How to deal with a smelly, overweight, lazy co-worker?

Question

I can't stand my co-worker she doesn't do anything. She just sits at her desk and plays solitaire on her computer. While I constantly answer the phones and deal with rude customers. She also smells, and eats everything in sight. I'm not making fun of her I am just very frustrated. She is constantly making rude comments to me and she also told her family and friends that it's my job to answer the phones when it's not. She gets several phone calls a day from her friends and family. She also has her cell phone on at work and she'll talk on that when she is suppose to be working. She has been working here a lot longer than I have but thinks she is too good to be here. I really like my job and it has very good benefits. I just can't take on her work and mine.

Answer 1

Get one of those pine air fresheners that you put in a car, walk up to Miss Stinky and put it around her neck!!!!

Answer 2

Put it back on her.. You are helping create the problem by giving in to her laziness.. STOP doing her work first of all as office productivity goes down management will get the clue on whos doing there job an whos not.. Also put her on the spot.. If the phone rings an your doing something, look at her a go “Could you please answer that.” You get the next call then do the same again. You will slowly trainer to answer every other call. As for the stench, not much you can do. But on the same point you should not have to be exposed to it.. If you have allergies you could use this as a excuse to move away from her.. Or send her a note in the mail with a bar of soap that says just add water, cause you STINK....

Answer 3

Talk to your supervisor (or if she is your supervisor, you'll need to go "over her head") and ask for a list of what your duties actually are. Every job in an office should have a written set of duties they use at review time.

Once you've gotten your job description settled, ask about who assigns additional duties - and when you're expected to take on such duties.

You've got to be careful, as she has "seniority" and may very well have political connections within the office as well. Don't directly attack her - just clarify what YOUR job is, and procede accordingly.

Ask your supervisor who's job it really is to answer the phones, and if she says yours, you're kind of stuck.

Also, start logging your own work - how many calls a day you answer, what projects you complete, etc. Do NOT log your co-workers inactivity or failure to perform - that's not the point. You need to be ready when annual reviews come around to highlight your own contributions to the company, as well as the "impediments" (making it obvious you're doing more than your assigned tasks) to progress.

This didn't happen "overnight" and it's not going to get fixed in that timeframe either.

Answer 4

You can't address the personal hygiene or work ethic but you can address the personal slander. The next time she is rude to you, document the quote, day, time and incident. Do this for two weeks. Then file a formal complaint with your human resource department that your co-worker is harassing you and creating a hostile working environment in which you cannot perform your job effectively; that you are going to need to file a formal grievance with the Department of Labor if something doesn't change. She will be transferred in a heartbeat.

Answer 5

You should talk to your supervisor and keep the conversation focused on work habits, not physical appearance. If you tell your supervisor "Suzy has gotten in the habit of spending a lot of time playing computer games, and taking personal calls, which leaves me to cover both of our work, and it makes it harder for me to get my job done" you will probably see some action taken. If you call her a smelly, overweight, lazy co-worker you will sound like you're picking a personal battle and your supervisor might not take you seriously.

Answer 6

move them down to the basement...