Do you finish work 'on the dot'?

[BananasAreForever]

Most people I know (including me) are regularly working outside of their working hours (weekends and evenings), even without being in particularly high paid roles or being paid overtime. This seems to be a more accepted part of the world of work now but I don't feel this was the case 20 years ago when I started my career.

The expectations put on employees all feels a bit grim, especially as we don't have a huge amount of free time anyway.

Are you lucky enough to have a job where you are able to leave at the exact time your hours finish without the expectation you will be putting in extra hours? If yes, what do you do?

Usually finish most days before my official end time but then I do training etc in my own time plus paperwork occasionally.

I've never worked in a job that has exact hours, always flexi, so it can go either way a bit depending on personal and business needs on any given day. I have not been paid overtime at any point unless it was whole extra days at the weekend or similar. But generally I don't work a huge amount over, maybe 20 mins most days and then "use it up" a bit by leaving early another day. But I also keep an eye on email on my non-working days and will respond to anything that is urgent and can be dealt with quickly. Equally my current employer will let me drop what I'm doing in the middle of the day for a family emergency, flexibility definitely goes both ways.

I generally can finish on time, but I don't really keep track in terms of starting early or not taking my full lunch hour. I much prefer to start early than finish late. I hardly ever work evenings or weekends but there is travel in my role so I am sometimes on a plane very early or late.

I never ever work outside of my hours. I used to when I started my career - I think I saw it as a badge of honour but have since learned that nobody gives a fig and it's a fool's game. I'm on top of my workload, I'm reliable and conscientious and accessible but I have my boundaries, and set working hours are one of them

I always finish on time, except in rare cases of last minute work coming in that I need to do. If that takes me a long time then I will take time back.

Never work over my hours….but might start late ….or finish early….or take a couple of hours mid day….then make up time….but never go over my weekly hours

im nhs

I used to work with a man called David and you could see his process as he started winding down and logging off of systems getting ready to be heading off out of the door dead on time. I used to say that we should Be More David.

As mentioned by a PP, when I first started my career I used to regularly arrive early, stay late and continue working once home (for not very much money I should add!). There was a real issue with people martyring themselves in that workplace, and lots of one-up-man-ship over who had gone the longest without a proper day off etc.

With the benefit of hindsight, I can see that all the overworking was making everyone less productive overall because we were knackered and can see it was essentially a false economy. Now I pretty much always finish on the dot, unless it’s something vital and urgent, and I would always try to take a bit of time back later on if I did work late.

Never , Because you give an inch they take a mile. My old job even if halfway through some thing I logged off and left.
I now choose my own hours so no need to worry about finishing times or start times. In fact I only logged on at 1pm today and have just logged off for school run. That's me done for the day. As long as everything is done by the end of the week then that's all that matters.

I try and keep a mental check on where I am with work hours - and ensure I'm always in ' credit ' but not by much.. ie arrive a few minutes early, work through lunch break, but then leave on time.... or work for an extra hour on the weekend, but then leave a little earlier one day during the week.

If work ever challenged me for leaving ' on the dot ' then I'd want to show them that I was giving them extra time. But that's where it stops.

I think continually working over and above what your contract says is a bit of a mug's game.

Work won't love you back.

I wouldn't say I finish 'on the dot' but sometimes it's earlier and sometimes it's later.

I work flexi time but I only ever do my exact hours unless requested to do more a certain day (will take that time back the same week) or a big project comes in that needs finishing ASAP. I dont give my time for free, and thankfully my amazing boss doesnt expect this either.

I finish on the dot everyday,.take my full lunch and I don't to any overtime. I find the people who give a bit extra get taken advantage of and it's almost expected of them.

I work in an office and I leave the building within about three minutes of my finishing time. However, I am also always sat at my desk ready to start work at my start time. I will arrive early to allow time to turn computer on and be ready to start on time. Unless I am in the middle of a telephone call, if my paid work day ends and I am in the middle of something, then it waits until tomorrow.

I am well paid for what I do and well respected at work, but I won't work past when they stop paying me. If I did I wouldn't be any better paid or any more respected, so what would the point be?

Nope. As soon as I have completed my work for the day I go home. I could stay and leave on the dot but I prefer to be at home.

Yes, I finish on the dot once I’ve done my full 8 hours and no more. Don’t see why I should have to. This is because in my a previous job, they took the piss in terms of how many extra minutes/hours we were doing without pay - worked in a school. Schools are notorious for getting extra hours out of you. Never again.

As with others, in my 20’s I gave a lot of extra time to my company including evenings & weekends and got no thanks for it. I did the same with another role in a school & was still made to feel it wasn’t enough.

I get paid hourly now and generally leave on time, start earlier most days though. However, they are a fantastic company to work for and I get Xmas gifts, a bonus plus other treats so I don’t mind. When I’m particularly busy, I will stay a bit later but get the time back.

If I felt used, I definitely wouldn’t go the extra mile and would push back but that comes from age (50’s) experience and a more stable financial situation. I get so cross on behalf of people who feel
they have no choice.

I have worked in the public sector for over 25 years doing work on behalf of government. Today we deliver more work than ever with about one-third of the funding. We try to ensure that people in support grades log their time and use the flexi they gain in busy periods so their hours will work out fairly neutrally when measured over about a month. Those of us in professional roles always always work over, otherwise we’d never deliver. Every few years we start a time recording exercise, which is quickly abandoned when it emerges how much extra we are working. I average the equivalent of almost an extra day a week. I do make sure I take all my paid leave every year, which amounts to about six weeks, but very rarely take any TOIL as it would just put me behind and defeat the object.

My job is quite flexible I can come and go as I please pretty much once the work is done. This means that sometimes I will bring stuff home or come in early or work late.

It’s nothing to do with luck. I refuse to work over hours for a company who doesn’t offer the same respect to me. I meet my deadlines but if it needs over time, I take time back. If I can’t meet a deadline I let my boss know why and ask him what to prioritise.

I spent years in teaching where I did 65+ hours a week, now that I'm not teaching I work my hours and or take time back if I really need to work over. However, this is very rare.

Yes, pretty much, within five minutes or so. Mind you, I used to be freelance and when you are self-employed you don't do any extra work unless your client is paying you for it. I quickly trained myself out of giving people my time for free.

If my current employer wants me to work longer hours I get time off in lieu.

When I was in my last job I always left at the assigned time. Occasionally we had an evening function for "business games" with clients. I always came in late the next day. I got a few "looks" but no one ever dared say anything to my face. Ive had jobs were I worked through a christmas and new year to complete a conference presentation but I got a trip to Las Vegas as a perk.

My working hours are 8.30 - 17.00 but it’s very rare I’m still here at 5pm, usually finish around 4.30. I have never ever worked in a job where I have or have been expected to work over my contracted end time and I wouldn’t do it either.

I’m usually in my car at the exact time I finish my shift. But I do usually start 10 mins early.