Company meeting twice as long as my contracted hours

[dimsum123]

I work 4 hours a day. My commute is 15 mins each way.

In February my company had a whole company meeting in a location equidistant between the two offices which meant an 1 hour drive each way. My day started at 8am and i didn't get back until 5pm.

They're now having another meeting in July which will be alone the lines of the above. I will end up doing at least an 8 hour day instead of my 4 hours.

With the first meeting I didn't say anything as I'd only been there about 3 months. But this is going to be a regular thing, twice a year.

I think I should get a day off in lieu. I'm just an administrator and the meeting isn't at all relevant to what I do anyway.

Shall I say something? If i worked 9-5 an extra hour or so wouldn't matter but it's double my normal hours.

Yes definitely say something.

Perhaps frame it as "I'll of course be there if it's important for me to attend, but how should we manage this with my contracted hours?"

You should get time in lieu for the time spent actually working/at the meeting but I don't think the travel time is likely to be relevant. Check your contract but it may say something to the effect of 'your usual place of work is X address. From time to time you may be required to work elsewhere' in which case elsewhere's address is your place of work for the day. Commuting time is not work time so I wouldn't imagine they'll give you time back for that.

Glad you said I should say something, I wasn't sure if I should just suck it up, but really why should I.

I like your suggestion of how to frame it thank you. Should I say something before or after? The slight issue is that the meeting is 2 days after I get back from hols, and i go away next Friday so probably should say something before I go away?

Ronia, yes I will check my contract but I actually don't think it does say something like that as I was specifically recruited to work at this office.

I only mention the commute as it adds at least 2 hours to my normal day as well as the extra time for the (pointless for me) meeting.

Also at the last meeting we barely got any food all day apart from a disgusting burger or hot dog.

TBH, it depends on the nature of your job, your paygrade and industry standard.

If you're a supermarket cashier, no, then it's categorically unreasonable to expect the extra hours of you.

If you're a management consultant making twice the national average fresh out of university and already gunning for a promotion, then yes, you'd be well advised to take the 8hrs pa because they're nothing compared to what will be expected of you once you're after your partner promotion. Plus, you're overpaid as it is.

As a manager, I always have a lot of patience for these kinds of requests coming from support staff but won't take kindly to them coming from princeling graduate hires.

Context is everything.

The time off in lieu for the meeting should be offered (or overtime), mileage for the extra distance but not the travel time

Taken, I'm the lowest person in the company on the lowest wage! So definitely the equivalent of a supermarket cashier.

Ok so I am going to say something. Can someone give me a paragraph I can copy and paste into an email to HR?! Please!

I think it will vary depending on workplace policies. Where I work, the additional travel time is also counted towards TOIL/flexi (minus your normal travel time). So if it was me in this situation I’d be entitled to the 4hrs plus 90mins travel.

I'm the lowest person in the company on the lowest wage! So definitely the equivalent of a supermarket cashier.

In that case, categorically, ask for compensation for the extra time.

I can't speak for every other manager out there but, personally, I like the direct approach. As in "look, this is half a day of uncompensated overtime and I'm not precisely well paid - it makes a difference if you're me". I personally value honesty, frankness and courage and will approve extra comp. in a heartbeat if this is what you tell me.

But every manager is different and you know your boss best. Tell him or her in a way that fits their personal style best.

Good luck!

We would get time off in lieu or payment for the extra hours worked at normal hourly rate. Travel time would be paid or time off given but only over and above our normal travel time - e.g. usual journey 15 minutes, journey to other place 45 minutes - I'd get 30 minutes. The choice of time off or payment or a mixture would be mine. Travel expenses over and above normal exlenses would be paid.

If you're not a manager then it should definitely be TOIL.

If it’s only 8 hours extra per year, ie 45 mins per month on average, I’d suck it up TBH.

Great so it's unanimous. Will have a think on the wording and say something next week. I'd much rather have time off in lieu than extra pay.

It's good to hear a manager's perspective on this so thank you for taking the time to post.

Another manager here (of people who are better paid than you). People are expected to give reasons for not attending all employee events but 'outside my contracted hours' is absolutely seen as a valid reason not to attend. In these situations I always give people the choice of TOIL or overtime if they do attend, different people will value one over the other so it's best to give people the choice. Good luck with your manager.

You asked for a paragraph - something like...

"I'd like to discuss the all staff meeting on [insert date]. My contracted hours are 4 hours per day, however the full day meeting requires my attendance for [x] hours [including/not including] travel time. I'm of course happy to attend, however as it will take me over my contracted hours I would like to discuss how this should be managed - my preference would be to accrue the hours as time off in lieu, but I would like to understand the usual procedure for part time employees."

My style is quite soft, so amend if that's not you!

”Can someone give me a paragraph I can copy and paste into an email to HR?!”

You’ve been given some ideas, but make sure it’s your line manager you talk to won’t you, not HR!

Underthebridge, thank you, that sounds about right, might make a few little tweaks.

I was going to speak to the HR manager, it's only him, he hasn't got a team or anything and it would be him to make the decision. It's a tiny company, only 24 people over 2 different offices.

Thanks everyone for your input, much appreciated

It might be only 45 minutes per month but I’m sure OP would get into trouble if they left work early! So many organisations just take take take.

I actually don't think it does say something like that as I was specifically recruited to work at this office.

If you place of work is x and the all-staff meeting will be held in y location (and if you'll be driving there) then calculate the mileage for the return journey between x (normal place of work) and y, because you have a valid claim for return mileage at 45p/mile. £20-£25 is not to be sniffed at!

Don't claim the mileage from home, it has to be from your normal office location as you can't claim back your commute.