To leave work on time?!!

[skyblueeee]

I find working full time (9-5:30) quite hard, I feel tired and restricted, which is why I can't wait for the clock to strike 5:30 and I can walk out the office, drive home, eat dinner and relax....

But the problem is, no one ever leaves at 5:30 I look around and everyone is still working while I walk out the door, I even get a few judgemental looks from colleagues. I'm usually the first one out, if not I'm one of the first.

Does it look bad to leave work on time? Obviously if I had something urgent to do I would finish it, but I don't want to stay just to look good. I already get home about 6:20pm depending on traffic and not keen to have an even longer day....

unless your a Surgeon leaving a body on the table.... then I don't see the issue either OP

Long ago I stopped giving a stuff about what some colleagues thought of the hours I worked physically in the office. I did my job really well and, as long as none of my clients or managers had any issues with my work, everyone else can stuff off.

I usually left on time but would often sign on at home if I had work to complete and / or answer emails on my work phone on the way home. I worked regularly while on holiday and sometimes on weekends too. None of this was seen by the 'clock watchers'.

On the other hand, those that often stayed late were known for taking their 30 minute breakfast break and their full lunch hour. I rarely did and worked though so I could leave on time. I have no issue with them taking their breaks but if they choose to take their breaks and stay late, that is up to them.

I have to leave on time or I miss the one train that will get me home in time for nursery pickup. I don't give a shiny shit if people don't like that my hand hits the doorknob out at 4.30pm sharp. I have about eight mins leeway. I do not fucking waste them.

However I always start five mins or more early, and have pointed out to the board that if you expect people to arrive early (so that at 9am they are logged on, tea made, sitting ready to work) then packing up at 5 to is fair. Otherwise they get your time for free at both ends of the day. And no, we don't clock in, nor are we paid by the hour. But if you treat staff like min wage workers then expect them to act accordingly.

I love that my organisation is really flexible so that no one really knows what hours people work. Some start at 7.30 and are out the door by 3.30 and some start at 10 and are still there at 7. I really think that's how most workplaces should be; acknowledging people work in different ways for different reasons.

OP YANBU but if it there a culture of presenteeism it will likely be noticed and brought up in any redundancies.

In my job everyone used to do 'extra' at end of day but there was flexibility if we wanted leave/arrive 15 minutes earlier/later due to needing to see kids teachers etc. (School job).

Then they stopped being flexible and actually were quite shirty about people leaving 'on time'.

They even have the audacity to ask and act hurt when it's "no" to people helping to put up decorations or event stuff.

I just told them straight exactly why and no longer stay when I don't get anything in return for it compared to those who don't.

Yanbu.

redforfilth you would really begrudge them a few minutes to tidy away their things at the end of the day? Why shouldn't they do that in work time? Surely tidying up and leaving things in an orderly manner is part of the working day? I hate the culture of being expected to stay late. If you have got all your work done then why not?

YABVU

In the office I manage, the exit door is locked until 5.01pm when it is opened to allow staff to leave after they have completed their contracted hours. Me and the rest of the management team also closely monitor all staff at the end of the day to ensure there is no surreptitious 'packing up' or 'washing cups'.

You are contracted to work until 5.30pm, so you should be working up until that time(which you clearly can't be if you're leaving bang on that time). I'd also have concerns about your attitude and commitment to work if I saw you doing that.

I'm a senior manager and I'm bang out the door on time. My manager is a workaholic - emails you at the weekend etc (doesn't expect a reply tho). I think that's really sad.

I used to get called a part timer for leaving at 4pm (having started at around 7.30/8.00 and always working through my lunch) but I just used to say that I’ve done my hours and that I don’t work for free. My company is fairly relaxed about hours and they value personal/family time so it’s never been a problem apart from some jealous people who have to physically be there until the building closes.

I now have a kid and I have to do nursery drop offs and pick ups and I rely on public transport so I may turn up at 9.05 and leave at 4.55 but I still don’t take lunch and I often work from home as well so I do my bit. But generally when it’s home time I’m out the door unless it’s an emergency, and I don’t feel bad for leaving.

I used to work in a shit data entry job and everyone would literally run out at 5.30. My colleagues would be happy to chat throughout the day but the second it was 5.30 the chatter stopped and the office was empty by 5.31. But it was an awful place to work so I don’t blame them.

My boss works stupid hours (5am until 7-10pm, he’s contracted to do 7.5 hours a day) and doesn’t get paid overtime but I think he’s escaping loneliness, but he would be the first one to tell us to go home if we were still in after 5pm. Strange.

