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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To refuse to do the work till Tuesday?

53 replies

Ravenclawsome · 23/07/2021 09:42

I work part time, Tuesday-Thursday.

Part of my job requires getting data from an external source, processing it into a usable form and then entering it into our system.

On Wednesday there was a delay in the external source getting the data to us. Not a massive deal really.

I had a meeting Thursday morning so was unable to request and process it myself so I asked my colleague, whose job it is to cover me when I am unavailable (just so no one accused me of dumping my work on him) to do it and I'd then do the system input once I was available.

Except he requested the data but didn't process it for me so it was available once I was out of the meeting.

Instead he requested it, but then did his own main role. Meaning once I was out of the meeting I was twiddling my thumbs. (The nature of the data means it's in a physical form, once it's requested and collected whoever has is, has it and no one else can get a copy).
His role wasn't time sensitive and processing the data first would have allowed us BOTH to get on.

Sorry to be vague but tThis is all for background.

He finally got the processed data to me after I finished for the night yesterday.

My boss has "kindly" said I can do it at my leisure.
AIBU to refuse to do it till I return?

It's preferable it's done sooner rather than later and will piss folk off if I don't do it before then but the company won't fall apart if I don't and I don't want to work on my bloody days off!

YANBU - leave it till Tuesday, not your fault
YABU - finish the task

OP posts:
GrettaGreen · 23/07/2021 12:25

@IveGotASongThatllGetOnYNerves

Do it at your leisure. That would be Tuesday.
I agree with this.
IntermittentParps · 23/07/2021 13:01

Could you do it as a one off
Bollocks to that.
I'm surprised at that suggestion from someone with no access to their work emails on a non-work day. You have your priorities right; why should the OP work on a non-work day?

Original poster
Ravenclawsome · 23/07/2021 14:02

Problem is leaving it until Tuesday will impact on Tuesdays workflow.

That's why I'm so annoyed about it.

Boss is very much one who doesn't care if we finish early as long as the work is done but does expect the work done (and that's an industry thing as much as a him thing) so it evens out if you work over a bit.

OP posts:
BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/07/2021 14:04

Can the other person who fills in for you not do it on this occasion?

Original poster
Ravenclawsome · 23/07/2021 14:13

Unfortunately not. I have to add that data to other data that he doesn't have access to.

I know I'm making it sound complicated and inefficient but it's not, I promise. It's only been complicated by the data not being available the previous day and that was out of everyone's control due to covid. And I normally do my own data fetch but couldn't as I was in a meeting elsewhere.

OP posts:
SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 23/07/2021 14:33

If you did it before Tuesday, could you claim the time back in lieu, @Ravenclawsome? If you can, I would suggest you do it before Tuesday, but as a one-off.

But, if you don’t want to do it before Tuesday, I would agree with the posters who have said that ‘at your leisure’ could, and probably does, mean the next time you are at work, not during your leisure time.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 23/07/2021 14:34

What did the person say when you chased for the data during the day?

twoshedsjackson · 23/07/2021 15:25

If you do this as a one-off, you risk setting a precedent; Ravenclawsome might grumble a bit, but it will get done anyway, and the temptation is to let the grumbling become background noise which can be tuned out. If Ravenclawsome sticks to her allotted hours, it will cause some bother for the person who didn't get their act together when they should have collected the data. By all means be charming and courteous about it, but there was no way it could be done in the time allotted, although you would be agreeable to a "time in lieu" arrangement to ease matters.

coodawoodashooda · 23/07/2021 16:53

I appreciate having a squeaky clean record at work. Id do it.

rookiemere · 23/07/2021 17:00

I'd do it if I could claim the time back. But I'd come up with an email for future reference to send to everyone bullet pointing the timeline and order that things need to happen in, so it doesn't happen again.

Blueskytoday06 · 23/07/2021 17:04

Tuesday.

NoSquirrels · 23/07/2021 17:12

If it will balls up your Tuesday, then I’d do it now/Monday just to get it over with, and then make sure I had a discussion with colleague about how it impacted you, so it doesn’t happen again.

