Am just pissed off with old fashioned people in the office and want to have a moan

[EmmaPr]

I have just started a full time new job in my company's head office after a long career in sales on the road that had very flexible work hours. My company have a forward-thinking attitude to flexible working and have a clear policy. ie. core working hours in the office are 10 - 3 and so long as you work 8 hours a day you can come in at 8 and leave at 4 if you want. They also promote working from home when appropriate. This suits me well as I have 2 little ones in nursery and want to be able to pick them up at 5.30pm (my DH takes them to nursery in the morning and looks after them on a Wednesday. My parents look after the kids on a Friday).
Unfortunately my new colleagues aren't so forward thinking and seem to frown on people who leave at 4pm (even tho they didn't see me arrive at 7.30am). Also, they recently sarcastically commented that my predecessor only worked a 3 day week even tho he actually worked a 5 day week but 2 of those days were at home. When I asked my new manager (who is an insomniac workaholic) about flexible working she said that there's a job to be done and that she'll know if I'm taking the piss. I know this is just office politics and I just wanted to moan but I am also at odds as to what to do. I will have to be assertive about how I want to work, and I know I have to prove myself and prove that I will work when I am at home but it's just so frustrating that people have such old fashioned ideas about flexible working and are so judgemental.
Also there is life after work. PS most of my colleagues are men............Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh.

[rookiemater]

Hello there,

I do empathise, it is hard working in an environment like that and I will also bet that those putting in all those extra hours aren't actually any more productive than yourself.

Your colleagues remarks you probably just need to ignore, if you were like me you could make a point of saving up all your emails and firing them off at 7.30am which gets the point across that you were in at that time much more effectively than consistently telling them, but ultimately if they want to huff and puff about the time you leave then provided you have done your hours and comleted your work thats up to them.

Regarding your boss, you have come from a self managed environment out on the road to a more formal working environment. It is probably worth having another chat with her once she has seen a bit more of your work to clarify her thoughts around home working and changing hours.

[BecauseImWorthIt]

You just have to prove that you're doing the job. As rookiemater says, make sure anything that you're circulating has a time on it.

If you're in early, leave them all messages on their desks so that when they come in they know you've already been there.

And then all you can do is prove, over time, that you're more than capable of doing the job.

[amidaiwish]

just rise above it making the odd pointed remark about how time spent in the office isn't always that productive!
At the end of the day you will be judged on the job you do not the hours you sit in the office drinking coffee for. It will be clear if you're not pulling your weight. Ignore ignore ignore.

This brings me back to a job i once had where i used to leave bang on 5.30 everyday (1.5 hour drive home argh) and used to get comments like "thanks for popping in, we open again at 9 tomorrow". drove me mad. yet i soon became confident enough and secure enough in my deliverables to say "still not finished your work? stop yapping and you might get home tonight".

worked a treat.

[K999]

You get in at 7.30am?? When they come in after that....shake your head and remark about them working part-time and are obviously not that committed!

or tell them to go fuck themselves!

[edam]

Oh, DO save your emails up and send them at 7.30 am. And every time someone makes a crack, follow it up with a 7.30 email.

[EmmaPr]

LOL. That's exactly the advice I was needing - thanks girls. I will have a chat with my new boss. I do have to prove myself and prove that I can work effectively at home and in the hours that I work. As for my colleagues comments, I will rise above them and send my emails at 7.30am (after a strong cup of coffee, nothing comes before that).

I also have a 1.5hour drive to and from work which is another reason why I want to work from home 2x a week - it will save so much wasted time!

[GrendelsMum]

Oh yes, every morning when they arrive make a comment like "well, nice to see you're joining us today", and every evening when you leave say "well, start on time, finish on time, that's my motto". And every time you get something good done, say "the early bird catches the worm, that's why i'm always in at 7.30am"

You could be quite insufferable.

[Sheeta]

I was going to suggest sending lots of emails when you get in, but loads of people beat me to it.

Also the thing about calling them part timers when they roll in at 9:30 - 'i've been here for 2 hours already, what have you been doing?'

They're just jealous. Point out to them that if they want to leave at 4pm then they can come in at sparrow fart like you do.

[LaurieFairyCake]

I once worked with an arsehole like that - he used to say 'working part-time are you?' when I left at 4.

One day I got so fed up I loudly said in front of the whole office "I was here at 7 when you were having your morning wank mate".

He never said it again

[ShauntheSheep]

I find a greeting of 'Good afternoon' when they get in a 9 helps and def do teh emails at 7.30 thing.