Saying "I start at 9.30"?

[cjt110]

I changed my work hours recently to accommodate my son now going to school. I start at 9.30, have half an hours lunch and finish at 5.30. I also have reduced my days from 5 to 4.

Since I changed my hours, I regularly get into the office at approx 9.15-9.20. Also regularly, I get my boss, and other departmental bosses, ringing/speaking to me as soon as I get in.

This morning, I walked in the door at 9.15, hadn't even put my bags down to my boss saying "I've emailed you X and we need to do Y" followed by a conversation about X and Y. I politely said "Ok, fine. Just let me get in the door first"

No sooner had my boss walked away, another boss came up saying "I know you don't til 9.30 but could you check....."

This is becoming a regular nonoccurence. The odd conversation here or there fine but this is happening almost daily now.

How do I address this? I don't want to be rude but I also want to say "Hang on, it's not 9.30 yet - go away!"

Wow. Do you also use the phrase ‘I’m at capacity?’

If not, perhaps you should, or something like it. Rather than taking on more work than you can actually reasonably do.

I am guilty of this. My boss is part time and only works 930-5. I have been there since 830 and always pounce on her as soon as she gets in with questions. Must remember not to.

I've often wondered at the salaried professionals who boast about the long hours they do.. if they looked at their hourly rate of pay when they take those hours into consideration would they be a bit shocked ?.There's a status thing going on at times i feel ..as an ex senior nurse I often worked unpaid over my hours for no thanks or loyalty from management...downgraded and had less stress and proportionally more money .

I'm salaried and I'm not boasting about anything (and actually don't think I have see anyone boasting?)

I just believe that give and take applies on both sides, and I prefer that way of working. Some people may be equally happy with strictly fixed clocking on and off - but they can't then expect to get the flexibility as well.

C'est la vie.

P.S. has "come in at 9.29" become this thread's version of "cancel the cheque"?

I mean, it's only 250-odd comments long, I expect nobody has suggested it yet....

Bosses are so much more flexible with you when you are with them

People keep saying this but it's just not true for everyone. I've had flexible bosses and yes it's great when that's the case. My current employer docked me 2 hours pay when my child was sick despite the fact I did roughly 30 minutes unpaid overtime every single day for 18 months. Shot theirselves in the foot really as now I work to clock and we can't take on as much work as a result which means less profit. That's just bad management though. But there's employers out there who will take take take with no give particularly in sectors like nursing where we're supposed to work for free because you know we're compassionate .

I’d like to start off by saying that I don’t think you sound like you have a bad attitude at all, you’re willing to start work before you’re paid and are working during your lunch break, not turning up for work late!
I’m sure that places of work have to accommodate parents/carers unless they have a valid reason not to so they’re not ‘doing you a favour’ as such, more doing what they’re legally obliged to do.
I do think you need to be a little more assertive in letting them know you need to get sorted first but how to proceed will vary. You don’t say much about your workplace, your work hours in relation to your colleagues’ /the business or type of work though, or the agreement which was made in respect of your new hours and how it was arrived at, all of which will have a bearing on how you manage the situation.
For instance, did they accommodate you willingly & generously or begrudgingly? Is everyone else doing the same hours e.g. 830 - 6 or are there many different hours of work? Are you leaving earlier than your colleagues too, or staying later? Is it a job where you rountinely are expected to work above and beyond or is it more of you finish dead on time? Will you want to be able to have flexibility for Sports Day and such or is that a no-go? Is there give and take or is it a job where once you do them a favour, it then becomes expected of you?
I think by being willing to start earlier than your paid hours (but once you’ve sorted yourself out!) and through your lunch break would be enough to cover those times when you get stuck in traffic or want to leave a little earlier (if you can) so I wouldn’t necessarily advocate staying in your car until 9:27 but on the other hand, if you’re there early, you should be able to eat your sandwich/breakfast in the kitchen, if you so desire!

I used to manage a lot of staff who were all meant to start work at a specific time. I explided one day finding them yet again in groups chatting away about anything but work whilst I was left to do a couple if roles they should have been doing. This had gone on for 18 mins. Meanwhile my own job was waiting to be done. Asked them all to write a memo to be giving their understanding of what "starting" time was to them. All came back saying they didn't really understand the question but they thought it was the official beginning of work hours. At next team meeting explained I would not be in a position to allow anyone to leave before they had made up the tome they did not work from the official start time as they would not be completing the full weekly obligation. I on the other hand would be collecting additional time/wages having to stay to supervise them. Next day all at desks and working. The thought of a) not ever being allowed the occasional late start or early finish and b) me making money or time off through their behaviour didn't half wake them up. Be on time and ready to work when you should and if you ever need to be given some grace for starting/finishing don't be so uptight about folk approaching you earlier.

@manicmij are you saying that OP shouldn't be ready for work BEFORE her "starting time" as she currently is? Plus she's also doing more UNPAID work in her lunch break

Why is OP working in her break? Is there no opportunity to leave her work station ? If not why do others not see she is having a break? They need to be educated. I suggested being available before the 9.30 start if OP ever needs to start a few minutes later for finish earlier assuming there was no clocking in system. Give and take but within reason, usually.

