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

[Makemeaname]

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?

Where I work, they are very willing to vary work hours slightly if it makes things easier for staff.

Same here. I've been that employee who agonises over sitting around wasting my precious free time in order to clock in at the specified time, and have no will to impose that on my employees.

But then again I have managed to get my head around the staggering concept of people occasionally needing flexibility within working hours, the ability of people to work somewhere other than their desks, and that there is give and take on both sides.

People saying that they work in finance/hospitals etc and they are fine to come in a few moments late are missing the point. They are experienced professionals who have proved through extensive training and experience that they can be relied on to do the job in question. The OP is inexperienced with no employment track record so needs to be impressing people from the start.

My own DH is nearing the end of his career and is a terrible time keeper but his employers tolerate it because he has a long track record of maintaining great relations with his clients and generating a lot of money for them. If a graduate trainee who was learning on the job were to keep similar hours they probably wouldn’t get past the probationary period but would be replaced with someone equally inexperienced but who seemed more committed and enthusiastic.

BlueCornishPixie some industries are changing. Where I work late is late (and noticed). Many companies have clocking in for staff (eg supermarkets).

Depending on the nature of the work being late can mean missing morning communications, resource allocations etc.

OP was absolutely reasonable to ask the question.

I would go in early on your first day. You will arrive at work more relaxed than if you had been worrying that the bus was going to get held up in traffic or something and all the other new starters are waiting for you.

Do you have some kind of disability that means you need lots of sleep? (only asking because you suggested going to bed at 7). If so it might be that you need to talk to your boss about reasonable adjustments, getting a fit note from your GP etc.

OP, my grown up kids have started their first proper jobs in the last few years. Things they’ve found useful have been:

Sort your 5 outfits out for the week beforehand. You don’t want to be scrabbling around for something to wear when you are half asleep in the morning. Be aware your workplace might be smarter/more casual than you expected so you might need to adjust.

Sort your lunch out the night before.

Expect to be absolutely knackered every night for the first week or so. It’s really much more tiring than uni. Put your evening plans on hold and, if you are cooking your dinner yourself, get some quick and easy food in.

Good luck, I’m sure you’ll be great.

There's no way I'd be deliberately late on my first day, in fact I'd probably be planning to get the earlier bus anyway as the planned arrival time would be too tight to a 9am start for me.

@spiceupyourlife I've (unfortunately) had to spend a lot of time at hospitals under several top consultants with a few relatives. 90% of them have always been late. They don't see the abuse their staff get from frustrated patients who have been waiting on them. They don't see the exasperation the ward staff have trying to work around their time keeping (the nurses are on time, despite often working late).

I work for a top UK brand and if I'm one second late it goes down on my record as a no show. While I'm always last minute in other areas of my life I'm always early for work! I've not known anyone work for a company where time keeping doesn't matter.

OP I'd get the early bus. Take a coffee flask with you and arrive early (think you said 8.30?). If anyone mentions how early you are tell them you only have two buses, one that gets you there really early or the other just before nine - kind of informally set the scene that you'll need to get the later bus usually.

I think you're making a bit of a song and dance about getting up at 6am. Its really not that early and certainly wouldn't warrant a 7pm bedtime...

Oh - and I forgot to say, good luck in your new job!

Even if the bus arrives at 8.48 bang on time, there is still the faff of getting off with other people, then walking to wherever the front door is, getting through any security gate or door, reaching desk, removing coat, turning on PC etc. Nobody will manage all that in 12 minutes.

As pp all say, I'd suck it up for day 1 especially. And probably the first week or two as well (perhaps as ivykaty says, use the extra time to walk from a further stop or find somewhere decent to wait). After you have the lie of the land, then talk to your manager about options. Don't barrel in on day 1 with demands to change things.

First day? Once? (and for very occasional special meetings?) Get there when asked. They are asking you to be there for 8.45 for a prompt collective start, so that you can all get a proper induction, not people straggle in at 9.01 and not start till sometimes whenever.

Have you test run the bus btw. Timetables ime show no relation to actual journey times.

