To want to tell my boss to 'pipe down'?

[CuddlyKelpie]

I started a new job 4 weeks ago, the journey to work is fairly long and the only way I can make it is to use a notoriously accident prone high B road and a single track country lane. Due to where I live, childcare is limited and so I am restricted in terms of drop-off and collection.

I pointed this out when offered my current position, stating that if anything happened on the roads I would be cutting it fine to arrive at 8.45 and that I would need to leave at 4.40 but would shave the 20 mins off my 45 min lunch break. This was agreed by my manager and a director at interview.

On two days, at the start of the year, I was around 5 or 10 mins late due to snowy conditions and the B road being closed. On one occasion I was 10 mins late due to roadworks.

I was pulled up the other day - asked if I was going to have continuous problems getting to work on time as I had already shaved my lunch break down to 25 mins so would find it difficult to make the time up.

This week I have again been late due to the snow - monday 3 mins and this morning 37 mins as my car got stuck. When I finally got to work the comment was that they thought I wasn't coming and could I phone in if I was late again (I could have phoned but was preoccupied digging myself out and driving safely and it didn't occur to me). There was also a memo on my desk explaining that they were trying to avoid redundancies and could staff ensure that they were completely time efficient and help the company survive thereby safeguarding our positions.

I have never been pulled up over time keeping before and feel they are being unreasonable.
Is all this a sign of the times or am I justified in feeling a bit bloody harassed - especially as I raised concerns and compromises over hours at the interview before I accepted the position?

what kind of a work environment is it - i think thats the crux really

like if you were on reception - and somone had to cover for the 3-37 mins you were late

leaving her own work ...i can see that as a problem

but if your just a middle manager office pleboid then tell them to go fuck right off

Nobody has to cover for me, I am my in own pleboid department.

Are you making up the time when you are late? if you are not then this may be why they are getting annoyed, ok you cant help being late, but if you are you need to make up the time, so if your 10 mins late, you leave 10 mins later at home time, or work through lunch, they are not being unreasonable to ask you to make up the time, its what they pay you for

If you are struggling to stick to your working hours, maybe you could suggest dropping your hours, although if your new in the job they are quite within their rights to say no.

Did they argee to be flexible in your contract? do they have core hours? my company is flexible as long as you work the core hours of 10am to 4pm you can do what you like with the rest of your time as long as you make up you at some point for that week

I haven't signed the contract yet as they haven't included my negotiated early leaving. I was given the impression at interview that it wouldn't be a problem and the words were 'we roll in at all hours round here'.

I have never worked in an office where they bust you over being unavoidably late, it's always been accepted that shit happens on the roads.

The whole job has been misold to me though and I am actively hunting.

Sorry, I meant mis-sold.

The problem is that you have been there such a short time, that's all - you've been late on 25% of the days you've worked there and most jobs only pay any attention to visible stuff, not invisible stuff like childcare . You already have an exit strategy, so swallow it down and keep going. I have to say when I was a middle manager I used to be quite po-faced about lateness - needless to say I was childless and even worse, was pretty disorganised myself. Luckily my senior boss was a much more intelligent person. Look around for an ally if you can - there may be someone senior around who is not involved in all this and would be worth showing your best side to.