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Original poster

Boss won't let me go home

30 replies

Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 20:55

Evening :)

I started working for a small company about 3 weeks ago. I work in an office with other people, I'm a line manager and there's another line manager (Bev) then there's the Boss. Our office is in a building with one other business, it's our responsibility to lock up our office at the end of the day and then the building itself as we leave last.
I was offered this job by the Boss on the understanding that I would be reliant on Bev for transport as the office is an hour away from where I live. Bev offered to give me lifts as I know her anyway from a long way back, I very gratefully accepted.

The problem I have is that I earn NMW an hour and I am paid until 5:00pm every day, so is Bev. We both finish our work before 5pm which leaves us time to go around the building making sure everything is secure. My Boss doesn't know which keys are for which doors and windows and feels that it's our job so he doesn't need to know, that's fine, but he doesn't like leaving the office until quarter to six. I asked Bev why this is and she said that the Boss prefers being in the office to being at home. I have to be home by 6 because the childcare I pay for closes at 10 past and they incur a charge of £15.00 for every ten minutes we're late and they'd be furious if I turned up when they should be closed. I tried telling my Boss that I am on a tight schedule and I would really appreciate it if we could leave on time but he said he doesn't want to hear about it
every day. Public transport would take 3 hours (don't ask) and the Boss knew I was reliant on Bev when I started. I spoke to my partner who tells me to put up with it for the sake of keeping the job. What do I do?

OP posts:
theworldistoosmall · 11/06/2019 20:58

Any chance of putting in for overtime?
Ask Bev if she would be willing to leave at 5 with you and the boss will have to suck it up and lock the front door behind him.

StealthPolarBear · 11/06/2019 21:01

Can your partner pick up - not a solution but relieve pressure until you sort it out?

saraclara · 11/06/2019 21:01

Surely you can lock everything but the door he has to leave by, and show him which key he needs to lock it?

StealthPolarBear · 11/06/2019 21:02

But yes at five lock all the other doors and remind boss to lock up after himself. That's what grown ups do!

Original poster
Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 21:06

Thank you for the responses, I'm very grateful as this situation has me quite stressed.
My Boss has made it clear that locking up is not now and never will be part of his role as he is senior and that the job is ours. Bev would gladly leave at 5pm as like I said she finishes her work on time but she has been working there for years and the Boss won't leave any earlier than he wants to despite several previous staff members asking about it. My partner can't pick me up because he works in a total opposite direction to me and I already need him to race to the childcarers as it is. I have no legal rights before 2 years in my job do I?

OP posts:
theworldistoosmall · 11/06/2019 21:09

Ask him what he would do if both of you were off sick. Both of you really need to tackle this.
And in the meantime look for another job closer to home, because realistically what would you do if Bev was off sick?

Original poster
Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 21:09

I have asked about claiming for the extra time spent in the office but I got the response 'Oh don't be so formal, we're all really laid back here'. I have to give 8 weeks notice as its in my contract so i'll just have to put up with it, will I? My childminder is going to go berserk if this happens tomorrow.

OP posts:
Original poster
Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 21:12

theworld I had that discussion at the start and I was told that I could have a lift off the Boss as one of them is always in the office due to the nature of the business. This job was sold to me with a very different tune to how it actually is. My own fault, you live and learn.

OP posts:
StealthPolarBear · 11/06/2019 21:14

Locking up is not a job, it's just what you do when you leave. But he know this and is being a prick.

RavenLG · 11/06/2019 21:17

Look for a new job. This will never ever get better.

Drum2018 · 11/06/2019 21:17

3 weeks into this shit I'd tell them to shove their 8 weeks notice and I'd be out the door without a backward glance. Find a job nearer home or at least with a a public transport system nearby. Boss isn't going to change for you if others have just put up and shut up for years.

AuntMarch · 11/06/2019 21:18

I would leave no later than 5.10. He can either come, or not. If you are both on the same page what's he going to do?
It's no good asking for advice and then turning it all down because he won't like it. He doesn't have to like it.

You also probably don't have to give 8 weeks while in a probationary period.

Why didn't Bev tell you he's an arsehole if you knew her already?

managedmis · 11/06/2019 21:21

Find another job, pronto

DameFanny · 11/06/2019 21:21

If he's forcing you to stay without pay then report him to HMRC because he's underpaying you on minimum wage - divide the hours you're there by the money you're getting and there's a clear breach.

In the meantime, start looking for a better job with a company/boss that's not a complete and utter bellend. And don't worry about the 8 weeks' notice - do you honestly think he'd give you 8 weeks notice if he wanted to sack you?

Original poster
Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 21:21

Bev is a people pleaser and she's really really lovely, my only hesitation in telling him to bugger off is that he's going to be an ogre to her when I'm gone, but I know that's not a good enough reason to stay. I will have to quit tomorrow, I'll try not to enjoy it too much. Thanks for the advice on the probationary period, I will check my copy of the contract before I go in though.

OP posts:
lancslass17 · 11/06/2019 21:23

This may not be helpful but have you thought of locking up and leaving him in there?

TitusP · 11/06/2019 21:24

I would start looking for another job, this sounds like a terrible company to work for and your boss sounds like a pompous arse.

One thought, if you are on NMW, what are the people you manage being paid? Surely as a manager you have more responsibility and so should be paid more to reflect this?

Expressedways · 11/06/2019 21:25

They’re expecting you to work the additional time without pay which means that for the hours you actually work, you’re being paid under minimum wage. That’s not ‘relaxed’ it’s illegal. I don’t know how badly you need this job, but I’d personally ask for a meeting with them both and say that the boss needs to lock the door when he leaves (you could lock everything except his office and front door), they need to pay you overtime or you will be reporting them to HMRC for paying under the minimum wage.

HollowTalk · 11/06/2019 21:27

You don't owe him a bloody thing in terms of notice. He is breaking the terms of your employment and by making you stay late he's paying you less than the NMW.

Original poster
Clevererthanyou · 11/06/2019 21:32

I think if we locked him up and left him there we'd be out of a job anyway … tempting though Grin
Titus they get paid NMW too, the boss is a big fan of grandiose titles though …
Thankfully when the job was first offered I wasn't starving poor, we were skint but we were happy. I felt trapped and helpless until I started this thread so thank you all, I feel like I've got a bit of empowerment back to face him with tomorrow. I'll probably flounce and get public transport home anyway, I'll still be home earlier than I usually would!

OP posts:
Tiredtessy · 11/06/2019 21:47

I would just walk away, wouldn’t even worry about the notice, can you find another job?
What if Bev goes sick or goes on holiday? Who locks up then and can you get to and from work?

Bookworm4 · 11/06/2019 21:52

So he gets 3hrs 45 extra out of you each a week, either he pays you for the extra time or you leave, he’s a bully, his personal arrangements are nothing to do with you, make it clear to him what your childcare costs are.

curiositycreature · 11/06/2019 21:52

Keep us posted OP!

Summersunshine2 · 11/06/2019 21:59

Good luck! I'm all for staying late I'm a job if there's work to do and decent pay but this is taking the p!

Mintlegs · 11/06/2019 22:06

Suggest to him: I will lock every door and leave one remaining key to lock your office and the main door. You let yourself out.

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