AITA for reporting a pregnant coworker to management after discovering we’re all covering for her?

Picture a small team, juggling shifts and tasks like a well-oiled machine, until one member starts coasting. For a 5-month-pregnant woman, already battling physical strain, covering for a 4-month-pregnant coworker who’s late, skips tasks, and fudges timesheets is pushing her to the edge. While the coworker boasts of an easy pregnancy, the team—including the OP—picks up her slack without compensation. When attempts to address it fail, the OP considers reporting her to management, but worries it’s petty.

This Reddit tale dives into a tangle of workplace fairness, pregnancy challenges, and team loyalty. Is the OP wrong for wanting to blow the whistle, or is her coworker’s behavior a step too far? Let’s unpack this workplace drama and find out.

‘AITA for reporting a pregnant coworker to management after discovering we’re all covering for her?’

Pregnancy isn’t a free pass to dodge work, especially when it burdens a team already stretching to help. The OP’s coworker, despite claiming an easy pregnancy, consistently arrives late, falsifies timesheets, and offloads tasks, leaving others—particularly the physically struggling OP—to cover without pay. Her refusal of accommodations, while the OP manages similar tasks, suggests she’s exploiting the team’s empathy. The manager’s unawareness, due to the team’s silent covering, perpetuates the issue.

This scenario highlights workplace equity challenges. A 2023 study by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 40% of employees feel resentful when coworkers exploit accommodations, like pregnancy-related leniency. The coworker’s actions, especially falsifying timesheets, border on unethical, impacting team morale and finances.

HR expert Alison Green advises, “Address workplace imbalances directly with management, focusing on specific behaviors, not personal circumstances”. The OP’s attempts to confront her coworker failed, making escalation reasonable. Her pregnancy shouldn’t be mentioned to avoid legal complications, as pregnancy is a protected class in many regions.

Advice: The OP should document specific instances of lateness and task-dodging, then present them to management neutrally, emphasizing unpaid coverage and team strain. A group discussion with coworkers could align the team’s stance. Resources like SHRM’s workplace fairness guides can help navigate this.

Here’s the comments of Reddit users:

Reddit brought the heat, rallying behind the OP with sharp takes on her coworker’s behavior. From calling out entitlement to urging immediate reporting, the comments are a lively mix. Here’s what the community had to say.

These Reddit reactions are as bold as a whistleblower’s report, but do they miss any workplace nuances? Is the coworker genuinely struggling, or just gaming the system?

The OP’s frustration isn’t pettiness—it’s a stand for fairness in a team stretched thin. Her coworker’s slacking, from falsified timesheets to skipped tasks, exploits the team’s goodwill, especially unfair to a pregnant colleague managing her own load. This story reminds us that empathy shouldn’t mean enabling. What would you do if a coworker dodged their duties? Share your thoughts—have you ever had to report someone at work?