Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to get to not get up an hour early for the sake of 5 minutes?

244 replies

Makemeaname · 20/06/2019 01:23

Starting a new job next week, reliant on public transport for now. My hours are 9-5, have found a reasonable route which I would have to go out at half 7 and would get there at 8.48.

Just had an email through requesting me to be there at 8.45 for my first day, for a 9am start. There will be others starting the same day. WIBU to still get the bus I was aiming for, rather than having to leave the house at half 6 and hang around like a lemon for 55 minutes?

OP posts:
Original poster
Makemeaname · 20/06/2019 03:03

@crisps hopefully my dad will give me a lift when he's back from his holiday and then im aiming to buy a cheap car in a couple of months.

OP posts:
BoomBoomsCousin · 20/06/2019 03:09

Definitely go early for the first day. Then judge whether the 7:30 route will work for subsequent. I agree with those who think it tight because of potential delays. It sucks to have such spaced out commute choices.

You do not have to have your computer up and running by 9. Court rulings have firmly placed sorting out company equipment into the counts-as-work-time category. But you need to be ready to work and that means coat off, at your desk, coffee in hand or whatever other little routine or rituals you need to have done before you can focus on doing what you are paid to do. And if you want to shine at work, a few extra minutes at the beginning of the day can often give you at the least the appearance of a bit more polish at what you're doing. There will be a company culture that guides you to some extent - aim to be on the conservative side off it.

mouldyhousemouldylife · 20/06/2019 03:13

The 8.48 option is giving you no room for delays! We all know public transport isn't perfect.

Alicewond · 20/06/2019 03:19

This is normal life, you have to arrive earlier than your start time. So you are ready to work at it, coat off, cup in hand

Birdie6 · 20/06/2019 03:25

It isn't "getting up an hour early for the sake of 5 minutes" OP. It's "getting up early so I keep my job". Welcome to the real world - this is what you do, getting up early and getting to work early so you can keep your job. Don't be that person who thinks that sleeping late is the most important thing in life .

Durgasarrow · 20/06/2019 03:29

Be early. Be professional. Be prepared.

Graphista · 20/06/2019 03:30

For starters it sounds like you haven't done the journey before or certainly not at that time so you've no idea how reliable the transport is, or not!

I'm an army brat so I was raised "on time is 10 mins late" I like to be early ESPECIALLY for stuff like this, making a good first impression really does count.

On your first day you don't want to risk appearing at all flustered so if there is a delay, you ladder your tights and need 5 mins to change or it's windy and you need to tidy yourself you'll have time to do all that.

Being early shouldn't be a problem but just in case be prepared for bad weather or indeed unseasonably warm.

I also agree 12 mins for "normal" days is cutting it too fine, it really wouldn't take much of a delay on both buses - less than 10 mins for each - for you to end up late.

Also remember 9am is your start time, not the time you're walking in the door! You should be starting actual work at 9.

In today's climate where certainly in the first few months of employment they can basically get rid of you for no reason at all you don't risk giving them an excuse!

stressedandsore · 20/06/2019 03:32

In the work place you need to be present and correct 10 mins before your shift starts usually. It gives time to put away bags and coats etc and you to be READY to work on the dot.

Not just turn up at 9am, put everything away and start work a few mins later.

PhilCornwall · 20/06/2019 04:42

Welcome to the world of work, guess it's going to be a shock.

TheHandsOfNeilBuchanan · 20/06/2019 04:54

Get the early bus the first day, but after that it depends on company culture, where I work core hours are 10-3 and everyone has flexi, you don't have to ask at practitioner level unless you want more than a half day toil you just work your hours to suit you and your service users, they don't tend to be early birds and some work so there's an expectation of at least one lateish day a week (7/8pm). So even if the early bus got you in at ten past nine going forward, it wouldn't be an issue here. Of course you won't know that until you've been there a week or two

TenSheets · 20/06/2019 04:55

Just do the early route on day 1, and while you're there explain this exact situation to your manager. I don't know what the job is but given your temporary situaron with transport it may be acceptable to them for you to start slightly after 9, rather than be 55 mins early every day.

