Office Dilemma – Clocking in a Co-worker
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
From the comments on this blog and the emails I’ve received I can see that we have some experienced workers who know their way around the office.
I have a scenario that I’ve been pondering.
One of your co-workers walks up to you at the end of the day. You consider this woman a friend. You go out to lunch with her once a week. She asks you for a big favor. She has been coming in late because of problems at home. Her boss has been breathing down her neck and she needs your help. She needs to come in just an hour later due to this family issue. She says that this is the only time that she will ever ask you to do this huge favor, but she really needs you to clock her in to keep her boss off her back.
You know how tough her boss can be. You used to work in her department. If she gets busted for coming in late too many times her boss won’t hesitate to fire her. Her boss has fired people for less.
Would you take the risk of helping her out?
Or do you think it’s just wrong and wouldn’t help her out at all?
What’s your reasoning behind your choice?
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One of my recently discovered blogs is White Hot Truth by Danielle LaPorte. I loved the post how to kiss up to your muse. Plus the article has a Neil Young interview at the end of it. It doesn’t get any better than that.
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Image courtesy of Providence Public Library
thanks for the shout out!
Danielle
Hi Karl – An intriguing question you pose. My first reaction is any employer who requires employees to clock in is draconian and living in the dark ages, certainly not particularly aware of work happiness and the importance of trusting employees enough to give them ownership. Having said that, I know it does still exist out there though. So my answer is yes, yes, yes, I would help this coworker out. Life happens, kids get sick, keys get lost, glasses get misplaced, traffic piles up, and on it goes. Actually, back in the day, when I actually worked for a place with a time clock, I believe I did just this (and had the favor returned at some point).
I’d say this is an easy one, but if put in the situation, I’m sure it wouldn’t be. So I’ll pretend that taking the high road is easy! I believe in karma, so I wouldn’t be able to help her lie. A lie is a lie, regardless of the reasons behind it. Helping someone deceive another person means I’m a messenger of deceit, and that wouldn’t feel right for me.
Interesting dilemma.
My view is always to cover my A** first. That said, I would check the company’s culture about clocking in. Are other people getting away with it? In other words: who is looking at who clocks in? Is he/she friendly? Would she understand? Would s/he report me?
If circumstances are that the policies are too tough and I might get fired or suspended, sorry, my own life goes first. It’s called self preservation.
On the other hand, if I have more chances of not being caught, then yes, I would help ONCE. As Patty said above, life happens.
Karl,
I think there has to be some leeway on schedules. Me? I sometimes come in late, although I usually come in early. And sometime I leave early. Sometimes I stay late. And in the end, I think it all works out – one way or another.
So – this feels way too forced for me. I’d help out – but in a different way. She’s a friend, it seems. So, I would help her (and myself) look for something different. This is not the place to work. And I’d tell her that. And not clock her in early, but stand beside her and support her in any backlash that comes her way.
I don’t think it’s about the hours we put in anyway – it’s about the quality of those hours…
Karl,
First I would send her to the boss to explain how desperate she needed this time. If he said no I probably would do it especially if it were temporary. I’d also ask her to make up the work she missed at the end of the crisis.
Hate to tell you that but especially if I had the same experience previously with the same boss. Arent’ you glad I don’t work in an office where this could happen?
Karl — This is challenging question!! After thinking about it, I would not clock her in. I think that could create more of a problem for her in the long run…if the boss finds out.
Instead, I would suggest that she talk to her boss about her family situation. If it’s something temporary, then perhaps she could suggest ways she could make up the time.
I recognize that this option might be hard with a difficult boss. Therefore, depending on the office situation, I might also go with her to talk to the boss and perhaps even offer to help with her morning work until the crisis has passed.
It seems to me if the work is getting done, then the clocking in on time shouldn’t be a big an issue. If it still is, I agree with Lance…I would encourage and help her find a better position.
Like some other commenters have said, to me, her job sounds like the kind of job it would be better to lose anyway.
I couldn’t because i know from experience stuff comes back to bite you. I’m not a good liar either. I’d feeling really bad, but I don’t think I could.
However, sometimes you never know until in the situation.
What great responses!
There are so many reasons to say yes and so many to say no. I think I would help the person out just this once. I would let it be known that I won’t ever do it again.
I’ve worked in places where it is difficult to talk to a boss and find a better solution. Sometimes it’s better to break the rules a little bit.
I also wouldn’t help this person out if they were just plain lazy. I’m willing to help someone because they usually work hard and care about their work. I can justify my actions because I know that the work this person does would be missed if she was let go because of a bad judgment call.
I think that is what it comes down to. How can we justify our actions? We have to look inside ourselves and see what our beliefs really are.
Thank you for such wonderful and thoughtful responses.
Wow. Sounds like the employer and the workplace doesn’t seem like the best fit for either employee.
With that being said, I couldn’t lie. It would mean that I believe that people should get free passes when they shouldn’t, and who knows? She says she won’t ask again, but if she asked once, she can ask a second time.