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Original poster

My manager doesn’t think I’m working my hours

111 replies

Polarbearflavour · 12/04/2019 10:10

So I’ve posted about my job before. Every day I have my resignation form on my desk but I never get around to handing it in such is my loathing for this place.

So I’m a civil servant working on a military base. My line manager is military. I have my own office and very little work to do. When I say very little I mean I have basically nothing to do. There is a military colleague already in the post doing my job. He too does very little and goes home early / to the gym / works from home.

My issue is, my manager (hates confrontation but think he’s a great manager as he’s been on a “Managing Civilians” course) asked me how working my 37.5 hours a week for me was working out and what hours was I working? It came out of the blue and now I’m wondering if he or somebody else is keeping tabs on me.

Now, I leave early on a Friday as military personnel tend to depart at 12 on a Friday. I leave at 1pm on a Friday as I do volunteering in a school for which I am entitled to 6 days a year off as part of civil service employment. I cleared this with my boss before starting. Fine.

There is no clocking in and out. No timesheets. I rarely see my boss or anybody regulary as nobody comes in my office.

Then we have the fact that I was told not to start until 10:30am on a Monday (as that’s when they start) and if I’m still in the office on a Friday when they go at midday I’m told “not to hang around.” So of course, once they leave, I go home. As I am essentially sitting in an empty building.

So no, I’m not actually doing my full hours a week as I’m told to not do them effectively! On a few occasions when the IT / electricity has been down, my colleague has told me to go home and do some studying as we can’t do any work.

And when I’m sitting here like today, sure I’m physically in work but with nothing to do so I’m reading my Kindle. So it’s all a bit pointless really!

My manager obviously doesn’t like me. The rest of our small team are all military and I’m not included in the WhatsApp group or conversation.

Should I just leave, especially now that my manager is questioning what hours I’m working? I have the feeling he just wants to get rid of me as I don’t fit in and don’t really do anything! I hate this place to the point that I cry before, during and after work as I just feel so bored and useless.

OP posts:
Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 12/04/2019 20:56

I do often wonder if any senior managers at the Board level ever read these posts and wonder why their staff hate their jobs so much?

Seeing as the staff survey results were awful and showed that 50% of staff want to leave within the next 12 months maybe they won’t be surprised. Or they probably don’t care as they still get paid hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Maybe they are tracking me down as we speak! Grin

OP posts:
Franklyyes · 12/04/2019 21:11

I work in local government and over the years have had to do more and more with less money.
Have always wondered about civil servants and the changes they have had to make - or not - and I have had the impression it's not the same centrally.
it's sad to see that jobs are still continuing where there is no work due to incompetent or colusive managers ... they don't want people to think they are managing nothing much.
Would I want your job - probably not as I would be bored but while your managers allow this nothing will change.

ch3rrycola · 12/04/2019 21:15

If my DH said hand my notice in I would. I couldn't cope with that. Am currently doing a job with no purpose and have nothing to do. I've a new job lined up and I start after Easter. I can't wait, doing nothing is sending me crazy!

stressedoutpa · 12/04/2019 22:33
Grin
LostStars39 · 12/04/2019 22:46

I’m in exactly the same position, left a horrendously high pressured job in banking as it was ruining my mental health. Joined the civil service and it’s completely the other end of the spectrum. I have nothing to do and have asked and asked and asked for more work but I keep getting fobbed off.
I’m on my own most of the day and my mental health is the same state it used to be.
I can’t believe how much of the tax payers money is wasted on jobs like mine.
It’s so demoralising and I just dread going to work.

RB68 · 12/04/2019 22:49

I honestly think this is a form of bullying - exclusion, cliques, leaving you in the dark, ignoring you, not involving you in whats aps etc and I am sure there is more. But also the not allowing you do to your work, refusing to allocate work is constructive dismissal material if you have been there long enough.

SileneOliveira · 13/04/2019 09:03

I don’t understand how any employer could be this laissez faire and negligent. How can you have nothing to do ? What are they paying you to do

Welcome to the public sector! Where there's no profit and loss, any change has to go through dozens of people to be approved and things are done a certain way because they have always been that way. OP is appointed as Chief Civilian Widget Counter because that facility has had a Chief Civilian Widget Counter since 1966, irrespective of the fact there are no widgets to count. So the upshot is that OP is sitting twiddling her thumbs and reading her Kindle, and the taxpayer is funding all of this.

It's crazy. Not sure how it can be resolved tbh, DH did some consulting with the Army a few years ago and found them the most frustrating client he ever worked with in the whole 5 years he was doing the job. Totally inflexible, all manner of rules and regulations, and definitely a "them and us" culture with military vs civilian.

Have you thought about taking up knitting, OP?

Dowdydoes · 13/04/2019 09:11

Stop wasting your time! Listen to amazing audio books. Write to special friends. Do all online shopping. Do online yoga. Research a holiday. There is no need to be bored!

mustdrinkwaternotwine · 15/04/2019 04:00

All of my friends in the CS are in non-jobs. What is doubly frustrating for me is that they all do flexible working so they work their working week over 3 days but, as there is no work for them to do, they manage to do all that they need to do in school hours calling in a childcare favour ever six months or so when they do have a meeting which falls outside of 10am - 2pm. Two were made redundant recently and had literally nothing to do for the final six months and then received their pay off. And they'll all get a nice pension in years to come.
It's not so much that I begrudge them having landed on their feet this way although it sounds really dull for them but that, given how many cuts and issues there are with state provided services at the moment, it seems wrong that they are being paid to do so little.

mustdrinkwaternotwine · 15/04/2019 04:01

All of my friends in the CS are in non-jobs. What is doubly frustrating for me is that they all do flexible working so they work their working week over 3 days but, as there is no work for them to do, they manage to do all that they need to do in school hours calling in a childcare favour ever six months or so when they do have a meeting which falls outside of 10am - 2pm. Two were made redundant recently and had literally nothing to do for the final six months and then received their pay off. And they'll all get a nice pension in years to come.
It's not so much that I begrudge them having landed on their feet this way although it sounds really dull for them but that, given how many cuts and issues there are with state provided services at the moment, it seems wrong that they are being paid to do so little.

