To think compressed hours works out as less than FT hours?

[moana5]

Some people at my work do compressed hours, so they do 5 days in 4 and have Fridays off (so they work 8-6 rather than 9-5 or thereabouts).

There are A LOT of meetings in my job, but etiquette states these would usually be between 9:30-4:30. So in effect, people who work compressed days are getting out of a whole day of meetings, as they won't have meetings during their longer hours.

I've also found they log in and out to the minute of their hours, whereas those who work Monday - Friday generally login at 8:45 and log off at about 5:15. I really doubt they are 'full on' working that whole time to make up for a whole day off every week.

It's become a pain to me personally because my colleague has to offload lots of things to me because she doesn't work Fridays and she is now complaining about her workload as she has to compress all meetings into 4 days. I also have to attend her Friday meetings that require attendance as she can't go.

AIBU to think compressed hours are actually working less hours? Preparing to be flamed!

And I can't do compressed hours in my role but even if I could, I'm not sure I would do it.

I never ever ever understand people getting pissy over people logging in and out at their set agreed times. There is more to life than work and I don't want to be there any longer than I have to. If you do, that's your choice. Stop being unfair.

It’s pretty much never the great performers who moan about how much harder they work than their colleagues.

i get quite annoyed with compressed hours - but then I think I am the mug. I work long hours five days a week. I cover my contracted hours easily in four days but still out in five days hard work.

I have recently been annoyed by a colleague who plays the martyr and says she works full time Horus even though she is supposed to be part time. That assumes that those of us only Work our full time contracted hours!

my contract says 38 hours - I do over 60.

but who is the fool😂. Yep it’s me

more fool both of you. Absolute mug's game. Just work your 40 hours and leave what you can't finish.

Yep I think I accepted I am the mug!

If I have meetings all day I know I’m in for an easy day. If I have fewer meetings it’s definitely a harder day as I have to progress my work myself so requires more focus and self discipline.

AIBU to think compressed hours are actually working less hours?
I agree with the response below.

No, it sounds like they are working their hours, and you are working too many hours, all of which is happening under bad management/workload distribution.
I trust and do compressed as often as I can. I find I probably work more efficiently than on regular hour days.

You are only privy to the time they log out as I assume they’ll be logged in by the time you start. I work 8-5:30 4 days a week with 30mins lunch per day to manage the school run which is horrendous. It means I often log in at 6am so I can make up the time.

Also meetings isn’t work. It’s faciliation. (If the extent of your work is just attending meetings your employer can and should replace you with AI). So I imagine they get more actual work done around the meetings than people who do 9-5.

It’s two separate issues. Some people do not work the hours they should do, regardless of when they are. Some people work compressed hours. My DH starts work at 6am in order to fit 5 days in to 4 and still do school pick up. There are still 3 hours he needs to fit in after the children are in bed. He gets most of his work done 6-9am as there are no meetings!

As PP have said, if you are exceeding your contracted hours that’s on you. Nobody else.

Just because someone isn’t in a meeting, doesn’t mean they aren’t working. Sometimes I completely log off and lie down on the sofa to try to work through a problem or come up with something creative. I could do that just as easily at 6am as 2pm.

It sounds like your company has way too many meetings if most days there is multiple meetings.

If people are working Thier hours what's the problem.

YABVU. I work compressed hours and often log in late in the evening or some weekends to do non-urgent/admin tasks. You don't always see how many hours people actually work. Work is not just meetings, these tend to be less productive and more disruptive and inefficient oftentimes so that's a completely wrong marker.

Btw, if someone logs in 8:45 and leaves 5:15 it's because they're having a cuppa and packing up not doing extra work, don't be ridiculous. And don't get me started on the amount of office chats when you do 5 days. When you work compressed you often don't have time for this BS because you need to do your work and fit in other responsibilities around it, most likely childcare, and you have less time to spare with drop offs and pick ups etc.

I work compressed hours and absolutely do work my hours. It’s not my lookout if other people choose to do more. In fact, that’s one if the reasons I compressed mine - to claw back some of the extra hours I was regularly working.

For me, it works well. I’m expected to be flexible if there’s a service need, of course, but I have appointments with people often and many appreciate later appointments as they’re at work during normal office hours.

Why don't you get stricter and log off on time. In my company no one gets overtime and we're all encouraged to work our contracted hours

What are the meetings about? I mean fair enough if you’re a psychiatrist meeting a client but if it’s endless meetings with colleagues to talk bollocks discuss things, that sounds like inefficiency.

For most firms, I agree OP.

Many professional roles require additional and discretionary effort above and beyond the hours. I’ve seen people work alongside people on compressed hours and do the same hours but not get a day off.

I’m told it has and is often challenged by others, often men who are discouraged from applying.

I can’t see how it would work well and fairly outside shift type work where you only work the designated hours, e.g. retail or receptionist etc.

You're contradicting yourself in saying: "many professional roles require additional and discretionary effort. It's either required hours and effort within those hours or it is additional and discretionary over and above. If you make additional effort that's up to you. It isn't required. It's not the early nougties when working extra hours was the norm and to be expected.

It is absolutely right to compress and do the actual hours you are contracted to do and be paid for those.

If the employer expects you to work more, be honest about real working hours and pay up accordingly. Once this is common practice, we can then think whether to work longer hours.

Also meetings isn’t work. It’s faciliation. (If the extent of your work is just attending meetings your employer can and should replace you with AI). So I imagine they get more actual work done around the meetings than people who do 9-5.

This is not true. I should have mentioned the role is mostly remote, and the meetings involve actions 99% of the time. My role is one that involves working with more than a dozen teams and the meetings are to discuss the output required.

I compress my hours
so work
Week 1 8 am to 8 pm - 3 days a week
and then week 2 8 am - 8 pm 4 days a week
I’m always referred to a part timer to my friends who do 5 days 9-5 🤣
despite over the course of 2 weeks I actually do more hours !

The problem is bad/inflexible working practices not compressed hours.
If meetings are important they should be scheduled when everyone who actually needs to be there can attend - those on both part time and compressed hours included. If the meetings are not important or not everyone needs to attend they should be replaced with something more effective or the invite list shaved.

People working additional hours is a separate issue and indicative of poor management / poor workload distribution or underperformance - all of which isn’t exclusive to those on full time hours.

That would have been discussed during the flexible working request and the manager has decided they can work around your colleague missing the meeting.

This

Exactly why my company no longer allow compressed hours. Disadvantages those on 5days

I have been the fool that is in early and leaves late for the sake of things being done. Have I been treated any differently to my colleagues who are in and out bang on their start and finish time? No

IME 99% of the time working extra time, busting your arse and being a good employee is as thankless as being an average one so… yeah, I am going to log out at 5 on the dot.

If you make additional effort that's up to you. It isn't required. It's not the early nougties when working extra hours was the norm and to be expected.

Literally everywhere I have worked, people tend not to clock watch and generally work more than their contracted hours. I don’t even know what my formal hours are.

I can see that if you work in retail, hospitality or factory/call centre work, compressed hours work absolutely fine. If you’re judged by non-tangible outputs or influence rather than hours, then it’s harder.

@BigGlenda sorry to read that. Time for a change of company?

I do this and it works well 2 times six hour days so I can pick up after school for activities. 3 days 8-30 to 6:30 with a half hour break. So 39.5 total. Honestly those last couple of hours when no one else is around are by far the most productive.