrytreetrunk Why didn't you explain about your coworker? Baffles me you took the hit without explaining.
    via berrytreetrunk

  • His communication skills were lacking.

    TxRotor What passive aggressive BS. You should have communicated the situation to your boss and the coworker and worked a way to resolve the conflict before customer satisfaction suffered. Totally your fault.
    via TxRotor
  • Odd Welcome7940 Start job hunting, get a solid new offer... Then, go post your whole story with your managers name and companies info every where you can. Your manager is trash and others deserve a warning.
    via Odd_Welcome7940
  • johnnny66789 Learn to open your mouth stand up for yourself. Complain and state your opinion to your boss and teach your boss and coworker to respect you and leave so they can have to lazy coworker. Compare pay along with responsibility.
    via johnnny66789

  • He learned a valuable lesson.

    Logical-Lab3661 That is how it usually ends when you start doing things for someone else. There will be gratitude, shortly after, but it will be quickly replaced by expectation it is your job. And when you eventually refuse - they will get angry. Start job hunting.
    via Logical-Lab3661

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terrible coworkers employee work stories bad bosses
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