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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

999 replies

Overthebow · 02/11/2021 22:09

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?

OP posts:
GroggyLegs · 02/11/2021 22:47

@MiddleParking

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

Sorry OP, this is true.

Assuming your team work hard & complete their targets, 9.15 makes ZERO difference to you, but means your colleagues don't have to use breakfast club & buys a lot of goodwill.

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 02/11/2021 22:47

@GertrudeBElion

If you're due to start work at 9 then it doesn't matter what it is doing, you should be ready to start at 9

But that's the problem, you can be bum on seat to be in a meeting at 9, but be totally useless because you haven't caught up/ done the prep ahead of the meeting

Well, as long as the meeting was booked within the core hours the previous day, you shouldn't need to prep first thing.
Lightswitch123 · 02/11/2021 22:47

Wow.

This thread.is eye opening.

9am seems like a pretty decent start time.

Lots of companies start much earlier than this.

The business should run around the client preference not the school run.

NoSquirrels · 02/11/2021 22:47

If

This particular client is crucial to their role
There is no formal working pattern flex in place
Meeting is impossible to rearrange

then of course they have to turn up, no exceptions necessary.

My hours are 9.30-5.30 to accommodate school run. I’m usually in by 9.10-9.15, but I could make a 9.30 meeting even on a bad day. I wouldn’t say I was available for work 9-5 however as I can never be at my desk until after that. But if I hadn’t officially negotiated the later start time I’d need to use breakfast club on a day a non-negotiable meeting began at 9am.

FigureofEight · 02/11/2021 22:48

FFS this shite winds me up.

I have teams. They change frequently. We work collaboratively and respect each other's work life set up. Particularly whilst WFH. this is my internal team and clients.

I respect my team as people and I get much better outcomes if I am flexible with them. They are then more likely to be flexible with me when I need it.

Clients are generally humans and also in family situations and get it. They don't get to cal all the shots hues because they are clients. We are a joint team.
If the meeting time is non negotiable- we get by without that person until they join. Say 9.10 for a 9am meeting because they are doing a school run.

The shit you talk about is why people are stressed feel under valued and ultimately leave organisations.

Biscuit
ItsDisneyBitch · 02/11/2021 22:48

My boss likes to call a meeting at 4.30 on a Friday. That’s a dick move.

GertrudeBElion · 02/11/2021 22:48

Do your prep the night before

In my business it's a 24 hour operation. I can be facing issues at 9am that I had no idea about and did not exist the night before.

PaintedDaisy · 02/11/2021 22:50

@GertrudeBElion

Do your prep the night before

In my business it's a 24 hour operation. I can be facing issues at 9am that I had no idea about and did not exist the night before.

Fair enough that's a point I hadn't considered.

Maybe if there's a 9 meeting people will have to get in for 830 that day.

FigureofEight · 02/11/2021 22:50

@ItsDisneyBitch

My boss likes to call a meeting at 4.30 on a Friday. That’s a dick move.
This I agree with.

Friend of mine has new thing going on now where they try and having meeting free Fridays. Sounds fab. Quite envious.

userg5647 · 02/11/2021 22:50

The business should run around the client preference not the school run.

Why? How many millions of adults have children? What is so horrendous about loosening up the workplace to make balancing home and work life easier for them? I can think of loads of services and businesses that don't open until 9.30/10.

BobLemon · 02/11/2021 22:50

If there’s other members of your team who HAVE got hours agreements, then this is unfair on others if the team member plans on doing this regularly. In my organisation it’s totally normal to have 9am meetings. Objecting to being asked to work during working hours… ffs.

WildBluebell · 02/11/2021 22:50

9am meetings are the worst. And people who schedule them are unreasonable.

