Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6

Original poster

to be pissed off with this work situation and how unfair it is?

140 replies

attilathenun · 02/10/2014 21:45

Am probably bu but as i just got in from work am bit in the best mood!

I work in a small team. One is more junior, leaves bang on time every day due to a long commute and health 'issues' or makes a big fuss about it and ensures any extra time is got back.

There is one other person who is male. This is relevant.

He has little DC so insists on being home to do bedtime, comes in later because he needs to take them to school etc. Except he doesn't need to do it, he has a wife who could do it. He chooses to. Anyway, he gets to do this because he has a networked laptop and gets to say he's working from home. So when its sports day he wfh in morning,and goes to sports day in the pm. Same for nativity plays, carol concerts etc.

I don't have a laptop (well I do but its so old it's practically steam powered. And not networked). So I get no choice but to work at the office until 8pm. To stay late every time I'm in late, though not just then. I always have to account for my time.

The joke of it is I'm a lone parent. But I don't expect or ask for concessions, never have, but the rest of my team get them even though in my view they don't even need them. And all the fawning over male colleague for being such a great dad...my DC have never been anything other than an inconvenience to employers. Such bloody double standards!

OP posts:

Roseformeplease · 04/10/2014 15:25

So why can't you proposed sharing the working laptop in a way that allows you both the flexibility of working from home?

raltheraffe · 04/10/2014 16:05

Why not just buy a laptop? Ultimately if your boss does not mind these 2 workers slacking then more fool him/her

BelleateSebastian · 05/10/2014 09:45

you're playing 'yes but' with every suggestion! come on, you need to do something proactive rather than just getting naffed off with your colleagues

BIWI · 05/10/2014 09:48

Hmm. Now I'm wondering, as this is a first time poster ...

Are you just on a wind-up, OP?

TeacupDrama · 05/10/2014 10:29

I believe OP said the colleagues laptop was his own from previous job so there is no way she can ask for his, however OP YABU in that every suggestion is being met with a can't response

Roseformeplease · 05/10/2014 13:37

"Own" by from previous job within the company. It belongs to the company.

daisychain01 · 05/10/2014 21:40

Attila, there seem to be two or three issues that are the barriers to you being able to work flexibly. If you dont mind me saying, just forget what other employees do, it will only serve to wind you up.

In fairness the starting point for all this is your company's policy about home working, because if they refuse point blank to let you work from home, then sorry but you're buggered, there's no point even wasting your time and energy arguing the toss about it. If they are still living in the dark ages, then I would seriously consider your position.

i mean which company in the 21st century says that if a computer breaks down, they wont replace it. What kind of IT policy is that?! That's commercial madness at the least!

If we are looking at the the technology aspects in isolation, none of what you describe Is insurmountable. Maintaining that it is impossible to sort it all out, because you cant have a networked computer, because you must access files and information from your work server, and you cant do that because it would breach your company's security policy is, I believe, a red herring.

Issue 1 - having a laptop. you could buy a bog standard Hewlett Packard or Dell laptop off the shelf or over the internet, if you have the money to do that. First problem solved.

Issue 2 - securely accessing your company's network you could have your IT department set up your laptop with a security authentication interface. Once they have done that (which is probably what your colleague has on his laptop), all you do is boot up, as normal, then connect to your home broadband router, then finally authenticate with your Company's additional security layer with a PIN or password, then you are securely connected. Also you will need to map a network drive to your server only once (you can save for all future logons) so you can pick up the files you need.

You are making it sound really complicated and like it is impossible to do, but technology-wise it is about as simple as it gets! I've been doing it for 10 years, but I am lucky to work in a forward thinking company.

fromparistoberlin73 · 05/10/2014 23:41

OP, sympathies!!!!!

i have similar situation, you need yo get the playing field made level. end of

what he gets, you get! dont put up with it any longer

BikeRunSki · 06/10/2014 05:29

Is the IT freeze for everything, or completely new stuff only? We have an IT freeze, but we can replace whatever is already in use. Do you not have a renewal schedule? Ie: laptops replaced every 5 years or something? I totally understand about work networks, networked laptops etc. It's not your colleague's fault that he's got a networked laptop left over from another job though.
Also re: your collegue who cones in at 9.30 and goes home for bed time. It's not relevant that he is male. All the points you make about his wife are down to him having a partner, not that he is male. A partner who may have evening commitmenta! Regardless of this, he may not "need" to be there for childcare, but he does "need" to have a relationship with his dc! Maybe he negotiated slightly different contract hours to come in late?

It does seem like your company does have an unofficial flexible working policy, with the bedtime guy and the chap with health issues. I'd say it's time you presented your arguments to your line manager again. Nicely!

youbethemummylion · 06/10/2014 06:18

From the sounds of it OP you have a very well paid senior position. It is commonly understood people in these positions will put in the hours and get the job done, so I appreciate how leaving bang on 5 leaving work not finished would be career suicide.
It sounds like you are jealous of more junior colleagues with less resonsibility/pressure on them. You can either put up with it in exchange for your good wage, raise it with someone more senior than you and in the right way or leave.
The choice is yours.

antimatter · 06/10/2014 06:47

can't they give you a reconditioned laptop?

their excuses are ridiculous when laptops are 300 pounds and aren't as expensive as they used to be!

I don't understand how they excuse not upgrading them if it makes you work slower and be less productive.

or suggest laptops rotations

FamiliesShareGerms · 06/10/2014 06:54

Everyone saying "buy your own laptop and get it networked" - it really may not be possible: there's no way we could use our own equipment at work, just a no starter. But I agree with the pp who talked about a replacement schedule - if your laptop is that old and clunky it must be near renewal anyway. But if you don't ask they might not do it proactively.

If you have young children you are entitled to make a formal request for flexible working, and this can only be refused for reasonable grounds. Them not giving you a modern laptop is not normally reasonable, especially as your colleague has one.

Don't be a martyr - focus on the things that are within your gift to address. If you don't tell anyone that you don't want to be there until 8 pm every day everyone will assume there is no problem

Bluegrass · 06/10/2014 07:08

Perhaps also take a long hard look your own performance or attitude at work. There may be a reason why they don't feel like helping you. Playing the game to get people on side and batting for you is a skill like any other, and workplaces can be very political.

professornangnang · 06/10/2014 07:44

I don't want to be harsh but I think you've slightly adopted the mentality of a martyr. I learned long ago to do my work to the best of my ability within the hours and go home. Last year, there was a girl who did lots of extra hours that she didn't have to do. She was constantly bringing this up and boasting about how tired she was. I know that she grumbled about me and others who left on time behind our backs. Out of kindness, I explained to her that the brownie points she was expecting to get weren't going to be forthcoming from management. In my industry, as in all industries, they promote based on personal likes and dislikes rather than on seeing who's done the job well and put in the extra hours. Call me cynical, but I've seen it time and time again. She ignored my warning, burnt herself out and left fairly ignominiously with not much to show for it. Don't be a martyr. There's nothing to stop you leaving on time and no one will thank you for what you're doing.

Balaboosta · 06/10/2014 07:48

If the other person's laptop is a work one, then they ought to be taking turns with it. I cannot believe there is really no way round this laptop thing. Come on OP, we're all rooting for you. Make some changes!

Flip

1 2 3 4 5 6