DS flexible working hours.

[littlefireseverywhere]

DS (19) started work as a recruitment consultant for a large agency. They’ve a great training programme. We live fairly remotely so he advised the trains he’d need to get in the morning & evening & agreed this as part of the hiring process as the first 6 months are in the office. He gets in at 8.45 am (as agreed at interview) but office start time is 8.30 am. He finishes at 5.30 pm but for various reasons can’t stay later unless a meeting etc. So he takes a 45 minute lunch rather than an hour.

Now a month in, his line manager has issues with this arrangement. And wants him to stay 15 minutes later each evening. it’s now going to the regional director to decide what should happen next.

DS feels he’s being unfairly targeted with this, their reasons are how it looks to the rest of the office as the sole issue. They think he’s great in all other respects.

Where does he stand legally?

The recruitment world is really cut throat tbh I did the admin in a recruitment office many many years ago and funnily enough not long after I started they started to push me to work longer and longer hours. I hated it tbh. I wouldn't say he's being unfairly targeted I'd say its pretty standard for that industry they're renowned for being very "work hard, play hard" and no work life balance.

What does his contract say

With only a month's service he doesnt really stand anywhere legally unless he is being discriminated against because of a protected characteristic. If he really likes the job he may need to think of how he can get organise his commute.

The timings were agreed prior to him starting. However he's finding it quite unsettling with the pressure of needing to be so constrained by time. After 6 months he can then work from home 3 days per week.

If he can work from home 3 days per week, i think he should be more flexible with timings and stay late when needed. Recruitment is a tough sector and demanding. He is only 19 and I would want to impress my boss at his age, not asking to take my 5pm train for example.

I might be old fashioned but I wouldn't have applied for/accepted a job whereby I couldn't work the accepted hours everyone else is working

Why can’t he get there on time - earlier train , moped , lift ?

The earlier train would mean he needed to get a bus at 6.40 am from our village, that's the alternative, rather than a lift to the station from me when I'm driving to work / taking others to school.

His line manager has said he doesn't want him getting the earlier train as they're also quite keen on work / life balance. It really is mixed messages.

Isn’t it better he gets there early rather than going in late? 6.40, whilst annoying at leaving early isn’t an outrageous time. I did similar in a job to make sure I started work on time.

Its not early at all.

6.40 bus isn't the end of the world for a young man, assuming no drip feed about disabilities etc.

When you are 19 with presumably no disabilities or dependents as you haven't mentioned any. Getting early or late public transport to keep your managers happy at work especially when it's only for 6 months is just part of working. Its always best to show willing and then when/if you do need to ask for flexibility in the future you are more likely to get it.

but for various reasons can’t stay later unless a meeting etc.

so he can’t get there on time, but can’t make up the time at the end of the day either.

I think he needs to either be on time or make the time up at the end of his shift.
What was agreed? He could start late? And do a shorter shift or was it start late and finish late.

It's annoying that they misled him in the hiring process but realistically recruitment is a long hours culture and it is genuinely one of those sectors where you get out what you put in.
I work in the "naice" end of the industry with very reasonable bosses but an 845 to 530 working day would, I'm afraid, be viewed as a problem. 5.30-7pm is core candidate calling time. It seems like the commute means these hours just aren't viable.
Does he like the job? Does he feel that, hours aside, he can make a success of it? Because if he does it may be worth renting a room in a shared house for 6 months near the office to allow him to do the necessary hours. He can then, after 6 months, return to living with you, with more WFH time once he's proved himself.

I think for the sake of 5 more months he just needs to do it. It won’t kill him and I can see why they don’t want him working different hours. I’m sure everyone would like to come in late and leave early if they could. The thing is, even if the regional manager approves it his line manager isn’t happy so there’s no real way to win here.

Honestly OP, you’re setting him up for a a work life of disappointments if you pander to him moaning on this one.

I’ve done my time in recruitment after uni and even a 17.30 finish is considered early. It’s a sales role and, ultimately, you’re there until you meet your targets.

Given he’s young, presumably without a heap of qualifications, and you live rurally, he needs to be careful here as it doesn’t sound like he’ll have his choice of jobs if his travel times are so limited.

I’d be telling him to grin and bear the early starts to get the 06.40 train for the next few months, then he’ll reap the reward of being able to work from home three days a week. Recruitment can be quite lucrative if he’s good at it, and the big consultancies like Hays offer lots of opportunities and networking chances.

He’s about to learn the harsh realities of working life! Getting a bus at 6.40 isn’t early.

he's finding it quite unsettling with the pressure of needing to be so constrained by time Why can’t he stay later if needed? Why can’t he get the earlier bus?

Unless it's his contract he's not got a leg to stand on legally. But it doesn't bode well , that 'legal standing' is your first thought.
This early in your career you get out what you put in and he's working exactly to rule. If that's his attitude then he's not going to go far.

Also especially not in recruitment which is about being visible, networking and making contacts.

You're not doing him any favours by encouraging him to be so lazy and inflexible at both ends of the day. He needs to get the early train and get into the office for 8.30. If mummy can't give him a lift then so be it.

If he will be working for commission he will miss all the candidates who want to register before and after their own working hours.

I’m sorry but when I was in my 20s, I had to get a 5.30am train most days to get to my short-term contract lectureship with dreadful pay. I repeatedly worked late and volunteered for extra things. It led to my permanent post. Not trying to Four Yorkshireman him here, but your DS is young, I assume healthy, and he’s gone into a career that’s highly competitive and demanding. I’d be working my butt off to prove myself. Work-life balance is for when probation is secured and life settles. He should be looking to be excellent, committed and a team player.

If he wants a gentler life, then a different career would be better for him.

Lunch and post 5pm are prime candidate calling times.

Im seeing similar with the under 23s in my workplace. They want flexibility but it is difficult when they need to be around others to learn. You don’t learn professionalism by sitting at home in your bedroom.

He needs to show some willingness and flexibility himself, as where do you draw the line. You’d have people deciding to turn up at 10am or leaving at 3pm because that’s what suits them, but is really disruptive to the working environment

Wow I can't believe they care so much about 15 minutes

6:40 is quiet a normal time for someone commuting , he must have said something about it to the boss or they wouldn’t know about the timings etc . It’s pretty poor form really you should just do the set hours and try to look really enthusiastically when on probation

What reason can he not stay later ? Can he not bike ? Catch a later train home . I think as a new starter at 19 if he has no flexibility at the beginning - with no childcare issues .. I would think what will he be like in 6 months?