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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

How much is expected outside working hours

25 replies

NC2125 · 04/12/2025 08:09

NC for this. I’m writing here for more traffic because I need some advice and opinions.

How much are you expected to do for your work outside working hours?

My manager sends frequent e-mails and put things in group chat about work, new products we have to read about and review, issues at work etc. etc. and expects us to respond to this.

Also we have staff meetings every month at work (all of them on my days off) usually 1-2 hours(but takes me about half an hour to get to work and half an hour back so 2-3 hours in total for one meeting) but I don’t have childcare my days off and my manager knows that and still expects me to sort childcare. We live away from family and don’t have any friends who can look after our kids. What do I do? I’m pretty sure staff meetings aren’t mentioned in my contract. Please give me some advice.

OP posts:
Agix · 04/12/2025 08:12

Are you paid by the hour or salaried?

We're technically paid by the hour so don't do anything outside of our work hours.

If you're salaried then it's legal to ask you to do work outside your work hours, as long as the actual hours worked doesn't mean your salary is below minimum wage. I believe.

Telemicus · 04/12/2025 08:12

Team meetings on your day off? Do you work part time?

You say "sorry boss, I don't work that day, please could we rearrange, or you go ahead without me".

And on the teams chats/emails, read and respond of you like, but you don't need to address until the next morning.

totalrocket · 04/12/2025 08:15

In those circumstances I would expect them to include me in the meeting on teams. That’s nuts to come in on day off with travel and childcare. It would be great if you could do the really important ones in person. Really depends on your role and nature of job what extra hours you’d be expected to swallow unpaid/ no moaning. Maybe 5? But you’d expect nice flexible treatment in return. For a more senior job I’d expect that 5 hours to go up and down as per needs.

Original poster
NC2125 · 04/12/2025 08:19

I get paid by the hour.

Yes I work part time. Yes meetings every month on a Friday when I’m off.

You get paid to attend the meetings but that’s not the problem. I don’t have anyone to look after my kids and my boss doesn’t understand that.

Thank you for the advice so far.

OP posts:
Overthebow · 04/12/2025 08:19

In my job it’s whatever it take to get what’s needed done. I work 4 days a week but usually end up doing some n my day off, plus evenings. Extra CPD is in my own time too, often lunchtimes or after work. I’m salaried in a professional job. I wouldn’t be attending team meetings on my day off though unless a one off and important, though I have rearranged childcare many times for client meetings.

mumonthehill · 04/12/2025 08:20

Team meetings scheduled for your day off then you should not be attending. I do work some longer hours but this is certainly bot the culture in our organisation and if you are then you need to look at your work load. You definitely need to raise these meetings, we have part time staff and as much as we can team meetings are arranged when most are in. There is no way as a manager I would expect a team member to come in on their day off unless absolutely essential and another day off was arranged and with agreement.

Octavia64 · 04/12/2025 08:21

A lot of this depends on how much you are paid and what area you work in.

i have worked with people who were part time who had two jobs and said that they couldn’t make anything on a Tuesday (for example) because they were at their other job.

DelurkingAJ · 04/12/2025 08:23

I run a team of qualified, salaried professionals. I do not expect anyone who works PT to attend team meetings on their day not working. If I only had one such meeting a week I’d move it so that everyone was on a working day.

Yes, we frequently work beyond our hours (but get flexibility in return and are frankly very well paid). But working on a day off, no that’s not on!

JC19827 · 04/12/2025 08:28

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

AreYouSureAskedNaomi · 04/12/2025 08:35

NC2125 · 04/12/2025 08:19

I get paid by the hour.

Yes I work part time. Yes meetings every month on a Friday when I’m off.

You get paid to attend the meetings but that’s not the problem. I don’t have anyone to look after my kids and my boss doesn’t understand that.

Thank you for the advice so far.

Why do they insist on holding meetings on the only day you are off? Are they picking on you? This is bizarre

EBearhug · 04/12/2025 08:36

If you're not scheduled to work, you're not scheduled to work, and it doesn't matter if you're at another job or the dentist or just lieing in bed doing nothing.

If it's a regular non-working day (or annual leave), I wouldn't expect to attend, salaried or not. It's why meetings should have minutes, or possibly recordings. There's never a day where there is absolutely everyone in, but if I were arranging a meeting I wanted all staff to attend, I'd look at a day where the fewest part-timers have a non-working day - and there's still likely to be someone on annual leave or off sick. So if it's something important, there might need to be a separate catch-up with people who weren't able to be there. We do occasionally ask part-timers to move their days around, but it's a request, not an order.

