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?

Do you not have the choice of sticking to your hours too, if they are in your contract? Surely they can't stop you doing that unless overtime is specified? If so, is it also specified in hers? It doesn't seem fair if she has been asked to do overtime occasionally but doesn't do it. Maybe she has negotiated this though because of childcare arrangements?

How is it inequitable treatment? Op hasn't said her bosses give her and colleagues the hairy eye if they don't work the additional time?

@TheChineseChicken

I'm going to assume that you are both working the same hours but she is being paid the FTE for 34 hours as she has a firm 8am start time whereas you are being paid for 30 hours as your contract doesn't start until 9am (or something similar).

You need to raise this with HR. Don't worry about looking petty, they can either say yes or no but if you don't ask then they will be allowed to carry on taking advantage of the goodwill of their staff. Clearly they are prepared to pay for the extra hours if they are paying your colleague - but no company is going to spontaneously offer a contract renegotiation to a staff member without prompting.

I suppose it depends on your firm and what "extras" they supply too.

I do condensed hours and work a 9 day fortnight. It probably pees some of my colleagues off.

However, I am supposed to start at 8.15 every day but I actually start at 7.30 - but you know what - I had to rush off to visit my very sick (terminal) father in law and will probably have to do so again a few times - my boss just put the time down as compassionate leave - no messing, no recriminations.

I was eternally grateful for the way she is and said I was "so lucky" - she said I am only taking back what I put in - is your firm like that?

If not, stop working unpaid hours, if yes, think about times that you may need their understanding - is it worth it?

I think some people ae over complicating the situation. The new recruit isn't being paid FT - she is being paid (PT) for the hours she works 8-5 , 4 days a week.

OP is paid PT for the hours she works 9-5, 4 days a week. BUT, the OP claims that in order to get the job done she does an extra hour every day.

So, OP says she works the same number of hours as the new recruit.

The issue is whether or not the work load and expectations are the same for both workers.

If they are its not fair. If the new recruit is expected to do 4 hours worth more work than OP then it is fair.

Stop doing overtime for free.

Your new colleague has the sense to get paid what she works- follow her lead.

I feel like I have opened a whole can of worms here! In short, yes I could just stop doing extra hours, plus there's no guarantee that she won't do more hours anyway in which case it all evens out. On reflection perhaps it was a knee jerk reaction and not really something to be annoyed about.

Gotta love AIBU - does what it says on the tin.

She's not paid for an early start, she is paid for her contracted hours.

If you can't get your work done in your contracted hours then you need to either look at your productivity or ask about extending your hours.

On reflection perhaps it was a knee jerk reaction and not really something to be annoyed about.

Good on you OP.

Do you mean that you are contracted for 4 days / 30 hours at 0.8 of your full time salary, and your new colleague is contracted for 4 days / 34 hours at 0.9 of her full time salary (or thereabouts) but you work the same hours anyway?

YANBU to be annoyed by this, but many previous posters have suggested what you could do about it. Personally I'd either stop working the extra hour each day or have a chat with your manager about getting paid for the hours you're working. Good luck!

I am genuinely surprised however by those saying if you work more than your contracted hours you are inefficient / unproductive. I'm not sure I know anyone who works their contracted hours across a variety of careers.

I work mine and get all my work done each week. Its all about planning and getting a good system in place.

This is why everyone should be in a trade union

I am genuinely surprised however by those saying if you work more than your contracted hours you are inefficient / unproductive.

Me too. Would love to see the evidence to back this up but I suspect there isn't any.

OP. Having been fucked over by my employer twice in the last few years, with regards to my terms and conditions, if I work any time over my paid hours I make sure I get TOIL. (Always have done anyway, but feel even more strongly about it now).
I can do my job in the hours I'm there. I think a work life balance is important. I also think that, at the end of the day, employees are completely disposable to the employer, and the more an employee gives, the more the employer will take. And they won't think any better of you for doing it.
Interestingly, apparently managers are the least effective employees, spending the least time on meaningful work (approx 6.5 hours per week!!), according to a researcher on a recent radio 4 show about work.

I'm not at work now btw!

I don't know anybody who DOES work extra for free.

If your job can't be done in your contracted hours then either you're the wrong person for the job (which I'm not saying about you) or your bosses have incorrectly resourced the role and need to employ more people to get the work done.

Or there's the the more likely answer being they just love their staff working and not having to pay them.

It's really not that difficult.

Sorry but YABU. It's very wise to ask to be paid for the hours you do and not unreasonable to only work the hours you're paid for. Either ask for the same or only do the hours you're paid for

Oh no, she's working the hours she's being paid for ......

?

So are you all saying that those working in management consultancy, healthcare, academia, to name a few examples where unpaid overtime is rife, are all unproductive and/or getting screwed over?

The odd occasion is fine but if it's routine then they're definitely getting screwed over. How can they not be?

If salaried, isn’t she just doing 4 more hours per week for the same money as you?

Agree with this. Is your role salaried or hourly paid? You could be looking at it differently than it is.

I have friends who are teachers and I see all the work out of hours they have to pull in. And it's one of the reasons I'm glad I'm not a teacher, and nor would I ever become one.

Also, respectfully, just because you aren't getting paid for your extra hours don't assume everybody else isn't either. You've already discovered your colleague doesn't do it.

@TheChineseChicken Thu 21-Feb-19 13:05:37
chestylarue52 it's not about managing workload as I have described before. It's how it goes in the majority of senior roles...

What senior role pays hourly?

And how & why do you know what your colleague gets paid?

I work in an office based professional role and I don't work over my hours. Occasionally I might need to stay a bit late to finish something off but I'll take that time back as TOIL. I'm not getting paid for regular extra hours so I'm not doing it. In no way has this harmed my career.

Some people in my office frequently work late. IMO they either need to be more organised and efficient or raise the fact that their role is under resourced, if that's the case.