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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to take this time off?

97 replies

gerdyson · 05/10/2020 21:06

I have a set amount of work to get through at work, and I also have the ability to plan my own working week.

When I was setting my work plan a while back, I kept next week free as I was hoping to take it as annual leave. However, clearly with the numbers the way they are, I have cancelled the annual leave request as there's not much point to taking annual leave right now.

The thing is, I am up to date with all my work. I literally have nothing in the diary for next week. So AIBU to sort of take it as unofficial leave and just keep an eye on my emails?!

OP posts:
JamesTKirkcompatible · 06/10/2020 09:01

yes,6-8pm twice is not even one day.

RedskyAtnight · 06/10/2020 09:04

So if you weren't wfh and had to go into the office what would you do there? Would you literally sit and twiddle your thumbs, catch up on your social media and drink endless cups of coffee? Or would you actually find/be given something work related to do?

Limona · 06/10/2020 09:04

No, some people work in places where no one gives a hoot what their employees do as long as the work gets done. OP has done the required work. I honestly think some of you have lost the plot entirely. What SHOULD she be doing?

Nottherealslimshady · 06/10/2020 09:08

What would you be doing if you were working?

Original poster
gerdyson · 06/10/2020 09:09

@Nottherealslimshady

What would you be doing if you were working?
Good point!
OP posts:
notacooldad · 06/10/2020 09:09

Yes, the work is done for now, but what if more comes in next week/a colleague is off sick etc?
Op is keeping an eye on the emails so would be able to respond.

GregariousMountains · 06/10/2020 09:12

Well what I've learned from this is that some people take work far too seriously. Explains the mumsnet obsession with careers I suppose.
I seriously just turn up, do what I have to do and get out, most days counting down the hours to getting out and getting back to my actual life. I would never do extra for the sake of it.
Work is a necessary evil, and I've had all sorts of jobs from waiting tables, through hotel entertainment, shop work, office work, teaching now school improvement. Honestly though none of it I have ever particularly cared about or gone 'above and beyond' just say the right things, nod in the right places get promoted and work on cutting hours.

samosamimosa · 06/10/2020 09:15

@whitewineandmagnums

If it's not skiving or dishonest, I guess you'd have no issue with telling your work exactly what your plan is then?

Thought not.

I asked op that upthread. No reply, of course. She knows it's wrong but doesn't care.
samosamimosa · 06/10/2020 09:16

@GregariousMountains

Well what I've learned from this is that some people take work far too seriously. Explains the mumsnet obsession with careers I suppose. I seriously just turn up, do what I have to do and get out, most days counting down the hours to getting out and getting back to my actual life. I would never do extra for the sake of it. Work is a necessary evil, and I've had all sorts of jobs from waiting tables, through hotel entertainment, shop work, office work, teaching now school improvement. Honestly though none of it I have ever particularly cared about or gone 'above and beyond' just say the right things, nod in the right places get promoted and work on cutting hours.
I hope you weren't my child's teacher or the SIP given your attitude if not really caring Biscuit
Florencex · 06/10/2020 09:17

YABU and dishonest. You could offer to help somebody else.

Limona · 06/10/2020 09:20

Or more likely, they’d wonder why the hell op was informing them of this.

I don’t tell my work when I nip out for a sandwich (well I sign out I suppose, but I don’t tell them I spent an hour sitting by the canal.) I don’t tell them when I go to the toilet, or when I am sitting at my computer googling clothes or holidays. None of these things are against company policy per se, but making a point about announcing them would be extremely odd for one and would make me look like a dick for another.

I might not say “I have just spent fifteen minutes googling flights to Greece”. But I also don’t say “I spent 2 hours working on Sunday” or “I was on holiday and still did about an hour every day.”

Work can’t always be contained rigidly into boxes. During lockdown, I was officially WFH but there wasn’t much to do, that was just how it was.

