AIBU to think that team should be available at 9am for meetings?

[Overthebow]

I set up a weekly client meeting for my project team at 9am. I have had a decline from a key team member as it clashes with school drop of time. AIBU to think that 9am is a standard working time and my team should be available to attend important client calls at this time, unless they have a formal working hours agreement in place?

Dps overseas clients often call meetings at 6.30am! Needless to say he doesn't turn the camera on zoom!

@PaintedDaisy

You'd be surprised at how many people in some offices start at 9 then go and make breakfast and natter for 30 mins

I had a colleague who would arrive soon after 8 (flexitime), and never do a stroke of work before 10.15.

He used to take the piss out of me because I never started before 9.30, so I had time to give the dog a decent walk before work. I had a massive project with a tight deadline, so started at 8 for a couple of weeks, and it was only then that I realised that his first couple of hours were a stroll round the building chatting to everyone.

He was managed out when this became more apparent.

@userg5647 remember the client in a different time zone might also have a school run to consider, dp's meetings will often have the n American region late evening (Chicago so 6 hours different) Australian division, Indian sub continent plus maybe Moscow or Istanbul all on the call - 6.30am is mighty inconvenient but it's the best option

@TrufflesAndToast so because not everyone can others shouldn't? Those who can should because the more we fight for this the more normal it will become for more people. We need to be positive about flexible working and encourage it where we can. We need to see more men in particular do it. Whilst it's not appropriate for every role, there are A LOT of organisations and roles that could be flexible but aren't because of antiquated views, Covid has managed to shake this views in a lot of places but as can be see on the thread there is still a long way to go, so I will not apologise for my bullishness and "arrogance" around my expectations of the workplace, and I do not expect it to be for me alone.

Well I suppose it depends if the employee has a partner who could do the school run that morning or if they're completely on their own with it.

@gogohm I'm not speaking for every role, I work in a domestic organisation, I am discussing where it is feasible, flexible working should be encouraged. We have not been told enough about the OP's organisation and situation to deem what is feasible.

@Lightswitch123

This thread is amazing. It really does reveal why a lot of services are so much worse post Covid!

Just because you aren’t in a meeting at 9, doesn’t mean you’re not working. A lot of companies where flexi time is allowed are not public facing. I worked in a public facing role before and my hours were set and meetings could happen at 8:30 on a Monday or 4:00 on a Friday. Where I work now, we aren’t public facing and people take flexi. Sometimes meetings have to be put on at 9am due to availability but our employers understand not everyone will make it. (And not because they’re just having an impromptu lie in, but due to a previously arranged flexi). What I do wont affect services or your life in anyway.

Sounds fine to me. You haven’t set the time of the meeting and it can’t be changed for the reasons you have stated above.
Why have they declined? Surely they can join late if they really have no alternative and nobody can do the school run for them.
Or drop off and immediately join the meeting on their phone in the car.
Declining outright is not on.

To the pp who said they could be in breakfast club - a lot of schools aren't running that currently due to covid Etc. And staffing shortages.

You can't as a company offer flexi working and then complain when it's used for generally the most standard thing people need it for

The amount of entitlement on this thread astounds me. What did people do pre covid for childcare? Did you rock up to work late and leave early? No you didn't. Pay for childcare and act like a professional.

This get in and get settled is making me fume.
I am going to leave my class to have a natter and tea then.
We have an 8am meeting every week.

@Dguu6u

No job envy. I just find it laughable that people in such flexible arrangements already are still complaining!

How many people who can't start before 9 have partners who just totally have to start early?

@WeAllHaveWings

9am is a pretty standard time for a meeting. We work different timezones and usually have meetings between 9am - 5pm, with occasional early such as 7am or later until 7pm.

This is another case of poor communication of availability expectations, and what is allowed flexibility wise when allowing WFH. It should be written in contracts that while working hours can be flexible they are expected to be available between x and y if there are meetings, if they will be expected to be in office when needed for meetings etc. Then everyone knows where they stand and can make appropriate childcare arrangements.

Totally agree with this. This is a CLIENT meeting who is paying for the time. Flexibility is all well and good but there has to be an understanding that certain things are non negotiable and staff need to accommodate this.

I don't know where the people on this thread work but in most large international firms people are logged on and working by 9 and I say this as a single parent.

Flexibility works both ways

@Mistressiggi

Admittedly it takes about ten minutes for the computers to turn on and warm up.

Wow, havent heard that excuse since about 1995! What a throwback

MiddleParking

Everyone thinks you’re a dickhead for putting in a weekly 9am call, just so you know.

THIS AGAIN ⬆️⬆️⬆️

The client has set the time for the meeting so that makes it non-negotiable. If it was an internal get together then 9am is annoying, but the client gets to call the shots, that's how it is.

I am another one who is amazed at the hatred of 9am meetings.

I have always wfh, and done the school drop off.

I really get annoyed with meetings starting at 9:15, 9;30 when our working day is 9 am.
That 15 -30 minutes is wasted as it isn't enough to get stuck in to my work before the meeting.

As my day is supposed to start at 9am, I am there at 9am, having done kids and walked the dog.

Obviously it all depends on whether or not the official start time is 9, and if your office has flexy time etc.
But if you are supposed to be in work at 9, then you should be in work at 9.

Most workdays start at 9am. Putting a meeting in for literally the start of the day is a recipe for resentment

I agree. Our meetings generally start at 9.30, even though we officially start at 9. That accommodates those who do a school run, but also allows people to log on and read emails etc before they do a meeting.

Does the meeting have to start at 9 to suit the client, or are you making a (needless) point? Do your employees stop work sharp at 5pm or 5.30pm? If so, you are not so unreasonable but if they don't, you are.

A bit of give and take in the workplace works wonders.

@MrsKeats

This get in and get settled is making me fume. I am going to leave my class to have a natter and tea then. We have an 8am meeting every week.

Why are you fuming?

Your job is entirely irrelevant, to anyone else's.

You have an 8am meeting once a week? And what? That's your job.

The ops company doesn't have core hours. So it's nothing similar. You can't work whatever hours you want, that's the nature of your job.

The nature of my job, means I can. Also means that next week I will be our on site several stories up in shit weather. Doesn't make me fume that you don't have to do that.

Nor does it make me fume that I get up in the middle of the night at least once a month after being given alerted to an emergency, then work all day...... but you don't do that in your job.

Oh I see the client has set the meeting time. Is that the only time they can do or did they just suggest it. Maybe you could suggest 9.15? It is ok to push back against client demands, because they might have just made a random suggestion and be open to alternatives. If they really want 9am then your employee will have to find someone to take their child(ren) to school.

Admittedly it takes about ten minutes for the computers to turn on and warm up yes it does by the time I've turned on all the applications I need

@MrsKeats

This get in and get settled is making me fume. I am going to leave my class to have a natter and tea then. We have an 8am meeting every week.

Is that what you think people are doing? Do you turn up with the first bell of the day or are you there beforehand to take your coat off at least?

@roses2

The amount of entitlement on this thread astounds me. What did people do pre covid for childcare? Did you rock up to work late and leave early? No you didn't. Pay for childcare and act like a professional.

The lack of awareness astounds me. As many people have pointed out, in many areas childcare options have closed or changed their hours.

For many people WFH means people can and do attend more meetings at either end of the day (for those sneery about it)

@IfOnlyOurEyesSawSouls

Its not a standard working time for me - in my organisation meetings just aren't arranged for 9am because it's acknowledged that people have other responsibilities between 08.30 - 9.30

Exactly the same where I work. My employer has won awards for being a family-friendly employer.

We don't work internationally though, so I can see that the time zones makes things difficult.