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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that if you are on leave from work, you are on leave, and should not be required to dial into meetings?

34 replies

MrsSchadenfreude · 01/05/2012 14:26

I took two days off during recent school holidays and was asked by my boss to dial into a meeting on both days. The meetings were internal, in the middle of the day, and usually last an hour and a half. There was no reason why they couldn't have been rescheduled to the next day or the day before.

I said that I would not be able to dial in, as I was on leave, had planned to do something with the children, and it would not be convenient. He was v pissed off about this, and said I would not know what was going on in the office if I didn't call in. I spoke to a colleague when I came back to the office, who brought me up to speed in about 3 minutes.

OP posts:
nickelhasababy · 01/05/2012 14:27

YANBU
it's not leave if you're working from home, and they are totally unreasonable to expect you to.

hermionestranger · 01/05/2012 14:27

YANBU but will you come and tell dh this please?

CailinDana · 01/05/2012 14:28

YABU at all. I can't understand why companies expect this of their workers. You are entitled to time off, proper time off, away from the office. In your position I would say "Ok I'll dial in but seeing as the meetings total about 3 hours I will expect that time off in lieu as I won't be on leave during that time." Well done you for just refusing to do it.

CailinDana · 01/05/2012 14:28

YANBU sorry, I always get that wrong

Tee2072 · 01/05/2012 14:29

I think, but I am not sure, it's actually illegal. If you call in, you are not on leave and therefore should not lose a holiday day.

I'd check with your HR department if you have one.

Get0rfMoiLand · 01/05/2012 14:29

YANBU to refuse to do it.

But I do it .

Real culture of presenteeism in my office, and I suppose after years being always available I am used to it.

Who invented blackberries? Kill them. Grin

Debsbear · 01/05/2012 14:30

YANBU, if they are not paying you then they have no right to ask this of you.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 01/05/2012 14:30

Hermione, is your DH my boss? Grin

OP posts:
Lambzig · 01/05/2012 14:31

YANBU. My work are always doing this. I work Monday to Wednesday and they are always scheduling meetings/calls for me on Thursday and Friday as everyone thinks I can 'just do this one'. Not sure what part of "i have no childcare on Thurs/Friday" they dont understand and I end up speaking to clients with a toddler in the background. Drives me nuts.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 01/05/2012 14:31

I was given a blackberry by my previous boss "so that we can get hold of you at any time, day or night." I don't think he realised it had an "off" switch... Grin

OP posts:
molschambers · 01/05/2012 14:32

YANBU - you shouldn't be expected to do this. If boss really needed you to be involved in meetings on those days he should have refused your leave.

knowitallstrikesagain · 01/05/2012 14:33

YANBU. Did employer indicate whether these days, had you dialled in, been discounted as leave as you were technically working?

redyam · 01/05/2012 14:33

It depends how much they are paying you. If you get $$hitloads, then YABU. If you are being paid a pittance then you have e dry right to tell them to fuck off.

nickelhasababy · 01/05/2012 14:34

Lambzig - refuse fullstop.
and if they do, tell the client "i don't work on thurs and fri, i am sorry that my colleague has scheduled this. i cannot talk to you today"

minipie · 01/05/2012 14:34

YANBU

what mols said. Either you are on leave or you aren't.

Original poster
MrsSchadenfreude · 01/05/2012 14:35

Why does my salary make a difference? Surely everyone needs leave, regardless of how much they earn, redyam?

Knowitall - TOIL would not have been given. My boss was affronted to have been asked!

OP posts:
minipie · 01/05/2012 14:36

redyam I disagree. It's irrelevant how much the OP gets paid. Her contract includes X days of leave for that pay. Nowhere does it say in the contract "since we pay you so much, your leave days aren't really leave days".

It might say "we may require you to reschedule leave for business reasons" but that isn't what her boss asked her to do.

nickelhasababy · 01/05/2012 14:36

they do, yes, but we can argue that if you're being paid shedloads, that you're more in demand.

however, it's totally wrong - your leave is leave .

Lambzig · 01/05/2012 14:38

Yes I know I shouldnt, but its just not the culture in our company and if I say that I cant I get lectures about "when you worked full time you sometimes had to work late evenings and weekends, so this is no different" I think it is because they were usually when a report was due so could be done at night at home and they were rare (say every four months or so). The clients are pretty reasonable, its just a couple of our directors.

It also I want to keep my part time status and the general view is that I should be grateful they agreed to it.

nickelhasababy · 01/05/2012 14:40

well, actually it is.
you don't work because of childcare.
you cannot work and look after your child at the same time.
it just can't be done.
either you leave your child alone, and place it in danger, or you don't give your work its full effort.
your bosses and colleagues should not be expecting this of you. and you should refuse.

and they shouldn't make you "grateful" for having part time work! Shock

tell me their names, i'll beat them up for you.

Rhubarbgarden · 01/05/2012 14:51

Actually I agree with redyam. It also depends on the size of the company and what sort of job it is. My DH is always happy to take calls from work, and I'm fine with that except the one on Christmas morning when dd was opening her presents because he is paid handsomely to achieve certain results and that's what it takes. Also he cares about what he does and wants his projects to succeed. Similarly, my dad was never fully off duty when I was a kid - he didn't earn 'shedloads' but it was a family business and the alternative was to lose trade. I also have friends who have low paid but very responsible positions in international affairs - if there is a political crisis somewhere, it doesn't matter if they are on holiday, they leap into action.

Neither my DH, my dad nor my friends have been forced into their respective careers - if you don't like your working conditions, perhaps consider an alternative job?

nickelhasababy · 01/05/2012 14:54

but that also depends on whether you're paid a salary or a wage.
if your contract expects you to work any hours to fulfill a job, then fair enough, but if you don't have a contract like that, then no.
but, it still shouldn't interfere with annual leave.

minipie · 01/05/2012 14:54

Rhubarb I agree that with certain jobs (often well paid ones) comes the acceptance that you are never off duty and will need to be contacted on leave if absolutely necessary. But it was not remotely necessary for the OP to join these calls.

Rhubarbgarden · 01/05/2012 14:54

Sorry that sounds like I'm implying you don't care - I don't mean that at all, I'm just trying to explain why DH is happy to take calls when he's on holiday.

Lambzig · 01/05/2012 14:57

nickelhasababy thank you, I may take you up on that. Especially for the one who made me cry a couple of weeks ago (I am not usually such a wimp) when he told me that I would get fired if I left to go pick up my DD from nursery (at the end of my contracted hours) as he wanted me to stay and get a report done (which I had already stayed up all night working on the day before)

I am in discussions with HR about that one.

Trouble is probably like the OP, I care about what I do and really dont mind doing a bit extra, but think they are now taking the mickey. Part time jobs very hard to find too.