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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:
Heifer · 24/01/2019 08:26

Sounds to me that you are retiring at the best possible time - imagine having to work with this joyless manager for years to come!

You know how things work in your organisation, it's normal in the places I've worked to allow this.

Just smile and inwardly think what a prat.

Enjoy your last week or so with your friendly colleagues.

dorisdog · 24/01/2019 08:32

Happy retirement, OP. There's a lot of jobsworths on this thread...how are you all going to cope when we have Fully Automated Luxury Communism ;-)

londonrach · 24/01/2019 08:32

You do work to livenot live to work. Poor guy. Happy retirement. Arrange to meet on thursday to discuss your late lunches x

SaturdayNext · 24/01/2019 08:36

I think several lunches is taking the mickey a bit

Why, allthegoodusernames? OP has only been late back twice.

Squickety · 24/01/2019 08:42

No-one would bat an eye at this where I work, especially as you've been there a long time. In fact I would say it's almost expected....so few people these days stay in jobs a long time and then retire (as opposed to leave) that it's seen as a real celebration, for the few we've had there have been multiple lunches with different groups of people, everyone takes1.5 - 2 hours, as long as work is covered no-one minds. Ignore him, he's probably doing it to show the others how 'in charge' he is.

GnomeDePlume · 24/01/2019 08:56

I guess the thought 'I must be seen to make a point' thought got to his mouth before the 'why does this instance actually matter?' thought had fully formulated.

Of course once that has happened if he is a bit insecure he cant be seen to backtrack.

Hey ho OP, soon this will be just part of the dust you shake out of your shoes as you head off to enjoy your retirement.

AnneElliott · 24/01/2019 08:56

Happy Retirement op - your manager is a knob. I manage a team and this would not bother me at all.

In fact I'm going to a do shortly which is pretty much all day! And the entire workforce are being allowed to go!

fuzzyduck1 · 24/01/2019 08:57

That would piss me off!

I’d push it ask if he’s making it official demand a written copy of the verbal warning (telling off) cancel your retirement go off sick with work related stress for 6months at least until they start talking about paying you severance pay to leave.

Or you could put in a formal (in writing) complaint about him and the way he is treating you. Are you in the union? Get them involved. His bosses ain’t going to like sorting out the mess he’s created and will have him marked as a twat.

Or just call him a cock hit delete on all your work on the system and storm out.

You’ve got nothing to loose

Greyhound22 · 24/01/2019 08:58

I have one of the highest performing teams in the country for what we do. I allow them to work flexibly, most don't take their full lunch break every day so if they want to go shopping/meet someone for a couple of hours every so often then I don't mind. I allow annual leave at short notice (if this doesn't affect the team/work) and encourage them to go to school plays etc.

I have worked in call centres and retail. I understand the need for a tighter ship but everywhere I have worked is full of miserable staff that can't wait to be out of there and so the staff turnover is astronomical.

None of my team take the piss and go above and beyond. They have never missed a deadline and are happy and jovial in the office.

There are some people that need micro-managing but if you get the right team you're sorted.

The manager in the OP isn't showing what a strong manager he is. He is showing himself to be a complete jobsworth and of not knowing when to pick his battles. He should also be bloody ashamed of potentially upsetting someone on their last week of work - even if they've been a pita for their entire career (not saying OP has) just let them go with some nice memories.

Grace212 · 24/01/2019 09:13

OP
what a numpty he is

enjoy your retirement - so exciting! [flowers}

Sowing747 · 24/01/2019 09:28

@Greyhound22 you and your team/company sound lovely!

Without wanting to out you, which industry (or even company...) do you work for?

Singlenotsingle · 24/01/2019 09:32

Didn't you just tell him not to be so stupid? Shock

flightofthedoves · 24/01/2019 09:35

"Manager knew she was going out to lunch - did OP tell him or did he overhear, she's never said?"

Yes she did say. She posted that she asked him if it was okay to go to a retirement lunch with another dept who wanted to take her out and he nodded.

Why don't people read the thread?????

flightofthedoves · 24/01/2019 09:42

"Thing is if he lets it go you coming back half hour late from lunch more than once in a week he doesn’t really have a leg to stand on with other team members who will still be there after you retire."

It would take a particularly thick employee to not understand the difference between someone who's retiring in a few days being cut a bit of slack re timekeeping, and current employees regularly taking leeway with time.

Greyhound22 · 24/01/2019 12:19

Sowing I work in the charity sector. We lead a large project.

Asta19 · 24/01/2019 12:26

@Greyhound22
It's clear why your team is one of the highest performers!
When you treat people like adults they act like adults, when you treat them like children....

Anniegetyourgun · 24/01/2019 13:38

Well yeah. The obvious answer to any other employee trying to follow the long lunch example is "When you have worked for this company for 25 years with an exemplary timekeeping record, you too may have two extra half hours for lunch just before you retire". Which would, one hopes, make them see how petty THEY are being instead of how petty the manager would have been.

Personally I'd have been tempted to go off sick the following day (wouldn't have done it though, unless I was at least a little bit ill).

Anniegetyourgun · 24/01/2019 13:39

ps I made up the 25 years, OP just said "many".

FuckingYuleLog · 24/01/2019 14:42

But you don’t have to have worked 25 years (or however long) to be entitled to extended lunches - everyone the op is going with is having them as well! So if Martin from accounts gets to scive off all afternoon for one of the ops lunches why can’t Sally and Barbara do the same when Helen leaves to have a baby etc etc.

Paddington68 · 24/01/2019 15:13

A smile, a nod, a kipper down behind the radiator when you leave.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 24/01/2019 17:06

Paddington

Grin Grin Grin

WaxMyBalls · 24/01/2019 17:25

The lunch partners also getting extended lunches is a matter for their team manager, not OPs. For all any of us know they could have worked the extra time to make it up.

Angiemum24 · 24/01/2019 17:34

Maybe go over his head and tell the ceo about him having a broom up his arse and a god complex. Sometimes it# not good for employee morale.

exaltedwombat · 24/01/2019 17:39

Of course, all the people who took you out got back late too....

FuckingYuleLog · 24/01/2019 17:42

If another manager has spoken to the ops manager about it then it becomes an issue for them.

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