Colleague paid for early start

[TheChineseChicken]

I work in a relatively stressful, pressured job in an office. My contracted working hours are 9-5 but everyone starts early or works late (or both) pretty much every day. That's fine, that's the nature of the job.

I've just discovered a new recruit is working 4 days, 8-5 and being paid for those hours. So she's getting paid for the overtime that the rest of us do for free.

AIBU to be annoyed by this? I know you're all going to say that I should ask for the same thing but how to do so without sounding petty?

If you can't manage your workload that's your business.

You have no reason to think she's working inefficiently.

She's not doing over time though, they are her contracted hours.
I understand how it seems unfair but you need to take it up with management , maybe she just has better negotiation skills than you.

I'd ask to change your hours officially as you all do them anyway and you can't carry out the work within your contracted hours. Overtime should be paid anyway, but if unpaid definitely not be an every day thing and you shouldn't be penalised for not doing it.

I'm sure higher up are aware of the fact you all do the same hours officially or unofficially, but for different pay.

So I don't think YABU at all.

@BettySwollocksandaCrustyRack clearly she has!

I work in a senior role.

It is about managing your workload. No one is going to die if you do less hours, if you genuinely know you couldn't possibly work more efficiently, you need to prioritise, drop some work and communicate upwards that's what you're doing.

The only exception to that is self employed people or those with their own business.

I expect you're probably one of those people who's just very busy and important?

Is the new recruit the same senior level as you? If not, they’ll probably not be on your senior level salary. And if you are a senior manager, there are certain expectations which come with that.

If you genuinely cannot fulfil your contracted role within the 9-5hrs 5 days per week, or thereabouts, then this is something you need to raise with your line manager, and/or HR.

To answer to your original OP, if you really are on the same pay grade doing the same job with the exact same skills and previous experience, then no, it’s not unreasonable to feel put out but the onus is on you to raise with your line manager, not bitch about it on a public forum.

I get why you are resentful. This is why condensed hours in these roles don’t work for the reasons flowery outlined.

@chestylarue52 not sure why the vitriol?

@PettyContractor

Most people work inefficiently.

Strange responses on here today. Of course it seems unfair for you to be working the same hours but be paid for fewer. And no, not once did you blame your colleague or say you resented her.
Have other colleagues noticed it said anything? Could you approach management together to voice your concerns?

What vitriol?

Thanks everyone, it looks like my OP was unreasonable and has irritated some, which wasn't the intention.

Clearly OP. However, I do get it's annoying. I work in an industry that doesn't pay overtime, I've been here 21 years. My boss hired his niece who is half my age, by the time she'd been here 3 years she was on the same wage as me. It sucks but it is what it is, I just have the mind set that as long as I'm happy with what I earn then I couldn't give a rats ass about who else earns what.

And it's clear you're not blaming the new employee, like some people have a hard time understanding. People just like the dig the boot in.

If her role and responsibilities are the same as yours, you need to take it up with HR or your union

Clearly....as in not as good as negotiating, wasn't agreeing it was irrating!!

If you are routinely having to do overtime to do your work then you either aren't good at managing time or your employer is taking the piss. You decide which and act accordingly. It's up to you to negotiate your own contract.

How did you find out about her contract?

How do you actually know what’s in her contract? I’d have thought in a job like the one you describe the contents are confidential.

It seems to me that your new colleague has wised up to the fact that people in senior and part-time positions often work longer than their contract states, and she’s worked her way round that. In your next job you should do the same.

Maybe it's because I don't work in a business environment but it seems unfair to me.

chestylarue52

Here's a revolutionary idea; some companies give their employees more work than they could reasonably do in their paid hours and count on them making it up in unpaid overtime. It's taking the piss and big firms have been known to do it...

If it means you can't keep up the workload, then management will either have to take on someone else as well or pay you overtime, you don't work for free.

So she works 4 days a weeks 8-5 but on a condensed hours basis so is paid on a FTE basis. You also work 4 days a week, 8-5 but are classified as PT rather than FT on condensed hours so only paid 4/5 pro rata?

I can understand why you're annoyed, I think you should mention it to your boss.

That's not a revolutionary idea that's the capitalist norm.

Here's a revolutionary idea, don't do it. If you are going to do it, and then say 'it's fine, it's expected everyone does it', then certainly don't start complaining when someone else refuses do it.

The title of this thread is literally complaining that ops colleague gets paid for the hours she works, that's ludicrous. People should get paid to work. If they choose to work for free that's on them but don't start complaining when others don't.

I've never worked more than my contracted hours and I've had a very successful career despite people like op sniping that I never stay late or, if I come in early I leave early.

Nowhere has OP said she thinks this is her colleague's fault or that she resents her for it Of course it's unfair OP and I understand why you'd feel petty raising it with management. And yes, there are many jobs where extra hours are the norm and expected, it doesn't mean OP is working inefficiently. Not sure what the solution is really.

Someone above made a good point that just because her contracted hours start earlier doesn't mean she's being paid more, assuming these are salaried positions and not paid hourly?

If she was getting paid overtime and you weren't then yanbu.

But that's not what's happening. at all. So yabu.