Namechangeforthiscancershit · 20/06/2019 04:57

Maybe the bus route will be reliable but I wouldn't want to be stressed out on your first day at all.

StealthPolarBear · 20/06/2019 05:05

Ooh lots of patronising comments on this thread and people who haven't read the op's updates.
Good luck for your new job op.

halfemptynest · 20/06/2019 05:25

Is there an option to call your manager to confirm you are happy to catch an earlier bus to meet their request but it means arriving very early? You could then explain your regular journey has you arriving just a little past 0845. In our workplace we often assume everyone drives or can meet every request such as this but when the difficulties are explained, of course those few minutes don't matter. Any reasonable boss would see that. Communication is key. I'd be mortified if someone put themselves out like that or to great expense and hadn't just picked up the phone to explain. Sometimes we put a lot of unnecessary pressure on ourselves. Good luck on your first day Smile

Ballygowenwater · 20/06/2019 05:27

Loads of people seem to work in really unreasonable places here. Be early the first day but catch a minute to explain to your boss that the bus normally gets in at 8.48 and I can’t see them having an issue with you starting 10 mins late and finishing 10 mins late. In my experience most employers are also human.

YouJustDoYou · 20/06/2019 05:31

When I was a teenager I would have to leave two hours early for a 15 minute train ride because they would sometimes just send the train straight through my village without stopping just to try and make up time for the fact they were always late. It was horrible. But yes, you need to go at that earlier time.

GetRid · 20/06/2019 05:41

Firstly, well done on your new job op.

Secondly, get the earlier bus.

Thirdly, buy a cheap car as soon as you can

BananaCatto · 20/06/2019 05:48

I’m surprised you got a new job with an attitude like this.

It is your JOB. You have been told to come in early on your first day so that’s what you do.

I bet you don’t last long there. Every week you’ll have another issue crop up won’t you?

SinkGirl · 20/06/2019 05:48

I feel your pain, I have to use public transport for my (very part time) job - trains are hourly and really awkwardly timed (they get into the station at the other end at 59 minutes past the hour mostly). If they were just five minutes earlier I’d save a whole hour of DH having to drop his work and look after our twins. I do it though, because being late isn’t on.

KatherineJaneway · 20/06/2019 05:55

No way should you be late on your first day. No way should you call in advance about the 8:45 start time. Get there early and sign in at reception and wait.

I agree that a car sounds like it would make your life much easier.

Good luck.

CountFosco · 20/06/2019 06:08

Good thing I don't work at some of these places, we (blue chip pharma) are very relaxed about time keeping as long as the work is done (admittedly that does sometimes mean strange hours are required so flexibility works both ways)! What's your job OP? We tell new starts to arrive at 8.45am on the first day so they are ready to start at 9am, so wouldn't be worried by 3 mins 'late'.

reefedsail · 20/06/2019 06:23

Maybe the OP's workplace will turn out to be flexible Count. The point is she doesn't know that. She's been given a specific time to arrive on the first day and was actually questioning that for the sake of an hour's sleep.

I'm grateful to have this job so I'm going to go the extra mile to be all over it, at the very least until I know how the land lies. That attitude is starkly absent isn't it?

coconuttelegraph · 20/06/2019 06:24

Are you joking ballygowanwater?

You know absolutely nothing about the op's situation but you're sure it's fine for her to turn up late every day? It's early but that's got to be a contender for stupidest comment of the day.

Tbh up your travel arrangements don't sound realistic in the long teem

Lauren83 · 20/06/2019 06:24

I would also get the earlier one, you may have to consider getting it more often as you won't leave yourself much time for potential delays/roadworks

Ballygowenwater · 20/06/2019 06:30

@coconuttelegraph

Given that the attitude towards flexible working is (slowly) changing in favour of it I hardly think it’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard that they might be flexible about 10 mins. Especially given from what we do know it seems OPs job is a 9-5 of some sort. My job allows me to start and finish flexibly as do most in my area- outside of your spectrum maybe but not outside the realms of possibility.