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?

@Blueeyedgirl21

I’m contracted to start at 8.45am for this exact reason. Get in, turn computer on, make a brew, go to meeting

You’re expecting people to get in and work unpaid hours in order to get in, put their stuff away, turn computer on and gather any bits needed for the meeting, plus be able to get to the room it’s in if it’s in a big building, by 9am, if their contract starts at 9. Do it at 9.15 or 9.30 it’s just common sense.

I was contracted to teach lessons with the first lesson at 9. Would you be happy if I strolled the school front door at 9, went and made myself a brew, then strolled into your child's classroom

Sorry, posted too early, dog knocked my hand!

I was contracted to teach lessons with the first lesson at 9. Would you be happy if I strolled the school front door at 9, went and made myself a brew, then strolled into your child's classroom At 9.15? Should I do that for all lessons?

[quote Sofiegiraffe]@Nyxs

Your approach sounds very sensible and much like my own. [/quote]
I find it the most enjoyable way to do it. Give them the perks I have.

On the other side, we lost all access to our systems last year. On a Sunday evening not one of the failed to jump on the emergency call and all worked different hours to catch up. Because they appreciate the flexibility.

If one or some hadn't been able to change their hours due to other commitments, I wouldn't have held it against them either.

I was probably lucky it happened while we were still fairly lockdown and they had nowhere to go 🤣

*Oh how touching. Have you formally applied for flexible hours then to allow you to only work 9.30-2.30 or are you the sort of slacker who expects those without children (or who pay for appropriate childcare/ make arrangements for their children during working hours) to take your share of calls/ cover your work as well as their own?

The sense of entitlement being displayed is just ridiculous.

A significant percentage of roles in areas like finance, banking, law just to name a few won't exist in a few years due to automation/ tech advancement; many posters on this thread are on the right track to ensure they won't be among the ones whose services are retained.*

😂😂😂😂😂 seen it all

@DriftingBlue

It’s all what your life is set up for. My job is flexible. I’ve never had a job as an adult that expected me at my desk at a particular time day after day. If I were a surgeon it would be different. I would need to show up on an a schedule each day.

The trade off is that sometimes I have to work well outside my normal hours or days because that is just what needs to happen. There is no discussion with a line manager or core hours. We all just act like adults and respect each other’s time and ability to manage our schedules.

So you'd be on your phone for that meeting.kke you say I guess flexibility has to be paid with responsibility.

@Grenlei totally agree with you. Sense of entitlement is a real eye opener.

All those demanding flexibility it is a one way street. What are they giving back?
What about colleagues who have to cover attend meetings at times that don't work for them. But hey if those avoiding childcare fees are happy that is all that matters.?

@sunglassesonthetable why would the op, as someones colleague nor senior, be entitled to private information about how the person's working hours and how they came to have them?

And someone saying something like that first paragraph could quickly fund themselves in a disciplinary for bullying.

And don't be ridiculous 'law won't exist due to automation'. I am guessing you don't know how much work and expertise goes into automation and how much back up is actually needed. How expensive it is, the upkeep is etc

People have been saying that sort of thing forever. Moving stuff to automation or abroad, isn't that simple and doesn't fit every job in the UK.

If it's an international meeting, the easiest thing is for your colleague to join remotely and dial in from a mobile phone. Unless you require a physical presence, I don't see the issue.

As a single parent, if there was a single important meeting at 9am, I'd leave my child with another mum for five minutes.

However, the old idea of a boss making a needless point about 9am, knowing full well that the school run parents all get in at 9.02 is bad management and, since most school run parents are mums, blatantly sexist.

This is a fascinating insight into the different cultures and expectations in different workplaces. I am a teacher and obviously have very very set hours and a structured day.

@Nyxs. I think sunglasses was quoting someone else.

YABU. There is no earthly reason for a 9am meeting. Even if it is the start of the working day, why not give people some time to check their emails and get their heads into the right space? Prepare for the meeting? Review their actions and notes?

Is it unusual to know colleagues typical working hours? Very odd view that a disciplinary would be given for asking what they are, why is another matter but not really relevant. I suspect a lot of people are being obtuse. Many people have typical office hour working days, unless flexibility has been agreed, it's not been unusual for people to pop out to do the school run, which is fine if it works- if it's missing a meeting then surely it's not working.

[quote madisonbridges]@Nyxs. I think sunglasses was quoting someone else.[/quote]
Maybe. But they clearly agree with it.

