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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be shocked at boss telling me off for being late back

469 replies

onlyafewdaystogo · 23/01/2019 11:10

I am retiring from work next Wed, after many years working for this company. Last year our dept got a new Manager who's a bit of a stickler.

Anyhow, due to upcoming retirement several groups of colleagues have been taking me out for lunch in the last few days. Yesterday I went to an Italian restaurant with some people from another Dept that I have a lot of dealings with.

We had a lovely relaxing lunch and I got back to work at 3 o'clock instead of 2.30. My boss knew this group were taking me out. He called me into his office about an hour later and told me off for being late back from lunch and said it's the second time it's happened in recent days and I'd have to watch my timekeeping.

AIBU to be Shock. It's always been the norm when someone is retiring that they spend the last week or so winding down and not really being bound by the normal time bands etc.

My colleagues were really surprised and annoyed when they heard.

OP posts:
OccasionallyIncomplet · 23/01/2019 15:53

YANBU - smile and nod.....in a week you'll be freeeeeeeeeeeeeeee........

Jb291 · 23/01/2019 15:54

And if you really wanted to make a point OP you could have a long lunch every day between now and your last day and then. wait until about half an hour before you leave on your last day and then make telling him exactly what you think of him the last thing that you do. At that point there would be absolutely fuck all that he could do to you.

cherriesandoranges · 23/01/2019 15:57

I think you're being unreasonable yes and especially if it's happened more than once recently. Half an hour late is also quite late. I'd apologise and don't do it again. You don't want to leave on bad terms after many years. Don't ruin your reputation for late lunches.

recklessgran · 23/01/2019 16:02

Ha! Ha! What's he going to do OP - sack you?
Enjoy your retirement away from assholes like your boss.

gogogoforit · 23/01/2019 16:02

I doubt very much that her reputation would be ruined, given that her colleagues, including at least one other manager, thinks it's perfectly normal.
The only person ruining their reputation is the ridiculously petty Manager.
Anywhere I've worked people who are on their last few days really don't give a rattling shit about coming and going times and adhering to official lunchtimes. By then their work has usually been more or less handed over and they're just tying up a few loose ends and clearing out their desk and have mentally left the building. That's a normal healthy attitude.
Someone still running around, worrying about being a few minutes late here and there, trying to hold onto work and not having handed it over would be considered a bit sad.

WaxMyBalls · 23/01/2019 16:08

You did extremely well not to laugh in his face.

greenpop21 · 23/01/2019 16:18

It's a bit of a piss take to be half an hour late back. Did you apologise?

Polarbearflavour · 23/01/2019 16:21

I’ve had so many jobs where I’ve just sat at a desk with nothing to do. I’ve worked on a novel, browsed the Internet etc. Because I was physically at my desk nobody said anything.

In my old civil service job I had nothing to do for 3 months as I didn’t have a post as HR hadn’t found me one. So I “worked from home” doing “online training” which basically meant I binged on Netflix.

They found me a temp posting when I handed my notice in. Once again, I had very little to do! I ended up taking more annual leave than I was due as I wasn’t assigned a manager to physically approve my leave! I was off sick for a couple of days and that too went unrecorded! Oh and I had long lunches too. I never registered on the flexi clocking system. Oops.

Polarbearflavour · 23/01/2019 16:23

Ruined reputation? 😂

Sure. When you leave an organisation you are forgotten within days. I’ve occasionally bumped into old colleagues and they have NO IDEA who I am.

gogogoforit · 23/01/2019 16:26

Yes I doubt the OP's former colleagues are going to sit around chuntering for years to come about the couple of late lunches she took during her last week.

Or maybe she'll be used as a 'how not to be a good employee' example on powerpoint presentations for new people joining the company?

EveryoneButSam · 23/01/2019 16:29

Ha ha I am just imagining the look on our HR manager’s face if I told her I wanted to start a disciplinary for one of my team for taking an extra half hour at lunch days before retirement Grin

Happy retirement OP. You are completely normal. Your manager (and some of the posters on this thread) are not.

flightofthedoves · 23/01/2019 16:31

Yes, can you imagine what a HR manager would think if someone tried that? I think it's the petty manager who would find himself getting a talking to.

