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?

You need to get in early. It would be too stressy to get the later bus. It’s scheduled to arrive only a few minutes after your start time but what if one of the buses is late?

Agree you need to be extra extra perfect in the early days, they will be forming an impression of you so tiny things can make a big difference.

Get the lay of the land, and once you've settled in you can see whether they may be amenable to a more flexible approach.

Worst place I worked you had to clock in on arrival with an electronic clocking card, this would produce a list of all the employees for each department and their clock in times, anything even a second after 9 am would be highlighted in red.

I don't work in 9-5s any more and this is partly why!

If it's only your first day, then you must turn up early as requested. It won't kill you! And the stress of being potentially late at the start wouldn't be worth the extra time in bed for me.
Good luck with the new job.

You 100% must turn up on time for your first day.
If I told new joiners to arrive at 845 that would be the absolute latest I would be expecting them and it would make me worry about your commitment if you couldn't manage to be on time for day one.

I'm always happy to be flexible with staff and as long as people work their time I'm not hung up on start times but the first day is different.

Be early for the first day

Last time I started a new job I had extreme nerves so woke up at 4 am on the first day and just wanted to get it over and done with. I would have happily gone in a bit earlier!

Get the early one as public transport is likely to be disrupted anyway.

As far as I'm concerned, anybody that starts work at 9am should be there at least 10-15 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.
By the same token, then, presumably anyone whose hours start at 9.00am and finish at 5.00pm should start packing up at 4.45pm to be in the right frame of mind to end work at 5.00pm? Thought not.
Congratulations on your first job, OP. Just for the first day, I would get myself up at 6.00am to be in early/on time as requested, but then look at the lie of the land and hope that your employer is a lot more flexible than some of the commentators on here. I am not a believer in clock-watching and have always been willing to work without overtime over lunch and much later in the day than my contractual hours - that flexibility has meant my employers would allow me to come in late and/or take longer lunch hours, according to requirements. The culture of "presenteeism" for the sake of it is not useful, even if some managers seem to require it for no apparent reason. It creates a bad atmosphere in the workplace and accomplishes nothing, in my experience.

FFS if they have asked you to be there at 8:45 for a 9 start then that's what you do. I am in my late 40's and in ALL of my jobs I aim to get there 15 mins before start time a) this gives enough time to account for late buses etc and b) I can organise myself with a coffee etc before I start at my desk for the day. This is not university this is real life now and expectations are different. Time to grow up a bit IMO

I agree. The times given are starting times not "arrive at" times.

You need to be at your desk or whatever ready to go at 8.45 or 9 not just walking in the door.

They're lucky to have you

Haven't read full thread but if it was me I'd email back and explain the situation with the buses and the waiting around and ask if it's ok to arrive at 8.48. It's only 3 minutes!

As an employer I'd be perfectly happy with this.

You'll never get another chance of making a good first impression to be early and on time.

In RL, people do notice if you clockwatch - especially if you're on probation. Grow up & catch the earlier bus - without a shadow of a doubt, you will increase your chances of failing probation if you turn up to work later than the scheduled time in your contract. Flexibility with working hours normally occur after you've proven you can do the job. You won't be seen as reliable or committed if you turn up late regularly.

@DontPressSendTooSoon
Worst place I worked you had to clock in on arrival with an electronic clocking card, this would produce a list of all the employees for each department and their clock in times, anything even a second after 9 am would be highlighted in red.
I don't work in 9-5s any more and this is partly why!

I used to work in one of those places! I felt so bad about those

Do you want the job or not? It is up to you. If not find another job closer. This travelling will get to you eventually.

The travelling should be an impetus to save quickly and buy a cheap car sooner rather than later. It's not THAT easy to walk into another job especially if you need to explain away why it didn't work out for you in your previous job. Any work experience is valuable and better than NO work experience imo.

First day as a graduate trainee, my car broke down. On the A40 with no hard shoulder. In the rain. In the days before mobile phones.
I phoned up in tears from a phone box and there was much piss taking, after the AA man dropped me off looking like a drowned rat.

Don't be me. I was mortified. Make solid arrangements on your first day.

Although now, 25 Years and various other roles at other companies later, I'm now running the department back at the original company, so it can't have been all that terminal, career wise.

Do you really have to ask?
Are you sure your want the job?
If it’s too much trouble, turn up when you feel like it. I’m sure your new employer won’t mind 🙄

Haven't read full thread but if it was me I'd email back and explain the situation with the buses and the waiting around and ask if it's ok to arrive at 8.48. It's only 3 minutes

Don’t do this! Just don’t!

I haven't read all, but I think 8.48 for 9 am start is cutting it really fine. I'd rather be getting off the bus about 8.30 so I could be on the shop floor ready for 9.

If one of my team was late on day 1 I would be really disappointed. It shows you don’t really care. It’s 1 day for heavens sake!

So much condescending shit from people who seem to be so well indoctrinated and so spineless that they actually take pride in the fact that they work extra hours each week for free. Exactly how early would some of you be prepared to come in if your boss told you it was necessary to be 'ready' to work? 20 minutes, 30 minutes, an hour? Do you also tug your forelocks as you walk in the door?

It's also no wonder that so many younger people despise the older generations when so many take the first opportunity to be snide, insulting and massively superior, not to mention lumping all of them into the 'workshy, snowflake' stereotype. It's not OK to do that to any other group but somehow millenials are the acceptable exception.

Bending over backwards and meekly caving in to the demands and expectations of the companies and employers who are only too willing to exploit and then dispose of us is what has got us led us to this shitty zero-hour contract, gig economy - if younger people are kicking back against it, then good for them.

What a load of shit Notthemessiah even my 15 year old is expected at school 15 minutes before his first class starts for the day.

When at university lecturers very much hate it when people are walking in 2,5 or even 10 minutes after they have started!

When you have a job it is not too much to ask to be on premises getting ready to START at the time you are paid from rather than arriving dead on time and spending 10 minutes flaffing before any work is done.

Also I have found that if you are a conscientious worker then when there are times that you may need to leave a little early or arrive a little later the employer is more receptive.

Respect in the workplace goes both ways one

Good luck with the new job. Just to say 5 or 10 minutes can make a difference, we are a small team and the phone often starts ringing at 9 am when we officially open to the public. If my assistant is not at her desk ready to start at 9 I have to answer her phone which is OK occasionally but it would disrupt my work if I had to do it every day. I think 8.48 is too late to be getting off the bus for a 9am start and if I was you I would ask if you could start and finish earlier, but wait a bit and guage the likely reaction first, or have a word unofficially with a colleague to see what they think.