It all wasn't a quote from someone else. Which is why I addressed them

A significant percentage of roles in areas like finance, banking, law just to name a few won't exist in a few years due to automation/ tech advancement; many posters on this thread are on the right track to ensure they won't be among the ones whose services are retained

my job can't be done by a machine.

However, I'll be retired in a decade anyway.

As for all those feckless mothers expecting everyone else to cover for them - before I had ds I didn't care if a colleague went home early to attend a nativity play or something. In fact I felt a bit sorry for them having to sit through it. There seem to be quite a few bitter and twisted people. I know there can be ridiculous rules around who gets time off Christmas but if that's the case you find a new job before next Christmas! Otherwise I really wouldn't care.

@Fetarabbit

Is it unusual to know colleagues typical working hours? Very odd view that a disciplinary would be given for asking what they are, why is another matter but not really relevant. I suspect a lot of people are being obtuse. Many people have typical office hour working days, unless flexibility has been agreed, it's not been unusual for people to pop out to do the school run, which is fine if it works- if it's missing a meeting then surely it's not working.

There's asking what your hours are.

Then saying it how it's said in the paragraph I quoted.

Asking is fine. Wanting to know they have followed a certain process and then saying that everyone else is expected to pick up their work, isn't ok.

@SVRT19674

YABU and everyone thinks you're a twat. Just arrange it for 9.30 or 10. Pick your battles.

I don't think the op's a twat so not only are you offensive, you're also wrong.

@starryeyed19

YABU. There is no earthly reason for a 9am meeting. Even if it is the start of the working day, why not give people some time to check their emails and get their heads into the right space? Prepare for the meeting? Review their actions and notes?

In this case it's a cross-time-zone meeting so fair enough.

But generally you are right. I have the odd meeting scheduled for 9am to squeeze it in before another one, but usually we don't start meetings where I am until 9.30. Conversely if a colleague spots I am logged on at 8.30 they might try their luck and call me. Fair enough, if I am in front of my computer I'll answer.

All those demanding flexibility it is a one way street. What are they giving back?
What about colleagues who have to cover attend meetings at times that don't work for them. But hey if those avoiding childcare fees are happy that is all that matters.?

This type of flexibility works on the basis that everyone has lives and commitments not just people with children.

So really your answer sounds very childish and petty. Actually everyone benefits.

What do people give back?
Loyalty, commitment , productivity or at least they do where I am.

But you crack on in your world full of pisstakers who " give nothing back".

@madisonbridges

Sorry, posted too early, dog knocked my hand!

I was contracted to teach lessons with the first lesson at 9. Would you be happy if I strolled the school front door at 9, went and made myself a brew, then strolled into your child's classroom At 9.15? Should I do that for all lessons?

Doctors seem to do that quite often...

@Blueeyedgirl21

Btw I think the days of bosses having the right to demand certain hours are fading

It’s going to be all about performance focused flexible work soon and I’m glad

Yes - certainly the case for office work. It can't be compared with teaching or working in retail or a library or a factory where you have to be physically there.

A lot of you seem to work in places where you feel you can dictate your own hours My contract says I can!

@Nyxs assuming you mean the poster you reference who quoted a post? If there are people picking up the slack then it's not unreasonable for them to flag their concerns re the workload they're expected to do to their managers, why shouldn't they? Its then up to the manager to figure out if its feasible and if they have followed the correct process, or have just decided to pop in and out as they please.

@Nyxs. I think the laughing faces shows that sunglasses disagreed with the original poster. The whole post is a quote except for the one line at the end which is sunglasses response.

@Nyxs

No I had a massive bold fail, as per, didn't agree with any of it!

In fact the opposite.😁

All those demanding flexibility it is a one way street. What are they giving back?
What about colleagues who have to cover attend meetings at times that don't work for them. But hey if those avoiding childcare fees are happy that is all that matters.?

There's a whole load of assumptions in this one small paragraph.

I do need some flexibility to do my job but I give so much back in return. Don't assume those asking for flexibility are lazy or work shy.

On the two days I need the most flexibility it isn't because I'm avoiding childcare costs. I'd happily pay - it's that I can't actually get any childcare!!!

What I do think is rude is declining the meeting and just assuming it's ok because of the school run.

I would have emailed the OP and said I usually start a few minutes later as I do the school run and can that be accommodated. If the OP said no,, then they'd need to do what I suggested further up and do the call from the car or walking home (or even, if there's no breakfast club or similar, in extremis, take the kids into school late - not something you necessarily want to do but if it was a one-off and not a weekly meeting, you might).