15 Minutes expected before you begin

[ThatPearlkitty]

Inspired by another thread but a separate topic when eg the role is 9 to 5 paid hourly then why do some employers want people eg 15 mins before your actual start time why dont they pay for your time before then, yes i understand most roles is necessary eg coat, get ready for the day etc but then its free labour ?

Logging in is part of the job. If you can’t do the work without being logged in, that makes it a work task.

I employed staff (I’m now retired) and expected them to be at the desk and ready to work at 9am, no that didn’t mean switching on the computer but it did mean ready to take a call if the phone rang. If they wanted coffee on their desk at that time they had to come early or wait until they could take a break. Tbh I didn’t do timed breaks only lunch hour, but they were all free to take 5 minutes to make tea go for a wee as when so long as they didn’t take the piss, we all use to take turns making tea so that wasn’t really and issue.

i also expected them to finish a job before they left at 5.30 so if they were on the phone and it over ran by 10 minutes so be it, but then I didn’t crumble if they needed to finish 10 minutes early occasionally again so long as they didn’t take the piss and someone was happy to cover for them

i did however let one woman go because even after repeated warnings she still took extended lunch hours. Her lunch was 1-2, so at 12.50 she would go for a wee check her makeup and leave at 1, walk in at 2, hang up her coat, go for a wee show people what she had bought at the shop etc in effect she was taking an extra 20-30 minutes a day. She didn’t go happily but it really got to me that I was paying her for 30 minutes she didn’t do

Setting up/logging in is on work premises and company equipment of course that should count as paid work time. You don’t operate company equipment in your own time or you’re working for nothing.

There could also be insurance/ legal issues if you’re using work equipment and not formally being paid.

If you're in a team where people take the piss all day, thats a management issue.

Plenty of low paid jobs, especially in certain sectors struggle to even get a break, every minute of work/break time is allocated.

These are often the same people that are being instructed to arrive 15 in advance of their start time.

Every time this comes up I point out that an employment tribunal ruled long ago that computer turning on time is WORK time. Therefore there is no expectation that your computer should be turned on, you logged on and ready to work at 9, only that you are turning your computer on at 9. However no one ever listens.

if my employer wants me to be logged on by my contracted start time, they need to provide IT that does this efficiently and reliably.

some of our computers are so old that they do not do this. When updates are implemented overnight then they inevitably struggle the next day. My start time is 8.30. IT opens at 9. Most of the time I’m logged on by 8.30 but some days it can be well after if this happens and unless IT starts opening earlier there’s no point in getting in any earlier to deal with this.

Indeed, but MN wants flexibility and loyalty to companies - its not interested in legalities and will try to convince people they are wrong for following laws

I agree, but the pettiness cuts both ways IMO. If managers are truly bothered about people faffing about for 10 minutes in the context of an 8-hour working day, to the extent that they mandate rules to stamp it out, then I can't help but think that they're pretty shit managers; short-sighted and not thinking of the bigger picture. If a few people really are taking the piss then talk to those few people. If it's everybody then the root of the problem is closer to home.

I've never had a 'proper' job like this thank God, and I'm surprised at how many puritanical, protestant-work-ethic types are sticking up for this pettifogging nonsense.

At my last office we had to sign in/out at reception so those were my working hours. Once I’d signed in, the day had started. I’d already done over an hours commute in my own time so no, I’m not coming in any earlier.

I’d generally buy a coffee on the way so it was already in my hand. Took 10 seconds to take my coat off. We did have to keep our laptops in lockers but the time to get that out, set up etc, to me is work. We used to have desktops and our own desk but they wanted to change to hot desking, that’s on them!

But then I’m older and no longer cared about promotions or impressing anyone. I wasn’t totally inflexible. I’ve stayed late when I needed to. But if my employer had been picky about my start time then I would have been equally picky about my finish time.

We get an Extra 10 min break for coming in a little early

It's great it's paid, but you are doing. Wirk tasjs. So it should be.

however, if it's just so people are ready to start working at their start time (coats /drinks/chat etc) then it's understandable it's not paid.

I'd hate to work somewhere with the type of people it's been necessary to have this rule made for & I'd get a different job.

@greyfriarsjobbies The MN posters sticking up for this, are doing so from a position of well paid job/flexible working/reasonable employer.

