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Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

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101–110 of 120 posts

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#101

I'd set up a 1:1 to discuss strategies for falling through the cracks yourself. I had a co-worker at Google who would go fishing in the middle of the day, and that was before the pandemic. Sweet gig.

"Damn it feels good to be a gangsta..." booming in the office corridor.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#102
post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Joke's on you. This is the top-rated response.

Well, it's only because his post activated virtue signalling and deep seated guilt. Like quantum mechanics, he already reduced the uncertainty waveform to guilt rather than wrath.

Considering that the post in question agrees in detail with almost all the others, your assessment is demonstrated false.

It is better to seek reasons why your assessment might be mistaken before posting than to need to be corrected in public.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#103
Never criticize. It will never work or be beneficial at all. No point even going to your manager. It's not your problem and you haven't been asked to help. Furthermore, it's your manager's job to fix this and they too aren't doing their job. When you criticize you will be criticize them as well.

I've been in your position many times. The big problem arrives is when incompetent and useless coworkers start unloading their work onto you. I have been in this situation many times as well. The best advice here is to never lie. Never 'cover'/lie for said coworkers.

Oh another rule, never let any coworkers know how much work you do. You arent just avoiding bragging, tons of benefits down this line. Could be the case of what's happening here.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#104

> " Is there any scenario in which this makes sense for me to mention something to my manager or should I just keep my mouth shut? " The only thing you should bring up to your manager is if the person is not meeting their commitments in a way that impacts you meeting your own commitments; you do want the responsibility for that to land where it should. Even then, do it in a non-accusatory way. Beyond that, it's just…

maybe they're fighting burnout/boreout

Guilty. I could easily be this person’s coworker. I do try to make sure I’m not blocking anyone, but overall, I am definitely in a rough patch that I’m slowly fighting through. Not being on my A-game has also led to a modicum of depression. It’s not roses on the other side either if the OP wants put themselves in these shoes.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#105
How do you know?

Honest question. There's no detail in your question, so, how do you know this guy isn't waking up at 3am where he's at his most productive and does double the work you do? And then wastes time at the office because of silly punchcard rules?

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#106

Slackers are the number one reason I do not enjoy corporate America anymore. I don’t care if you are not able to perform and need help or produce crap, as long as you put in the effort and try to pull your weight. In my decade of experience I have witnessed people, technical people, who magically manage to just not do anything at all, ever. They jump from initiative to initiative without producing anything, and someh…

Could you write from your experience the methods to identify those types of people? Would be a useful guide.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#107
it’s just a job lol go get another one with a competent team if it really bothers you.

unless you have a significant ownership in what you’re doing, just myob and do what you were hired to do. your manager can deal with the consequences of holding deadweight - if you’re an IC just focus on your work. if that person blocks your work or causes you to miss a deadline, then bring it up. otherwise just do what you (you) were hired to do as your job.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#109
post #55

> " Is there any scenario in which this makes sense for me to mention something to my manager or should I just keep my mouth shut? " The only thing you should bring up to your manager is if the person is not meeting their commitments in a way that impacts you meeting your own commitments; you do want the responsibility for that to land where it should. Even then, do it in a non-accusatory way. Beyond that, it's just…

There is a saying that goes, "the fastest way to demotivate a good employee is to allow them to watch you tolerate a bad one" Not all managers are aware of this. Everything you say is true, however, I have also witnessed first hand this sort of thing drain a company of talent. It's only after everyone else leaves and maybe you leave yourself where you start to question whether watching the whole company lose it's tal…

Fact.

Re: Ask HN: My coworker doesn't work. Does it make sense for me to say anything?

#110
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a saying that goes, "the fastest way to demotivate a good employee is to allow them to watch you tolerate a bad one" Not all managers are aware of this. Everything you say is true, however, I have also witnessed first hand this sort of thing drain a company of talent. It's only after everyone else leaves and maybe you leave yourself where you start to question whether watching the whole company lose it's tal…

I wish I could upvote you 100. This is exactly the kind of thing I witnessed in real life. It was absolutely sad.

Been there. literally used to keep a running list of the excuses from a coworker on my team. totally demotivating for the rest of us busting our butts. I was young and didnt call it out. Guess i thought our manager would notice. Maybe they did but they didn't do anything. I didnt stick around.
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