Shiverrrrmetimbers · 15/04/2019 09:20

I’m not sure this is the norm. I have a number of friends in the CS and they work hard, and often long hours - for less pay than they would get in the private sector. It sounds like your friends may just be a little lazy!

Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 15/04/2019 10:57

I’m sitting here in my office with a broken window letting in the cold air and no heating - not anything to be jealous of! I’m counting down the minutes until 1630. I probably won’t see anybody all day.

I read Bullshit Jobs last week, now onto Rise of the Robots - they can automate my crappy job if they want!

OP posts:
Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 15/04/2019 10:59

Oh and the pension is hardly amazing and I contribute 5.5% to it. Not that I’ll be here long enough for it to accumulate to anything.

OP posts:
MT2017 · 15/04/2019 11:48

Some things for you to consider - how about you:

  1. write a novel
  2. do your online shopping
  3. plan your holiday clothes
  4. fill in any documentation you need as a household
  5. become a proof reader
  6. ebay lots of stuff (take to post office on your way home) but you can package it all in work
  7. meal plan for the week
  8. book any appointments you need
  9. write letters to people you haven't seen in ages and always mean to catch up with
10. upload all your photos to the cloud so you don't lose any

(this is if you get bored reading!)

ch3rrycola · 15/04/2019 22:32

It sounds so awful sitting in a cold room alone all day. Sad

Kelpies · 16/04/2019 08:28

Why don't you sign up for some courses/training on Civil Service learning? It's massively undersubscribed every year and there is a huge variety you could do. Would kill some time and make you more employable when you're posted.

GaynorGoodwin · 16/04/2019 20:03

What’s a boring job doing just nothing! I would feel exactly the same as you, if I were in your position. I’m a busy person and I like doing things. In the past I have had jobs that bored me to death. I’d stay for so long but then give in my notice. I totally get what your saying and I’m just pleased it’s only temporary for you. Thank goodness!

patientzero · 16/04/2019 20:17

Wow, I’m a CS and I definitely don’t have a non-job! I think it depends on the organisation and profession. I’m in Operational Delivery and I and my colleagues all have more than enough work to do.

Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 17/04/2019 12:47

So I have been in the office from 0830. Granted, no work to do but I’ve been doing work related studying at my desk. Door open. Haven’t seen anybody all morning.

I went to lunch at 1200 as always off site. My manager then rang my personal mobile at 1220 asking if I was in the office today and to phone him back!

I was back in at 1235 and passed by his office as he was going off to his two hour lunch.

He just said “cool I’m just popping out to lunch so what time to do want our catch up tomorrow.”

I’m really confused why he would ring to ask me that. I can prove what time I logged in and CCTV and the guard unlocking the gate would also prove that.

Feel really uneasy. His door wasn’t opened when I got in this morning and he was out most of the morning and his door was locked so I couldn’t say hi to him.

It’s not the sort of workplace where anybody tells you where they are.

OP posts:
Butterflyone1 · 18/04/2019 10:52

I understand where you're coming from. My BF is a civvie on a military base and they are treated so differently from if you're military.

It sounds like you should just sick it out if you are moving on at the end of the year.

Ask again for more work to do. Keep pestering them until you have some duties/responsibilities.

Maybe also try and find things you can do. Even if it's tidying up a store room or putting in place a new filing system. Being proactive will make you look good even if they won't admit it.

As for your free time, make good use of it. If you can, why don't you also use the gym. Maybe do a free online course, search Alison courses and there are loads.

Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 18/04/2019 11:31

I really don’t fit in here, got talking to a civvy colleague. Apparently the military “squaddies” so to speak refer to me as Lady PolarBearFlavour the “posh totty”. So now I’m feeling even more uncomfortable! As my husband is an officer they think I’m unapproachable! Oh dear! What a stupid place this is! 😂

I’ve done all the mandatory training and I’m bored of studying for my other course. I’m starting a degree module in October that will hopefully help me applying for a PGCE next year.

There really is no tidying to do as there are cleaners. There’s not really a filing system to organise. If it wouldn’t be outing I would post a photo of my office!

OP posts:
Oblomov19 · 18/04/2019 12:00

Blimey. I remember your post before about not having any IT/internet for 8 weeks!! Shock

This isn't going to end well, is it?!!

Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 18/04/2019 12:05

Hahahahaha Oblomov. Nope! I don’t imagine it will but I’m quite looking forward to watching the impending car crash! Grin

Still don’t have a satisfactory reason why my boss rang me on my lunch break asking if I was at work yesterday. As much as I would love to not turn up, I keep doing so! As if I would just not come into work and not tell him.

And I feel unconfortable dealing with leery squaddies now that I know what they think of me!

OP posts:
PCohle · 18/04/2019 12:19

I thought you resigned at the end of your last thread?

Original poster
Polarbearflavour · 18/04/2019 12:20

They persuaded me to stay to see if I gets better. Which actually makes it worse as my manager knows how unhappy I am but has done nothing to help.

OP posts:
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