Going in for a meeting on career break?

[Changebagsandgladrags]

I'm on a one-year career break (unpaid obviously). Work want me to go in for a meeting to discuss my role when I go back in a few months.

The policy states: Any period of work during a career break will be paid at the rate prior to the start of the career break.

So, I asked about payment for going in and they say that as it's a meeting it's unpaid (what are meetings just for fun nowadays?). I've told them I want paying. It'll take me 1.5 hours to get there, 1.5 hours to get back and I'll have to travel right into the centre of london, just to see them.]

Am I being unreasonable about this?

I wouldn't personally expect paying for it, could you offer to meet them somewhere else closer to your home (I had meetings while off on long term sick in my local Starbucks as I couldn't get to my workplace).

Depends on what you do and what you want to get out of your job.

For me, I know that give and take is part of my job. I don't arrive bang on 9 and leave bang on 5. Occasionally, I need flexibility in my direction so sometimes I give back in the other direction. But I have a position which allows me to do that.

Also depends on what you're wanting to negotiate on in terms of what you will be doing when you go back. How determined do you want to be about this particular point compared to what you want to achieve long term?

I dunno, I am just fed up of them giving me the run-around. This is the latest in a long line of things and will be third time I've gone in now in as many months. I can't really afford to keep doing this.

And it won't be just a meeting either, it'll end up being half a day's work because last time I was in there I ended up sorting out some spreadsheets for them.

Anyway, good to know from an independent perspective that I am being unreasonable over this.

I wouldn't be doing any work for them while I was there - if they have refused to pay you, I'd refuse to do anything other than the meeting and I'd happily say 'I'm sorry, I'm not being paid for this' and see if they offered to pay me, if not I'd be there for the meeting then straight home!

OK, will do that. Still not happy about having to shell out for it, but hey-ho.