To think this school mums thinks my work sitch is weird?

[Chaiii]

So if for example my child's school has a morning event, I would be expected to book a couple of hours leave to attend. I understand it would be unfair to my childless colleagues if I just came in 2 hours left or left 2 hours early couple of months so I've thought nothing of it.

A school mum today was in shock that I'd have to eat into my AL, she said her work wouldn't make her book holiday for having 2 hours off etc.

What's the norm? If there is a norm?

I wouldn't book AL.

I would just take a couple of hours during the day and make time up later or across the rest of the week. Easily done...just log back on in the evening once kids are in bed and work for a bit. Perhaps work through lunch one day. Or get up earlier, and drive to the office a bit earlier on the day my DH does drop-off to grab an extra hour there. On days I WFH its easy as I can just work the usual 'commute time' and I've already banked an hour or so.

For only a couple of hours its really easy to make up the time I find. My work is pretty flexible though (even office days don't require you to be there 9-5:30 - provided you come in for a bit they don't care when you arrive or leave) and tbh no one is checking I'm working my full 38hrs anyway (mainly because we're all worked to the bone, and mostly working much more than that 😂)

DH is a teacher though, so obviously not easy at all for him to pop along to any school events for our 2 DCs and it becomes a whole bloody drama with his headteacher if he dares to ask to attend the Xmas play. Essentially means he never comes to the school things at all for our kids.

And not able to make it up another day

Why can't you make it up another day/over the course of the week? It's only 2 hours.

That's the only thing a bit weird about your "sitch"

Usually places are either very strict so you're either in during "working hours" or on leave, in which case you'd have to book half a days annual leave.

Or they operate a flexi policy, usually formal stated flexi working where you log all your hours and as long as they add uo to the right amount over a day/week/month you're fine. My work is like this, unless there's a meeting I'm supposed to be at I wouldn't even tell people I'm going to be late in one day, everyone just starts and finishes work whenever they want.

Sometimes theres not a flexible polocy in place as such but youd just tell your manager "ill be in late on Tuesday but will work late on Thursday to make up the time."

Then there are some (rare) organisations where you won't be formally expected to make up or log your hours at all and they are fine with you having the odd late start/early finish on the basis that at other times you will work late, as per business need.

The wording of your first post suggested the first option but then your new update suggested the second - that your work would be fine with you taking the time and not having to use AL if you could make it back another day but (for some reason) can't?

Well it depends what you do doesn't it? If there was a school event on on a day when I had clinical commitments my choice would be take annual leave, swap the session with a colleague or don't go - obviously I can't pop out for an hour in the middle of a theatre list or clinic, I'm either there or I'm not. But on an admin day, as long as I didn't have a meeting with other people scheduled I'd probably have a bit more flexibility as I could go in early/stay late/bring work home to compensate.
Different jobs lend themselves to different work patterns. My DH's job can be very flexible as he works mainly independently and as long as his work is completed by particular deadlines it doesn't matter if it's done at 9am or 9pm. At the other end of the spectrum someone like a nurse working shifts has to be physically present in the work place for the entirety of a specific time period. And there will be lots of people who are somewhere in between. None of those situations is right, wrong or weird, they're just different.

I work hybrid, in a role where occasional early morning (6am) or late (after 9pm) calls are part of the job

It is flexi, so I wouldn't need to take leave, but I would need to put it in my/managers diary.

From managing a team: tbh the risk is that no one actually 'makes up' the time, I personally wouldn't work extra hours for the sake of it - but do sometimes HAVE to do extra hours so it balances out & this has been my attitude as a manager. We are output not time focused, and it balances out.

If the work was happening 9-5, I can see more justification for making teams take leave for this stuff - it is unfair on people w/o kids, unless there is flexibility for everyone.

I wouldn't need to book AL for such a short time. I went to most of DS school events. I either made time up if we were busy or just left it. I'm quite senior in a professional career so trusted to get the job done and not worry about counting hours.

That, to be fair, was one thing my last employer was good about. Parents evening? Ok, just go a bit earlier? Award in assembly and you only just found out for tomorrow, ok, later start is fine.
Not so much to do in horticulture, in Jan, ok, leave earlier because you'll likely make it up through manic summer

My previous job would have required me to book time off.
My current role doesn't.
I don't even keep track of the hours I work and I'm not expected to.

It's swings and roundabouts where I work. I put in extra hours when we're busy so if I need to do something during the working day, I can go and do it. Just tell boss I'll be away from my desk for a couple of hours. All fine.

When I was employed I would always have had to take leave or, if it was just for a shorter time, make up the missed time later. I would have felt very aggrieved if colleagues were allowed to take extra time off work to attend school events without making up the time.

I have fixed leave. I've not made any of these events in recent years. Taking time off for e.g. hospital appointments for kids is tricky enough.
DH would be able to just take the time off (assuming nothing already in the diary) and make up the hours.

Your work is correct.

A blue alien. Hangs out with a kid named Lilo.

My current job would be flexible and I'd make the time up.

Previous jobs over the last 13 years no annual leave allowed during term time as I was a teacher. Never managed any assemblies/events.

Well lots of people (with kids) work full time, so 37, 40, plus hours so it's hardly impossible
2hours over 5 days is less than 25 minutes a day.
Also lots of places where employers are flexible offer that flexibility with WHERE they work as well. It's a lot easier to make up time if you don't have to factor in travelling time, or can just open up the laptop again for an hour once the kids are in bed.

If you work 9-3 m-f to fit in with kids schools and have to be physically in your place of work, I can see why it would be harder to make that up, but you must realise that that's a very specific set of circumstances which are not universal -surely it's a bit laborious for people to state the obvious and explain that they can make the hours up because they have a different work schedule or family commitments than you?

Even with those working hours it's not impossible
You could get someone - a friend, parent, your partner to pick them up at 3 so you can work until 5 one day
Or put them in after school club for one day
Or breakfast club twice
Or ask someone else to do the drop offs for 2 days so you can be in an hour earlier

My manager is very good about stuff like this - if it’s 2hrs, a dentist appt, collecting car from garage etc, he’d say just go. I wouldn’t have to strictly make up the exact amount of time, just make sure the work is done.

If it was a full morning/afternoon I’d book it off or use our flexi scheme.

We work flexi. So all my colleagues work round any personal stuff

Situation I would think. It's not rocket science

Not permitted to take any time off unless for exceptional circumstances/emergencies. This includes for non-emergency medical appts. Guess the job 😀

Annual leave for me, or just unable to make it sometimes. Husband can often go, but he's a contractor so it will cost us 1/4 of a day's pay.