At my work place we interviewed for a middle management role and one of the candidates was asked what her weaknesses were? She answered that she disliked her staff clock watching. This actually cost her the role and we didn't employ her. I work in the Public Sector where flexible working for employees and a good work/life balance is important

My manager is very keen to ensure that if we do work late (we have a one night a week late rota) we take the time back. She's flexible if we need to be out of the office for personal reasons and makes sure we take lunch. In return we don't clock watch if we have a service user event that runs a bit over and between us there's a decent amount of give and take.

I think we're very lucky.

Yanbu

I don't really have anything to pack up @CalF123, I turn my computer off, pick up my bag and leave. Everything is already in my bag as I don't take things out. I don't have a cup to wash (don't drink tea) so I don't need to do any washing up either.

CalF that sounds more like a prison than a workplace.

It depends on your job really and why everyone else is staying behind. If its a job where you leaving it til the morning is going to really effect someone (like if you work in a food bank, homelessness, SS etc) you should stay, and if everyone else is staying to cover being short staffed you should probably stay once in a while but otherwise no, its not your fault other people can't get their work finished in working hours

I once worked with a German guy who was uber strict about arriving and leaving on time, and always taking his full lunch hour.

I was honestly was so impressed. I aspire to that level of separation, and encourage my staff to do it too (although ideally, I prefer a bit of flexibility, which I am happy to reciprocate)

I think that the norm should be arriving and leaving on time. Anything else should be an exception.

I worked once in an organisation where it was the inverse of a race to leave - it was the epitome of presenteeism and not being the first to leave but actually , when you looked at peoples working styles, there was an awful lot of faffing about and there was no more actual work being done and quite a lot of then moving on down to.the pub. I then took a new job which coincided with moving out to a more distant commute and being married which meant I didn’t want to hang out at the pub or similar post work in a regular basis. I made it clear from the start that I was not going to do breakfast meeetings or late meetings without good reason ( there never was one) and that I did not expect my staff to go beyond normal working hours either - our results were consistently above target.

Poor attitude to want to work the hours you're paid to work and go home

How dare you have a home-life, grunt?!

It depends on the exact role, the amount of work and the attitude of the employees. A can-do attitude, happy to work at lunch time, arrive early and stay late when absolutely needed can clock watch or even leave early on occasions as far as I am concerned.

If you work on the switchboard or similar, I only need you during office hours! Nothing negative, but it's not great if you are late and it doesn't help anyone if you stay late.

I have team mate who take the occasional 2 or 3 hours lunch break, take half days for medical appointments or for home problems (plumbing or other), leave mid-day for their anniversary BUT don't mind staying late or working weekends on occasion and do excellent work.

For some role you can only contact people before or after office hours, so there is a reason why the office is busy quite late.

If you are confident that your work is done, there's no problem. It is irritating if someone starts packing at 4:50 and jumps out of their chair at 4:59.

I prefer working with grown-up and being treated like one.

In the office I manage, the exit door is locked until 5.01pm when it is opened to allow staff to leave after they have completed their contracted hours. Me and the rest of the management team also closely monitor all staff at the end of the day to ensure there is no surreptitious 'packing up' or 'washing cups'

Fucking hell, do you whap them with newspapers if their eyes stray from their screens too?

I come in an hour before everyone else (8-5.30) so I can have a half day every week to do my Masters. Come 5.30 I’m out the door as it takes less than 10 seconds to turn off my pc and throw my cup in my bag. I always have an empty desk anyway as I can’t abide clutter. Since I started (January ) the others have followed my lead. Apparently they felt they had to stay until at least 5.45 :/ My feeling is that after 5.30 it’s my time and I’m not paid after that. Why does staying later mean I’m a shirker?

It depends on your work I suppose. The worst that might happen is you could get passed over for promotion one day in favour of someone who does more hours, but that will depend on your job.

We have a mix at my workplace - there are some people who are always still there at 7pm, others who always leave at 5. Some people work overtime because they're busy, others work overtime because they want a bit more money. I often stay for half an hour or so to finish whatever I'm doing and miss the worst of the rush hour but I stay later if needed - I'm taking on more work at the moment because I want to save up to pay for a holiday. At the same time no-one bats an eye if I need/want to leave at 5 (as long as my work is done of course).

Bloody hell @CalF123 that sounds horrendous. What sort of workplace is it??

Assume people are not allowed to go out to the shop during the day either!!

I work in care and I leave on time and I pack up 5 mins before finish. It's normal to leave on time. I wouldn't worry about it.

...I wonder if CalF times their toilet breaks too.

Or pats them down for shivs made out of melted biros