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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Pulled up on my teams light

322 replies

outlanderish · 28/04/2025 09:34

I work from home full time with occasional travel. My employer allows either a half hour or one hour lunch break, based on personal choice. I typically don’t take a formal break instead, I take brief pauses throughout the day (e.g. five minutes here and there to make a coffee, play with my dog, or put a load of laundry on), while otherwise remaining at my desk and working.

Recently, my manager called me to ask why I appear “orange” (away) a lot during the day. I explained that I take small, informal breaks rather than a long formal one. She told me this was unacceptable, even though my approach has not negatively impacted my productivity. In fact, I’m often more efficient this way. I also need to get up regularly as it hurts my back sitting for a long period of time

Other colleagues especially smokers also step away from their desks regularly, but it seems to be accepted for them.

OP posts:
doodleschnoodle · 28/04/2025 09:37

Get a mouse jiggler

ItTook9Years · 28/04/2025 09:38

If you work more than 6 hours you are entitled to one 20 minute break per day. You don’t have to take it, but unless you’ve agreed regular smaller breaks as part of a reasonable adjustments for a disability, your employer doesn’t have to allow you to take 5 mins here and there instead.

EilishMcCandlish · 28/04/2025 09:39

Mouse jiggler

Your manager would hate me. I turned my Teams colour off completely. Forces people to actually check my diary to see if I am available instead of assuming green = free.

KarateSchnitzel · 28/04/2025 09:40

doodleschnoodle · 28/04/2025 09:37

Get a mouse jiggler

Don't do this, some companies can detect them

Workingonthehighway · 28/04/2025 09:41

Add up how long all the orange bits actually are rather than guessing that its 5 mins here and there.

outlanderish · 28/04/2025 09:41

Ohhh, what's a mouse jiggler?! Is this a new 21st century invention?! @doodleschnoodle@EilishMcCandlish

OP posts:
BendingSpoons · 28/04/2025 09:42

Can you manually set it to busy or do not disturb whilst you have your break? Say you were doing a focused task and didn't want to disturb your train of thought. 5 min breaks are good for productivity. Ideally we should all take 5 mins each hour to move away from the screen. I usually don't, but feel so much better when I do.

MrsTigerface · 28/04/2025 09:45

It depends which version of Teams you have, but ours allows you to choose the amount of time that elapses before your status changes from green to orange. Have a look and see if you can add a few more minutes.

Moveoverdarlin · 28/04/2025 09:46

Every other person will be getting up to make coffees, putting the washing on, hang out the washing, whizzing the hoover round AND taking an hours break.

doodleschnoodle · 28/04/2025 09:48

outlanderish · 28/04/2025 09:41

Ohhh, what's a mouse jiggler?! Is this a new 21st century invention?! @doodleschnoodle@EilishMcCandlish

There are different types but the ‘safest’ type is one that you don’t plug into your laptop and doesn’t have software, it’s a mechanical one that you plug in to a socket and place mouse on and you can set it to move every 30 seconds or something.

I used to have one not for this reason but because I had two computers for work and if I was doing work on one for 5+ mins, the other one would lock and I’d have to put my password in multiple times a day and it was annoying. So the jiggler solved it!

Bellaire85 · 28/04/2025 09:48

From the managers point of view, designated 30 - 60 minute lunch breaks are much easier to manage and monitor (amongst a team of staff) to make sure no one is taking advantage, especially as you WFH.

So, although I’m sure you’re being fair and reasonable with it, I do understand where she is coming from.

TangenitalContrivance · 28/04/2025 09:49

doodleschnoodle · 28/04/2025 09:37

Get a mouse jiggler

Came here to say this. about £5 off amazon or ebay

Paperthin · 28/04/2025 09:50

It is not about mouse jiggling, that implies you are trying to avoid work/lie to your boss about when you are working.
Ask your manager if you are meeting your targets and if they have any concerns about your performance.

If you are genuinely taking breaks that add up to your lunch break entitlement (and you have agreed with them that you take lots of short breaks) there should be no issue.

Why is your manager watching your Teams dot anyway?

