Should I report this chatty colleague to the boss?

Q: I have a colleague who is always chatting loudly with friends and browsing the various social media sites on her phone even during working hours. She only works when the boss is around. Do I tell her that this might negatively affect her work or should I just report her to the boss?

The pull of social media has undeniably sucked in many people’s attention into its unforgiving vortex, leaving in its wake innumerable smart phone addicts, a breed to which your colleague seems to belong. While it might be inconvenient for people to work effectively without a phone, the question remains whether the gadget should rank among key organs of the human anatomy without which one cannot function properly or at all.

The inclination to immerse oneself in social media not only affects work, but life in general. It is unlikely that your colleague behaves differently with her phone when she is not at work. Spending an inordinate amount of time tuning into social media is bound to undermine not only results at work, but also personal relationships. Granted that it may be difficult to escape the use of the phone entirely, it is difficult to give the gadget any rest without being deliberate about it.

Has your colleague’s performance ratings been negatively impacted by her behaviour in the recent past? Does your colleague have sufficient work to keep her busy all day? Has she always been infatuated with her phone or is her behaviour a recent development?

Yes, it might help to share your thoughts with your colleague concerning what appears to be tech addiction. But raise the matter in a way that points to the opportunity to relent from her obsession, not a chance to present yourself as one who cannot fall prey to the allure of social media. Express your concern indicating that her behaviour could negatively affect her work and career.

Addressing the issue with her will be easier if you have good rapport with each other. She will respond poorly if she thinks you are looking for an opportunity to condemn her for what you perceive to be self-indulgence. This means that as you bring up the matter with her, you need to reflect on the purity of your intentions, and the benefits of taming her penchant for being on phone for extended periods.  

If the penny does not drop after speaking to her, consider reporting her to your boss.

Fred Gituku, Human Resources Practitioner ([email protected])