to think that if i get into work before 8am i should be allowed out by 5pm

[GeneralCustardsHardHat]

and that I shouldn't have to stay late 'just in case' something crops up because my colleagues all decided to bugger off down the pub.

My company operates a flexible working policy and we have an informal "im leaving at x time" convo first thing. I was supposed to be out by 4pm for an appointment (hence getting in before 8) which I have now missed.

My boss seems to think IABU

YANBU Why should you have to stay and miss an appointment because your colleagues go to the pub? S/He should have stopped one of them going down the pub instead.

If you told your boss when you came in that you had an appointment at 4 ... then s/he should have ensured there were other staff available to enable you to go. If boss didn't do that then they are at fault.

However if s/he did ask someone to make sure to be about ...and they've just ignored her/him then it's the fault of that individual and quite reasonable for your boss to ask you to stay (assuming you're in the sort of job where someone HAS to be there).

When was the pub jaunt planned? If it was before your appointment, I also have some sympathy both on the part of the boss and on the part of the pub attendees that they didn't want to change their plans - I'm assuming the appointment was not something absolutely critical or you would have had more notice.

Not very flexible, is it, this working policy, for you?

Why is that? Are you are a pushover? Or do you not communicate your requirements clearly? Or are they all tossers that you work with?

'Fess up, GeneralCustardy.

Probably all of the above linerunner a couple of people have informally set their working patterns in stone meaning that 'flexible working' is impossible for those of us who need to use it.

Yeah - flexible working is a pain in the butt when it's nice and sunny and every other person skips off early, leaving some poor bugger to answer all the phones!

It's the same as when everyone wants to work part time and take Mondays/Fridays off in order to lengthen their weekends.

Someone has to do the crappy shifts. But your manager is entirely unreasonable to let other people off and make you cover when you'd specifically requested that time as a one off.

GeneralCustardy, you must assert yourself!