Co-worker constantly on personal phone

Itsjustsammy19

I have a co-worker who is on the phone frequently through the day, sometimes they are on it more than not. His boss is in another office so doesn't see the phone usage. This person is on about the same salary as me but my job is so busy and stressful I often work late and sometimes work through breaks. This other person says he's busy but clearly has enough time to be texting or Facebooking several times a day, they always have breaks and always leave on time. He gets help with work but I'm not close enough to know if he's behind on work or not. He is in a different team so we have different managers. It's so frustrating! They've been like that for the year I've been there and nothing has ever been said. I can't say anything directly to this person because they'll just get defensive. What should I do as it's really unfair?

[Deleted User]

Focus on your own role and leave the other person to succeed or fail on their own merits. 

JamoLew

If he's on a different team with a different manager does he have a different workload/task ?
As above, focus on you and your job, also, if you need help - ask for it

TELLIT01

Raise it with his manager if you wish, but best advice is simply to get on with your own job and let his manager manage your colleague. As this has been 'normal' for a year or more it's highly unlikely that his manager doesn't know what's going on.  If your colleague is still managing to do the required work his manager isn't going to worry about phone use.

If you can't cope with your own workload you need to raise that with your own manager.  Do not work late or through breaks as that simply encourages management not to address the underlying issue of your workload.

getmore4less

my job is so busy and stressful I often work late and sometimes work through breaks.

That is the problem that needs fixing you need to start managing your workload or ask you manager to do it for you.

Depends on the type of work what strategy works along with the inputs and outputs.

Having the workload mapped out for the week ahead is often crucial to identify when you are at the limit for contracted hours and anything extra should wait or replace something in the queue sometimes this needs a regular meeting to get under control if the current situation is everything needs doing now.

New tasks for the work queue, often the best way is to schedule it in based on current loads, this will get done by Friday/I can start that on Monday etc, if you want is sooner you will need to delay something else  ask X if they can wait for their job to get done.
If part of a work flow where someone needs to finish something before you can do your bit make sure they don't use up all the time or are late with their delivery.

The other strategy is to identify the stuff that just makes no difference if it does not get done no one notices and itentify the important stuff for the stakeholders

A bit harder to fit in when busy is productivity improvements  any tasks that would benefit from tooling/automation like a regular report

[Deleted User]

Deleted_User said:

Focus on your own role and leave the other person to succeed or fail on their own merits. 

Completely agree, don't make others' business your own - better all round.

LillythePink

We have a situation in our office like this - and whilst it grates on you, it is not your problem if they are on another team.

If it really is a problem to you - raise it with your manager and ask that it's raised with their manager

But as others have said, focus on you and your work and if the workload is too high then ask for help.  Working a bit late does project a good worth ethic, but it shouldn't be for no more than 30 mins - just long enough for it to be seen.  But certainly don't work through breaks even if you are busy - that's your time and you are doing yourself no favours as you need that break.

Comms69

Itsjustsammy19 said:

I have a co-worker who is on the phone frequently through the day, sometimes they are on it more than not. His boss is in another office so doesn't see the phone usage. This person is on about the same salary as me but my job is so busy and stressful I often work late and sometimes work through breaks. This other person says he's busy but clearly has enough time to be texting or Facebooking several times a day, they always have breaks and always leave on time. He gets help with work but I'm not close enough to know if he's behind on work or not. He is in a different team so we have different managers. It's so frustrating! They've been like that for the year I've been there and nothing has ever been said. I can't say anything directly to this person because they'll just get defensive. What should I do as it's really unfair?

It is unfair, so's life - it's nothing to do with you though

getmore4less

Should have added to start managing your workload, 

What happens when you are sick or on holiday  someone must be picking up all this important work, if not then that's a clue to what is really important.

Those that do pick up work are a pool to offload any surplus you get.

"I am to busy to do that now I could get it done next week, Suzy knows how to do it they might have some time"

Also watch for the situation where to finish a task you are waiting for other to do something make sure management know where the delays in the workflow are happening,
"To get that done by Friday morning  I need John to send me the report by Wednesday last week I got it Thursday at 5pm  and had to work late to get it done.

Sandtree

The short answer is, as others have already said, focus on your work and your problems and let his superiors deal with him.

The long answer is really that life is complicated... most companies are ultimately results focused, as arguably it should be. In my first "career" job I was in a department of 10 people, there was the director, 7 senior managers all on £100k plus and 2 juniors including me on circa £25k. Most the senior managers worked 8am-6pm in the office plus more when they got home and emails over the weekend wee common. One of them however said over his 5th lunchtime beer one day, just before suggesting going to a strip club, that his aim was to come in by 10am, spend an hour checking the news, sports results etc, go to lunch at 12 for no less than 2 hours, get back to the office and check the sports again for an hour and never be in the office after 4pm. Whilst he didn't always live to this creed he wasnt that far off but he ultimately always got things done and was later promoted to another department.

Fast forward a few years and hes now CEO of a successful InsurTech company. No idea if his mentality has changed but even with his limited time in the office and love of lunchtime beers he ultimately delivered. 

He is no doubt in the minority, not everyone has the opportunity to hand pick their team and many are purely slacking without care and ultimately will be out of a job but others have just a very different way of working and for the minority it can actually be pulled off. The Director wasn't much better hence why he probably got away with it (he too is now the CEO of a medium sized insurance company) and the senior manger did have an intermediary role which there was a "clash of personalities" but his skills were recognised and ultimately he was redeployed.

oh_really

Your dedication on watching what this individual is doing may go someway to explaining why your own workload is poorly timemanaged.

You need to ignore him and focus on your position or if your unable to do this transfer onto his team where you can spend the day doing what you've prepared for...