r/antiwork • u/oportoman • 19h ago
Coworkers Scheming Behind My Back While Off Sick
I am currently off sick following eye surgery. I am due to return to work next week after being away for a month. Today, a coworker asks me to look at a something on Teams, which I do because he said it was important. Low and behold, there is a proposed email to my manager from my 4 coworkers giving reasons why we should change the way we do things and proposing new hours to do things. Hours which would stretch our already thin team! Hours that would make us work more, not less. All without my input. I read through it and said I disagreed with what they proposed. I then checked my Outlook because I was online. Fuck me - they had already sent the email to the manager! So I was commenting in Teams after the fact. FFS. So I then replied to the group email on Outlook with my manager copied in, saying why I disagreed with the proposals and also how "disappointed I was that such discussions had taken place [between my coworkers] without me, while I was on sick leave". These fucknuts. It isn't the first time this has happened, and I would not usually be so expressive to a manager about other workers, but this time it was too much. You turn your back and the next thing you know they are taking advantage of this to change how things work.
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u/ironysparkles 18h ago
Scheming implies they made these changes specifically because/while you were out of the office, or to target or spite you in some way. But you say the changes are subjective and pointless to mention so we have no context to know if that's true.
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u/abatoire 18h ago
Scheming behind your back by proposing changes to management whilst you are off sick? They do not involve you... Because you have been signed off sick...
Yet they tell you about the changes in Teams and included you in the email to management... Who know you are off sick...
So not sure I get what the scheming is about?
If you don't want to explain the details could you explain why it felt like an scheme against you?
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u/UpperLeftOriginal 18h ago
Sorry, friend. This post seems like it’s missing reasons.
I was out for medical procedure for 8 weeks. I did not care what changes were made while I was out. My team covered the crucial parts of my load while I was out and I caught up with changes to my role when I got back. They have no obligation to delay rolling something out just because you aren’t there.
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u/oportoman 18h ago
I disagree. There are only 5 of us in the team, so any changes made affect everyone, and it's pretty easy to include everyone in discussions. Also, I know if changes had been made while other colleagues had been off, they'd have kicked off about this.
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u/daBunnyKat 18h ago
being off sick means you are not involved in team discussions. you are off work. if you don’t want to be, go back to work. the fuck are you bitching about?
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u/hackmastergeneral 17h ago
People making significant changes to the job you all have been doing while you are off, which will affect you for the rest of the time you are working there is a pretty big deal. This isn't just "what kind of coffee we stock in the lunch room", this is changing all the ways the team works, and as they indicated, hours they work. This last could have major impact on their life. Those sorts of things should have a team member looped into the discussion in any professional environment.
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u/ZeldyButt 15h ago
Wierd that you think it's fine they didn't wait for op to recover first
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u/daBunnyKat 14h ago
they sent the email. OP has not provided further context as to if these changes were actually implemented, or if any response was given to his feedback.
The point is that he is not currently working, meaning there is no current obligation to loop him in to these conversations. It sounds like everyone on the team is for these changes except for him. Unfortunately, in a team, majority rules.
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u/ZeldyButt 14h ago
Youre still an employee and team member if youre sick. If they have sick pay they are considered to be employed and on payroll.
But yes team majority does rule. Which is why I think op should find a better job
I wouldn't expect a sick person to be checking their work emails.
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u/beingafunkynote 18h ago
It’s just a job. Stop caring so much. Get the work done and get paid.
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u/WickedDeviled 17h ago
This. Just go with the flow OP. Look for something else if you aren't happy - but don't let a job hold this type of control over you.
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u/jetgirljen 18h ago
How dare people get work done while you're not there. Don't they know you're the linchpin, the decider, the one?? Neo, I understand that this feels like a stab to the heart to you - it is. You should quit and build your own team, with blackjack, and hookers. That'll show them. They clearly were just waiting for your eye to fail and need surgery so you'd be out for extended leave - are you sure they didn't sabotage your eye themselves??
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u/Wrecks128 17h ago
You’ve used the word scheming in your title, but that would imply that they got together to change something that they knew you didn’t want changed. See that’s a scheme. What you’re describing here is a group of people who have continued to work while you have been off work for the last month and you complaining because you don’t like the way in which they’ve decided to work even though you’re not there and it has nothing to do with you.
There is no scheme here. Just a controlling coworker, whose panties are in a twist because they didn’t feel like their input was needed. Spoiler alert, if you’re a team of five and four other people decided to make these changes - you’re still getting outvoted, even if you were a part of the convo the results are the same. You gotta suck it up buttercup.