However, if you have a work culture where it is expected that you don't actually have a right to non-workingtime being work-free, I'd check union/ACAS/ legal advice on how best to say no, because there's likely to be some push-back.

Whatsthatsheila · 04/12/2025 08:42

NC2125 · 04/12/2025 08:19

I get paid by the hour.

Yes I work part time. Yes meetings every month on a Friday when I’m off.

You get paid to attend the meetings but that’s not the problem. I don’t have anyone to look after my kids and my boss doesn’t understand that.

Thank you for the advice so far.

It’s a non working day. Do the meetings form part of your contracted hours? If not You don’t have to be there.

if they are that important to your boss then I would suggest seeing if you can find childcare on a Friday all day and changing your non working day

if your boss doesn’t want you to work Fridays and have a different day off in future (eg Monday) then just tell them you won’t be attending meetings anymore that don’t fall within my working hours

Mabiscuit · 04/12/2025 08:45

I've worked part-time for the past decade and it is common for managers and colleagues to expect me to come to meetings on my non-working days. I told them I didn't have childcare and that I can only join crucial meetings on Teams. I take time off the following week but this has only happened a handful of times in those 10 years.

EuclidianGeometryFan · 04/12/2025 08:47

Salaried here. I never work at all outside my working hours. I have rock-solid boundaries between work and home. I would never, ever log on to look at work stuff during my own time.

It is 100 times worse as you are hourly paid. Absolute bloody cheek of them. They are effectively trying to steal your time for free.

Refuse, or discuss overtime payment or TOIL (time off in lieu).
And start looking for another job.

PluckyChancer · 04/12/2025 08:48

Are you in a union? If not, contact ACAS or the Citizens Advice for help in tackling this.

I think as your manager is clearly taking the piss now, you need to push back but do it in writing with a proper paper trail.

As you’re paid by the hour then your employer must pay you for ALL the hours you are expected to engage with work otherwise, they’re in breach of contract. That includes reading and responding to emails.

They cannot require you to attend meetings on days you’re not normally expected to work. Again, that’s in breach of your contract.

surreygirly · 04/12/2025 08:50

I would do best to attend meeting but not even open emails
If queried I would just say I am not going to open emails when not at work

taralovey · 04/12/2025 09:08

You need to watch a woman on Instagram called Loe Whaley - she is Canadian but her page is scenarios where work ask you to do things that are outwith your normal hours or your remit and how to put boundaries in place and say no respectfully.
We work to live not live to work :-)

Greenwitchart · 04/12/2025 09:22

I never work outside my contractual hours because:

  • I have a life
  • I don't work for free.

I have worked part-time for the past 15 years and I would never attend meetings on my days off. Usually the arrangement is that if team meetings are on a particular day I make sure that when I start a job my work pattern includes that day of the week.

LavenderBlue19 · 04/12/2025 09:39

Friday is a daft day for a staff meeting anyway, half our office work part time or condensed hours and don't work Fridays. I wouldn't be going in on my non-working day - might consider joining on Teams if it was important and I could manage with my child there.

This definitely isn't normal, OP. I do extra hours sometimes, but only if it's to get some work over the line or reduce my workload if I have time. I don't work Fridays and sometimes do an hour or so at home to keep on top of emails, but not every Friday and not if it's the school holidays.

LaurieFairyCake · 04/12/2025 12:04

If you want the money go, if not send him an email saying you are no longer available on your non working days for meetings. And don’t apologies in it. Just state it as a fact.

Justploddingonandon · 04/12/2025 12:09

I work part time and nothing is expected on my days off. I do attend a monthly planning meeting on my day off on condition that a)I attend remotely on teams, b)I get time off in lieu (I prefer this to overtime) c)I am not doing anything else that day. I try not to evoke c too often as it cuts both ways and I like being able to swap a day when I need to. This mostly works as my kids are school age and the meeting fits into school hours. I do get paid less than I could in a similar role elsewhere but I'd rather have the flexibility.

AwfullyGood · 04/12/2025 21:31

I'm salaried, very rarely work outside contracted hours and if I do, I take it back at another time.

MiseryIn · 04/12/2025 21:47

I’m paid relatively well and basically never work outside my contracted hours unless I want to. For example I might log in early when wfh if I’m ready anyway.

I had a job before where I was pretty much 24/7. No way. Never again.

Statsquestion1 · 04/12/2025 21:56

I work in the private sector for a global company. Is it expected?…no, not unless there’s a deadline. But any hours I do over my 39hours are paid overtime. I’m salaried but my pay for overtime is either 1.5x or 2x my hourly rate. I do not work for free and they don’t expect me too either.

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