to stop extra flexibility after my manager imposed office hours?

[LouuLou]

I work in a small office team of five people. I’m the only full-time member of staff, everyone else is part time. We had a new manager start last year and honestly, up until now, things have been really good. We get on well, I like his management style and he has always said he cared more about people getting the work done than clock-watching.

I work very hard. I consistently hit targets, usually go beyond what is expected, and I won an achievement award last month. I also work very flexibly. I regularly start work at 7am, answer emails early, and will often still be available after 6pm. I usually work through lunch too. That flexibility has suited both the organisation and me because it means things get done quickly and I can also fit other parts of life around work. It is one of the things I am regularly complimented on - how quick I get tasks done.

Out of nowhere, he has now announced that I have to be physically in the office 9–5 three days a week. No actual problem has been identified, no concerns raised about my performance, no suggestion that work isn’t getting done. The explanation was basically that he “wants to try something different”.

Fine. He is the manager and he is entitled to set office hours if he wants to. I’m not arguing with that part.

But my feeling is that if he now wants strict contracted hours and presenteeism, then that is exactly what he will get. I no longer see the point in starting at 7am, replying to messages before work, being available into the evening or working through lunch. I’m planning to work my contracted hours, take a proper hour lunch break and log off at the end of the day.

I know this will reduce the amount I actually get done overall. But another part of me thinks flexibility works both ways. If management removes trust and autonomy, they can’t really expect staff to continue giving unpaid goodwill on top.

Do some of you really have a job that fills exactly the same amount of time every day, every week, every month, and every season?

We have one staff member who's always incredibly busy with month end stuff, I have 6-7 peaks in a year, we have one off projects sometimes which any of us could pick up depending on the type of work & capacity. We get big fluxes for no apparent reason in certain types of work sometimes.

Obviously we try & cover more routine stuff for each other depending on our particular main focus, there are fluctuations, and when it's a Duty week it's all hands to the pump. Some of our tasks can be very reactive; no use saying "I finish at 5pm" when someone will literally go hungry over the weekend if we don't sort something.

Tomorrow I'll have a later start and maybe an on-time finish (rare for me), as today was insane & Friday is promising to be the same.

OP, I think you’ve said he wanted you in Mon Weds Fri, but then he added Tues this week as a one off? So is tomorrow your first day at home?

Don't schedule any emails to be sent at 9, open your laptop at 9, read what’s there then reply, so they’re sent much later than 9.

The thing is OP, they are paying you to work from 9am to 5pm. There is some flexibility, but it sounds like you have been logging in at 7am and answering an email, and feeling this makes up for spending your afternoons exercising and relaxing with nothing to do. So if you actually only have 20 hours of work to do a week, you are being paid a full time wage for a part time position, and more than that instead of using your free hours having a coffee with colleagues or brainstorming, you are going for a run etc

Your employers are paying you to work, not exercise or do errands. If they want you to spend your quiet hours staring at the wall in the office rather than swanning about at home, that's what you do.

It feels like you have been forced into the office so they can keep an eye on what you are actually doing, or they are trying to hwt you to leave.

Personally I think any job that involves sending emails from home will be made obsolete in 10 years time by AI. If you don't actually need to be somewhere to actually do something yourself, AI can probably do it for free 🤷‍♀️

Yes he changed this week to Mon, Tues and Fri so today and tomorrow at home.

It is a hard habit to change as I am used to replying quickly. He sent me an email at 7.24 this morning, Usually I would reply quickly but I didn't reply until around 9.30am.

Good advice, thank you.

Definitely a few on this thread for sport!

It will be interesting to see if he ever reveals his rationale or is willing to backtrack when he realises he's shot himself in the foot. He might just entrench his position out of pride/embarrassment.

That is why I am not objecting to his new different way. It is better for him to see for himself. I sat in the office all day on my own yesterday like he wanted but then ignore the pre 9am and post 5pm international calls.

Yes I do. Technically I could work 70 hour weeks and still not get done everything that could be classed as under my remit but I do my 35 hours, work incredibly hard in that time (often from home) and accept i will never be 'done'. But there is never quiet time

There is some flexibility, but it sounds like you have been logging in at 7am and answering an email, and feeling this makes up for spending your afternoons exercising and relaxing with nothing to do.

