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?

Basically, she wants to be paid for the work she does and you don't think it's fair because you are a martyr to your work, and do extra for free.

I think you and your colleagues are being taken as mugs by your employer.

I've been there and done that, and in the end, no one ever thanks you for going the extra mile! Occasional overtime / catching up is fine, but it shouldn't be the norm. Go in when you start, have your lunch and leave on time. Most jobs aren't so important that the world will fall apart unless you put in unpaid hours (and if they are that important, you need to have that conversation with management)

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.

Thing is OP this makes it sounds as if you're fine with the situation, you're in, because you've said it's fine. Then because the title is "colleague paid for early start" it does sound as if it's this that you resent and think is wrong.

I think yes, many people who work over the hours are screwed over by their employers. How can it be otherwise? Employers are banking on people doing the jobs because they are competitive and if you don't, someone else will. If I were you I would at the very least add up your unpaid overtime. Any issues at work, point out that they owe you this much. Keep it as leverage if at any time you need it.

surely she’s doing condensed hours?! She’s full time but instead of working 5 days a week does longer days over 4 days. I see it a lot in my place of work! One women used to to a couple of 10 hr days so she could be at home onncertain days for childcare reasons

So, start doing your contracted hours then and set a good example too.

OP, I think you're getting a hard time on this thread. You haven't said your line of work, or level of seniority, but in professional roles it is generally assumed that you will work beyond your contracted hours if necessary, to get the work done

A friend of mine applied for compressed hours and was turned down for precisely that reason, to avoid colleagues complaining that she was getting time off in lieu when they weren't

But if you're all salaried, which I assume you are, then you don't know what her salary is.

Her offer could have been say £50k (for sake of maths) and she said I will take that but only do 4 days to which they negotiated her up a half day.

You might be getting paid £60k for 4 days.

You just don't know.

You can only look at what you are paid vs what you are worth and if you are not happy do something about it.

YABU. Your contract is is 9 to 5. Hers is 8 to 5. She gets paid for contracted hours, you get paid for yours. If you choose to work over your contracted hours that is your problem.

I think nocamping's point is an excellent one. It's only really in junior jobs that you are paid by the hour - at a senior level, you are being paid for a role, and hours become notional.

I think you are getting a hard time on this thread too.

My last job had a lot of unpaid overtime. If you didn't do it, you were already behind when you started work the next day. I wasn't inefficient though my boss certainly made me feel that way.

When I left, three successive replacements left within the month. I heard that eventually it required two full time and a part time worker to do my job.

The job I'm in now? We all have the same contract. Some still get paid more than others for helping out. It has caused a lot of resentment and goodwill has all but gone.

"My last job had a lot of unpaid overtime. If you didn't do it, you were already behind when you started work the next day. I wasn't inefficient though my boss certainly made me feel that way.

When I left, three successive replacements left within the month. I heard that eventually it required two full time and a part time worker to do my job."

You've proven my point. Your job wasn't resourced correctly.

And more broadly, if there's any expectation for unpaid overtime it's only because employees have allowed it.

I'll say it again: if your job cannot be done in your agreed hours then your employers aren't doing their job correctly in resourcing it appropriately. If your employer's business model is based on people working for free, then you need to find better employers. They get away with it because employees let them.

I think nocamping's point is an excellent one. It's only really in junior jobs that you are paid by the hour - at a senior level, you are being paid for a role, and hours become notional.

I take you don't work in healthcare then, definitely not true in vocational careers.

It's not as simple as saying you should be able to work contacted hours. At senior level in this kind of job it's a given that you work beyond 9-5 and that applies to many industries and roles
I understand that many jobs including my own cant necessarily finish bang on your contracted time. However are you able to keep note and evidence and get your time back as TOIL?

We are different as we are shift work bit we could attend a Child Protection meeting or a family visit that gies on longer than we intended so we either knock it off our shift and go earlier or start later another time or store it up and take a day off.
I can understand how that extra hours work for no pay would irritate.

mmm25 - No, in academia.

But literally all of the doctors I know work way, way beyond anything approaching a 9-5 day for their salary. The senior ones especially.

I completely understand what you mean OP! In a lot of sectors you are expected to work more than your hours.

In a way I am your colleague in your scenario:
I used to work 9-6 4 days a week (=32h plus 1h for lunch) and used to stay until 7 quite often. Now I do 9-3 5 days a week with no lunchbreak. So roughly same number of hours on paper, however I leave on the dot everyday as I have to get the DC from school. So basically same pay for less hours.
I don’t know what my colleagues think about it... if someone says something to me I would tell them to ask for a different work pattern themselves I guess.

Sorry you’re getting a hard time OP with everyone saying he fault lies in you working extra hours. I think the only way to resolve this is to raise it with mgmt. to be fair staff at similar grades working ft really shouldn’t be on different contracts that creates unfairness like this.

If everyone does that how do management know they need more staff then? You either have too much work to do and need extra staff or you're not working efficiently and could be doing it in the time allowed. Don't be doing extra for nothing!

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

This. Don't buy into the idea that the extra hours are just expected. Challenge it. Do your hours and ask the boss what they want you to prioritise as there isn't time to do everything.

If I were you I would approach HR BUT I would do it a bit differently. If I were you I'd say that the role is too big to manage on a part time basis but you would be prepared to do condensed hours over 4 days to make sure that everything gets done. It's not unusual for people to do extra hours but it's difficult when you're part time and being expected to do a FT job in those hours (which I imagine is the case). You have to be really firm on your boundaries.

A friend of mine applied for compressed hours and was turned down for precisely that reason, to avoid colleagues complaining that she was getting time off in lieu when they weren't

When my son started infant school I also asked for this and was turned down- again for the same reason. I was able to reduce my hours (and of course pay) though.

I’m in one of those sectors OP, and yes, I think we’re getting screwed over by our employers. I think it’s particularly rife in those areas where the immediate effect of doing less is felt not directly by the employer, but by someone else - patients, students, etc - and the employers take advantage of their employees sense of responsibility to the service user to continue to ask for more than can be possibly done in working hours.

Agree with PPs This is a problem in granting condensed hours,If the culture is that people regularly work slightly extended hours,And surely in most jobs you do. Not many people where I have worked start on the dot of ( Or whatever )m take a full lunch and finish on the dot of 5.They wouldn't have lasted very long if they had!!This is probably wrong,but is just how it is

But it's not overtime... it's condensed hours.

I would be irritated as well. It is not until you are actually IN this situation that you realise the unfairness of it. How did you find out about the extra payment?

I think the problem is not with your colleague but the management for their unreasonable expectations.

Only do your contracted hours then. If they want you to finish your work load ask for overtime to come in early the next day.