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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think I shouldn’t have to attend 100% of meetings if I’m part time?

129 replies

parrrtime · 21/01/2025 20:09

I work three days a week, but our staff meetings fall on a day I work.

AIBU in thinking that I shouldn’t actually have to attend all of these? Not to be purposefully obtuse about it but sometimes I could really do with leaving a bit earlier and tomorrow is one of these. I am wondering if it’s worth arguing that I really shouldn’t have to stay.

There is never anything important covered in the meetings, by the way.

OP posts:
Wonderi · 21/01/2025 21:03

I think skipping the odd one is fine but I wouldn’t make a habit out of it.

I would also say I need to leave at X time (the time the meeting is meant to finish), so you’re not needing to stay for even longer.

Do you not want to attend the meetings though?

My meetings used to be on a day that I didn’t work and I hated it.
I changed my days just to be in on that day because I felt I missed important updates.

JimHalpertsWife · 21/01/2025 20:27

Is the rule "attend meetings when they fall on your working day"? So if someone doesn't work a Wednesday, they don't have to come in?

Are the meetings after your working day would typically finish?

WarmthAndDepth · 21/01/2025 20:25

Are you a teacher? Staff meetings take place outside your directed time but you are directed to attend a minimum of meetings pro rata as per your contract. My SBM pointed this out to me after attending 100% of staff meetings for over a decade while on a .8 contract. He said this had been noted by SLT and I was offered to look at the foci of the next two terms' meetings to see if there were any (the equivalent of 1 in 5) that I wanted to be excused from. Nice touch.

I still like to attend as it keeps me in the loop. Ditto Inset days which always fall on my non-working day.

weareallqueens · 21/01/2025 20:23

I work .8 and only attend 80% of meetings. Management are quite satisfied with this. I try to only miss the meetings that seem to be less important, but sometimes I have to prioritise childcare.

GOODCAT · 21/01/2025 20:19

Definitely not OK where I work. If our part timers only heard 60% of the information and m 60% of the discussion, we wouldn't function and they would be alleging discrimination for being left out.

Original poster
parrrtime · 21/01/2025 20:18

StJamesInfirmary · 21/01/2025 20:17

If you are a teacher this is set out in the burgundy book. Directed time is pro rata for part time staff

neu.org.uk/advice/your-rights-work/workload-and-working-hours/directed-time

Thank you.

OP posts:
Original poster
parrrtime · 21/01/2025 20:18

Wolfpa · 21/01/2025 20:16

They possibly do them on a day you are in so you don’t miss out. You are being paid to work so wanting to miss a meeting to leave early is not acceptable

I would love to believe I am as important as that but I’m not.

It is true I am being paid to work but even with my terrible maths skills I can see that doing the same amount of meetings as a full time member of staff when I’m not doesn’t quite add up.

OP posts:
Lighttodark · 21/01/2025 20:17

NoSoupForU · 21/01/2025 20:12

I don't understand the correlation between working part time and attending staff meetings that take place on your work days.

Meeting takes away from total time to get other work done eg a 2 hour meeting infringes on a greater proportion of available work time for a part timer vs full timer

but leaving early isn’t a suitable excuse. If a meeting is skipped, the time is used to manage workload.

StJamesInfirmary · 21/01/2025 20:17

If you are a teacher this is set out in the burgundy book. Directed time is pro rata for part time staff

neu.org.uk/advice/your-rights-work/workload-and-working-hours/directed-time

EmeraldRoulette · 21/01/2025 20:17

Being part time is almost red herring.

You want to leave early for some reason and you want to know if it's reasonable to miss a staff meeting. That's the real question, isn't it?

Wolfpa · 21/01/2025 20:16

They possibly do them on a day you are in so you don’t miss out. You are being paid to work so wanting to miss a meeting to leave early is not acceptable

Original poster
parrrtime · 21/01/2025 20:16

I am a teacher yes. So for example, two of my colleagues also work 0.6 but don’t work Wednesdays, so over the course of the year I am in work a lot more than they are! I don’t actually mind particularly but it does mean I would like to defend my right to skip the odd one.

OP posts:
purplecorkheart · 21/01/2025 20:15

The meetings take place on your working days, do they take place within your working hours?

MrsTerryPratchett · 21/01/2025 20:15

Part-time and leaving early? OK.

DarkForces · 21/01/2025 20:14

We arrange meetings around part time staff. I wouldn't be impressed if they then decided they were too important to attend in order to leave the office early. So unprofessional and would get short shrift from me

fingertraps · 21/01/2025 20:14

This depends so much on your field and profession.

scrabblie · 21/01/2025 20:14

Just to be clear, are you saying you want to not attend a team meeting, for a team you work in, on one of the only days you work, in order to leave earlier?

WonderingWanda · 21/01/2025 20:13

Are you paid prorata for them? In teaching when you are part time e.g 0.6 of ft then you would generally do 0.6 of all the other directed time such as meetings because you aren't paid for them. Other jobs like office jobs might include attending meetings in your pay or job description. Do they happen in your working hours?

MsMarch · 21/01/2025 20:13

haha. No, staff meetings are not attended on a pro rota basis! In fact, often it's one of the realities of part tme working - often meetings like this are important so you don't miss out on things happening on days when you're not there.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 21/01/2025 20:12

I think industry is important here and whether they're within your core working hours and if they're mentioned in your contract and if they've been arranged on this day specifically so you can attend

SoScarletItWas · 21/01/2025 20:12

NoSoupForU · 21/01/2025 20:12

I don't understand the correlation between working part time and attending staff meetings that take place on your work days.

Especially when you throw in wanting to slope off early…

student26 · 21/01/2025 20:12

Depends what job you do. I work three days as a teacher. We have 15 staff meetings Over the year and I only have to attend something like 8 of them. They are on the days I work. I don’t go to all of them if I don’t need to.

Justbrowsing2024 · 21/01/2025 20:12

I expect those who work part time in my team to attend meetings and they get the time back. I set the expectation at interview stage and give as much notice as possible

NoSoupForU · 21/01/2025 20:12

I don't understand the correlation between working part time and attending staff meetings that take place on your work days.

SoScarletItWas · 21/01/2025 20:11

They take place in working hours on the day you work. Why on earth wouldn’t you think you have to attend? The team manager has probably made sure they happen on everyone’s working day so that nobody feels excluded.