Then try reading my posts again. I am not going to explain it again.

Your employers are paying you to work, not exercise or do errands. If they want you to spend your quiet hours staring at the wall in the office rather than swanning about at home, that's what you do.

I am doing that and have not objected.

If you don't actually need to be somewhere to actually do something yourself, AI can probably do it for free

Part of my job is being somewhere to do it myself so can't see AI taking that over!

You said he is annoyed already but how exactly has he displayed that to you?

has he said something specific or asked you why you aren’t picking up the international calls? Microaggressions?

or maybe he just has a side to his personality you haven’t seen before as not worked together in person?

He is complaining a lot about the having to pick up the international calls saying he is having to deal with the calls before he has even had breakfast! No he hasn't asked me why I am not picking the international calls. He has noticed I am sticking from 9-5 so it is clear.

I have worked with him in person for a year. Yes he could still have another side to him that I have not seen.

Time for a bit of quiet quitting .....

Definitely. Manager is sending emails this evening. They shall be ignored until tomorrow.

I’ve heard this expression but don’t really know what it means.

Quiet quitting refers to the practice of fulfilling the exact requirements of a job description sometimes called "acting your wage" without volunteering to go above and beyond. Instead of resigning, employees emotionally and mentally check out of work outside of designated hours, prioritizing work-life balance and rejecting workplace hustle culture.

@LouuLou

An excellent description. Its about boundary establishment and not skiving. Quiet quitting often exposes the structural inadequacies of a workplace where managemt rely upon unpaid labour or emotional labour by staff. Expecting employees to answer emails out of hours or stay beyond their designated quitting time are classic examples. This then becomes an expectation by management who often fail to hire in replacement staff at busy times or during holiday season.

I find it amazing that 'doing the job you are paid to do' is seen as a way of quiet quitting. I had heard the term and always assumed it was more about doing the bare minimum, not really meeting the job requirements but not doing quite enough to be fired but you're definition is the one that comes up when I Google too. Love the fact that businesses have convinced people thst unless we are 'going above and beyond' (ie working for free) we arent actually doing our jobs properly

Yes that's the way to go.
He should learn to appreciate his staff.
Once you stop doing all the extra bits he will notice.

I think they will just see that as proof that their overall strategy works.

What a strange attitude to be proud of

I see it from both sides. Ive often had employees who it suits them to start at 7am. Thats fine if the business starts from 7am but it quite often doesnt. It means they have it nice and quiet for a couple of hours before anyone else gets in. Have a coffee, a natter and maybe a paid poo. Then during normal office hours they get to leave 2 hours earlier leaving everyone else to cover. This doesnt work for a lot of offices.

Of course there is also the benefit for offices whereby they are getting longer 'cover' than normal working hours.

I support your manager. Just work the hours they want you to and switch off after. Chances are thats exactly what they want/need.

I honestly don't think your manager will care too much. Working hours are exactly that and anything that comes in before or after will just have to wait until it is picked up. Just out of interest, has he ever put holiday cover in place for you for early mornings or late afternoons? If he never bothered covering it then they don't want or need you to provide the extra cover. It might have been nice but it's clearly not important enough to your manager for you to continue. Just do your normal hours but don't hold your breath for him to regret his decision.

The business I am does start early because of international calls.

That is fine if that is exactly what he wants but he is moaning now how he doesn't get to have breakfast with his kids anymore!

No problem if he doesn't care but maybe he should stop moaning about having to deal with the early calls now I am no longer doing them?

I am not holding my breath. I say nothing when he starts his moaning!

If he keeps it up I would start saying “I’m not your manager or your therapist, Derek, tell someone else.”

Love this!

I think Derek is missing his leisurely mornings 😂

It's odd that he is moaning to you about having to take the international calls and not having breakfast. He has engineered this situation as a manager and should have known beforehand that the results of his actions would lead to him having to do his own work and out of hours - otherwise if he didn't know this, why the fuck is he a manager