How to Deal With a Coworker Who Doesn't Do Their Job (While You Pick Up the Slack)

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When your coworker doesn't do their job and you're stuck picking up the slack, stop covering for them. Talk to them directly about the specific tasks they're dropping. If nothing changes, bring it to your boss as a workload issue, not a personality complaint. And start saying no to work that isn't yours.

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You're Doing Two Jobs and Getting Paid for One

You show up. You do your work. Then you do half of theirs too.

They're on their phone in the back. They disappear for 20 minutes and nobody asks where they went. They do the bare minimum and still clock out the same time you do. Sometimes they do less than the minimum and somehow, somehow, nobody says anything.

But you notice. You notice because their unfinished tasks end up on YOUR plate. You're restocking what they didn't restock. You're closing the reports they didn't close. You're answering the calls they let ring. You're finishing what they started and never came back to.

And the worst part? You can't figure out how everyone else is OK with this. Your boss either doesn't see it or doesn't care. The coworker has zero shame about it. And you're sitting there exhausted, resentful, and wondering if you're the one with the problem.

You're not the one with the problem. You're the one who got saddled with someone else's workload because you actually give a damn. For more on dealing with stuff like this, check out our full guide to work problems.

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Why You Need to Stop Absorbing Their Work

Here's the thing. Every time you pick up the slack, you're making their laziness invisible. Your boss doesn't see a problem because the work is getting done. The coworker doesn't feel pressure because someone else is handling it. And you're training everyone around you to expect this from you.

That sounds harsh. But it's true.

Think about what's actually happening. You do their work. The boss sees results. The boss thinks everything is fine. Your coworker keeps skating. And you keep getting more frustrated every single shift.

The longer this goes on, the harder it is to stop. Because now everyone is used to it. You've been covering for six weeks? Two months? A year? The moment you stop, people will look at YOU like something changed. Not them. You.

So you have to stop early if you can. And if you're already deep in it, you have to stop strategically. More on that below.

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How to Talk to the Coworker Directly

Before you go to your boss, try talking to them. Not because they deserve the courtesy. Because if you skip this step and go straight to management, you look like you didn't even try.

Keep it private. Keep it short. Keep it about the work, not their character.

What to say to a coworker who isn't doing their job

"Hey, I've been picking up the closing reports the last couple weeks. I need you to take those back because I can't keep doing both."

That's it. No long explanation. No "I feel" statements. No sandwich compliment. You name the specific task. You name how long you've been covering it. You say you need them to take it back.

Here are more options depending on your situation:

"I noticed the restocking didn't get done last night. That's been landing on me and I need us to split it like we're supposed to."

"I've been answering your section's calls when you're away from the desk. I can't keep doing that and my own work."

"Can we get on the same page about who's doing what this week? I want to make sure things are actually split evenly."

If they get defensive

They might. People who slack off at work don't usually love hearing about it. Here's what to say when they push back.

If they say "I've been busy too":

"I hear you, but these specific tasks have been falling on me. I need us to get back to splitting them."

If they say "Nobody else has a problem with it":

"I'm telling you I do. I need this to change."

If they say "You're making a big deal out of nothing":

"It's not nothing to me. I'm doing my work and yours. That's what I need to fix."

Don't get pulled into a debate about whether they're lazy or whether your feelings are valid. That's a trap. Stay on the specific task. Stay on the workload. Stay on what needs to change.

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How to Bring It to Your Boss (Without Looking Like a Snitch)

OK. You talked to them. Nothing changed. Or maybe it changed for three days and then went right back. Now it's time to involve your boss.

Here's the mistake most people make: they walk into their boss's office and say "Marcus doesn't do anything." That's a character complaint. Bosses don't want to hear character complaints. It puts them in an awkward spot and makes you sound like you're starting drama.

Instead, make it about workload. Make it about business. Make it about numbers.

What to say to your boss about a lazy coworker

"I wanted to talk about the workload split on our team. For the last few weeks, I've been handling [specific tasks] in addition to my own stuff. I want to make sure things are divided evenly so nothing gets missed."

Notice what you didn't say. You didn't say "Marcus is lazy." You didn't call anyone out by name. You talked about tasks and workload balance. Your boss is smart enough to figure out the rest.

More options:

"I've been covering the evening counts and the restocking for about three weeks now. That's normally a two-person job. Can we talk about how to split it back up?"

"I want to make sure my performance review reflects the work I'm actually doing. I've taken on [specific extra tasks] and I want that documented."

"There are a few tasks falling through the cracks that aren't mine, and I've been picking them up. I need to focus on my own work now, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."

That last one is powerful. You're telling your boss: I'm about to stop doing extra, and when those tasks don't get done, that's not on me. You're putting them on notice without pointing fingers.

What if your boss doesn't care?

Real talk. Some bosses don't care. Some bosses are the lazy coworker who got promoted. Some bosses avoid conflict like it's a second job.

If your boss hears you out and does nothing, you've learned something important: this problem is not going to be solved from above. That means you have to protect yourself a different way. Which brings us to the next section.

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How to Stop Picking Up the Slack

This is the hard part. Because you're a person who cares about the work getting done. Walking away from tasks that need doing goes against your instincts.

But those instincts are being used against you right now.

Here's how to pull back without blowing things up.

Step 1: Document what you've been doing extra. Write it down. Dates, tasks, how long each one took. "Feb 3: Covered Sarah's returns queue, 45 minutes. Feb 5: Restocked dairy because nobody else did, 30 minutes." You need this paper trail.

