'AITA for finally snapping at my coworker who does the minimum and expects me to pick up the slack?'

"AITA for finally snapping at my coworker who does the absolute bare minimum and expects me to pick up the slack?"

So I (22M) work in a warehouse. It’s not glamorous, but it’s chill, except for this one older dude, let’s call him Bob, who's always just finished moving a lot. Bob is in his late 20s and has mastered the ancient art of doing the least amount of work humanly possible while still collecting a paycheck.

This man will lift one box, sigh dramatically like he’s carrying the weight of the entire Earth, then disappear for 25 minutes to empty the trash (AKA sneaks out back and smokes a cigarette for 30 minutes) But the real issue isn’t even his laziness. It’s that he fully EXPECTS everyone else specifically me to take care of the work he doesn’t feel like doing.

If management hands out a task list, Bob will literally look at the team and go, “Yeah, you guys can knock out those last few pallets, right? My shoulder’s acting up again.” His shoulder seems to act up every single day at the exact moment real work starts.

On top of that? Bob throws tantrums over every minor inconvenience. We have a printer that sometimes gets jammed, it's irritating to everybody but he's the only one slamming drawers. He forgets to wrap a product down?

He’s blaming people for not reminding him to wrap it Someone tells him a slightly different way to do something? Instant meltdown ready to fight. So yesterday, he pulled the ultimate move he straight up ditched half his assigned section and told me, “You’re quicker so just do the rest” I was tired, sweaty, and already doing my own section.

So I said, Nah. You can do your part of the work like the rest of us. He rolled his eyes, made a big dramatic sigh, muttered something about “no respect in the workplace anymore” and stomped off like a little kid while trying to give the impression he might want to fight over respect. Now some of my coworkers are saying I shouldn’t have amped him up because “you know how Bob is.”

Here's what people had to say to OP:

platypusnadpibble wrote:

NTA. Tell Bob "NO" every single time. No need for excuses or apologies, just "NO." If he ends up getting violent, well, let him (as long as he doesn't actually hit you), then go to the manager and say Bob is threatening you and you are in danger. Management is never going to correct the problem if you and everyone else continue to cover for him.

Also, since when is late 20s "older?" Bob isn't older - he nearly the same age as you. Older = MUCH older than you. Don't give Bob a pass based on your assessment of his age and status. Being young or old, a slacker is a slacker.

Pudwas wrote:

You want me to do it Bob? Sure, but it’s you who is getting paid to do it but I’m the one doing it so you should pay me some of your wages. $x should cover it. Me do it because quicker than you. So what you are saying is that I do more than you because you are slow and you want me to do even MORE of YOUR work? Bob, be quicker then we can both do the same amount of work.

If your shoulder is hurting and you can’t do your own share of the work then tell management you need time off to heal. Go to hospital to get it sorted. Better still quit and we can get a 16 year old girl in to do all the work you are supposed to do.

fabulous_coast_8108 wrote:

Tell Bob to get f-ed mate. I'll do my job and will help my coworkers when I can. Some knobhead thinking someone else can earn his wages ain't gonna happen. I'm not saying go running to the gaffers about it but let him know in no uncertain terms the situation you described. As a former factory manager, it wouldn't have eve got to this as he would have been weeded out quickly.

Lumpy_Ear2441 wrote:

NTA. Doesn't his supervisor or manager have Any idea how he is?? If not, you should tell them. If they do know, and they don't care, go higher up the ladder.
At my employment, someone like him would Never get away with that crap.

Garali1973 wrote:

Strange coincidence, think this is the third day in a row I’ve read about conflict between warehouse workers. It’s not all on the one sub. Anyway NTA. Is Bob related to the area supervisor? Or does he not do his fair share of the paperwork as well?

justthere2readthecoms wrote:

Not the AH. The ones who say you should just do the work, you know how he is- they can do his work. You can say no. My dad told me at a young age the reward for hard work is more work. At the time I had no idea what that meant.

Unfortunately, I worked as an RN so if I didn't pick up the slack, patients suffered. But in your case, don't ever do his work. Do yours. He may run out of people to do his work if others say no. Then he can leave.

girl6620 wrote:

Refusing to do his work is not stooping to his level, it’s setting a boundary. If everybody is saying, “you know how Bob is”obviously management isn’t doing crap about it until someone either goes to them or starts showing them what Bob isn’t doing by refusing to do Bob’s work for him.

BlaqueDahliah wrote:

NTA. These are people who have never been told they are assholes. Be that person. Tell him every time. Become the “that’s just how xx is” person. Be mean but be respectful while you do it. He is an adult and needs to act like it. Or go to HR and management and tell them what’s up. Let them determine if they want a slacker who’s cheating the system 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️