Not getting paid for worked time...

[Newbabynewhouse]

Views on this situation people please...

If you work on computers, let's say a call centre.. and you are paid at an hourly rate from 8.30am until 6pm.. Is it unreasonable for the employer to expect you to be sat logged in ready to go at 8.28am and then log out at 6.02pm every day? .... (so you are always "ready" for a call 🙄

@iwishiwasafish

If you log in 2 mins late, you have to stay 2 mins extra... so stay until 6.04pm (of course if on a call, then whatever time it finishes) could be 6.20.. but you don't get that time back...

[quote Newbabynewhouse]@saltedcaramelanything

See that's the thing... no we arnt allowed to log off at 6.. it all gets watched ... we have to stay until 6.02 even if not on a call, then if a call comes through at 6.01 and last for 15 -20 mins we have to stay and don't get paid more or the time back.. this is the issue[/quote]
Yes I agree that is an issue.

There should be a system that if you take calls after 6pm and spend time on them you get it back.

But being logged on at 8.28 is fine - just don't set to available until 8.30!

Are you paid at the basic £8.91 NMW rate? If so then you have a point and no your employer should be making sure you are paid at least that amount for literally every minute you work.
If you're on e.g £10 an hour then it will work out that you are being paid at least NMW for every minute you work (including your 4 minutes of overtime) and you'll just need to suck it up I'm afraid.
And if you're on £18 an hour then to be honest most jobs would be expecting you to do some "unpaid" overtime

I’m firmly anti-work and feel time spent booting up a computer and logging into systems is work time – it’s certainly not my leisure time – so really you should only be walking through the door at bang-on 8am.

@BeyondMyWits

I see your point also... but let's say, you are told to be in and ready for your shift at 8.30, you'd naturally get there earlier to make sure you have taken coat off, bag scalf etc, said morning to manager, offered a cup of teas to team mates nipped the loo... and then sat at desk ready to be logged in at 8.30... that's fine, but why are we bollocked if not logged in at 8.28? Or if we log off before 6.02? When our shift starts at 8.30 and finished at 6?

@itsgettingweird

This is why nobody is understanding me ... when I say logged on... I mean physically set as available... I'm logged onto my PC wayyy before 8.28... usually around 8.25 then I'm sat waiting to click the available to chat button for 8.28...

Just change jobs if you don’t want to do 4 minutes of unpaid work a day.

@DampSquidGames

I actually have.. handed notice in a few weeks back.. but not for that... lots of things, not a good place to work.. just wanted to see people's views as most people I spoke to there had the same opinion

Good luck finding somewhere to work that expects less than 4 minutes of unpaid work per day.

@AnathemaPulsifer

I have worked a few different jobs over the years, this job was the only job that timed you by watching your log in times and critising them to the T... I have no issue of coming in early of my own accord to help out or staying later to help out.. but I won't be told I'm late when I'm early and I won't be criticised for leaving at 6.01 Instead of 6.02 ... having to pay each minute back to them if late but nothing back for working a possible 20 mins extra each day

No not unreasonable.

[quote Newbabynewhouse]@AnathemaPulsifer

I have worked a few different jobs over the years, this job was the only job that timed you by watching your log in times and critising them to the T... I have no issue of coming in early of my own accord to help out or staying later to help out.. but I won't be told I'm late when I'm early and I won't be criticised for leaving at 6.01 Instead of 6.02 ... having to pay each minute back to them if late but nothing back for working a possible 20 mins extra each day[/quote]
When you put it like that, I do see your point OP.

I presume that you're not allowed to go to the loo or make a drink etc in your working hours, OP? I have never worked in that kind of environment, and I doubt many people will have done. Maybe this is why your perception is different from the majority?

@AlexaShutUp

All timed, you are not just allowed to get up when you wish... I was in trouble once for taking too long In the loo... manager had a word with me asked me what I was doing...said it's ridiculous I took that long..I was literally on the loo.. don't need to say much more.. tbh people probably don't understand as it's not normal, that's why handed noticed in

We are timed too. Well not timed, we have to click unavailable and we try not to take more than 5-10 mins a day
If I took longer my boss would check but more for concern, he doesn't want anyone keeled over in the toilets!

[quote Newbabynewhouse]@AlexaShutUp

All timed, you are not just allowed to get up when you wish... I was in trouble once for taking too long In the loo... manager had a word with me asked me what I was doing...said it's ridiculous I took that long..I was literally on the loo.. don't need to say much more.. tbh people probably don't understand as it's not normal, that's why handed noticed in[/quote]
Yeah, it sounds very different from a standard working environment and I wouldn't like it at all. However, the 2 mins at the start and end of the day wouldn't be my top concern.

I understand that they time you if you go to the loo, but are you still paid for this time? If they subtract any time that you spend in the loo from your pay, then I see your point. They can't have it both ways. If they wouldn't subtract loo time, then I don't really see your issue.

No it's not unreasonable. I got told off at work for getting there for 8. I was told you have to be ready for work at 8 and tbh it's not the first time I've heard it.

Surely I'm allowed to have a wee in a 9 hour work day though without being docked ? Do all work places deduct pay for toilet time? ... I
maybe I should've taken an extra (uneeded) 4 min loo break then each day and chilled on my phone in the cubicle to make up for the 4 mins they force me to work without pay everyday

Not being able to get up when you want is normal in a lot of jobs; retail, teaching, health care, anything customer facing or working with people really! And by the sounds of it you're earning more per hour than most of those professions so I really can't see the problem. Logging on 5 mins early to be ready on time isn't too much to ask.

YANBU
you shouldn't be getting told off for not taking callers at 8.28 and being made to work later because you took calls when it is your official start time of 8.30.

It's the principle. I've worked in call centre before and they are extremely strict, sometime logging in one minute late gets you pulled up. So suck pettiness from management gets employees thinking then exact same way; if one or two minutes is a massive deal to the employee then why shouldn't it be for me kind of thing. And if you need to stay logged on till your finish time, say 6pm and got get a call at 5.59 that lasts 15 mins, you generally don't get paid for it. So I don't blame OP for being pissed off at those extra 4 mins.

Excuse the typos is my above post! Edit button please MN!

YANBU.

It doesn’t matter that it’s just a few minutes. Logging on is part of your working day and should be paid. They really shouldn’t make you start logging on until your start time tbh.

I’ve seen plenty of these threads okay out over the years. If you said that you were coming in every day at 8.32 then going home at 5.58 but still expecting to be paid from 8,30 to 6pm people here would say you’re taking the piss. So it’s ok for them to take four minutes off you but not for you to take four minutes off them?

It’s literately big business taking money out of employees’ pockets and I think that’s shitty.

It does not sound like a very nice culture and not somewhere I would like to work if you are so micromanaged.

In principle 4 mins extra is nothing but the fact you are monitored so closely to check you are doing this is and also toilet break monitoring is too much and would not make me happy, what a miserable place !
You are best out of there, I hope you have a new job to go to, or find one soon.

*play out