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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Being made to work an extra 20 minutes unpaid a day

234 replies

GettingTiredNow · 25/08/2016 19:43

I work in the admin base of the local NHS health authority, there are about 100 of us in our offices and nowhere near that number of car parking spaces. We double park which is ok but as more people have joined the organisation recently even that is not enough on some days. The powers that be have rented 10 additional spaces at the railway station down the road about a 10 minute walk away.

These 10 parking spaces have been allocated randomly to staff on a rota, each directorate is doing its own thing so you can end up with either a week there every 6 months or 3 months there as a one off. And I'm 1 of the lucky 10 who have been blessed with a pass Hmm

Us lucky 10 have been told that the time it takes us to travel back and forth to the car park needs to come out of our time and not the organisations. If we are late we need to email our boss with an expanation of how the time will be made back up.

I need to take my DC to school in the morning and the afternoon which fits within my working hours but a trip back and forth to the car park means I'm going to be early to school in the morning and late to pick up in the afternoon to ensure I'm at work for my contracted time.

AIBU to expect that as I am effectively helping the organisation out by walking down to the car park this shouldn't come out of my time?

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 25/08/2016 22:38

ivykaty I travel in my employer's time in the middle of the day from site A to site C once a week. The return journey to retrieve my car is done in my own time. I'm not a mobile worker technically - I'm based at site A but I'm not there all the time.
In fairness to my employer if I decided to leave site C early to retrieve the car no one would mind but the fact that I work hard is rewarded by not being micromanaged. If my last client of the day didn't turn up tomorrow and I decided to compensate by leaving early there wouldn't be a problem.

ivykaty44 · 25/08/2016 22:40

sometimes have to travel with work. If I do my day starts at 6, two hours early, can finish at 8, three hours late, and I don't get time back in lieu or wages.

Your lucky to have childcare that starts before 6am and finishes after 8pm

When I had to use childcare it didn't start till 8am and finished at 6pm I had to take a job around those hours and if it had changed then I would have been stuffed

Historygeek · 25/08/2016 22:43

Ridiculous.

What about people who parks close to the entrance, should the people who have to park at the back get to leave early?

You are lucky that you can even park at work.

ivykaty44 · 25/08/2016 22:45

Working without pay is rewarded by not being micromanaged, sounds a great scheme for your employer ilovesooty

LyndaNotLinda · 25/08/2016 22:47

Hahahahahahaha.

Really?

Sidge · 25/08/2016 22:47

The thing is, I understand a change in your working hours can be unworkable when you have childcare commitments. However if your timings are so tight that an increase in your travelling times of just ten minutes at each end of the day makes you late, then you are cutting it too fine. You need to make alternative arrangements. What if you get stuck in traffic, or school is late going in, or your car won't start?

You need more than 10 minutes wiggle room.

flowery · 25/08/2016 22:47

"Terms and conditions have unilaterally changed though"

I think it is very unlikely that the OP is contractually entitled to free parking on site.

ilovesooty · 25/08/2016 22:54

ivykaty it really does cut both ways. A colleague and I have both had suck relatives in recent weeks and have taken time off to be with them that according to company policy should have come out of annual leave (it wasn't a crisis or emergency). Both of us have been given the time paid as compassionate leave.

And I'll never forget the time when another colleague who was struggling after maternity leave was told just after lunch "Go home, give your daughter a cuddle and it will all look better in the morning."

I honestly do have caring human employers.

Bluechip · 25/08/2016 22:56

OP I sympathise that this is a pita and causing stress.

I'm not going to give the details of my lengthy travelling times...ok I am, take five hour each way trips to Glasgow for meetings for example (still paid for 8 hours a day). BUT I do a job where I hadn't organised childcare round my regular working hours so yes it is frustrating for you.

But you are not working an extra 20 mins a day and so shouldn't be paying for it, your commute has changed and if that is genuinely unfeasible for a short period you need to talk to your manager and explain why a 10 minute delay means you can no longer pick your children up on time. But don't suggest you're working for an extra 20 minutes, cos you're just not.

CotswoldStrife · 25/08/2016 23:02

OP, you haven't said how long you'll use that parking space for but it seems to be for a defined time - not a permanent move. How long will you be using it for?

You are not being asked to work an extra 20 minutes!