As a manager I wouldn’t have time to watch what all my staff are doing re red dot/green dot/orange dot I have work to do and I trust them to do their work, any performance issues are noted via objectives and targets being met.

PaintDecisions · 28/04/2025 09:51

No need for a mouse jiggler, use a concave mirror and put the mouse on top. 😂🖱️

ilovesooty · 28/04/2025 09:52

Bellaire85 · 28/04/2025 09:48

From the managers point of view, designated 30 - 60 minute lunch breaks are much easier to manage and monitor (amongst a team of staff) to make sure no one is taking advantage, especially as you WFH.

So, although I’m sure you’re being fair and reasonable with it, I do understand where she is coming from.

Yes I agree. If you need regular breaks for your back it might be an idea to go through occupational health.

PaintDecisions · 28/04/2025 09:52

Bellaire85 · 28/04/2025 09:48

From the managers point of view, designated 30 - 60 minute lunch breaks are much easier to manage and monitor (amongst a team of staff) to make sure no one is taking advantage, especially as you WFH.

So, although I’m sure you’re being fair and reasonable with it, I do understand where she is coming from.

Do you not pee or make a brew in the working day? How do you account for that time away from your desk?

ByPeachPeer · 28/04/2025 09:54

A teaspoon on the mouse pad works just as well as mouse jiggler for keeping you green, I just turn the volume up in case I get a call

NotSafeInTaxis · 28/04/2025 09:55

Bellaire85 · 28/04/2025 09:48

From the managers point of view, designated 30 - 60 minute lunch breaks are much easier to manage and monitor (amongst a team of staff) to make sure no one is taking advantage, especially as you WFH.

So, although I’m sure you’re being fair and reasonable with it, I do understand where she is coming from.

I'm a manager, I'm not monitoring anyone's lunch breaks or their teams light all day long. Im monitoring their productive and work quality.

It's perfectly obvious if someone isn't working properly, without micromanaging

Butteredtoast55 · 28/04/2025 09:55

So staff are paid either on the basis of working a full day minus a half hour lunch break or a full day minus a one hour break? But you don't take either so presumably are being paid the full amount with no deductions - is this right?
If this is the case, I think your breaks may be taking longer than you think. I don't think it's at all unreasonable to take a few minutes to make a drink and pop to the loo in a workplace so that shouldn't be an issue but putting a load of washing on, playing with your dog and taking a couple of snack/ loo breaks across the day could easily total more than half an hour. Maybe that's why your manager says it's not ok.

cramptramp · 28/04/2025 09:56

This is why companies are getting people back into the office. And I don’t blame them.

Offcom · 28/04/2025 09:57

Don’t understand why managers put so much emphasis on being at your desk as long as you’re getting your work done. Completely makes sense with retail etc, but so many jobs involve thinking – genuinely believe my brain’s freer to solve a problem when my hands are busy hanging out laundry than if I’m staring at a blank google doc for 20 minutes

Packcold · 28/04/2025 09:58

ByPeachPeer · 28/04/2025 09:54

A teaspoon on the mouse pad works just as well as mouse jiggler for keeping you green, I just turn the volume up in case I get a call

Umm....what exactly do you do with the teaspoon?

ShaunaSadeki · 28/04/2025 10:02

I would be pissed off with being monitored like this, luckily I am allowed to manage my own time. Do they have pads on chairs for people who work on site to monitor how often they leave their desk?

TorroFerney · 28/04/2025 10:03

Moveoverdarlin · 28/04/2025 09:46

Every other person will be getting up to make coffees, putting the washing on, hang out the washing, whizzing the hoover round AND taking an hours break.

Agree, difference is they arent being watched. As a manager though, once you think someone is taking the Mickey you do keep looking . And saying other people do it is no good as you don’t know if they are being spoken to.

for me, I’ve started monitoring people on teams when they aren’t performing as the two always go together so if someone is doing a good job I never look. It’s hard as once that trust is gone it’s hard to get back

it may be that she’s wanted to speak to you and every time she’s looked it’s orange.

or she may just be a poor manager unable to see the bigger picture who knows!

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