When you work with a group of people, you will often have at least one coworker who you don’t really get along with.

What would you do if that person was lazy, and you had to pick up the slack, which meant you lost out on money because you got less tips?

That is what was happening to the waitress in this story, so when she got invited to participate in a Secret Santa type event, she declined.

Was she being petty, or was her decision justified? Read on to decide.

AITA for not participating in my company’s Christmas in July?

I (23F) have been working at a small restaurant with about 35 staff members total for about 2 years now.

I get along great with everyone who works there, except for 1 girl, Mara (19F) who started about 3 months ago.

I do not like this girl.

I have tried really hard to like this girl.

Here’s why she doesn’t like Mara.

Mara refuses to do the bare minimum parts of her job (ignores tables, won’t do side work, won’t run food, etc), will cry and break down into hysterical sobbing when asked to do her job, or literally have a foot stomping, item slamming tantrums when the sobbing doesn’t work.

She will lie and say that she did do her job, and belligerently sob when you catch her in a lie as she isn’t a very good liar and they’re very easy lies to catch if you just go back and check her work.

All of the trouble she causes ends up COSTING me money because if I work a shift with her, I’m the one waiting her tables, running refills, etc or else the managers will get cross with me for “not putting the customer first.”

I’ve done a spreadsheet and I make less tips on nights I work with her because my tables get slightly more neglected when I’m helping her, while she gets to pocket the full tip from what are technically her tables that I waited on.

This sounds like a fun idea.

My coworkers thought it would be fun to have a “Christmas in July” potluck like we do for the actual day of Christmas in December and Thanksgiving in November.

For both of these things, I made a homemade baked Mac and cheese to bring to the potluck both times.

I adore cooking, and I adore sharing my food with friends, who I consider many of my coworkers to be.

Nothing wrong with not participating.

I wrote down that I’d be bringing food to the potluck, but when they asked me if I’d be participating in “luau Santa” (it’s just secret Santa in July 🙄) I said no, that I don’t really have the money with it being July and all.

We’re not a tourist town and we really slow down during the summer, and I still have 2 pets and my little brother to feed while he’s out for the summer.

I made excuse after excuse to not sign up for this part.

Here’s the real reason she doesn’t want to participate.

My managers kept asking and asking and asking if that was the real reason, until I finally told them that it’s not just that I don’t have the money, it’s that I don’t want to risk getting paired with Mara and having to buy her something, so I won’t sign up at all.

I just can’t justify spending money on her in my head when I know that she already costs me money every time I work with her.

My managers think I’m the AH for refusing to play, because we need an even amount of people, I told them to stop bothering me about it or I wouldn’t bring anything at all to the potluck.

AITA?

She is really much more patient and willing to accept the situation than she should be. I would refuse to work with this girl and if they didn’t give me a choice, it would be time to find a new job.

Read on to see what the people in the comments on Reddit have to say about it.

The managers are the real problem.

Yeah, get to the root cause of the problem.

This is exactly right.

Never feel pressured to spend money on co-workers.

This commenter is right.

It is time for her to find a new job.

If you thought that was an interesting story, check out what happened when a family gave their in-laws a free place to stay in exchange for babysitting, but things changed when they don’t hold up their end of the bargain.