They're willfully ignorant, that many people are struggling on NMW. While their employer shafts them for an extra hour+ every week.

Its an uncomfortable truth. Especially when these are the people caring for your children.

You can’t walk in the door at 9. It’s always going to take a few mins to be ready. So they say 15
mins to account for people needing the loo, water; put their bag away. You’re not working then.

Hanging up your coat and making a coffee should be on your own time but turning on the computer and logging in is a work job.

In my NHS clinic we get half an hour at the end of the day too to finish up, wipe everything down and log off but to be fair we are so busy I often work an extra hour doing notes and feferrals. We can claim that back on toil though.

I agree with you , generally speaking most staff I work with are happy to come in a bit early , I suspect its because they can get free fruit , cereal and hot drinks so they come in and have breakfast.

However the issue is at the end of the shift , due to our job there is equipment to put away this ( depending on location and equipment) takes between 10 and 20 minutes.
Some staff start putting equipment away 45 mins before the end of their shift then think because the equipment is put away they can go home .
There are short easy jobs they can do with no equipment that could be done towards the end of their day.
But that rarely happens
Imo they should work until almost ( i am absolutely fine with been done 5 / 10 mearly ) the end of their shift then put on coats chat and go.

And if you're working for NMW this will be illegal and not being paid for shift pre time is also illegal

as sports direct found out

https://www.hrsolutions-uk.com/sports-direct-admit-to-not-paying-staff-minimum-wage/

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201617/cmselect/cmbis/219/219.pdf

other companies fined for not paying for time worked at start or end of shift and. training

Costa Coffee Unpaid mandatory training and shift prep.Fined and named in 2026 for £149,851 in arrears.

Argos Staff required to attend briefings and security checks before/after shifts.Failed to pay £480,093 to 10,399 workers.

Marks and Spencer Unpaid "technical" time (often handovers or prep).Failed to pay £578,390 to 5,363 workers.

WHSmiths Failed to pay £1,017,693 to 17,607 workers.Mandatory uniform requirements and unpaid prep time.

Tesco Historical "technical" breaches including unpaid time.Paid back millions in 2017 to over 140,000 staff.

My office now operates a hot desking and clear desk policy - it's first-come, first-served for the desks and the ones that function properly and have working, universal equipment that works with my (work-issued!) laptop get taken first. There's no way I would call my set-up part of my commute because it's been my employer's decision to move away from us having our own permanent desks where we could have things set up ready to quickly and efficiently make a start.

We have hot rooming. First one in gets the nice room. The horrible room has no window and a keybosrd with no letters on it 😅

It's not work time, though, because they are not doing any work. Just like commute time is not work time, faffing about before logging on is simply the time you need to get ready to start work on time.
I have my first patient at 9am and I am expected to see them at 9am. Not to walk through the door at 9am sharp and faff about till I am ready.

"being logged in"

I kind of disagree with this one. You should be at your desk and ready to log in. If your machine takes 20 mins to log in (exaggerated example) you are giving your employer extra time.

I agree with being ready to take calls, attend meetings etc at 9 if that is the time from which you get paid. But then if people are ready to leave bang on 5, that is equally fair. Unless of course you want promotion.

I work in a factory and my shift is 6-2. I was told when I started they expected us on the shopfloor for ten to, so production could start on time.
The other shift is 2-10. Sadly they swan in at five to, which is our clocking out time.. I will leave my line when my shift start clocking out.
Often I pass the other shift still coming through the main gate at 2pm.

This is much more common in low paid work where people are not valued and there is a burn and churn type of recruitment style.

If you're on a zero or 4hr contract with 'full flexibility' - on your part only then you are in a position of no power. You won't have the money for union fees, if there was one available, certainly no money for employment tribunal fees and you either accept the exploitation or you don't get any more shifts.

It's a different world to the one most people are talking about where employers are flexible and provide tea and coffee.

It's about getting as much as possible for free from your employee - and weeding out any that won't comply.

Nothing annoys me more at work than someone who starts at 9 coming in dot on nine then going to get a drink/go to the canteen etc, I start at 9 but always make sure I’ve got time to get a coffee and all the other bits, feel too stressed just getting there at 9 and having nothing for the day organised.