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?

@ghostofharrenhal I was mortified and crying and he was worrying something had happened to me

@Yabbers
I'm not sure if that was intended for me, but I'm going to assume it was and say that I'm glad for you, but where I live 12 minutes is cutting it much too fine and the OP doesn't seem to be aware that being late, particularly when you're young and new so they don't know they can rely on you, is not a good idea. Perhaps it will work fine for her, I hope it does, but surely you can't deny it's a risky plan?

but surely you can't deny it's a risky plan?

Nope. Get there for 8.45 the first day, that makes sense. Try the later bus for a couple of days, if it doesn't work, re-assess. Any job that judges you for a couple of minutes here or there isn't one you want. Plenty out there which don't. There is no way I would start from a position of adding an hour to my work day for the sake of a minute or two. That's not an efficient use of my time.

Thankfully that archaic presenteeism model is dying out. I have had 5 job interviews in the last two weeks and every single one of them has a flex start time arrangement because they recognise people have different needs. And that's in a very traditional industry.

OP might be a rising star, she might be absolutely amazing at the job. If they are going to write her off because of the bus timetable, more fool them.

Any job that judges you for a couple of minutes here or there isn't one you want.

Yabbers i’m glad you have the luxury of chopping and changing jobs when you fancy it. Most of us don’t have that luxury - bills to pay and all that.

The OP has clarified that she is in a vulnerable position anyway, being a temp, where they can get rid of her extremely easily. This is the type of job where you need to err on the side of caution with arriving early, not long term but certainly until the induction/training period is over and she’s got her own tasks to manage herself.

Yes, in an ideal world things can be flexible from day 1; and i’m certainly not advocating working for free long term, but you have to admit that with the job market as it is; it’s not exactly sensible advice to tell a young grad with zero work experience that they can leave and find a better, more flexible job easily? I imagine the reason the OP has taken this temp job with no prospects because other jobs were not available?

If you're on a temp contract, turning up just in the nick of time is likely to get you fired within the first month.

Being in work early means you can get yourself together, have a coffee/juice and be at your desk logged in and working at 9am on the dot (which is usually what places mean by starting at 9, not walking in the front door).

It's not pleasant when you're not used to it, but as you're starting out, you're really vulnerable to misjudging what is and isn't acceptable in a workplace - whatever you do, don't tell them upfront that you can't cope with being in work at 8.45 or that you'll walk out/jack it in if they ask for an extra half hour here and there, as they'll just get rid of you in favour of somebody else who says they're prepared to 'be flexible'.

You need references to get a better job - you won't get the references you need from places where they remember you as the one who kicked up a fuss about the idea of being there for 15 minutes extra or was regularly coming in at 9.25am because 'the bus was late'.

@graceslicjsrabbit how very odd that the nurses were so critical of them too... (I got to know some of the nurses very well while spending so much time there). And I don’t totally trust some of them, no, but you don’t really discover who you trust until things get messed up.

Bollocks to that. Turn up at 8.48. No one will notice the three minutes. You're not starting til 9 anyway.

Get the earlier bus. Work is very different to uni. I cannot imagine how stressed I’d feel to cut it fine every day. I hate being late.
I also dislike it if my team are late, strangely enough it’s always the person who lives the closest.

I can't imagine relying on public transport and only leaving 13 minutes spare. I drive and still get there 25 mins early as you never know what you'll come across on the journey in.

Good luck in the land of employment OP.

I work in finance and there's a massive spread of when people come into the office - official start time is 8.30, I'm in for 8, there's a small core of people who get in at 7 and a couple who appear to think the start time is 9

Most of us early starters do it purely to miss the traffic.

Public transport is crap. I have to arrive at work an hour early as the trains after that are often really late so it cuts it too fine. Having said that, I do sympathise as in one of my jobs I had to hang around a pitch black industrial estate until they opened at 9am and that wasn't fun.

The bus may say it arrives at 8.48 but that doesn't include traffic or any delays.