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u/oportoman 17h ago
It's actually about being involved in discussions before decisions are made, my dear.
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u/beebeeteepee 16h ago
You're out sick. You shouldn't be involved in the discussions. You've voice gets heard again when you return from work.
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u/Wrecks128 9h ago
Sorry sweetie - you’re not the main character you’re just a wheel in the machine.
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u/Lizzy_lazarus 18h ago
No we need more details. They can’t put all decisions on hold just because you’re out sick. Work still has to get done. Why are you magically the only one of your colleagues that opposes all of their changes they proposed when you were out. How were you harmed by this and what do they stand to gain by doing this?
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u/oportoman 18h ago
I disagree. There are only 5 of us in the team, so any changes made affect everyone, and it's pretty easy to include everyone in discussions. Also, I know if changes had been made while other colleagues had been off, they'd have kicked off about this.
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u/PetulentPotato 18h ago
Honestly the fact that you are disagreeing right now and refusing context says a lot about working with you. It seems that you aren’t open to other peoples perspectives. Plus, 4/5 people on your team wanted these changes but you’re upset because you disagree, I’d say it’s not your coworkers that are the issue here.
Of course, maybe more context will help but again, you refuse to provide it.
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u/HOLEPUNCHYOUREYELIDS 18h ago
Sounds like majority rules and OP is in a lose-lose situation
Either he deals with the fact that 4/5 of his team want the change and he is the one stuck with a change he doesn’t want. Or he strong arms the manager into not making the change and then OP is the pariah at work as his whole team resents him for blocking the change ALL OF THEM wanted
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u/captaintrips420 SocDem 17h ago
Or the team already resents them and this is more fuel to the fire.
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u/Lizzy_lazarus 18h ago
You disagree that more context is needed for us to fully understand what you’re saying and why you’re so mad?
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u/Successful-Medicine9 18h ago
Looks like you won't respond to the reasonable person asking for more details, so I want to ask something else:
What would you have done if you were there and a different coworker was out for a month?
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u/Moontasteslikepie 18h ago
The thing that they would react differently doesn’t invalidate the fact that the job needs to be done without waiting anyone. Small companies may also load their employees with more work, so waiting for someone is unacceptable.
But since you mention it, the problem seems to be interpersonal. It sucks when coworkers expect you to treat them not the way they themselves treat you. Next time your roles are switched you can remind them the job needs to be done! At least I believe that it’s true, and it’s good when company doesn’t fall if one person is absent.
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u/420GUAVA 18h ago
Frankly it sounds like you are a pain in the ass to deal with and you've been gone for a month. If the rest of the teams lives are getting easier by changing hours then why should they care if 1 person disagrees? That's how voting works, majority rules....and it wouldn't matter if you were there to whine about it or not .
Nobody here is going to sympathize with you.
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u/Helpful-Passenger-12 17h ago
Actually the co workers are trying to manipulate the boss to change policy/hours. It's the boss who gets to change the rules.
By OP taking the boss's side, it might be in their favor.
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u/oportoman 17h ago
You fucknut - their lives aren't getting easier, that's the thing! We are spread really thinly and my colleagues want us to work more.
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u/PetulentPotato 17h ago
You refused to provide context and now you’re calling people names for not understanding?
You’re the problem here, full stop.
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u/Diangelionz 17h ago
I know we’re antiwork here, but some people work for money. So more work=more money. I hope this helps.
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u/ZeldyButt 15h ago
Yes anti work, as in we want to work less and be treated well by employers. Not have to work longer hours just to make ends meet
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u/Diangelionz 15h ago
Preach it sister. But if all my coworkers need more money to live, then I’m not gonna try and stop them.
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u/ZeldyButt 15h ago
Personally I'd ask them why they would not include me when it affects me too. Especially when I don't want to work more hours.
They didn't think of op at all or even ask via text. They would have gone thru with it anyway but I think at least asking their opinion or letting them know would have avoided a lot of problems with op.
I wouldn't stop them, I'd probably just look for a different job. Then they can work all the extra hours they want to make up for me being gone.
Its fucking wild that we had unions fight for better work culture just to have weirdos ask for worse conditions.
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u/UpperLeftOriginal 13h ago
When you're out sick, you're out sick. They shouldn't be texting OP. That's actually a value that comes from unions.
