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?

Just decline the meeting in outlook. The first three times say « as discussed I’m not available 4-5 »

after the third time just decline with no message

Yeah that’s annoying, but how does 7-4 work wi the school runs?

One of my colleagues was completely incapable of remembering which was my non working day despite it being in my calendar.
He'd message me on my non working days but then ask others to do work he'd normally ask me to do on a different day saying I'm asking you as it's superscientist's non working day! Every time I messaged with I don't work Wednesday I'll get to this tomorrow if I saw it on a Wednesday or I'll get to it today if I didn't.
For him it wasn't malicious, he just in his own world.

My company had a policy of not scheduling meetings outside of 10-4 without prior agreement from all parties to allow for flexible working. We had a mix of people working 7-4 and 10-7 and everything in between!

I do these hours and if DH can’t do drop off I’ll take my ‘lunch break’ to do it, work through the day without a break and leave at 4 to pick them up from after school activities. Or if for some reason I get delayed and take longer than an hour at drop off I will make up the time once the kids are in bed.

Anyone working longer than six hours in entitled to a 20 minute break. This approach could back fire if your employer insisted on you taking that break.

Block out 4-5 on your calendar every day.

Is it the only time she can do so is it possible to rearrange your schedule for a day here and there?

Sorry, I don't work in an office so all meetings are done face to face within the same hours for all of us.

She is taking it, what people do on their break is up to them.

Did you not read the bit where OP told us that is exactly what she has done?

From the opening message:

"I point out various free slots in both our calendars earlier in the day (4-5 is always blocked out in mine) "

Exactly this!

She can’t be expected to remember everyone’s working hours, why does it show as available in your calendar? Why don’t you show yourself as unavailable to it will decline?

OP has done this. Did you not read that bit?

Add your hours at the top of your daily calendar and if she doesn’t look and ignores then on her. Just simply go back and say, I leave at 4pm so cannot do this appointment. Be blunt.

Enter in your calendar from 3:30pm onwards each day “leave free - prepping for ————-“. Add to your email signature “My normal working hours are ————-“

I think you’re overthinking it. ‘Resents my approach’? She probably doesn’t even know/ remember what your approach is. Other people don’t really notice you/ give you that much headspace, people live in their own worlds.

Also you say you ‘typically’ work these hours, implying there’s variation.

I work with lots of people that finish at 3pm. Unless they are in my team and I see them daily over many months, I have no idea what their routines are.

I imagine she’s just someone that prefers having meetings first thing or last thing as to not disrupt her flow.

Decline, drop her a quick Teams message so she knows your hours, problem solved. If you want to be a bit PA, say ‘please book an available slot, my diary is up to date’

I don't think this behaviour is forgetfulness. I think it is having a dig at someone who finishes and indeed starts earlier, or at best an objector to the company policy.

Don't most people just block out when they're doing school run/ walking dog/ emptying dishwasher/lunching with mates at pub etc?

Yeah that's what I do, we can work very flexibly the only requirement is that we make it clear in our calendars when we are /are not available

Can you have your working hours as part of your email signature?

My line manager is very hands off and trusts me to do my day's work without checking up if I am taking any breaks - like all decent employers should be until a person gives them a reason to think otherwise!

I doubt she is doing it on purpose.. people tend to assume 9-5, I do a late shift on a Friday and recently updated my working hours on Outlook to reflect that.. I'd just do that, and keep reiterating it ...people tend to think less about your personal commitments or work patterns than we think they might!

Surely when you’re setting up a meeting with someone the first thing you do is check their calendar to see when you’re both free? And since the OP’s stated very clearly in her first post that she has that hour blocked in her calendar (even though a lot of people seen to have missed that) this can’t be accidental.