I'm really aghast at some of the posters on here who seem to take a dull, stay between the lines, inflexible attitude towards anything work related. You see it on lots of threads and I always thank God they're not a manager where I work. They must really annoy and irritate staff with their preachy school prefect attitude.

Armadillostoes · 23/01/2019 16:34

YANBU-People are being really petty about this. Also, the suggestion that you shouldn't have told your colleagues is bonkers. You don't owe the boss any loyalty in this situation, and it's helpful for them to know that he is petty and not very bright.

Jb291 · 23/01/2019 16:35

Why is it a piss take greenpop? OP is due to retire next week after putting in years of long service and hard work. In that time they are likely to have worked late or started early on an unpaid basis on multiple occasions. I think after all that for any manager to be kicking up a fuss over a measly half hour extended lunch is petty and spiteful.

Malbecfan · 23/01/2019 16:45

I'm a teacher and whilst echt has made some good points, they are not true in my case.

18 months ago I was asked if I would like to go halfway round the world with a group I have worked with occasionally (not teaching but related to my subject) for 6 days. It was a prestigious trip and I would be replacing someone who had dropped out. I said I would ask my Headteacher as it meant taking 2 days off school - I work p/t. My Head didn't even hesitate. He thought it sounded brilliant and his exact words were: "you put yourself out on many occasions for us, so it's payback time" meaning I didn't even have to take it as unpaid leave. I went, I left cover work, the kids survived, I had a great time and everyone was really welcoming, even those who had covered for me. We're a team. When one of us is having a tough day, someone else will step in and help. I think this Head is a really good manager; for that reason, I am happy to do extra work.

Itsyersel · 23/01/2019 16:58

Seems different industries have different rules, all the people bigging up the Disregard for everybody else the OP has must just work in offices, in my infistry pisstakes like coming in 30 mins late from lunch twice Delibrately would not be tolerated!

Polarbearflavour · 23/01/2019 17:00

Well I wouldn’t work in an industry that was so strict on time keeping!

Lizzzeaus · 23/01/2019 17:07

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MadeleineMaxwell · 23/01/2019 17:11

I once worked somewhere (private sector, national company) where we had to sign in. The receptionists were ordered to change the pen from black to red at the stroke of 9am so management could see who was late in.

I left before they started making us ask to go to the loo (and because of the absolutely disgustingly rampant racism and sexism).

OP, who cares what that idiot of a manager thinks or says? Jobsworths gonna jobsworth. YAdefNBU.

Itsyersel · 23/01/2019 17:16

@Polarbearflavour my industry is fine, I enjoy it but then I am a hard worker who does not take the mickey!

myrtleWilson · 23/01/2019 17:17

must just work in offices - that sound a bit condescending itsyersel

Lizzzeaus · 23/01/2019 17:19

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wtffgs · 23/01/2019 17:21

Oh FFS - the woman is retiring next week Hmm

GnomeDePlume · 23/01/2019 17:25

This reminds me of my last few days before being made redundant. My Line Manager had made me work every day of my notice period (in a company where gardening leave was normal).

He wasnt interested in what I was doing, he was just offended by the fact that I was being paid off. I tried to hand things over before I left but he brushed me off as he was 'too busy'.

My petty revenge was taken by stripping every useful file from my laptop and putting all paperwork for everything I had been working on in the secure bin (from which there was no return).

A short while after I went a minion was detailed to contact me to ask me where this work had been filed. I explained where any work which had escaped the disposal process had been placed and left them to stew.

JenniferJareau · 23/01/2019 17:26

YANBU. The manager clearly lacks the ability to judge a situation properly (as do some on this thread!)

You had no work to do
No one was covering you therefore you did not inconvenience colleagues
Your role replacement has not stared so you had no one to train or to be back on time for
You indicated that your slightly late return role does not impact on colleagues i.e. like it might in retail as someone else might have to wait for you to return to go on their break.
You have no current input into future work so no company revenue is lost by you returning 30 minutes later than a normal lunch break

For all those insisting (given the circumstances) that OP should have been back on time, you are the type of manager that threads on MN are started about.

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