To be a bit pissed of with new working hours?

[Binting]

I work in a busy team in the public sector as admin support. I’ve always been flexible with my hours to meet the demands of the professionals I work with. Major things can come in at the last minute and I’m happy to stay and help out late and make up a bit of time later in the week if the deadlines are tight. My colleagues are paid way more than me and don’t have set hours as they are expected to do the work necessary to get the job done, they get better pay, more holidays and a better pension as a result. I earn below the average wage.

I have just reduced my hours to 28 a week and wanted to check what the arrangements would be regarding flexibility during my working day, i.e. if i stay late can i make up another day or could i take 30m lunch and leave a bit earlier or save the time up. Today i was told i need to do 9-5 with an hour for lunch. For such a large organisation there is nowhere i can go in my building to sit away from my desk and eat lunch, so it would mean going out and probably spending money, or sit at my desk for an hour and try not to get into answering queries, phones or look at emails popping up (which i don’t mind doing for half an hour, but not for an unpaid hour). I’m not someone who would normally say i can’t help because I’m on my lunch, but now I feel like i’ll be forced to do that (I actually won’t do that, i know i won’t). What will happen is i’ll end up working over my hours to help everyone out, but I’ll feel a bit resentful about it. I just don’t see why it can’t be a bit more flexible, as it has been for the last few years and as it is for the higher grade staff. Should i just suck it up, stick to the hours and let it affect my colleagues (sorry, can’t stay to finish that typing, fix the copier, scan that over to X as it’s 5pm and I’ve done my 7 hours) which will force them to plan ahead regarding my assistance, or what?

I’m feeling a bit grumpy about the whole thing but i do need to handle this in a professional and dignified way. WWYD?

The bit I don't understand is - is this new? Presumably you're now working 4 days a week (4 x 7 = 28) and previously you were working 5 days but the same hours per day? Or have I missed something?

Isn't there some ruling on a rest room/kitchen facilities needed for over 10? employees?

@Sculpin, I had been doing compressed hours 35 /4 so only had 30m lunch which I generally worked through. I liked working 4 days as it helps my disability, but the longer days in winter were very difficult so I decided to apply for part time. My manager has always been quite flexible but now say they don’t want to set a precedent to others.

@horse, we have kitchens but there’s no room to sit down in them (over 10,000 employees across different sites and buildings) there are plenty of cafes around but not staff rooms. To be honest we are expected to follow the suits’ lead and either lunch at our desks or eat out.

That sounds like pretty normal working hours to me. It's a bit unreasonable not to have a break area of some sort.

Cross posted with your last message.

It sounds like they did you a favour in the past. That does not make them unreasonable to ask for these hours now.

Oh OK, I see.

I work in a similar environment to the one you describe, and yes, I would say the admin staff do leave at 5 on the dot whereas the higher paid staff stay late. I think that’s fair enough given the difference in pay.

Sounds perfectly reasonable.

You worked different hours before - you're now working shorter hours so the "rules" are different.

I think I’m expected to carry on as before and be available all day and I’ll now look like an unprofessional jobsworth for moaning. That means they would get over 30 hours work from me for the bargain price of 28. Good for the budget!

I honestly would work to rule otherwise you will earn less and still work the same hours!!!

So you’re doing 7 hours a day, four days a week?

What pattern were you hoping for / envisaging?

Take a book in and read at lunch time preferably with headphones on.

If there's no where to sit down is that because people are having meetings in the lunch rooms?
Yanbu op, that's a bit rubbish of them. Flexibility often costs very little but what you get back in terms of good will is very valuable.

I think you should stick to your hours, and leave your desk over dinner, go for a walk, hide in the toilets, anything!

What was the official line in flexibility before, Where you doing 8-6 previously? If so did you work before your start and after your finish time, or where you there to do the ‘extras’ because you had an early start it late finish anyway?
For lunch tbh I would close down my email, not answer phone calls and make a point of noticeably ‘being on lunch’ if there’s no facilities for you to eat in.

I can see how it looks reasonable to some people, that they did me ‘a favour’ in the past (which I reciprocated by doing unpaid overtime as necesssary). Ok, so now I need to think about what to do during my lunch hour away from my desk. There is no break room, I’m a bit skint so can’t afford cafes, and it rains a lot where I am, any suggestions?

Turn off computer, pull out a book and put headphones in on breaks. For a full hour. Let people know that you have been instructed to take the full hour break so they don’t continually come asking you when you are obviously on a break.

You don’t have to moan, you would just leave on time.

Is there anywhere you can request tables in the library? Or somewhere with benches outside?

It seems unfair you have to eat at your desk.

I actually do understand the lunch thing. I worked in a similar set up to that you describe and always only took 30mins for lunch. I didnt want to waste another 2.5 hours unpaid sitting in the office every week, either working or twiddling my thumbs. It was always fine but a new manager came in and insisted I took an hour. I successfully argued back that the law doesn’t state that, it says 20minutes if you work over 6 hours. So she did back down and I carried on taking half an hour.

I agree that having to take an hour is a frustrating waste of time. I think some companies insist on it because they know you’ll work for free.

Take up knitting? Learn a language on Duolingo? Listen to a mediation?

Agree with pp. use your lunch hour wisely. Go for a walk, can you pop to the shops? Is there a park nearby? You could sit there and read/have lunch.
Maybe treat yourself to lunch in a cafe once a week.
Book and headphones at your desk if you absolutely have to sit there.
You are entitled to have a break away from your desk so make sure you take it.

assume you don't have a car to sit in? perhaps do your own life admin? online shopping etc?

Cross posted with others’ suggestions.
There is no place to eat your own lunch in my building, so it would be more like me hogging a meeting room.
Before was very flexible and I kind of created my own problem by checking if flexibility was still ok with my new contracted hours. I envisaged doing basic 9-5 with the freedom to stay late when needed and coming in later/going home a bit earlier to make up for it.

I think this is very short sighted of your manager but unfortunately have seen this happen many times. I would stick to your hours as directed, including not working during your unpaid lunch hour - go for a walk now the weather is getting better, read a book, earphones on and listen to music, knit - whatever appeals to you. Your teams need for more flexible support won't have changed but you need to refer every request to your manager and agree in advance that you will be able to take the time back if you work through lunch or stay late. If this is not agreed then you don't do it. I am sure this will feel uncomfortable at first but you do need to stand your ground and hopefully common sense will prevail. A few months ago the manager of a neighbouring team decided that her team could only have a drink during a fixed 15 minute breaks morning and afternoon rather than 'as and when' and would no longer authorise time off in lieu if people worked late. This was contrary to the organisations Flexible Working Policy (ask to see yours) and also lost all good will from the team who then worked set office hours, took their full (unpaid) lunch hours and 15 minute tea breaks. Manager revoked the new arrangements in less than 3 weeks as the service could not function without flexibility/give and take.

Can you check the 1h lunch rule with hr? Public sector bodies I know do make you take lunch for wellbeing reasons but usually only stipulate 30 mins, not a full hour.