How on earth do people manage time off work for an interview?!

[Pinklady88]

I have been invited to an interview that requires me to be there in person either at 9 or 11:30 am in the middle of the working week. This is at quite short notice. I have no annual leave left at all and I'm not going to lie to my employer and make up that I have an appointment, I am super friendly with my team and I just couldn't do that. How do people manage to attend these when obviously everyone is at work during the working week?

Well they use annual leave or lie...

Most interviews are during the working week. If you don’t take the slot, someone else will.

You’ve either:

A) Got to be honest, and tell your line manager you have an interview and can you put some extra hours in and use some TOIL, or use annual leave.

B) Say you have a dentist/doctors appointment.

Doctors appointment.

I'm not going to lie to my employer and make up that I have an appointment, I am super friendly with my team and I just couldn't do that.

Well then don’t go to the interview.
Obviously most interviews are in working hours so either you use annual leave or you book off time for an appointment.

Ask the recruiter if they can accommodate out of hours as you have no annual leave left. I’ve done this for candidates and have had companies do it for me.

Dog/vet dentist lie..

Don't whatever you do tell your employer unless you want to be sacked.

Or if you can ask them to do it over MS Teams, then book out a room/office in your place if that’s possible.

Ask if you could have another day/time if possible either first thing or later in the day. Most places will try to accommodate but jot always possible. I called in sick to go to an interview and luckily I got it. I mean they probably then knew where I was when I was sick but they cldnt prove it!

Another time I had to bare face lie and I felt bad. I said my car had broken down on the way in etc. I had to wait on the aa to tow me to a garage etc. The interview was first thing and I got to work about 11.30am. It was a temp job so I didn't feel too bad. I also had an interview at 5.15 after work one night while at the same place and another on my lunch break! That was stressful as it went on and I ended up being away for about 1hr 20mins had to make up some story too. I got that one and many years later still there 👍

I'm interviewing, and I think it's a remote working trend. They're used to people being able to block out an hour and disappear without comment.

That, and I've seen a LOT of job ads repeated for lack of candidates, and I imagine they are under pressure to fill the role.

I wfh, so I'm just virtually sneaking out and catching up later.

Lie: medical appointment. Just remember to put the jacket in your handbag when you get back into the office.

I interviewed for my new job via MS Teams.

Otherwise you’ll have to lie and say it’s a hospital appointment if you haven’t got any AL.

Or ask for unpaid leave for a “personal matter”?

I just say I have an appointment

Another that says “appointment”.

It’s not ideal, but there’s little option otherwise if you’ve not got AL left.

It doesn’t feel too bad when I know full well I’ll work the time back, and now it’s almost accepted that appointments can be taken at the start/end of the working day at my job.

The appointment excuse is a bit thin at the moment, as medical appointments are harder to get than interviews these days.

I think employers just need to stagger their planning a bit personally.

Drs appointment

What time will you get into the office is your interview is at 9am?

Would 'I've got an apt and I'll be in a bit later on Tuesday' work?

A/L or fib are the only options
Good luck

Is it possible to do the interview remotely?

Or you will have to use the doctor/dentist/family emergency/vet trip/leak in bathroom that needs immediate fixing type of excuses or take some sick leave.