Coworker of mine at work has been talking the piss with hours. (Saying he is coming at 5am but only coming at 07h45am), hence only working half a day. (Almost half a day) This has been going on for a few months now. We both report to the same line manager, but have different roles. I have not mentioned it to our (shared) line manger as I feel it’s not really any of my business, and I didn’t want to be a “tell-tail” However my staff that report to me have began to notice, and it its affecting there morale. So they have now asked me to report it, I decided to do so. My line manager was very furious that I did not report it sooner, and suggested that, in a previous similar situation, a member of staff had been dismissed for not reporting a similar issue.

Am I completely in the wrong, and should I hae reported this sooner?

If you are a line manager then you are by definition a member of management and need to act like one

Ah, the sanctimonious response so beloved of STW!

In the real world, yes, you should have said something earlier, but your line manager is obviously taking it all too seriously and should calm the f down.

JP

You should have brought up the issue with the colleague, given them a bit of a chance to sort themselves out, then report. As MTB-Idle says, you are a manager and should have acted on this.

However my staff that report to me have began to notice, and it its affecting there morale

In management 101, one bad apple etc…

You should have brought up the issue with the colleague, given them a bit of a chance to sort themselves out, then report. As MTB-Idle says, you are a manager and should have acted on this.

This.  Have a word and tell them if you notice it again you have a duty to report it, no chances.

Sorry I cannot help you, best of luck, hope it all works out in the end.

Thanks for the feedback. In retrospect, I should have raised the issue sooner.

Shirley your joint line manager has a responsibility to be assured that the hours logged are the hours worked.
They are probably going to feel the heat and MAY be trying to pass the buck. If you have no direct line management for the offender then they are in a more precarious position than you. Reporting your peers is always difficult. Don’t lose too much sleep, if the shit starts to hit the fan, remind folk who should be doing the due diligence for that person.

Sounds like your line manager was asleep at the wheel as above.

Whilst it could be tenuously argued you should grass your peers up, your joint manager is ultimately responsible for managing the staff that report to them.

Have I got this right – the guy that’s working half days doesn’t report to you and is theoretically at the same level as you? So your manager is pissed at you because you didn’t report a problem with a guy that doesn’t report to you? You don’t sign off on his hours, authorise his days off, holidays etc? Sounds like your line manager needs to take a long hard look in the mirror. It’s his job to manage the people below him, not yours. Not that that is ever going to fly.

Your answer is that you had no firm evidence and therefore felt it was inappropriate to make the accusation. It’s not your fault your manager can’t do their job !

Your answer is that you had no firm evidence and therefore felt it was inappropriate to make the accusation. It’s not your fault your manager can’t do their job !

In absolute terms – this. Seems like a perfectly reasonable defence if he wants to take it up with you further. If the chap doesn’t report to you, then ultimately your mutual manager is responsible.

(But yes, perhaps a quiet word might have been good before it got to this point – to paraphrase my old boss – it only takes one turd in the swimming pool to ruin it for everyone)

As above, really. You can’t report anything as a one off, you have to wait for a pattern of behaviour to be established.

Your timekeeping is your responsibility, not anyone else’s. At the end of the day you have done the right thing in the light of slipshod management.

HR people need constant reminding of what the ‘H’ in their title stands for

In the OP’s position I would say that I had no knowledge of whatever arrangements the other guy might have had regarding his timekeeping, and as soon as it started to have an effect on my team’s performance I did something about it.
It seems the boss just feels the need to blame his shortcomings on somebody else. Which is a definition of being a boss.

As above just say you didn’t bring it up because he might have had some arrangement in place because of a personal situation (divorce, bereavement etc ) so you didn’t want to ask but when it was noticed by your team you needed to know what to tell them

All great points. Thanks for the response!

I would personally spray cat wee into his shoes and line his jacket with gone off prawns.

As you’re in a management role I think you should have raised it sooner (with the person taking the piss if you knew them well enough or with your mutual line manager if not). Employees don’t want to be treated as children and micro-managed yet they’re also quick to blame managers for failing in their role if they’re not always aware of people taking the piss (and in some roles it’s very easy to take the piss).