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....

I hope you have a fire escape that can be opened by anyone cal or you are breaking the law. Unless you aren’t in the U.K.

It sounds like you enjoy your power. You must sleep well at night. Well done you for doing so well

We used to run out the door when the clock struck 5!
I have never worked anywhere so bad. I changed jobs and now I get flexi time

Not a chance in hell CalF. If I needed to leave I'd be out through the fire escape if necessary. I'm not having a "senior" manager decide if my family emergency is enough of an emergency for them. I think legally you don't need to disclose what the emergency is? Imagine if someone's spouse/child/parent lay dying while they are having to beg people like you to let them out!!

CalF, can you reveal what/where it is so I can be sure to avoid any workplace like that like the plague! Sounds horrendous.

In many companies working efficiently and smarter and not longer and harder is starting to take place. A happy, refreshed workforce is better all round rather than a miserable, tired workforce.

I’ve always had the attitude that if the work cannot be done in normal working hours then something is wrong. It’s not my responsibility to make up for management’s poor project/resource management.

In Denmark people are encouraged to leave on time, to go home to their lives and families. I wish we had the same attitude here.
CalF talks dross on every post.

@CalF123 Is there a way to get out without management unlocking the door. If there isn't your employer is breaking the law.

@Raven88

The fire escapes run on an automatic system, but are alarmed so myself and the rest of the senior management would know if staff were sneaking out for a sly cigarette or similar.

@CalF123 A lot of companies have been fined for locking staff in after a number of people have been injured during emergencies.

@CalF. What if I don't want to discuss the family emergency? Can I still leave?

@siwel123 I would be breaking through the emergency exit and then if they fire me I would take them tribunal. Citing the hostile work environment.

@CalF123 if I arrived on day 1 of a job and the office was locked to stop people leaving then I assure you day 1 would also be my last day. I am an adult not a child and won’t work for someone who treats me as such.

@Raven88. I 100% agree.
I work for the civil service and it's extremely family orientated and flexible. @CalF. Maybe try our method, be flexible, Let people come in early or late and leave a bit early or later and you may see productivity increase as people can work around their day. And I'm sure looking people in is against health and safety regulations

CalF the people who you have locked in, are I presume, the people making money doing the job they are paid to do, for the company you all work for. If 95 of them rang in sick tomorrow morning, would you be able to cover all their work ? would it have a negative impact on the company and its profits ?

@SB1198

You wouldn't be leaving the office until 5.05pm.

If god forbid I worked for Calf and I wanted to leave due to a family emergency etc then trust me, I would not be letting senior management decide if the emergency was 'severe' enough, I'd be leaving the building and nobody would be stopping me.

You are now scaring me a bit CalF

CalF so you're saying that you would physically prevent someone from leaving should they decide they didn't want to work there any longer?
Isn't this a breech of human rights?

@SharronNeedles

Of course I wouldn't physically prevent them, but staff who leave the premises during the working day would have their contract terminated immediately.

You are physically preventing them by locking them in.

@CalF123 If someone wanted to leave and you stopped them that would be a crime. You aren't above the law.

I have read all of the thread, but in my last job (now a SAHM) I got into the office at 8am every day (after a 2 hour commute). I tried to leave at about 6.45 daily to catch the train home. I was treated very badly as a consequence. I went back to work 2 days after a miscarriage (for which I was hospitalised) and was pulled in a week later because other people in the team thought I wasn’t working hard enough. I was then pulled in again while heavily pregnant to question my time recording as I was exceeding every target set. I worked hard, clients liked me, I got a lot of work but I just wasn’t sitting there regularly until 3am (yes that’s right 3am...) like others.

Nobody questioned the fact that those others walked in at 9.30/10, spent the ENTIRE day talking and then knuckled down at 7pm to do work. Nobody also seemed to question how people could possibly be productive being at work for 20 hours a day (or whatever).

It was all about being seen to be there. Actual output was completely irrelevant.

I haven’t read all the thread even

@CalF123 is it in their contract that leaving the premises without reason results in termination of contract?

You're talking utter bollocks Cal. Like you do on every thread. Give it up and get a life. Nobody buys your bullshit, you know that don't you?

I should also say that some of the people in my team consequently had extremely bad personal hygiene. Hair washed once a week as they had no time for showers etc. But they were revered.