The original post did not indicate if the rest of the staff is aware of the REASON for the absences. Please be aware, if the employee has a medical condition which is covered under ADA, the rest of the staff is not required to know. Actually, if it is a medical condition even not recognized as a disability but being treated by a professional, you still are not required to know. I agree with Ms. Moore, you have to do your job and let someone else worry about your coworkers. But, if there is a real reason for the attendance (or non) of your co-worker, you could be facing extreme embarrassment, let alone lawsuit or worse.

 

I worked with a woman for nearly six years who had cystic fibrosis and this could describe her 100%.  Also, at least two other co-workers that I’ve had in the past who were undergoing chemotherapy/radiation and other cancer treatments for approximately two years each. [none at my current position]

 

While this co-worker could be lazy and taking advantage, there is a possibility that there is a personal issue of which you are not aware and are not required to be. Sometimes the co-worker doesn’t want everyone knowing because they don’t want pity—that was the case with the CF patient and one of the cancer patients.

 

 

Lisa

 

 

Boy, have I been in this situation before!

 

My advice is to immediately notify your interim supervisor about all of this, including the effect her absences have on the timeliness of the project.  Let him/her know that despite this, you will deliver the project as assigned at your usual level of quality. You can then rest assured that you have done your duty and it is the supervisor’s responsibility to determine consequences for this individual.

 

Then you need to move forward and just do the work, since you are responsible for the delivery of the project.  Schedule meetings for when she is supposed to be there but if she is not there, hold them anyway. Copy her on all your team’s decisions but do not assign her any work that cannot be accomplished within a couple of hours on a day that she shows up. Do not make them time-delimited because you don’t know if she will be there or not to complete the work in a timely manner.  If she complains that she is being given scut work or that she is being left out of the decision-making loop, you can tell her that since she wasn’t there you (as the project director) needed to move on without her.  If she complains more, refer her to the interim supervisor (“I think you need to talk to Mr. X about that.”)  Document the dates she misses scheduled meetings and let Mr. X know.  Consider whether or not to keep her name associated with the project if she doesn’t do any work on it, and if you decide that her level of participation doesn’t warrant it, discuss your decision with Mr. X and get his approval.

 

I reiterate that it is not your job to confront this co-worker or level disciplinary action—it is your mutual supervisor’s.  Work with her when she’s there but don’t count on her for anything.  Ultimately she will either shape up or be fired, and you deal with that outcome when it happens.  But if she gets fired, at least the project will be moving forward and the loss is not so devastating.

 

 

 

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