Presuming your workplace isn’t going to be immediately as you step of the bus, then you won’t even be there at 8.48.

Plus, as others have said, the chances of it being on time are minimal.

I doubt that route is going to get you there in time any day, not just the first.

Welcome to the world of work!

I'd be early on my first day, and if it is expected that you are early every day then I'd explain the situation. Surely getting there for 8.48 won't be an issue on a regular day.

of course the other possibility is that (after suitable introductory timespan) you may be able to start work earlier and leave earlier too, so that early bus won't be wasted hanging round, you'll be getting on with the job!

We are really flexible but I had to tell one of my grads a proper telling off for stretching a 10am start because he didn’t do mornings. It came as a shock that I was pissed off he strolled in and made breakfast, had a chat etc and wasn’t working until about 10.20. I had very little sympathy as I leave at 5.30 every morning. He never did it again.

People saying that they work in finance/hospitals etc and they are fine to come in a few moments late are missing the point. They are experienced professionals who have proved through extensive training and experience that they can be relied on to do the job in question

I came on here to say practically the above. Often the flexibility in a role comes over time, once you've proven yourself to be reliable (and have got through your probation as well).

For OP I would recommend getting in to work plenty before 9am and maybe after 2 or 3 months, speak to the manager about getting the later bus. No matter how flexible a firm says they are, you need to make a good impression when you start a new role unless you've explicitly been told start and finish whenever you want. Some posters are saying they have loads of flexibility but not admitting they've been with that firm for a long time or work in a role that's not customer facing where the start time matters.

If OP really doesnt mind the earlier start, it may make more sense to ask to start earlier and finish earlier than risk getting delayed on a bus and starting way after 9am.

stretching a 10am start because he didn’t do Mornings

I know every generation moans about the next generation but seriously, where will it end?

I literally cannot imagine every saying to my employer ‘I don’t do mornings’

The sense of entitlement is astounding, as is the fact they seem to have no hesitation in raising these things with employers too.

Probably best to get there on time.

An early night sounds like a good idea. While 7pm is a bit extreme, perhaps not to be up and posting on social media at 1:30am would be advisable. I know! It wasn't the night before your new job. But it's possible you've got into being a bit of an owl.

I know someone who finds getting going in the morning a real problem (and he's in his 40s, not just getting over some student-type hours). He negotiated a "starting late/leaving late" contract. I totally see this wouldn't work in many jobs and, obviously, you couldn't approach this until you'd been there some time but may be worth thinking of if it's a real difficulty to you. It does eat into his social life though 😕

Me, I'd be so fretting about starting a new job that I'd be awake from 5am or so anyway

@Bearbehind I'm the same age as these grads, although I didn't go to college/uni and started working at 17 instead. I would never dream of doing that either - it's the individual, not the generation

What are your travel costs for public transport?
You could lease a car for just over £100 a month

It's your first day - GET THERE EARLY! What if the there are delays on the route you're intending to take and you arrive after 9am. Don't risk it, it would be a very poor impression to make. If my new hire rocked up later than requested on their first day and then explained what your saying I wouldn't be pleased.

Does your workplace have a staffroom or staff kitchen?

Won't help on your first day, but going forward you can go in there if you have to arrive a long time before work.

Jesus wept, millennials! I have a one who I had to bollock as he was always late/tired because he went to bed after midnight. He now goes to bed earlier after I told him we were going to fire him. And as for flex in the workplace - yes of course a lot of big corps have this, adapting to their workforce. We can WFH, have leeway on hours, time in lieu when we travel BUT being LATE isn't part of flex working. You're just starting out, you need to show that you're reliable, hardworking, engaged when it matters - then you earn the trust to be allowed to WFH some days etc.

Actually, just read back again and realised OP is going to rely on their father for a lift until they, at some point, get a car. The bus thing us only temporary anyway.

OP, you sound a lot younger than 21 or so (I'm assuming your degree took 3 years after leaving school at 18; I realise that may not be the case).

Anyway, enjoy your lie-in this morning.
The bright news is, if you don't manage to get to work on time on your first day, you may get many more opportunities for further mornings under the duvet.