If you start work at 9 am, is it OK to walk through the door at 9 am ?

[mmhhhkkkk]

Or is that a bit ' late ' ?

I’d say that is late. 8.55 is on time.

Every work computer I've ever had has needed at least a couple of minutes to start up so yeah getting through the door at 9am would make you late.

Fine at my work
Lots of people arrive at 9
But then I don’t and most people don’t leave on the dot of when they finish.

So they might come at 9 and spend 5 mins plugging in lap top etc, but then they don’t finish at 4.55 and start packing up

If I clocked in at 9, fine. Even though it would then take me at least a further 5 mins to walk to my desk, get laptop out, take coat off etc. The clocking machine is downstairs and them’s the rules (or were until Covid). But I don’t work somewhere where it’s essential I start on the dot of 9 and in fact, any time between 7 and 10am is officially fine to start. If I had a meeting at 9, though, I’d try to be there no later than 8.45 so I could be all ready, cup of tea made and emails scanned.

I’m a teacher and our morning meeting is at 8:30... we can’t be late for that. I’ve been known to rock up with very little time to spare. But never later

Sitting at your desk, with a hot coffee, having been for a wee at 9am is very different to walking in the door at 9am. If you are arriving at 9am then you are late.

Some people do the kind of job where they’re on their phone working before they walk in the door at 9am. This is why it entirely depends on the job.

I think as long as you are at your desk by 9am ready to log in that's OK but not working through the dood

Door

@theculture

9am

If for example one person has a computer that takes 15mins to boot up and one only 2 mins it's not in their control so it can't be right that one has to arrive earlier to boot their computer!

Exactly. You have to be at work and ready for work at 9. Not your fault if you have an old computer.

@ThroughThickAndThin01

I’d say that is late. 8.55 is on time.

8.55 is early if you start work at 9. For people who clock on with their ID card, the time that counts is the time they put their card on the machine as they walk in, not when their computer comes on.

@2typesofjungle

Sitting at your desk, with a hot coffee, having been for a wee at 9am is very different to walking in the door at 9am. If you are arriving at 9am then you are late.

This ^^

You start working at 9. We used to employ someone who would walk through the door at 9, log in to their computer, then leave again, go get a coffee, go to the loo, and go to the cafe to put their lunch order in. It's really annoying.

Every work computer I've ever had has needed at least a couple of minutes to start up so yeah getting through the door at 9am would make you late

Waiting for a work computer to start is working time.

@SimonedeBeauvoirscat

It entirely depends what the job is.

This. I was a teacher and school started at 9. I was there by 7.30.

Years ago when I worked in an office I arrived on the dot. My husband is a radiographer and gets there half an hour early. It depends how much preparation is involved.

Depends on the job really. I sometimes am in for 0700, sometimes 1000, likewise I might finish at lunch or the next day. So long as everything that needs to get done is done and done well nobody cares.

If you are paid by the hour and always leave on time and take your breaks you probably should be starting to make your employer money at your start time though.

At your desk, computer on and working at 9am (assuming it's an office job). I used to manage an admin team and those who turned up at 9, switched their PC on, went to make a cup of tea and have a chat in the kitchen, or even worse headed off to the canteen to get some breakfast and come back half an hour later used to get short shrift - if you want to do all that get in at 8.30!!

Depends on the work culture and type of job. Until you know whether it’s acceptable it’s best to get there a few minutes earlier.

@Cuddlyrottweiler

You start working at 9. We used to employ someone who would walk through the door at 9, log in to their computer, then leave again, go get a coffee, go to the loo, and go to the cafe to put their lunch order in. It's really annoying.

The toilet, coffee etc should have been in their own time.

@Vitcserum

I think most office jobs would consider that late. If you work using a computer you would need to be logged in and starting at 9am.

Are most office jobs that petty? Many have flexi time now and even those that don't there is often no problem to arrive at 9.15 for example.

@SimonedeBeauvoirscat

It entirely depends what the job is.

I was going to say this. Depends on the job and office / workplace culture I think.

Generally, I'd say it's fine.

@mmhhhkkkk

Or is that a bit ' late ' ?

You need to be ready to start work at 9am.

So unless you can start work as you are walking in the door, you're late, yes.

Just realised the OP never said 'office'.

I think 9am walking through the door and that has been the norm at every job I've worked, admittedly all office based, I'm sure there are different expectations for some jobs say for example a shop floor worker, a call centre or somewhere where perhaps a handover is needed. But for office based jobs with no public facing role, if it takes 10 mins or whatever for your computer to be ready to login then surely that's part of your work day and shouldn't be worked as unpaid time..

Depends on the job.

Retail where you need to be on the shop floor for opening at 9am, it's late. An office where you're not public-facing and can easily stay a bit later - no big deal.

I work a job where 9am means anytime between 8.30-9.30, lol. I'm a dog walker and give my clients time-slots as opposed to set times. Makes things so much easier!