Feel bad. How to handle?

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 8:06 pm

I work for a family member. She hired a woman in her 50s to work at our office. She started a year ago. She really doesn't know basic computers. I have been trying to teach her what she needs to know but I get distracted and can't finish my work. She doesn't understand the basics. Example: saving a word document.copying and pasting an excel column. Forwarding an email. Etc
Today it was snowy and I had my kids home from school so I worked from home. Coworker got a ride to work with boss. Boss called me at home asking for a specific list. She was annoyed at me saying she couldn't find it.I told her coworker is supposed to take care of it. We had just discussed it at a meeting 2 weeks ago so coworker knew she needed to do. In the course of conversation it came up that coworker doesn't understand basics and it is hard to work when I am constantly disrupted.
Later on I went to work for a bit and Boss told me she told coworker she needs to make this list and remember where it is saved or her job is on the line. I feel really bad. Truth is she really doesn't get the basics so it is VERY hard to work with. I also know she tries hard and is pleasant but just isn't very bright. I am the one most affected since I sit next to her and I work with her directly.
I feel like I shouldn't have opened my big mouth.
I really don't want to be the cause of someone's job loss but I also can't keep working this way.

rachel6543

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 8:15 pm

Please don't feel bad. You're coworker is obviously not qualified for the job, esp since her skills haven't improved after a year. Your coworker could have taken the initiative to gain computer skills elsewhere- from a friend, a class, local library....etc. if I was was the boss, I most likely would have let her go by now. Business is business and in this case, it doesn't make sense to keep an employee who doesn't have the right skill set and hasn't been able to improve their performance after being in the job for a year.

MagentaYenta

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 8:42 pm

In public service the usual trial service period is 6 mos. A year is very generous. Some older workers don't realize their brains are not as elastic as they once were. Unless they've been exercising their brains it is more difficult to learn new tasks etc.

You are not responsible for her performance.

amother

Seashell

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 9:05 pm

Thanks everyone. Feeling better. I asked Boss how she ever hired her. She said she had taken 2 computer courses and she uses a smartphone so Boss thought she would know at least basics. Her job is not very hard and she needs to know the real real basics.

seeker

Thu, Feb 09 2017, 9:12 pm

If she is not able to handle her job responsibilities, it's important for the boss to understand this so that she can be the one to decide how to handle it. It's not even like you went out of your way to point this out, it just came up, as it was bound to do. You went above and beyond trying to help her learn the ropes and you can't take personal responsibility if she fails anyway.