Having said that, I am a manager now and if someone arrived early the first day and advised about issues with public transport, I wouldn't have an issue adjusting start times to make things easier, though in other jobs this wouldn't have been possible. I do however always leave just after my finish time and ensure my team do as well, but if they have to stay five/ten mins sometimes they will do and I don't notice if they are 5 minutes late another day. Unfortunately not all employers are like this

DS1 is in his first 'real' job since uni. It's been made very clear to him that being late, even by a minute, really, isn't on. There's a team meeting every morning at 8.30 am. He found it quite hard to adjust to for a long time, but has now realised the advantage of being early as you get time to set yourself up for the day and ease yourself in to working. He's much happier since he's made the decision to not be Mr last minute.

Please, OP, take the earlier buses, especially on the first day. You'll be able to check out the the work environment. There may be a canteen that you can eat breakfast in before you start work in the morning. Quite a few people do that where I work.

Gosh, I'm glad I don't work in any of these places.

My last job the expectation was you'd be in before nine, that was fine. It was client based, so they used to look askance if you were later than that really. But if traffic was unexpectedly bad, or your public transport went wrong no one would bat an eyelid if you were late. When you habitually underestimated the traffic people started getting tetchy but never more than a "please can you try and leave a bit more time for your journey". Equally those, no one would ever care about 5 mins unless you had a meeting.

My new job is waay more chilled. People arrive any time between 7:30-10, and leave any time between about 4 and 6:30. I keep a time sheet. I take however long I want for lunch, and as long as I work the requisite hours (and frankly even if I don't as long as the work is done) no one gives a damn when I come or go.

Much better.

I definitely agree that getting there early for the first day is a good plan and I would then check "I was thinking of getting the X bus, it gets in at 8:43. Do you know if anyone else gets that? I can get an earlier one but it takes a lot longer and is more expensive so I'd prefer to get this one if I can but I don't want to be late!" Then they can either "oh my gosh it's a nightmare it's always 30+ minutes late" or "hmm I'm not sure" or "oh gosh don't worry about whether you're here for 9 exactly, we don't clock watch here" etc and you can judge the lie of the land. I wouldn't mention the having to get up earlier thing though, just because some people are funny about that. We do mock one of the chaps who always rolls in after 9. But it's just gentle ribbing and no one thinks any less of him.

Think my last job was way too gentle on me - hours were 9-6, there was a queue for the carpark at 8.57 and a queue for the exit doors at 5.58!

But yes all you do make sense - if it was driving I'd aim to get there for say 8.45 for a 9am start anyway, and buses are even less reliable, but also less flexible so I was trying to do the easiest route which isn't the most sensible.

You need to reword this and ask yourself if it's acceptable to be late on your first day.

Turn up at 8.48. No one will notice the three minutes.

It's a bus. It doesn't come with a guarantee.

As far as I'm concerned, anybody that starts work at 9am should be there at least10-15 minutes early every day in order to get situated and in the right frame of mind, ready to actually begin work by 9am. Shouldn't be turning up at 9 or 5 to and then ending up starting late every day. YABU

Don’t be ‘that’ person on your first day. Not the best impression to give.

Its only one hour as a one off so i would do it. Go for a coffee and arrive on time. You can only make a good first impression once!

For after the first week: after you get your paycheck, bear in mind that 18 miles is the perfect e-bike distance. Just sit on it and chill, no change of clothes required. Or non ebike if you have changing facilities at work and want to get v fit.

Can you not talk to your new boss and explain/ discuss the situation???

On your first day, probably better to go in at the earlier time advised.
However for future working days, it's fine to arrive at the stated time. After all, you're not being paid for the extra 15 minutes every day. If people get into the mindset of being 15 minutes early every day, they are effectively giving employers about 5 free hours per month and few employers deserve it.

I think for the first few months you should aim to be there about 15 minutes late to avoid being late. After probation is gone you can relax a bit. Some managers are a pain about time keeping. I kind of had to "educate" mine and my arrival time is relatively flexible as long as I do all my hours. Good luck in v your new job!

One manager once told me that starting time means starting working time not running trough the door and switching on computer and running making a cup of tea time. He was kind of right but I always cut very thin with time keeping. Is more efficient

I always worked 09:15-17:15 as I ended up not being able to rely on getting in before 08:59 or get in for 07:59. If it's an issue going forward, do say something and ask if you can get in for 08:50 if required. For one day you have to swallow it I'm afraid.