Dear Prudence,
I work for a large university that is allowing almost everyone to work from home. Our team is small, and everyone’s working hard to keep things moving smoothly—except for one of us. She claims to have no computer or internet at home, so she’s essentially on a paid stay-at-home vacation. The rest of us are picking up her slack on top of our own projects. I find myself increasingly angry about her unwillingness to even offer to help. When she joins Zoom calls on her phone, we can see a computer in the background.
Our bosses, when asked if she could pitch in, say “no.” I realize our university can’t ask her to buy a computer or internet, but everyone else on the team is working so hard. We know that she’s recently purchased a new car. She’s also one of the higher-paid employees in the department. Should I express my frustration to my boss, knowing full well that he can’t disclose any information about her situation, just so I can express my feelings of demoralization to a higher-up? I know that most of our team is frustrated too, but everyone is too scared to say anything. I’m not scared—I just wonder if there’s a point.
—Nonworking Co-Worker