Step 2: Tell your boss you're stepping back. Use the phrasing from above. "I've been handling some extra tasks and I need to focus on my own workload. Wanted to let you know so nothing slips."

Step 3: Do your own work. Only your own work. This will feel terrible at first. You'll see the undone tasks sitting there. You'll feel the pull to handle it. Don't. That gap needs to become visible.

Step 4: When someone asks why it's not done, tell the truth. "That's not one of my assigned tasks. You'd have to check with [coworker]." No attitude. No smirk. Just facts.

A real example of what this looks like

Denise works as a CNA at a nursing home. Her coworker Tina would disappear during their shift, leaving Denise to answer call lights for both halls. Denise covered it for months because the residents needed help and she couldn't stand the thought of someone pressing a call button with nobody coming.

But Denise was running herself into the ground. So she went to her charge nurse and said, "I've been covering both halls because Tina isn't on the floor. I can't keep doing that safely. I need to stay in my hall."

The charge nurse started paying attention. Within a week, Tina got written up. Not because Denise snitched. Because when Denise stopped covering, the gap became impossible to ignore.

That's the play. Make the problem visible by stopping being the solution.

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When to Let It Fail

This one's going to feel wrong, so hear me out.

Sometimes, the only way to get anyone to care about a problem is to let the consequences show up. As long as you keep catching the ball, nobody knows it's being dropped.

Letting it fail means you stop catching it. On purpose.

When this makes sense:

• You've already talked to the coworker.
• You've already told your boss.
• Nothing changed.
• The task is not life-or-death.

When this does NOT make sense:

• Someone could get hurt (healthcare, safety-related tasks).
• You'll get blamed for it because it's technically your job.
• You haven't tried anything else first.

What to say when you let the ball drop

"I've been focused on my own assigned tasks this week. If the inventory count didn't get done, that would be a question for whoever was assigned to it."

"I noticed that didn't get finished. I wasn't assigned to it, so I left it for whoever was."

No apology. No guilt. You did your work. The other stuff wasn't yours.

A real example

Andre works in a warehouse. His coworker, Jay, would skip the end-of-day pallet counts. Andre always did them because if the counts were off, the morning crew would be screwed. After three months of doing Jay's counts plus his own, Andre told his supervisor, "I've been doing the pallet counts for both sections. I'm only going to do mine from now on."

The next day, Jay's section had no count. The morning crew flagged it. The supervisor had to deal with it. Jay got pulled into a meeting. Problem solved in 48 hours after three months of Andre silently suffering.

Andre didn't sabotage anyone. He stopped volunteering for a job that wasn't his.

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What If You're the One Who Gets in Trouble?

This is a real fear. And it happens. Sometimes the person who speaks up gets treated like the problem.

If that happens, know this: you're not wrong for raising it. But you might be in a workplace that punishes the wrong people. And that's important information to have.

A few things that protect you:

• Keep your documentation. Emails, notes, anything that shows the extra work you've been doing.
• Stay professional. Don't trash-talk the coworker to other people at work. Keep it between you, them, and your boss.
• Know your rights. If you're being asked to do significantly more work for the same pay with no adjustment, that's worth a conversation. If you're being retaliated against for raising a legitimate workload concern, that might be something for HR.

And if none of that works? If your boss sides with the slacker and punishes you for speaking up?

That tells you everything you need to know about whether this job deserves your effort. Start looking.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do you deal with a coworker who doesn't pull their weight?

Stop covering for them first. Then have a calm, private conversation where you name the specific tasks that aren't getting done and how it affects your workload. Say something like: "Hey, I've been picking up the closing reports the last few weeks. I need you to take those back because I can't keep doing both." If nothing changes after talking to them directly, bring it to your boss as a workload problem, not a personality complaint.

Should I tell my boss about a lazy coworker?

Yes, but frame it as a workload issue, not a character attack. Don't say "Marcus is lazy." Say "I've been handling the evening counts and the stocking for the last three weeks, and I want to make sure the workload is split evenly." Bring specific examples with dates. Bosses respond to facts and business impact, not personal frustrations. This makes you look professional, not petty.

Why do some coworkers get away with doing nothing?

Usually because someone else is quietly doing their work for them. When you pick up the slack, the boss never sees the gap. The work still gets done, so it looks like everything is fine. Other reasons include managers who avoid conflict, favoritism, or a workplace culture where effort isn't tracked or rewarded. The pattern continues as long as someone keeps covering for them.

How do you stop picking up slack for a coworker without getting in trouble?

Give your boss a heads-up before you pull back. Say: "I've been handling a few things outside my normal tasks and I need to focus on my own workload. I wanted to let you know so nothing falls through the cracks." This protects you because your boss now knows that if those tasks don't get done, it's not on you. Document what you've been doing extra and what you're handing back.

Is it ever OK to let a coworker's work fail?

Sometimes, yes. If you've already talked to them, already told your boss, and nothing has changed, then letting the ball drop is the only way to make the problem visible. The key is protecting yourself first. Make sure your own work is done and documented. Let your boss know you're stepping back to your assigned tasks. Then let the gap show. It's not sabotage. It's stopping doing someone else's job for free.

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About the Author

The Words for That helps people deal with difficult coworkers, bad bosses, and tough conversations at work and at home. No therapy speak. No corporate jargon. The actual words you need for the situations you're already in. Learn more about us.

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