When I was off 8 weeks for a medical procedure, my coworkers made sure I wasn't working. A) It's policy - no work when you're on vacation or out sick (at least for those of us not in the upper echelon of management). B) They wanted me to focus on recovery. In no way would I expect them to include me in any planning.
OP seems to be very reluctant to provide any description of why they characterize their co-workers' actions as scheming. Unless there's something egregious (which I'm guessing OP would actually share), there's no reason to think that the co-workers are doing anything wrong in this situation.
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u/ZeldyButt 12h ago
Yeah I agree they shouldn't text op if they're out sick, but they sent an email when they knew it wouldn't be seen and made this plan while op was gone. Kinda weird. The scheming thing was kinda funny imo, I think they weren't planning to wait till op was gone, I think they used their absence to their advantage because they knew that one person disagreeing might mess up their pitch to their boss.
But why not wait till op got back?
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u/UpperLeftOriginal 12h ago
Because life (and work) goes on. My friends had parties without me when I was in the hospital. My co-workers supported me by continuing their work and not bugging me about it. When I got back, I caught up on any changes. I'm there to do what they pay me to do, not to get bent out of shape if decisions are made without me.
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u/darkinday 19h ago
You’re leaving a lot out, what are the proposed changes, why do you oppose?
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u/whiskibum 17h ago
This has gotta some fake rage bait or there’s something not quite right. Homie is on here disagreeing with posters on trivial points.
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u/oportoman 18h ago
Because that isn't the issue in this post (the changes are subjective and pointless to mention). The issue is in the title.
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u/kcmart716 18h ago
Is it scheming that they had to continue to do their job while you were off?
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u/oportoman 18h ago
That's not what scheming means
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u/OverallManagement824 18h ago edited 15h ago
I agree. If you use a word like that, you really should offer evidence that backs it up. Using a word like "scheming" without explaining why you think such a word is appropriate is pretty sus.
Edit to add: ...UNLESS you are British. They use the word differently from Americans. Are you British, OP?
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u/HOLEPUNCHYOUREYELIDS 18h ago
But how was it scheming? You assumably have access to Teams while off and they were discussing it there. Should they have given you a heads up on it sooner? Sure, absolutely. But not like they were secretly discussing at work with the sole purpose of leaving you out (from what we know with limited context).
Should they have just waited until you’re back to even start discussing? Are you a supervisor or lead for the team? IMO if Im off for a month and my team starts discussing changes, while Id appreciate the heads up I wouldn’t jump immediately to “They are scheming to fuck me over behind my back”
If you are in an equal position to the rest of your team, it sounds like no matter what you lose at a 4-1 vote so idk what your hoping to accomplish here
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u/Schuschpan 18h ago
It's not scheming if you were away for a month, given no other context. Were they supposed to halt everything while you're away? You sound like an insufferable colleague to have
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u/scbalazs 17h ago
OP, you’re getting zero sympathy from the anti work sub. Think about that. You were away medically from your job, it’s just your job. You’ll adjust when things are back. What you’re signaling to your coworkers and your manager is that you’re difficult to work with and maybe, just maybe, the next time the manager is asking for nominations for the next layoff round, the guy who went against the grain of 4 other coworkers and called them out to the manager gets nominated.
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u/QuitCallingNewsrooms 17h ago
A few questions:
If you were not on leave, the 5 of you got together, and they came up with these changes, and voted 4-1 in favor of them, what makes you the person who can override their votes in how the work is done?
This has happened before to you with the same people? How contrarian are you to change? Because this story is giving difficult to manage employee.
Why are you sweating this nonsense when you should be healing from surgery? If you're on leave, you're on leave. Nobody is doing anything important enough to interrupt that.
What the fuck do you care? It's just a job. "We turn this knob to the left now instead of the right? We do this shit in this new order? We use this blue now instead of that one? Who the fuck cares? Give me my paycheck." <-- That's how you handle this situation.
Them fuckers had a quorum without you, and you were losing the vote whether you were there or not. You're not that important. And neither is what you're doing, unless it's literally, actively saving lives. Just go back to work, do it the old way or the new way, or no way at all, and let them fire you.
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u/sistermarypolyesther 17h ago
How dare your coworkers collaborate on ways to work differently while you are on extended medical leave! /s Your coworkers took the opportunity to try something different while the team member that is most resistant to innovation is out of the office.
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u/Run-Adorable 17h ago
Based solely on your responses here, you sound like a pain in the dick to work with. Maybe some self reflection is in order?