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/08/2016 23:04

by golly I'd like to be your line manager. Doubt you'd like it though

Ditto Wink

I experienced this when I worked in recruitment; hourly paid locums would demand "plus one hour's pay" in busy periods just because their self-entitlement made them feel like it, and when that didn't work they started on things like the above

Each found their diary emptying at an alarming rate ...

ivykaty44 · 25/08/2016 23:09

Ilovesooty, great that you have caring employers but for many it doesn't cut both ways it only cuts one way in favour of the employer. Your employeer gets far more out of you as they are caring, so it works well for them and any customers etc

The OPs employer could have handled things differently from the start and possibly come up with a far better solution without any cost. Instead they have at least one disgruntled employee, maybe more.

Diddlydokey · 25/08/2016 23:14

I understand your frustration op. I can only suggest that you find a way to speed up the distance to the car park if it is that fine, scooter or running perhaps? Or reduce your hours.

They introduced a similar scheme at my office and one of the school hour working mums has exactly what you want. I don't know why but it really annoys all the other team mates as she's the only one who gets nearly 2 hours a week of paid commute.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/08/2016 23:21

Your employer gets far more out of you as they are caring, so it works well for them and any customers etc

In principle, yes - and happily I saw this too, when sometimes I may have been a bit over-generous to decent employees

Unfortunately, this approach can encourage some to take the proverbial whatsit, knowing perfectly well that making exceptions can land an employer in trouble. Luckily it never came to that for me, and I learned a quick lesson about how fast the selfish can spoil things for everyone else

Somehow I doubt OP would care too much about that, though ...

Catsize · 25/08/2016 23:22

Is there somewhere you could tether a horse near the station and gallop?
🐎
Mind you, tethering and untethering might take a couple of minutes. You'd deserve to be paid for that.

AnotherDayInParadiseLost · 25/08/2016 23:26

I have a senior role in the NHS. On-site parking is for clinical staff who work shifts and need it.

Admin staff who get a free place ten minutes away would be exec directors in my area! But many choose to park further away and walk on the grounds of the Lord Fitbit. Do you not have one of those healthy workplace challenges? We do and it's great.

3littlefrogs · 25/08/2016 23:26

I haven't read the full thread but I worked in the NHS.
If you are only doing a daily 20 minutes a day unpaid you are very lucky.

Medical and nursing staff have to pay a hefty amount each month for a parking permit that does not guarantee a space. It is deducted from wages at source.

If your permit slips off the dashboard or you forget to display it perfectly you are fined £40.

It is usual for HCPs to work hours of unpaid overtime every week.

QueenLizIII · 25/08/2016 23:29

Does anyone really walk in on the dot and leave on the dot? I thought that was a myth.

I'm at work 30 mins early and often leave 9 minutes later than my contracted hours. No over time for that.

Puzzledandpissedoff · 25/08/2016 23:32

Does anyone really walk in on the dot and leave on the dot? I thought that was a myth

I'm afraid not - sadly the clockwatchers are still very much with us Hmm

TooStressyForMyOwnGood · 25/08/2016 23:39

I clockwatch Confused. I didn't used to but my hours got extended and I had to put in a flexible working request. I was given the absolute maximum hours I could do and still do drop off and pick up for my kids. This has involved extending childcare to the maximum daily hours my nursery will do. If I stay late I will be fined by nursery and if it was a regular occurrence they would phone social services and I'd possibly lose my place. So I leave on the dot. What else am I meant to do (genuine question, not trying to be goady)?

MiscellaneousAssortment · 25/08/2016 23:42

The key to OPs dissatisfaction seems to be in the way her department had chosen to allocate spaces.

OP says 10 of them have been picked to use the off site car park, and the rest get to carry on with the previous arrangement of parking closer.

On what grounds has this choice been made? Was it fair? What's the rationale behind it? And can you appeal?

QueenLizIII · 25/08/2016 23:45

*not 9 minutes: 90 minutes later.

My job is 9-5 and I am often there 8:30-6:30.

ivykaty44 · 25/08/2016 23:47

I used to have to leave on the dot - my child care fined me for being late and after a set time contacted SS. I paid up to the latest possible time for them to have DD. So glad I don't have to do this anymore and can leave later, unlike OP who doesn't have that choice

So great to see that I was called a clockwatcher for do so, I guess the answer is not to have dependants

MiaowJario · 25/08/2016 23:51

You are a Tory party troll, posting to discredit the NHS, so that it's demise and collapse can be hastened and I claim my £10.

OverlyLoverly · 25/08/2016 23:56

I think the NHS is great and I have the greatest respect for most NHS workers, however, the level of sickness and stress leave taken by NHS staff is really high. There have been posts on Mumsnet fairly recently from NHS staff who claim that it is commonplace in their workplaces to take up to 6 months for compassionate leave. Shock

That is NOT ok.