And she is. As she says she is. But she's not available when turning her computer on.

Jesus. ...never work in a school!
My official start time is 8.45.
I am in work between 8.15 and 8.30 every day. As soon as I walk in the door is am on duty.
Unpaid breaks are often worked through as are chunks of unpaid lunch.
Often stay at least an hour later than finishing time to get stuff done.
It's about being part of a team.

I'm sorry I find it weird you walk into an office and then are surprised people talk to you...that you expect them to look at their watch and not start talking to you until 9.30am. If you are not happy with it...come in at 9.30am.

I totally get this. I absolutely hate it when people bombard me with questions the minute I step through the door. I think it is just rude to do that, regardless of boss/employee/colleague/client status. If I have something urgent to ask someone, I would wait until I could see they were settled at their desk and had started working (regardless of what their start time is). Let them take their coat off, sort their lunch, make a cup of tea. Its just basic manners.

When this happens to me, I just say - sure give me a second to sort myself out and I will come over. I don't drop everything and deal with it immediately. You need to set your boundaries. If you respond immediately, you are telling this person that their behaviour is acceptable and it will continue.

Where I work you can tell the moment someone is online globally. Some people will literally instant message or call you the second you come online. I don't respond immediately if they do this on principle.

In my experience of over twenty years in various corporate environments - once people know what your boundaries are the majority accept them.

How are some people still missing the point here?

Not you Sean sorry

Wow - not everyone can be expected to know your work hours and if your in work then your there to work . I'd say pick
Your battles as stressing over 15 mins max is
Really not worth it. What if you need to leave 15
Mins early one day. Swings
And roundabouts .

Worse than “I’m at capacity” is “I don’t have the bandwidth right now”

[stab]

I get it’s stressy and irritating being pounced on but also get that’s the nature of starting after everyone else

I’d be on my phone on days I couldn’t bear it so people couldn’t come at me

Make sure you’ve eaten and had a drink before you arrive, plan on being harangued early doors and then it’s not as frustrating

Jeez, no wonder we have the highest stress levels and unhappiest workers in Europe.

There isn't actually anything wrong with working your hours. If your job regularly needs more time than that they need more people or to extend your working hours.

Bluewidow I would expect all my team and those I worked closely with to know my hours, I would consider them pretty incompetent if they didn’t. I have more than once worked different hours from my colleagues and it has never been a problem. Possibly because none of my colleagues were MNers!

I do hope all those in effect blaming the OP for having different hours are happy to be collared regularly once they’ve got their coats on, switched off their computers and are about to leave the building by those with a later start.

What if you need to leave 15 Mins early one day

Then I would start 15 minutes early that day, not work 15 minutes overtime every day for years on end on the off chance I might need to leave early one day.

I am sorry but unless we are talking about real emergencies, life or death stuff - nothing is so urgent that it cannot wait until a person takes off their coat, sits down and and switches on their computer. Really you are not that important. What you are doing is not that important.

If you have a tendency to pounce upon people as soon as they walk in, regardless of what their start time is - the problem lies with you. It really does.

Can you take a drink in with you from home / bought on the way so you don't need to make one as soon as you arrive. And maybe take your coat off in car park or just before walking in the door. You shouldn't have to but it might help you feel less put upon, so you're hitting the ground running and don't feel hounded as soon as you walk in. Much as I want a tea as soon as I get in after long commute, I put it off for a bit so can get up and running first.

Can you take a drink in with you from home / bought on the way so you don't need to make one as soon as you arrive. And maybe take your coat off in car park or just before walking in the door. You shouldn't have to but it might help you feel less put upon, so you're hitting the ground running and don't feel hounded as soon as you walk in. Much as I want a tea as soon as I get in after long commute, I put it off for a bit so can get up and running first.

I really don't think she should feel the need to do this. There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting five or ten minutes when you first arrive to sort yourself out - without other people bombarding you with questions. It is common courtesy and manners. I do despair with this 'now now now, me me me' attitude so many people have these days. Don't humour them - I certainly don't.

I am sorry but unless we are talking about real emergencies, life or death stuff - nothing is so urgent that it cannot wait until a person takes off their coat, sits down and and switches on their computer. Really you are not that important. What you are doing is not that important.

Yes!!!!

I get the same thing in the morning. Very annoying

I have to walk through the main shared office to go upstairs to my office. The minute I come through the door I get pounced on.

Can you just check X, can you send invoice number 1048636183050, has so and so paid, have we paid X company, etc, etc

I obviously can’t answer questions fired at me when I haven’t even made it to my desk at that point. By the time I’ve got upstairs and taken my coat off I’ve forgotten everything.

I tell them I have no idea and to email me and I’ll sort it out when I get upstairs.

I come in 15 minutes before my official start time so I can get a coffee, have a quick squizz through emails and go through anything desperate with my boss before the day starts