PaintedDaisy · 02/11/2021 22:51

@BobLemon

If there’s other members of your team who HAVE got hours agreements, then this is unfair on others if the team member plans on doing this regularly. In my organisation it’s totally normal to have 9am meetings. Objecting to being asked to work during working hours… ffs.
I agree it's so unfair on those with agreed variations. Especially if they get paid less for this.
PumpkinSpiceGirl · 02/11/2021 22:51

I’m amazed at all this flexibility around school runs, how the hell did anyone cope when they were in the office every day? It’s hard enough managing a team with all their different hours and requirements without having to take into account their kids as well. I think sometimes flexibility can swing so far the other way that it’s not really practical for the needs of the business.

yellowflowersintherain · 02/11/2021 22:52

I have to admit I do find it slightly frustrating when people aren't available at 9am. I do get how hard it is juggling work around school/nursery drop off (I have to do it myself) but if they don't have an agreed flexible working arrangement I think it's fair enough to expect them to dial in then.

A very senior colleague in my organisation often does the school run and will dial in on her (work) mobile instead if it means she will be late for a meeting, could that work?

Thecurtainsofdestiny · 02/11/2021 22:53

9am seems very reasonable to me! Maybe it depends on the industry?

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 02/11/2021 22:53

@GertrudeBElion

Do your prep the night before

In my business it's a 24 hour operation. I can be facing issues at 9am that I had no idea about and did not exist the night before.

Friend of mine has new thing going on now where they try and having meeting free Fridays. Sounds fab. Quite envious

How is this even possible? EnvyGrin

FigureofEight · 02/11/2021 22:54

@PumpkinSpiceGirl

I’m amazed at all this flexibility around school runs, how the hell did anyone cope when they were in the office every day? It’s hard enough managing a team with all their different hours and requirements without having to take into account their kids as well. I think sometimes flexibility can swing so far the other way that it’s not really practical for the needs of the business.
Precisely because we can whilst working from home. We lose many team benefits being at home. Being in a flexible environment helps a lot.

People go to the office when needed and no school runs. No prob.

FigureofEight · 02/11/2021 22:56

@Thecurtainsofdestiny

9am seems very reasonable to me! Maybe it depends on the industry?
It is reasonable for me when a 5pm is not. A 9am doesn't work for many of my team but they can do the 5pm's I cannot.

It's called a TEAM

Hercisback · 02/11/2021 22:58

Good job none of you who need "time to warm up" work in a school. We're well into the swing by 9am.

logsonlogsoff · 02/11/2021 22:58

I had a control freak line manager who wanted a weekly team meeting a 9am on a Monday and 5pm on a Friday. When I explained that maybe that wasn’t the best thing - give people a chance to get in of a morning and get settled, and WHY? Try to make us all meet for an hour at 5pm ( our official hours were 9-5.30, but most teams left by 4pm That day) on a Friday he told me I was insubordinate. Everyone HATED it - we had people taking half days on Friday to avoid the meeting, half the team would be missing and he would just grandstand for an hour with no input from the team whatsoever as no-one wanted to drag the time out.
Absolute tool. He eventually got the message.
We were a team who ran events so would often work super early or evenings way past our usual hours, travel loads, give up weekends for conferences.
Look at the bigger picture.

Lindtnotlint · 02/11/2021 22:58

I am in the “eyes opened” group. Genuinely amazed so many people think a 9am call is unreasonable.

Whitegrenache · 02/11/2021 22:59

@Lightswitch123

Wow.

This thread.is eye opening.

9am seems like a pretty decent start time.

Lots of companies start much earlier than this.

The business should run around the client preference not the school run.

Totally agree
surreygirl1987 · 02/11/2021 22:59

If you don't have specified core hours, and staff can be flexible with when they work, then OF COURSE you should shift the time of the meeting to accommodate someone with kids trying to manage the school run! It might make very little difference to you, but all the difference in the world to her.

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 02/11/2021 22:59

@Lindtnotlint

I am in the “eyes opened” group. Genuinely amazed so many people think a 9am call is unreasonable.
It's not unreasonable, if 9 am is within the core hours.