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I was promoted a year ago to a managing position and because there was no space, I now have to share an office with my former boss. We’re now at the same level. She’s much older than me and doesn’t know how to use a computer. She needs my help for everything and most times I just do her job for her as it’s easier for me. Also, I care about the company and if I don’t help her things will fall apart. My manager doesn’t believe in job specs so he just gave me the same job as my colleague and gave me a desk on her office. I hate working with her, I’m loosing my mind because I now need to do her job and mine. She can’t be fired, she’s been in the company for more than 20 years and it’s hard to fire people in my country. What would you do?

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    If you don't like supporting her, gently decline to do so. If it isn't part of your assignment, it isn't part of your assignment. Or at least gently make sure your manager knows you've been providing that support and get their opinion on whether this is or isn't part of your assignment. If it is, claim it when listing yearly productivity. Don't point fingers, don't let it be about personalities, just make it about what the company most needs you to do.
    – keshlam
    Jun 6 at 19:09
  • For your own mental health, find another job. Can’t see ber changing or the boss doing anything so last link left is you. Move on.
    – Solar Mike
    Jun 7 at 5:33

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There's a simple word that will fix this:

"No"

You need to start declining to do her work for her. Just say 'No'. If the company suffers, unless you have shares or have invested in the company, it's not your concern - regardless of how much you like the Company.

If the Owner doesn't see any negative impacts, what motivation do they have to implement changes?

Now, if you want to be a team player, you could do this as a formal training session "I'm going to show you how to do this once, you will need to take notes so that you can do it on your own in future" - but once you've done this, you need to force the person to do it themselves, otherwise they won't.

If it's easier for Randomator to just do it, then it will always be Randomator that does it, whereas if Randomator doesn't do it, someone else will have to learn how to do it.

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Relax. Consider that you will be older one day. Be nice. When you say “I hate working with her”, that’s your problem, caused by you. You solve this problem by telling yourself that she is really nice and you enjoy working with her, every morning before you open the office door. After a while it will actually happen.

The other approach is obviously trying to get rid of her. But she has twenty years worth of workplace capital, so if someone leaves, it’s quite likely to be you.

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    My comment has nothing to do with the fact that she’s older. I mentioned it to partly explain why it’s so difficult for her to use a computer. She is actually lazy and sleezy and purposely does things wrong or volunteers me to do the work because she doesn’t want to do it.
    – Randomator
    Jun 6 at 18:48
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    @Randomator my dad was born in 1925 and used a computer just fine. This isn't an age thing.
    – Tiger Guy
    Jun 7 at 6:38

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