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Original poster

Saying "I start at 9.30"?

276 replies

cjt110 · 17/09/2018 10:55

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!"

OP posts:
pinkcarpet · 17/09/2018 11:14

I manage a team with various flexi time arrangements but the general principle we all adopt is "if you're in the office you're available" so i think you either need to suck it up, or choose to arrive at 9.27. My hours are 9 to 5.30 but if I'm in early at 8.30 i still get asked to do stuff by my boss then

Original poster
cjt110 · 17/09/2018 11:14

I also admit, I wand h-angry this morning. I wanted my sanwhich I had brought with me, in the kitchen at 9.15 and that didnt happen til 10.30 Blush

OP posts:
Amaried · 17/09/2018 11:15

Honestly I think if I had a member of my team bring this up after we had accommodated them with a change of hours. Then I would think very poorly of them.

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mistermagpie · 17/09/2018 11:15

I work 9-5:30 on a three day week. Everyone else in my team works flexi-time so can arrive and leave when they like (within reason). Because of this they struggle to understand and accept my different working pattern but I've just had to dig my heels in and keep explaining. If I get in before 9 (which I do often when the nursery drop and traffic are in my favour) then I'm happy to start as soon as I arrive, but I will not and cannot stay later than 5:30. If I was bothered about starting early I just wouldn't arrive until 9. If I was you I would do that.

mistermagpie · 17/09/2018 11:17

A PP makes a good point, if my nursery drop off and traffic was a disaster one day and I was 15 minutes late, then all the times I started 15 minutes early would stand me in good stead.

Original poster
cjt110 · 17/09/2018 11:17

This isn't about starting early - it's not even letting me get in the door before the barrage starts.... If I'm at my desk and ready at 9.20 I'm happy to start.

It's walking in the door and being bombarded with stuff that could wait 2 more minutes til my backside has even graced my seat

OP posts:
EggsRoyale · 17/09/2018 11:18

I think it's just to be expected when everyone else's hours are different tbh and I wouldn't get hung up on it. I have similar but at the end of the day as I collect from after school and need to leave at 4.55 latest but get in before 8 when most others start at 9. I'm usually packing my bag and putting my coat on while people are still talking to me. I just say sorry, I've got to dash right now but will be in at 7.45 in the morning to pick this up with you? Grin

HappenstanceMarmite · 17/09/2018 11:18

Sounds clock-watchy to me. Give and take, especially if you potentially might need flexibility from your employer re childcare issues in the future.

Doyoumind · 17/09/2018 11:18

To be fair, you've probably spent a good 10 minutes on MN since you arrived.

TomHardysNextWife · 17/09/2018 11:19

I work with my DH, and he does this as soon as I walk in the door to which he gets a "let me get my f*cking coat off first and my arse in the chair for the love of god". That works for me Grin.

Original poster
cjt110 · 17/09/2018 11:20

I'll go with the 9.27 approach, or "Can you just give me a minute"

Never had this situation before as always started with others so have the gentle ease in chit chat, cuppa etc. Feels so strange walking into an already working environment.

Thanks all

OP posts:
Original poster
cjt110 · 17/09/2018 11:21

"let me get my fcking coat off first and my arse in the chair for the love of god".* This went through my head.... thankfully it was filtered by the time it got to my gob! Grin

OP posts:
HermioneGoesBackHome · 17/09/2018 11:23

Except that you might have to acceptbthat you arriving after everyone else has already settled down.
For them, it’s not settling time still, have a cuppa etc... but the day in full swing.

I would advise you to just accept that starting later than everyone else means you need to be on the ball right away.

Or of course, you could also play it by the clock.... not surevthat wouod look very good either nor what it would actually give you. Because surely if you tend to arrive at 9.15 rather 9.30 it’s because that’s the time it takes you to arrive at work after dropping your dc at school?
What are you going to do for those 10mins? Wait in the car to have just as many peole ‘jumping At you’ as soon as you arrive?

Nacreous · 17/09/2018 11:24

So I think what I would do would be say something along the lines of “ahh yes, let me just write that down and then I can look into it as soon as I’ve got myself sorted out and logged on”. That way you have the breathing space of not having to remember what they’ve asked (because it’s written down), they don’t have to worry you’ll forget, and you don’t have to deal with it straight away. Or “ah yes I was looking at c and y the other day - do mine if I pop and find you to talk to about them once I’ve got myself sorted?”

