To think that pre 9am and post 5pm meetings are just wrong??!

[Youngatheart00]

I’ve noticed this creep recently, working day extended by up to 90 mins / 2 hours especially as I am in a lockdown area so they pretty much know we can’t be doing much else but be available for work (🙄🙄). They are justifying it as no one is commuting so figure it should be acceptable and ‘there is a lot that is urgent and diaries are full’.

Looking at my diary this week I have 3 days with 8am meetings and 2 days with 5pm and 5:30pm meetings (working hours are 9-5). Also seeing meetings scheduled over lunch, they introduced a protected lunch hour at the start of enforced wfh but that seems to have gone out of the window too.

It seems we’ve entered peak zoom over scheduling and with no change of scenery of f2f interaction by 5pm I’m absolutely spent and just need to get out to walk the dog!!!

It’s a salaried role so there is no overtime pay.

I don’t mind the occasional meeting out of hours if urgent but AIBU to think they are unreasonable, not me, and start pushing back?

I think a lot depends on your organisation, your seniority and your role, e.g.

On 22k, junior and don’t manage anyone - probably fine to clock out at 5-5:30pm regardless

On 75k, mid level and manage a small team - I think you need to show flexibility and focus on managing your diary, if there are pointless meetings during the day can you decline them?

It does depend on your role and the level of autonomy you have.

I have no problem declining late meetings. I'm fine with 8 o'clock starts, as that's when I always started my working day pre Covid anyway.

With WFH, you need to make sure you're not overworking and don't get zoomed or teamed out with meeting after meeting.

I often put a keep clear/case review in my calendar to avoid meetings when I need to focus on something and to have a break between meetings.