To leave my 9-5 job at 2pm if I finish my final meeting of the day early

[lindoee]

I've never given this much thought. I've got a decent job. I earn 36k a year. I often have to attend meetings. I never have to stay at work later than 15 mins past 5 but usually you are expected not to leave the building any earlier than 5.

I have two meetings a week that have an estimated end time of 5pm. One usually finishes around 4pm and I head home after that (by the time I got back to the office it would already be 5 anyway).

The other can finish any time from 2-4pm. I have always understood that after the final meeting of the day, I can finish for the day. Everyone else does and it seems to be the norm around here. We are pretty much flexible workers but I am wondering if the expectation is to work the final hours from home.

I live just with my son so I have never discussed this with anyone before but I told my parents today and they were shocked I left at 2pm. A full 3 hours earlier than I am paid for. I don't work from home after the meeting.

AIBU to not return to my office after this meeting? This particular meeting is a 5 minute walk away from my office. The meeting that finishes around 4pm is almost an hour drive away from the office.

If you are contracted for 40 (or whatever) hours a week and regularly stay late enough to make up the hours, fine. If you are contracted 9-5pm and never make the time up, then it seems pretty cheeky.

If you make up for those 3 hours by starting earlier or make them up across the week then yes by all means, that is flexible working. Leaving at 2pm one day every week is dipping into cf territory.

Surely your work does not involve just going to meetings? You must have other work you do and could be doing in those 3 hours. In addition you are given a window for the meeting but if it does not need the full window again you still have other work you should be getting on with. Going home that early when you are earning that level of salary is dreadful and doing that every week is lazy and unjustified. My goodness I am shocked.

I’m surprised you don’t have other things you could be getting on with in that time, work wise.

I get into work round 8:40 each day so they get their money's worth out of me and it averages itself out overall.

It's a ' professional' job. You need extensive qualifications for it.

They certainly get their money's worth out of me. I work incredibly hard. There is no way I am lazy in any way shape or form and my appraisals all comment on how hard working I am.

If everyone does it then I wouldn't be bothered.

Yeah i'm not sure if my boss would be impressed with that. Yes it meeting finishes at say 4pm and you are stuck in town away from the office but 2pm seems you are quite slacking there especially if your office is only round the corner. Do you not have any paperwork, cpd or emails you can attend to in the time?

Well it is abusing the system and taking the piss. Surprised you actually have had to ask !

If your manager were to need you urgently one afternoon, and tried to locate you at your meeting only to be told that you'd left at 2pm like you often do, what do you think his/her response would be?

You work hard, but that's because you're paid to do so. You get in at 8.40 and leave by 5.15. You don't take long lunch breaks. You don't chat all day. All if which is the norm expected of most professional roles. It doesn't sound as though you're working hugely 'above and beyond'. I'm sure your work is valued and hood quality. Your bosses think highly if you.

But there's no getting away with the fact that taking 3 hours off every week seems like a massive piss take to me.

AIBU to not return to my office after this meeting? This particular meeting is a 5 minute walk away from my office.

YABU.

The meeting that finishes around 4pm is almost an hour drive away from the office.

YANBU.

If your organisation found out and insisted you come into the office (after the earlier, local meeting), would you feel pissed off or would you not mind?

I'd go straight home. As a professional it's more about getting the job done than clock watching. I answer emails, take calls in the evening/morning outside of work if I need to, so it's quid pro quo.

I find it really weird that you think it's normal not to go back to your office after a meeting whereby you could still do 2 hours 55 minutes more that working day! If you were clocking in and out, you'd get hauled up on it immediately! As others say, the one that ends at 4.00pm is far more understandable as it takes you an hour to get back to the office from it.

If you meeting ends at 2pm, 3pm or even 4pm and you are 5 mins from the office you shoud go back to the office. Finish at 4 and an hour from the office fair enough to go straight home. In my last job we worked flexi, but finishing at 2 or 3 and claiming until 5pm is definately off.
I am surprised you have not been pulled up on it .

Agree with most PP as a senior nurse manager for the NHS - I feel you are being unreasonable. All my team come in before the start time and generally start working, they all work hard and often stay late if its required. You sound quite self righteous about how hard you work, but this is just what is expected and you're actually skiving 3 hours a week!! I am a flexible manager on the principle I am confident my team all work hard but leaving 3 hours early after a meeting when you could return to the office would be entirely inappropriate. You mentioned working from home - maybe you should check if your colleagues are actually doing this rather than just going home and doing no work.

The meeting an hour away is obviously fine as you'd have to leave again as soon as you got back to the office. If the meeting 5 minutes away finishes at 4 then that's OK too (in my book) because by the time you get back to your office, take off your coat, settle down, find where you're at with work, it's pretty much time to leave. But if it's 5 minutes away and finishes at 2pm then that's far too much time to take. You should go back to the office.

Such a big difference depending on the job. Your parents are probably used to the more admin type roles where you're expected to be in the office from 9 to 5 everyday, but flexible working in the norm in most places now. I'd not mind if it was my team but only if they put in the extra hours at other times.

For me, if it was an occasional thing then I'd be fine with skiving off early, particularly at this time of year. But every week? Not so sure about that, sorry, especially as you're so close to the office.

I get into work round 8:40 each day - most people get into work before the 'official' start time of 9am. My pet hate was colleagues who stroll in at 9am, make a coffee, faff about with their coat, have a chat about last night's East Enders, turn on the PC, go to the toilet ..... and then think about starting work around 9.20am .

Everybody thinks they're a hard worker. That doesn't make it true. You're taking the absolute hand. It's almost 10% of the working week ffs.

Yeah, that's really shocking. Is there nothing else you could be doing at the office between 2 and 5??

If it's the norm in the culture of your workplace I don't see the harm. If I was really busy I'd go back if practical but bit otherwise.

Do the other people in the meeting work for the same company?

I also think you and @JupiterDrops have different definitions of 'professional' job - I actually agree with your definition but I think Jupiter means do you get performance related pay/commission?? And therefore you're being paid for what you work rather than what hours. In my experience most senior professionals get paid a salary with contracted hours. With respect I don't think this is relevant to your situation and excuses what you are doing. Also, flexible working doesn't mean doing what you want and nor does accruing toil - this is usually determined by a manager.

Going home at 4pm instead of driving an hour back to the office when it would then be the end of the day anyway: Understandable.

Going home at 2pm when the office is a 5 min walk away: Taking the mickey, unless you are making the hours up at another time.

And turning up early (and staying late in some jobs) is a choice, not an excuse to do what you want. Sorry this has really riled me, but may have something to do with different work cultures. Nothing personal OP! It sounds like you need to discuss with your line manager/team expectations.