Colleague keeps putting in calls at 4pm with me

[MichelleTalks]

I’m on a 35 hour a week contract and our employer very much champions a flexible working and ‘as long as you do your hours we don’t mind when’ sort of approach.

I typically work between 7-4, which allows flexibility with school runs etc. Other colleagues do similar - some will take a longer lunch to go to the gym, some will get admin done in the evenings. No issue - we are all adults.

Recently, a colleague keeps trying to book meetings in with me at 4pm. She tends to work 9-5 every day. I point out various free slots in both our calendars earlier in the day (4-5 is always blocked out in mine) and she does eventually re-schedule for one of them. But it has happened 4/5 times in the past month now.

She is as entitled to flexible working as the rest of us, but it feels like she resents my approach. Would you say something or just ignore?

Its blatantly a dick move, posters are giving your colleague the old benefit of doubt...

My old boss used to put unnecessary meetings in at the end of the day on a Thursday or Friday - dick move on many levels.

Is there any way she might cause you issues for you always (rightly) declining these 4pm meetings? So you can be labelled as inaccessible?

Otherwise have a firm word and find a balance that suits both of you. I quite like the - just hit decline and propose new time - but I know I'd be pissed off for my hours being constantly overlooked!

Why the drama just say no
I wouldn’t read anything into it

Meh. I used to organise a meeting with people from the YA, China and Europe.

Block your unavailable hours and get your calendar to offer alternative dates/times. You can automate that in Outlook afaik

Yep, this is the best way. If she wants to make a point about your working hours, do the same for hers. If she's genuinely unable to remember them, perhaps this will serve as an aide memoire.

As it’s blocked out, OP should decline every time without an explanation.

Or change it from blocked out to Out of Office and not even respond to the meeting request.

Good idea but I would decline and suggest 7.30.

I wouldn't even propose a new time now, she knows, just decline and leave it

In calendar settings there should be a work hours option where you can choose the days you work and the hours, mine is set to 8-6 Mon-Thur and 8-3 Fri, outside those hours my calendar goes grey on the scheduler.
Though to be honest you'd be better booking a reoccurring meeting at the start and end of the day as that way you show as busy (or show as out of ofice), people crash the grey slots!

Speaking as someone who works in an organisation with the same policy as yours - and as a very forgetful person - there’s every possibly she forgets. Annoying and I’m sure she could do better, but it might not be malicious.

She probably forgets the specifics of your working hours. You say you block out the time but does it say ' Non working hours - not available for meetings' between 4pm to 5pm in your diary and have you set the setting to refuse meetings in that time?

If you have done both, then unless she is your boss, just ignore any meetings she puts for 4pm. Don't actually engage with her, just don't turn up for the meetings. If she asks why you didn't turn up, just say you don't work in those hours snd move on. She will soon stop doing it if she has to wait around for you when you don't turn up a couple of times.

Do you have core hours? Email her and tell her you can only do meetings which can be concluded within core hours. CC your manager if you feel this is appropriate. On top of all the settings stuff you can do.

Are you in the same role and is it the case that you are perhaps doing less work, or she perceives you are, due to your early start? In which case she needs to deal with things via the proper channels instead of trying to make her point in this way.

I used to work in an office where a particular lady client would called at 4.55 p.m. for a quick catch up and chat. I finished at 5 p.m. I always thereafter switched my 'phone off, sent a message to the switchboard to say at 4.55 p.m. when she 'phoned that Virtue had gone for their bus. If you make a blanket 5 day a week rule, they will soon respect it.

Just decline them.

But as long as you were done by 5, what was the issue?

I had this in previous jobs and it's so petty, it's like coming in early doesn't count but sitting rolling your thumbs later in the day is seen as better. As pp have said, make a point of suggesting early meetings with the colleague and breezily make a point of how productive it is to work early!!

Just decline every time with "my working hours are 7-4. Please feel rebook the meeting for during those times."

Dont engage any further and never accept one "just this one time". She'll soon learn.

Just decline. You wouldn’t accept one at 9pm so why accept one at 4pm when you’ve just finished work? You’re off the clock so no obligation to accept.

Decline and suggest a better time, every time.

It doesn’t sounds like she’s a good fit for your team/company if she doesn’t like flexible working.

If she keeps doing it (give yourself a benchmark) then I’d mention it to her line manager.

Decline and say "my calendar is kept up to date with my availability"

Don’t bother suggesting alternatives , just decline

do make sure your normal hours are on your email footer

I had a colleague who used to video call me at 5 on a Friday every week and keep going till 6. She had grown up teenage children, mine are primary age. Drove me mad! Ended up putting in a private blank appointment and ignoring her.

It wouldn’t bother me OP. She’d be having her meeting with an empty chair.

I’d be Proposing New Time of 7am, every single time she does it. Or just declining until she sends a suitable time. I’d have Private Appointment in my diary between 4 and 5 so its clear to all I am busy, I’d give no more headspace to it. If your diary is always blocked off from 4 then it does sound likely to be deliberate, or possibly just thoughtless, but I’d just ignore.