To tell them to sod this meeting

[Lazykitten]

This is the second time this has happened.

I have a weird set up where by I'm employed by the London office but work out of the Manchester office (live just north of Manchester). But as I'm officially part of the London office my client base is predominantly South East.

I have a client in Maidstone. We have an in-person meeting with them every quarter. It's been scheduled for....... 9.30 Monday morning.

The bit that's peed me off most of all is there's a massive email chain between everyone confirming availability that I wasn't included on. Then it gets forwarded to me as a 'FYI Lazykitten meeting is 9.30 Monday'. This happened last time, but was a Tuesday after a bank holiday.

I'm by far the least important person there in terms of rank, but the most important in terms of client relations and doing the actual work. I get I have to attend meetings but it's a 6 hour commute for me which I would have to do on a Sunday. I'd lose half my weekend because once again I'm an after thought to the important people who live 'down the road'.

I raised this last time. I have no reason why I can't go but tempted to invent a preexisting weekend break so they don't keep doing this. But will massively p off client to rearrange now it's confirmed.

Just 😡

Surely you could get the train in less than 6 hours? I reckon about 3-4 including a change. Head off at 6 on Sunday, stay overnight.

For them to 1. exclude you on the emails arranging the time and 2. to make both this meeting and the last one first thing in the morning feels rather pointed!

I would absolutely say you have an event on sunday so are not able to travel down the night before.

This is nothing to do with people working from home or anything else that people use to suggest others are lazy.

if the meeting was at 11pm and you would be allowed to count the time from when you left the house as "work" then the same applies every other day -i.e your workplace counts travelling time as work time. You don't get paid to work on a Sunday, you are not contracted to work Sundays therefore organising a meeting that you physically cannot attend unless you work on sunday and give up your free time is not appropriate.

Even thinking of the company, presumably if it was at a reasonable time you could just drive there and back, making you go the day before is costing them a hotel.

If you do go I'd absolutely rinse them, get the nicest hotel you can with their money and take the whole day to drive back home if it counts as work time - after all its recommended to have frequent stops for driver safety!

If you have a dp/friend who fancies it I'd bring them with you, make a day of the sunday in London and have a little mini break on their money.

My husband's company has a lot of employees who don't live in Dorset where the office is based but live elsewhere - London, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Midlands etc. Their contracted office is Dorset, so they are required to attend meetings etc, at specified times. Unfortunately, if you are contracted at a London office but live in Manchester and someone has arranged a 9.30 am meeting, yes you can be pissed off, but you can't refuse to attend. All you can do is say to those in charge, that you'd appreciate a later meeting time next, due to the distance you need to travel. They aren't obliged to do this for you though, and all you can do is ask.

Annoying. Get it part of the client system/files that in-person meetings will be on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, scheduled so you’re in the region to minimise cost of your trip and maximize client face to face time effectively Add in your manager and hr and you appear like a contentious cost-saving person!

I live north of Manchester and drive to Maidstone area quite frequently. Takes 4-4.5hrs.

I don't think multiple people should have to specifically check your diary, but yes they should include you in discussions when looking at dates and times.

I think if this happens a handful of times a year you haven't really got much grounds to kick up a stink over it.

I think you need to make this a problem, because you mentioned it politely before and no one took any notice. Why should you give up part of your weekend? Just say unfortunately you were left out of the email chain and you're unable to get from Birmingham to Maidstone in time for a 9:30 meeting on a Monday morning. If you let them take the piss then they will and you can bet they won't appreciate it.

If you did have to travel on the Sunday I know you have said that you would get your travel expenses paid for but would you also be paid for the Sunday hours? I imagine if the meeting was end of day Monday you would be paid while you are on the train on the Monday so would you also be paid on the Sunday or are they purposefully scheduling it so that they don't have to pay this?
(I hope that makes sense?)

Pretty sure you are attending my wedding on that Sunday.....

Edited to add, no you dont know me and no im not getting married 😂

I would reply and say that unfortunately you have a standing personal commitment on a Sunday and since the time they have agreed would involve you travelling on a Sunday to be there in time, it is not going to be possible for you to attend. Suggest times going forward, offer to attend remotely and leave it at that. I would really be putting my foot down.

(If they ask what your commitment is tell them its the day its your turn to watch over your crazy uncle who is chained up in the attic for public safety reasons, or that it is the day you help toads cross the roads, or something crazy. Or, better yet, tell them that your commitments in your own time arent something you are comfortable discussing but are they really suggesting that you should not have weekend plans because of work?).

This. I’m old-fashioned, so I say work hard, show willing, and work your way up the food chain so that YOU are the one making the arrangements.

I would definitely take the time of in lieu though. A half day on Friday next week. Don’t ask, just explain you’re doing what you have moved from Sunday.

I'm the only person with the technical knowledge despite being much lower down the food chain

No @Lazykitten does not have to work their way up the food chain they are key to all operations

I’m not technical but understand technology and understand you will fail on everything without the technical knowledge

Just stand up for yourself and say you can’t get there by 9.30 Monday. If you are important they should have included you in the planning process. If you are not important it won’t matter that you’re not there. No one will stand up for you and the value of your time if you don’t do it yourself.

@Lazykitten I would be letting them know I wouldn’t be entertaining travel on a Sunday except as an exception. Therefore going forwards you will not be available for client meetingsnon Monday morning (or Tue after bank hol) or Friday afternoon. If this is to work then they need to work with you and consult. Block out the times on your calendar.

Why can't you be patched into the meeting via Zoom?

In your position I’d do it this time (because you don’t want to annoy the client) but point out to your colleagues that they forgot to check the time with you, that time is hugely inconvenient because of the Sunday travel, and ask that next time it needs a different day it the week, or after lunch.

Yeah I wouldn't show willing on this one and I'd have a prior commitment on the Sunday that I couldn't get out of. No further explanation necessary. I would offer to patch in remotely, of course.

You simply can't be treating key employees as an afterthought, no matter how low down the food chain they are. Time for these bosses to learn that valuable lesson.

And doing it this time but complaining separately to the organisers is a surefire way to guarantee they'll treat you like an afterthought again, because they got away with it once and they know you still put yourself out for the company.

In which case, your availability is important. Unless you are paid to travel over a w/e (lile a Director or Partner) it can't be assumed, and a meeting should be within normal hours.

This 😃 or say you have a special family event, and what a shame you weren't in the email chain as you could have made sure it was on a suitable date. As it is you can't travel there on Monday in time to make the meeting.

I think a Sunday stay over twice a year is something you can suck up - plus hotel rooms are always cheap Sunday nights and with some notice it won't cost you a lot. Make it clear that it's their stupidity with not including you in the planning emails that has led to this.

Just say sadly you can only do a meeting in the pm Monday due to a prior appointment in your travel time. Suggest you dial in to attend it. Just point out you were missed off the email when arrangements were made and this is the first time you have to say it’s not convenient time for you / or suggest someone takes your action points and lets you know after the meeting.

Go to the meeting but set the dates for the next year at that meeting to avoid it happening again.

Just tell them you have long standing personal plans to soak in the bath, eat chocolate and drink wine on the Sunday that cannot be rearranged and will sadly have to either miss this meeting or attend via Teams. Provide some availability that works for you.

You can either explain again why you need to be included in the arrangement from the start and be ignored and still not included next time

or you can show them what happens when you’re not included and explain you have an important commitment on Sunday so won’t be able to make it.

Actions alway speak louder than words - especially if you’ve already explained once

Why does it have to be in person? Can it be by Teams for you?