My coworker is a slacker. She spends most of her time on Facebook, personal calls and personal emails. I'm the only one who can see it because we share an office and our desks are situated so I can see her computer screen. I told her once she spends way too much time online and personal stuff and she when running to the office manager about me. I told the office manager why I said what I did and she agreed that my coworker did only clerk typist work that could be handled by a temp but that her boss had no problem with the way she worked and that I should just mind my own business and not say anything. I did a bad thing and peeked at her paycheck and saw she's paid more than me even though I've been there 7 years longer than her. I've been told I'm rated the #1 asst. out of 5, my reviews are "excellent" and yet, out of five assistants, I'm the second lowest paid. Two of the other assts. Have been there 10+ plus years longer than me. I come in early and work late every day. I don't run out of the office at 4:57 pm like the other assistants. I love my job and since I'm 62, getting another one would be very difficult but I feel like I'm not appreciated and want to leave. But I can't afford to. This has me very upset and I stew about it 24/7. What can I do?

When do you plan to retire? You are probably one of the few people keeping that business open and alive. Consider what will happen when you're gone.

You love your job? Stay there and continue to do your best.

(Last fall illness forced me to retire from a job I had for 25 years and loved with all my heart. Reports are that my workload was divided up among at least four people who aren't doing very well keeping things going.)

Take the advice of your office manager,put your head down and get on with your own work.

You could always look for a course that would relate to your job and upskill,look for 'in house' jobs and try to climb the salary scale.

If your manager knows about the other person's work performance its up to them not you to decide a course of action.

Change your focus and mind your own job.

So leave at 4:56 for a while, don't do any work early or late unless paid for it. Don't do any of the other ladies work for her.

Or just do your job for he amount of money you agreed to work for and not worry what others get.

Thanks for your responses. I'm trying my best just to do my job and ignore her. Have to hang in a few more years until retirement. I left at 4:56 the other night, right after the other 3 women left. My boss had such a surprised look on his face when I said good night and walked out. Honestly, I felt guilty. I left exactly at 5:00 tonight and it felt good.

Just do your thing. Take pride in the fact that you worked hard during the day and take it easy when you get home.

Don't worry about those around you, let your work speak for itself. If you feel that you're underpaid, then you can explain it to your manager to see if they can give you a boost. Sometimes, if you don't speak up, they assume that you are happy with the current paycheck and won't bother giving you a raise, unfortunately.

Otherwise, since you enjoy your job, then enjoy these few years of working before you retire.

I posted last August about my slacker co-worker. Today I came into the office that we share only to find a huge partition erected between our desks. Our office manager knows I didn't want one and I hate looking at this big ugly gray thing. Two months ago, I found out from one of our attorneys that we were going to get a partition between our desks. When I asked, "May I ask who requested the partition", I was told, "No". Obviously my coworker requested the partition. My coworker, and I use the term "worker" loosely, wanted a partition because she doesn't want me to see how often she's on Facebook, online shopping, and personal stuff. Whenever I walk back to my desk, she's sitting there staring at a blank desktop because she just minimized whatever site she was on. The official reason I was told it was erected was because of telephone conversation noise. They expect this to cut down the noise which is absurd. Our manager was holding off on the partition because I had told her I didn't want it, but last week my co-worker complained about me again and this week its here. Her complaint was that someone gave me a copy of her latest "documentation" of me that she created on the computer. Her documentation is filled with exaggerations, downright lies, and remarks taken out of context. When the office manager asked for the "documentation", my coworker deleted it because, not only does she document me, she's complained in writing about the office manager and two other women who work here. It was pretty nasty so I understand why she deleted it instead of forwarding it to the office manager. Not once have gone to the office manager to complain about her and have never been asked by the office manager to tell my side. I try my best to just come in, do my work, and ignore her. I'm 62 years old and this is the first time I have ever had problems with a coworker (she's 51) in this magnitude. I feel like management has insulted me and slapped me in the face with this partition. Sometimes I feel like I'm back in high school here. I really, really hate her and I'm beginning to resent the office management here. I guess I really don't have any questions about how to deal with this, I just wanted to vent.

Well, why haven't you complained to the office manager? You can't expect them to do anything to help you if you don't say anything.

I would start documenting the things that have occurred, but make sure its done at home computer, not at work. Just keep a little journel, it never hurts.

My father did this on a younger co-worker who liked to stir, but didn't like to do the actual job. Anyway about 8months later my father was called into his supervisors office, and thank god he had this journal documented. He had documented all the back talking on everyone this guy did, the in-completed work that my father finished, etc. Anyway, my father saved his job, and guess the guy who like to stir and feel important was out!!

Stay out of the politics. The decision on the partition is over and could be a godsend since you don't like this person. Focus on your job and your deadlines and make sure you perform well. Keep track of your achievements and when you have your next review, if you are asked how you like your job, be very generous about all the great things you love about it. Don't backstab anyone. You might mention though that you can't help but notice you typically arrive first and leave last, and in between feel your productivity is well above that of your peers and ask if they would consider a raise based on your performance. Do not criticize anyone else, just focus on your own commitment and dedication and experience as being "above and beyond".

And know that they are aware what this woman is doing and for whatever reason aren't getting rid of her. Best to stay out of it entirely or it will turn on you and you'll be viewed as "difficult to get along with" or a "spy" or "disloyal" to your colleagues.

I agree! I did bring it to management, but honestly, no matter how much a company tells you that they care about how you feel when you're at work, etc. etc. they don't want to hear or deal with it! This happened to me three days ago, and I bit my tongue for two years! I thought, "Okay, I've never been a complainer, whiner, etc., so this would be a good time for me to voice my concerns over a co-worker that I feel is bullying me!" Nope... not one bit. I was told that I should learn to work like them more, in fact! What a slap in the face! I voluntarily go to school to learn more about my line of work without anyone asking, and I'm told that I should dummy down to two ladies who have no more than a high school diploma? Gee, had I know that, I would have just gone straight for my G.E.D. - forget my masters!