TryingtobePrepared · 06/10/2020 09:29

@orangejuicer

It would actually be seen as fraud in my place - claiming to be working when not.
At my workplace this would be a breach of the code of conduct. Results could be sack, final written warning, pay docked due to unofficially absent, or at best we'd just get the leave taken and informally told off. I wouldn't do it, apart from all that its dishonest and working with someone who doesn't pitch in isn't great
Hoppinggreen · 06/10/2020 09:30

I would do it.
I often get Freelance work that pays by the day. One task is a 4 day task and it takes me 2 but there is no way I am going to only claim for 2 days.
It’s a very large public sector organisation who have decided that this task is a 4 day task and that’s that. I don’t feel in the slightest bit guilty

jacks11 · 06/10/2020 09:37

YABU- In my opinion. It’s dishonest, which is never a good quality. Just because you do something can do something (and probably get away with it) does not mean you should do it.

I think the telling thing is whether you’d be happy to tell your manager/employer that you are planning on taking “ unofficial time off” as you haven’t got any work to do. If you would not want them to know, then you know you are doing something you shouldn’t. In which case it’s up to you whether the risk of getting caught out is worth any consequences you may face- although I know you’ve said you won’t get caught and no-one would know. Which begs the question re your workload and supervision. Clearly the latter is insufficient if they will not detect that your workload is so easily dealt with that you can take an extra week off, nor will they notice that you are taking an extra week off.

If you are happy for them to know you are up to date with work and so can have the time off, but don’t plan to take annual leave, then fine.

If you have not got work to do, is that because there is less to do due to Covid, or are you generally really under-utilised? I cannot imagine how a member of staff where I work could have so little to do that they can have an extra week free.

BiddyPop · 06/10/2020 10:01

I know its not as good to have annual leave with nowhere to go, but if you need time off work then surely you should still take the leave? And relax at home - deep clean, do crafts, sleep, treat yourself to a home spa, spend time cooking nice things or feeding the freezer, read a novel, phone friends/family ….

Leave does not always need to be used to go on holidays - sometimes its just as useful to use to take a proper break from work.

2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 06/10/2020 10:19

OP do you work for SERCO Track and Trace 🤑😂😂🤣 or maybe the Track and Trace for the White House 🤣🤣🤣 . Trumps Twitter feed writer 🤣🤣 Hancock's researcher responsible for writing answers to parliamentary questions 🤣🤣🤣🤣 or just Johnson's brain. 😁

Limona · 06/10/2020 10:28

Nearly more emojis than words.

peboh · 06/10/2020 10:32

If your manager found out, would they be okay with it? Or would you be looking at a potential disciplinary?
Personally I think it's shady. Before being a sahm, I was a manager and had I have found out an employee had cancelled their annual leave, to then take the week off anyway I would have been absolutely fuming. You're given annual leave for a reason, use that instead of taking the piss. If you're up to date on your work, go ask for other tasks. Work doesn't just run out.

peboh · 06/10/2020 10:35

I also think the fact you've made a thread about it just shows you know you're being unreasonable, you're just hoping enough people are also unreasonable enough to agree with you.

Meruem · 06/10/2020 10:42

My work is like yours, we plan our working week ourselves. There is virtually no work right now due to Covid. My manager is aware. When things come in I deal with them. I've had a lot of time to do nothing. My manager isn't stupid or an asshole. He doesn't expect us to just sit there staring at a screen for 8 hours for the sake of it. As long as you're checking emails and responding to anything that needs it, I'd say go ahead and do it. Just don't tell anyone and no one will be any the wiser.

NoSleepInTheHeat · 06/10/2020 11:56

What if a colleague or manager calls you and you are out?
What if you have plans to see someone / go to a movie / ... and suddenly there is a team meeting with no notice?

I guess you could do it if you stay at home, checking the computer every 30min or so and making sure your skype (or similar) status stays 'active' .
If you do it this way I wouldn't say YANBU as you are available to work at no notice, not your fault that there isn't anything else to do.

Just a thought, aren't you supposed to let your manager know if you have nothing left to do? If yes then your plan is doomed unfortunately.

Runnerduck34 · 06/10/2020 16:35

God i wish i had a job like yours where its not noticed if im working or not! I can't even make a cuppa without someone noticing!!!
Tbh i think its cheeky, if you are paid based on working hours per week, they are paying for your time, so to not do any work for a week is a bit much unless they owe you loads of flexi time

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