Aibu 6.20am train for a meeting

[Chantholtmouse]

Is it unreasonable of my workplace to expect me to get a 6.20am train to attend work meetings and training 300 miles away? I absolutely don't mind attending but a 6.20am train seems unreasonable. It's the only one that would get me there in time. I'd have to be up at 4.45am to quickly shower, dress, walk the dog around the block (I also have to find someone to pick him up) and drive to the train station which isn't that close.

It's then 3 full days of meetings and training which I'll be shattered for. I'll get a bit of time back but it still seems a big ask. There's no option for paid accomodation to stay the night before.

Aibu?

Ok thanks all.

It’s not great and to be honest I wouldn’t be thrilled either.

Having read all of your replies i can see why you're not too happy. I would still suck it up, but be on the look out for improvements that would benefit everybody.

If staying an extra night would make it slightly less nightmareish (I don't think I'd be any good in a 10am meeting if I had been up since 4.45am. In my 20s I did do it, fairly regularly, but now in my 40s not so much) I would even consider finding a cheap air B&B to lay your head overnight.

I have a six hour train ride next week for a half day meeting and overnight. Really looking forward to it. We need to be flexible these days.

It’s the same as you leave every other day so I don’t see the issue.

If it’s starts at 10am I’m not sure why you’re shocked it’s such an early train.

Is it the time you’re annoyed about?
So you wouldn’t mind travelling at 9am instead.

Or the fact that you’ve got to go to the meeting at all?
As if it’s not in your contract I would refuse.

It probably is unreasonable of them but I would probably do it- maybe my own lack of boundaries but I have flown on a night flight for work and then straight into the office before 😬

Ridiculous! Would not be getting up at that time for anything work related.

I can't afford to sadly. I can barely afford the dog care (it will have to go on my credit card).

I regularly get the first or second train of the day for work events, so between 6-6.30am but a) I’m an early riser and b) work would pay for me to stay overnight but easier for my dog for me to travel there and back same day. I generally say yes if staff ask me if they can stay overnight but others managers say no as they don’t think it’s mega early so it’s on the border really. In the winter I reckon it feels much worse than me doing it last week when it was broad daylight and I live 3 mins walk from the station.

I usually sleep on the train which helps with the fatigue

If its not a regular thing then I think its fine but appreciate it means arriving tired.

My work are currently rethinking an event they had in for Birmingham. To save on hotel costs they want us to go down and back in the day. However there is only 1 might down from Scotland. It's about 6.30am I think but by the time you have to be there early and it means nearly 2 hours to get there for some,, it means leaving home around 3.30, to then be alert and engaged for the day and do the same on the return isn't really reasonable. As there is only one flight in the morning it also means that if it's cancelled or delayed then there is no point going at all.

I think however that putting yourself out occasionally is a reasonable ask.

Presumably it was part of your contract though.

The early start wouldn’t bother me as I’m up at 5:30 for work anyway but I would be annoyed if they made mandatory training 300 miles away.

My husband is a nurse and leaves the house that time for an early shift. Stop being ridiculous 🙄

It’s borderline for me. If your training location is really far away from your office then I think they’re being a bit tight not paying for another hotel night but the 10am start is reasonable. I’ll be on 6.30 trains next week and it’s just something I have to factor in. Where I get grumpy though is when they make 90% of people who work in London travel somewhere random for training when getting to London is generally the easiest place to get to given it’s the major transport hub.

What time is the next train and when would that get you in? If the 7am would say get you in at 10.05 then I would probably try to argue my point and arrive a few minutes late for registration, if it wouldn't get me in until 11 then I would just go with the 6.20 and grumble!

Put your big girl pants on and get on with it.
that’s not really that early in the grand scheme of things and as it’s not frequent, just show willing.
I would not be amused at a staff member making a fuss about getting up early like that once every few months. Your ‘enthusiasm’ should be appreciated eventually …

And I've explained that I did a commute at that time for years and why I feel this is different. There is no reason to call me rediculous so stop being unpleasant.

Just don't do it? I'd just get a train more convenient and show up late.

What's the difference between the time spent on your normal commute and this commute? And what does your contract say about your location/distance from your normal base?

Personally, I would refuse and have refused before, but I have the sort of job where I can get away with it. For a £30k job, I suspect your employer is going to try to force you to suck it up.

In my case, it absolutely wouldn't work for me. I have chronic insomnia, so if I had to be up at 4.45am... at best, I'd get an hour's sleep. I wouldn't be able to function on that for one day, let alone three.

My normal commute is about an hour to my local office. My contract states my local office and nothing about working from other offices.

I leave my house at 6:15, when I’m going into work, a couple of times a week. It’s not being asked of you as a regular thing so I’d just get on with it and pay my own hotel if I didn’t want to do the early dart in the morning.

I don't think so as a one off, no. I used to regularly get flights requiring 4.30 am starts in a previous job that wasn't well paid. I start my everyday commute at 7 to beat traffic and get to the office by 8, otherwise it can be at least a 90 min car journey. So nope, a one off early start wouldn't bother me at all.

I can't afford a hotel or other accomodation.

Seems a pretty unreasonable ask of you then, and frankly, it's the sort of treatment that would get me quietly jobhunting in the background.

How important is the training? Do you need it to do your job, or is it some sort of bullshit course?

And, of course... how much of a disaster would it be to leave this job? Because you can fight this, but it will mark your card, so even though I think your employer is in the wrong, you have to consider whether you want to stay there long-term.

I wouldn’t be prepared to do that. I expect you will find the senior staff travel up the evening before and meet for dinner or drinks and have a leisurely start preceded by a hotel breakfast. I would be doing likewise even if I had to pay.