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

[onlyafewdaystogo]

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 . 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.

manicmij

The manager of the other department was one of the folk who took OP out to lunch. And so presumably was also late back afterwards. Thus unlikely to be telling anyone else off.

Happy retirement, OP.

Yeah he is being a bit silly - more in the way it was handled than actually saying something.

But if there have already been 2 extended lunches, taking a number of staff out, he may be thinking there will be more and longer ... and ultimately the staff as a whole are there to work their contracted hours. If he just lets this go then it becomes a " thing" .

"Oh we always have a long lunch break, when someone's going on maternity leave ... " then when someone's is moving department then going on holiday. Etc etc

Not the best way of dealing with it but he may feel it's a "thin end of the wedge" scenario.

That boss is unquestionably an arse. Pathetic petty and controlling.
During your last week as a valued and loyal employee having long lunches should be standard, expected and given with good grace.
Why am I not surprised at some of the jobsworth and clueless comments on here ?
No wonder so many people are miserable in their work with attitudes like this.
Finally.....I recommend said people read a book entitled " The Customer comes Second."

Stuff him I say.
YANBU
Have a long and happy retirement

But all your colleagues were late back too. No small point. However I still think he's a big misery.

ShowMeTheKittens - in this case, the colleagues were from a different department and their manager was with them too.

The only person this sorry episode throws a question mark over is the Manager. He obviously has no ability to understand the nuances of different situations and lacks any basic cop on and common sense. He also seems to think his staff are children who won't be able to differentiate between an about to retire employee being allowed come and go a bit, and their own ongoing obligation to stick generally to the rules.

Some of the posters on here sound like the above description would also fit them. I have worked with people like that. They are usually ineffective and unpopular.

Quipsandquotes. Exactly! You've put it perfectly!

I think OP could remain dignified and aloof and smile graciously saying "I'm so sorry. I thought the convention allowed the department with which I had a lot of contact and did a lot of business to take me to lunch in my last week. I did not want to be discourteous and leave the lunch early. I will not do it again." Queenly smile, sedate walk back to desk, head high.

Whatever happened to rewarding employees for loyalty? People who are moaning about the OP not doing their job etc..... Surely a manager who is seen to reward an employee who has loyally put in years of service by cutting them a bit of slack in their last few weeks is better for morale??
A Manager who is prepared to 'tell off' someone who is actually leaving soon will not be well respected.

He's a twat

Yanbu to think you are a bit U to try and take him down a peg by gossiping about it with the poor sods you’re leaving behind.

Try not to be too demob happy - other people still have to work with him, sadly.

Wondering what you do and who has been impacted by your absence, if you are on a call desk and others have been taking your work load or clients are impacted by your absence then YES YABU.
You are still employed by the company, supposed to work against your contract and policies etc, what makes you think you could take additional time off, no-one else is able to have later running lunches, you're about to have a lot of time off!! Have your jollies when someone else isn't paying for it. YABU
Additionally - if you're going out for lunch and obviously don't care about your time keeping, why could you not be more self aware and considerate of colleagues and pre-empt a late return by talking about it before hand, agreeing that it would be ok if you were late back, or did you know it wouldn't be OK and now you're trying to feel justified by getting support on here...you're being selfish and thoughtless and behaving in a very self-entitled manner - YABU

Did you actually read the thread Beckybec?

Also, the OP probably told her colleagues because she was shocked. It has nothing to do with being demob happy. People in offices discuss that kind of thing all the time.

You sound like a barrel of laughs Beckybec.

I hope you're not a manager, because God help your staff if you are.

if you are on a call desk

Even worse if you are an SAS sniper on a covert Surveillance mission in the deep battle space, or a surgeon doing experimental head transplants. Luckily, the OP is none of these things.

Christ almighty Babybec
RTFT.

Op works in an office.
Op has NO work to do except tidy her desk for 2 weeks so NO impact on anyone else.

This time it was a different dept and their manager invited her out for a long lunch as is the custom at her work. Nothing to do with her dept.

Try reading at least ops posts before you jump to conclusions next time!

Mentioning to colleagues she got told off for being late isnt gossiping its stating a fact. Does nobody in your work actually talk to each other Undermayor?

no-one else is able to have later running lunches
Every single one of the employees who reaches retirement age? @Babybec

Nobody expected me to do any work in my last few days before retirement. The man is an idiot!

Have a wonderful retirement. I love it.

I’m just back from a 2 hour lunch and a bottle of wine with my boss. No special occasion - just an occasional break from reality.

It makes all the difference in the world having a decent boss who actually behaves like a human!

To all the comments about my post...if you want to disagree with my approach for holding people to account then carry on. I don’t go to work for a ‘barrel of laughs’ and I have boundaries (as maybe the manager that’s getting slated on here does) and because of this I’ve managed some incredibly successful teams as well as having had a very successful career.
You go to work to do a job, this lady judged it incorrectly and there were consequences.

You go to work to do a job, this lady judged it incorrectly and there were consequences.

I don't think she judged it incorrectly at all. Sounds like her manager did, though.

I love how everyone is attacking the manager, he has a job to do, he cannot be seen by other members of Staff to be just alowing people to take the piss with lunches retiring or not!, late back 1 time would be fine but Delibrately taking the piss twice at least Is being unreasonable to other staff and disrespecting the manager. Lots on here moaning about him, I bet its because he was a man.....so much hatred for men on this site!

oh rubbish, I've never worked for a manager like that and I'm 47 and have worked in quite a few places. And nothing to do with him being a man so you can fuck off with that.

Babybec Well I was only late back once. I was doing high trapeze without safety net. Unfortunately my partner had started on time and didn't realise I wasn't there to catch her. I've always worked solo ever since.

@ReflectentMonatomism