"I am an associate working in a small team in a mid-sized firm. For the last three months I have been putting in long hours because the trainee in the department is loathe to learn how to do the work to the required standard.

"I believe this is because his uncle is an equity partner. I know that he didn't have to interview and he signed the training contract a month before starting (our other trainees are recruited two years in advance). I have been told that other people in earlier seats have tactfully tried to assist him to become more productive but he simply acts as if he's interested and then mocks them behind their back. There never seems to be any improvement; he's a second-year trainee at the level of three-month trainee.

"I recently tried to talk to him about improving his work and he seemed to take it on board. However this week my colleagues have told me that he's been mocking me to others. I feel the situation can't continue; the amount of time I'm putting into covering his workload is affecting my own work. If he wanted to improve, I wouldn't be quite so frustrated, but his attitude is that "my uncle will get me a job – why should I listen to you". Should I just wash my hands of him/grit my teeth for the remainder of the seat?"

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