What Do I Do If a Co-Worker Keeps Wanting Me to "Cover" For Him?

Question

I work with someone who keeps asking me to help him get away with things he shouldn't get away with. We're on a friendly basis at work, but I don't always feel comfortable with the things he asks of me. It keeps escalating as well. How can I make it clear that I'm not willing to risk my own job to keep covering for him without having it awkward to work with him in the future?

Answer 1

If you don't want to do it, then just say no. If he doesn't like it that's his problem. If he tries to bully you in any way, go to Human Resources.

Answer 2

The key here is risk your own job to keep covering for him. I will ask you the question and you make the decision..... Would you rather it be awkward in the or not have a job. You decided. I will tell you this all good things come to an end. Your co-worker eventually get caught and I bet you when it do happen your co-worker won't hesitate to take you down also. Good Luck

Answer 3

Unfortunately, you have already set a presidence that your co-worker probably expects you to continue to follow.  You should have denied him the first time he asked and then you would not have had to deal with this situation later.  Since you have continued to assist him in his 'cover up' you have also put yourself in a position by which you could jepordize your own job.  As a former Human Resource Manager, I have had to deal with situations like this.  I would first tell the co-worker that you are sorry you have gone this far with him in his effort to defraud his job situation and that you will not be able to continue as you don't want to put your own job in jeopardy.  Let him know that you believe what he's doing is wrong, but that you are no longer going to cooperate in the unjust behavior, that you want to salvage your job and hopefully his friendship (if it's important to you).  After that, I'd make myself scarce.  Let me tell you what happened to one of my workers - when the young woman stopped helping the co-worker defraud the company of the time he was reporting that he worked and accumulating enormous over time hours and pay, when he was found out, the young man included the young woman in the fraud because she helped him several times to cover up.  He had proof and because of this, he was fired and we also had to fire the young lady for her part in it.  You must walk away or loose your job in the process.  Deceit, lying and fraud show a lack of character and integrity in a person.  It has nothing to do with the job - it just means you have a place to continue your fraud, lies and deception.  Your character is within you.  Please make the correction or you will find yourself in even deeper trouble as you move up the ladder toward the successes in your life.

Answer 4

Just tell him no and leave it at that. If he whines and says I thought we were friends, then just reply friends wouldn't want other friends to risk their jobs for them.

Answer 5

You've just said it. Tell him straight out, next time he asks, look, I'm not willing to risk my own jog to keep covering for you. I won't rat you out, and I hope we can still be friends, but I'm not into this.

If he keeps pressuring you, ask him what's in it for you and make sure he knows that you won't take responsibility for any of his actions.

Answer 6

Tell him that you have too much work on your plate already. If that's not true, act. Or just be honest. It will be awkward at first, but he should get over it.  

Answer 7

I would just say, "Your alone on this one man, where do you want to go to lunch todaY?

Answer 8

I understand where you're coming from. I can relate to that. This is what happen to me.

I was just working and suddenly I have to go to the bathroom to do 'big business' so I ask my colleague to cover for me for a while. And you know what he did? Nothing! He came up with some lame excuses. After that incident, I never look for him again. In my case, it's genuine but... to make the long story short, he simply refuse to make it his problem. We're still friends but on a 'not so trustworthy' kind of friendly basis.

But when I think about it now, it's either him or me. So pick your poison. Either you lose your job, or he lose his. You're doing 2 people's job but only taking 1 people's pay.

Answer 9

There is no "friends" in business, don't be surprised if the tables turn on you someday.

Answer 10

Tell him!  It's not a good thing to do.  It will only get you in trouble.

Answer 11

Simple say "Sure, I'll cover" and then don't do it.  He'll always wonder... :-)

Answer 12

Him: 'Hey, cover for me man.'

You: 'Nope, can't do it.'

It's just that simple.

Answer 13

Well look at it this way, you can tell him no and it might possibly be awkward for you guys to work together, or you don't tell him no and you lose your job and then you don't have to worry about working together.  

I would just plan out tell him I can't help you this time. Who cares if he gets his feelings hurts, I will bet that if you loose your job for him he wont care that you lost your job.  So why should you care that he might not be happy with you if you say no.

And honestly if he can keep taking advantage of you like that, do you really think he is a good friend of any kind?  No, he is the kind that will probably be the first one to stab you in the back if needed to keep himself out of trouble.  

Answer 14

Be assertive and stand your ground.  If he protests then reassert yourself.  There is no need to go into great details why you don't want to cover for him, that will only create space for him to protest and try to manipulate you more.  The more times you are asserive with him the less and less he will try to get you to cover for him.  In the end you will feel better about yourself an your job.