I think it’s avout giving them Something so they know it’s on your list, while doing so in a way that doesn’t stress you out. In my work I’d probably say something like “crikey you’ll have to give me 10 mins to have a cup of tea and quickly reread my notes about x because I seriously need more caffeine before I’m at capacity to deal with that!” But that’s my work place and obviously you’d have to judge yours so you didn’t step on people’s toes.

EthelThePiratesDaughter · 17/09/2018 11:24

Arrive at 9.27, leave the building for your lunch break (unless it is raining), and leave on time each day. Problem solved.

HermioneGoesBackHome · 17/09/2018 11:25

Tbh, you could just say ‘yes, I will do that x and y’ and then go and grab your tea, start your computer Etc....

Because anyway, you won’t be able to do a lot until your computer is on

mrs2468 · 17/09/2018 11:26

Hopefully you'll never have to ask to leave early or take a longer lunch without making up the time. Unless your boss is unreasonable then as they can ask you stuff before your shift then if you need something from them survey it would work both ways. Plus to be honest they may have meetings at 9.30 or will forget if they don't say it straight away. Bring it up at your next 1:1 if it's that annoying. If your going to walk in at 9.27 then hopefully you won't spend time making a hot drink and actually start working at 9.30.

DarlingNikita · 17/09/2018 11:27

This drove me mad in my last job. I used to just smile tightly and say 'I've just got in like it's not obvious with my coat and scarf on –give me five minutes and I'll email you.'

I worked in a small office within a big building. I'd often be approaching the main door at the same time as another colleague and they'd accost me and ask me questions as we walked up the stairs together. I started shearing off if I spotted a colleague approaching at the same time as me and pretending I was going to the cafe or something.

Also, it was a jobshare and I worked the end of the week. People would leap on me on my first day in the office with things like 'Have you seen the email I sent you yesterday?' Um, no, because my jobshare partner and I are not actually the same person!

I work for myself now. Grin

Bobbybobbins · 17/09/2018 11:29

I am in the same situation on Tuesdays - scheduled to work 10.30 - 1.45 to allow me to do school run (school is a long way from where we live and work as DS is in special provision). So far I have got in at 9.45 and left at 2 as the traffic has been good but invariably end up dealing with extra stuff as soon as I get in. My work have been good about allowing me time off for doc appointments for my DS though so
I feel that it's a fair exchange at the moment. Grin

BlueberryPud · 17/09/2018 11:30

Shit happens. If you give a bit, you'll get a bit back

I completely agree with this. I get into work at 12.30pm for a 1pm start (because that's the time my train gets me there) I start work as soon as I've made tea and taken my coat off because, well what else am I going to do? Sit down and make a point of not doing any work?
I'm really not bothered that I've worked 20 mins longer than scheduled. It pays dividends because on the few occasions I've had to nip out, or give advance warning that I may arrive late or need to leave early it's never an issue. As pp said, it's give and take.

MadameGazelleIsMyHomegirl · 17/09/2018 11:32

I start at 9.30. Sometimes I’m in the car park 20 mins early- I sit in the car listening to the radio and faff about on my phone. Then I go in at 9.28. It’s bliss having that time to myself😁

RedSkyLastNight · 17/09/2018 11:33

If you say "Just let me get my coat off and sit down" enough times ... people will get the message. In some ways you're causing your own problem by being too helpful!

I don't think this is really an arriving at 9.30 issue - if you started work at 9, people could just as easily start talking to you immediately you work through the door.

Itsatravesty · 17/09/2018 11:36

I just feel like I'm "pounced" upon as soon as I walk in the door.

I start at 9.30am and get this too. Literally one foot in the door, coat and bag on and I'm pounced on. I just want to get my coat off and go the loo FFS. I just sit in my car faffing on the internet until the last minute now. Nothing against my colleagues who are all lovely but I work for a company that will dock you 2 hours pay for going home sick despite most staff regularly staying on late/doing unpaid overtime so yeah damn right I clock watch, 15 minutes extra work every day adds upto a lot of unpaid hours.

Miladymilord · 17/09/2018 11:38

I think it's unreasonable to expect them to leave you alone until 9.30. Don't come in, make a cuppa and eat your sandwich before you'll talk to anyone, it looks crap. Do all that before you come into the office. Or bring coffee in a thermos cup.

Blueroses99 · 17/09/2018 11:39

BlueberryPud I start work as soon as I've made tea and taken my coat off

That’s fine but the OP is expecting to be working before she has taken her coat off!

OP I can see that it flustered you having questions fired at you the second you walk in so I would repeats phrases such as “let me get settled first and then I’ll...”. I don’t think coming in a few minutes later makes any odds, but I think you should gently push back, not because it isn’t 9.30 yet but because you haven’t even got your coat off!