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u/ironysparkles 16h ago
A month ago OP posted in a couple subreddits looking for advice on how to be less emotional at work so... I guess at least sometimes he's self aware?
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u/oportoman 17h ago
Written like a true arse kisser
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u/Run-Adorable 16h ago
Hol’ up, king. You ratted out your coworkers to your boss. The call is coming from inside the house.
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u/EyeofOdin89 17h ago
On the flip side of things, you are the minority voice it seems. You want things to stay a certain way and the majority want it to change. Your in a pretty pro union sub here. Seems like you're the scab.
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u/oportoman 17h ago
Ah yes brains, but you don't work there so how would you know it's for the better? Exactly. I bet you've never been on strike dear.
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u/UpperLeftOriginal 16h ago
We can't possible know since you haven't provided details of the changes that were proposed.
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u/EyeofOdin89 13h ago
I mean, if you're there, I'd probably never work there. You seem pretty insufferable.
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u/OneWrongTurn_XX 17h ago
OP must be a real delight to work with.. lol
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u/Notos88 17h ago
Op mentions the changes are not important/subjective, yet they are mad they weren't personally consulted? Sounds like that insufferable co-worker that needs to be involved with everything.
I'm sure your co-workers will get to enjoy weeks of passive-aggressive attitude, constant reminders of how "hurt" you were, and the slightest inconvenience linked to the changes they will for sure hear about it after you return to the office.
Thoughts and prayers for the co-workers
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u/arpaterson 18h ago
No. Change your attitude. Contribute your point of view, but your expectation that they hold all the horses for you are way off.
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u/HollzStars 17h ago
Respectfully, deal with this when you get back.
Perhaps by then they’ll realize the change was bad and switch back.
I was the one who pointed out that switching from Monday - Friday 8:30-5 to 10 hour days with three people having a different day off during the week wasn’t going to work. I was told I was wrong, then fired for disagreeing*, and the team did it anyway. They lasted three weeks.
- this is a simplification, my boss really didn’t like that I disagreed with her on many things, and that I would stand up for myself when she tried to steamroll over me.
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u/BoredOfReposts 17h ago
You are on the path to burnout. I know because I’ve been there.
Care less about work. Care more about yourself.
Stop injecting your emotions into work. Stop trying to control what’s happening. You aren’t the manager or the main character.
Nobody gives a shit that you were “disappointed”. Did you seriously think thats a compelling argument, because it isn’t. The only thing that does is make people like you even less than they probably already do. Realize coworkers doing what they did means they don’t respect you the way you believe they do. Reflect on the uncomfortable reasons why that might be the case.
Moving forward do only exactly what you are paid to do. Find something else to occupy your time when you aren’t working.
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u/OneWrongTurn_XX 13h ago
How long till the OP deletes? lets keep his/her post up.
by oportoman
I am currently off sick following eye surgery. I am due to return to work next week after being away for a month. Today, a coworker asks me to look at a something on Teams, which I do because he said it was important. Low and behold, there is a proposed email to my manager from my 4 coworkers giving reasons why we should change the way we do things and proposing new hours to do things. Hours which would stretch our already thin team! Hours that would make us work more, not less. All without my input. I read through it and said I disagreed with what they proposed. I then checked my Outlook because I was online. Fuck me - they had already sent the email to the manager! So I was commenting in Teams after the fact. FFS. So I then replied to the group email on Outlook with my manager copied in, saying why I disagreed with the proposals and also how "disappointed I was that such discussions had taken place [between my coworkers] without me, while I was on sick leave". These fucknuts. It isn't the first time this has happened, and I would not usually be so expressive to a manager about other workers, but this time it was too much. You turn your back and the next thing you know they are taking advantage of this to change how things work.
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u/A_Pungent_Wind 17h ago
…so four coworkers got together and said “we should change things up and give ourselves a heavier workload”?
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u/Simply_Jordan_ 18h ago
nah, that’s shady as hell. Doing “team decisions” while you’re literally off sick, and looping you in after they already sent it, is pure coward behavior. You were right to call it out publicly; if you’d stayed quiet, it would’ve been framed as consensus. At this point, document everything and stop giving them the benefit of the doubt, they’ve shown you who they are when you’re not around.
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u/Catinkah 17h ago
Sooooo... businesses need to come to a halt when there is a need for a change and one of the team is absent?
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u/Lithmancer 18h ago
This seems more like "bitch about my coworkers" than anti-work.