If it wasn’t going to balls up Tuesday for me, I’d leave it.

SeasonFinale · 23/07/2021 17:16

Do it at your leisure means to do it when it suits you and therefore your boss means to do it when you get back to work.

I think you have misunderstood him and think he means to do it in your time off when do it at your leisure merely means "no rush".

MrsFin · 23/07/2021 17:18

Just do it! Earn yourself some Brownie points.
I really don't get this working to rule stuff.

IntermittentParps · 23/07/2021 17:19

I really don't get this working to rule stuff.
I don't entirely disagree. There are limits, though, and working on days off is beyond them IMO.

Iamnotthe1 · 23/07/2021 17:21

It depends. Is there a clause in your contract which stipulates that you can be expected to work outside of your typical hours in order to complete your duties? If there is, you should get it done. If there isn't, leave it until Tuesday.

Sirzy · 23/07/2021 17:25

If he had requested the data while you where in the meeting why couldn’t you process yourself when you came out? Surely finding a way to do that would have been better than sitting twiddling your thumbs

ahoyshipmates · 23/07/2021 17:27

Reading between the lines, your boss saying 'at your leisure' seems to hint at them acknowledging that the other staff member cocked it up, so they aren't putting you under any pressure to get it done asap.

However, no doubt they would be delighted if you were to show sufficient dedication to get it done before Tuesday.

You have the opportunity to earn some Brownie points here, I reckon.

Original poster
Ravenclawsome · 23/07/2021 17:34

@Sirzy

If he had requested the data while you where in the meeting why couldn’t you process yourself when you came out? Surely finding a way to do that would have been better than sitting twiddling your thumbs
Because he had to her it to me. As per a previous post, we were in different buildings. He had the physical data, he had to process it to send it to me electronically. I couldn't process it myself as he had the physical data and I didn't.
OP posts:
MarcelineMissouri · 23/07/2021 17:34

Did you chase him for it while you were sat twiddling your thumbs?

Sandinmyknickers · 23/07/2021 17:37

To be honest it sounds like it will make your life harder leaving it for Tuesday as then you will have double work on Tuesday, be stressed, and your boss will be potentially annoyed.
If its a one off I would do it before.

I know you are part time, but presumably you are salaried, not paid by the hour? Occasionally I will have to work overtime to get something done. Its not ideal and if its regular I will speak to my line manager about workload, but it's kind of expected in a salaried role that it doesn't matter that it wasn't your fault, sometimes the work just needs to get done, and it sounds like you did have quite a bit of thumb twiddling time, due to the delay. If full time workers would probably be expected to pick it up and get it done out of hours, I don't know why you should be exempt. Unfortunately salaried work isn't like shift work and whilst this shouldn't be abused and people should have clear boundaries, I think this is slightly different.
I would then raise it on Tuesday as a point to avoid it happening again

41sunnydays · 23/07/2021 17:52

My personal view is there is no need to work on your day off, however if you are not busy and won't take that long I would do it. Flexibility works both ways and my boss is flexible with my hours and doesn't clock watch me, therefore I am more flexible back.

However if I am away from home I don't pick up work

Mrsmadevans · 23/07/2021 17:56

I actually looked the meaning of this phrase up , l found it means
'in one's own time' which doesn't really help sorry OP
I would do it myself because l couldn't bear thinking about it over my days off, it would really get to me Hmm

Sirzy · 23/07/2021 17:57

How close was the other building? Could you not have gone and got it. Not ideal but would have made life easier for you in the long run surely

Original poster
Ravenclawsome · 23/07/2021 18:05

@Sirzy

How close was the other building? Could you not have gone and got it. Not ideal but would have made life easier for you in the long run surely
Not even close.

Also I say I was twiddling my thumbs, but I didn't waste it - I got ahead on some admin, and actually had a proper lunch break for once.

And yes I'm salaried, but there's a big difference between putting in the odd hour here and there and taking a few hours on a day I am not scheduled to work.

Boss is actually off next week and I've just spoken to his cover and agreed to do it Tuesday morning because the amount of data is far less than normal so won't leave me as far behind as I initially thought.

OP posts:
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