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Original poster

Colleague buggering off home early. As their manager, would this bother you?

410 replies

Marie2022 · 27/07/2022 03:08

I have been in post for a few weeks and have had some problems with one of my direct reports. Nothing serious, mainly of the “Not my job” type of response from her, regarding things that very clearly are her job.

I sent her an email a few days ago at a time when she should have seen it. She didn’t reply. At which point someone said that she wasn’t actually there. The following day I asked her to confirm her hours, which she did.

I have just checked the CCTV for the past 2 weeks and she has been leaving 10-20 minutes early every single day.

Is this a big deal? As a manager, would this bother you? I just want to get some opinions before I do anything.

Many thanks.

OP posts:
Panatone · 27/07/2022 14:40

The OP will not be back!!
She thought she was all boss babe with her shitty behaviour, and she’s rightly had her arse handed to her on here!

EmmaH2022 · 27/07/2022 14:49

Panatone · 27/07/2022 14:40

The OP will not be back!!
She thought she was all boss babe with her shitty behaviour, and she’s rightly had her arse handed to her on here!

Boss babe?
are you 12?

Franca123 · 27/07/2022 14:55

I love boss baby! I'm going to start calling myself that. Boss Babe.

Panatone · 27/07/2022 14:58

@Franca123 It’s brilliant isn’t it. Was used originally to poke fun at all the mlm huns on Instagram, but I have the feeling that it’s very appropriate for the OP😂

Franca123 · 27/07/2022 15:41

The OP is clearly a nightmare boss. I'd fully down tools if she became my boss. Who the f checks cctv on their team?! I predict mass resignations and she'll be left having to explain why she cant retain staff.

Tanfastic · 27/07/2022 15:56

Those of you saying you have flexibility to leave early if you want to in the NHS I'm quite astounded by this. I'm not clinical staff though but my manager would expect me to stay until my contracted finish time each day unless a prior arrangement was made (so if I arrange to leave ten minutes early that wouldn't be a problem but I'd be expected to make that time up and they would want to know when).

Tanfastic · 27/07/2022 15:58

I do have a pretty structured day though, things have to be done at a certain time and by a certain time. It's fast paced and if someone leaves early, someone else would have to cover them.

Panamera22 · 27/07/2022 16:41

Franca I think its unfair stating that the OP is a nightmare boss. She is new to the job and it sounds like this lady is attempting to exploit that. I agree that using cctv would be counterproductive - I wouldn't like someone monitoring me at work without my permission. Then again I would work the hours I'm paid for. There is a school of thought that if you have nothing to hide then why worry if someone checks cameras that you are on? Ill bet that the lazy employee would object fiercely -strangely the same people who are bone idle are the first to complain when they feel their rights are being impinged upon. The irony!

OP if you were my boss Id appreciate you challenging any of my colleagues who were taking advantage of the system. Id respect that! If someone is shirking work who else is picking it up?

exnewwifeproblems · 27/07/2022 16:46

Monitoring the cctv for attendance purposes is illegal unless the employees have been told that's what it's going to be used for.

The op isn't coming back.

Franca123 · 27/07/2022 16:49

@Panamera22 reads like the manifesto for a police state

Panamera22 · 27/07/2022 17:02

Franca that is a bizarre statement - its a place of work not the handmaids tale. There are no slaves there, just people being paid to do a job within set hours. If a person suddenly was expected to work an extra 20 minutes per day with no pay on an ongoing basis then that would be wrong also!

At the end of the day there has to be fairness on both sides. That lady sounds like she is a piss taker both with the company and her colleagues. OP shouldnt be castigated on here for asking a question!

Blossomtoes · 27/07/2022 17:16

If someone is shirking work who else is picking it up?

Maybe nobody - it might just be that she’s faster and more efficient than her colleagues.

BigFatLiar · 27/07/2022 17:21

Blossomtoes · 27/07/2022 17:16

If someone is shirking work who else is picking it up?

Maybe nobody - it might just be that she’s faster and more efficient than her colleagues.

If she's not on piecework then she needs more to do to fill her day. She's paid for x hours work.

Panamera22 · 27/07/2022 17:23

ok so then she doesnt have enough work to do if she is getting through all her work with time to
spAre. If the lady needs to leave 20 mins early each day then why not ask to reduce her hours?- that way there is no issue - she’s isn’t working and she’s not getting paid - win win

Blossomtoes · 27/07/2022 17:25

BigFatLiar · 27/07/2022 17:21

If she's not on piecework then she needs more to do to fill her day. She's paid for x hours work.

Show quote history

If she worked for me she’d be paid to achieve her objectives to a satisfactory standard. If she did that she could work whatever hours she liked. I believe in treating people like adults and I don’t believe in presenteeism.

Panamera22 · 27/07/2022 17:28

blossom that’s great if that works for you - it won’t fit every business or manager though. It wouldn’t where I work

Circleofshells · 27/07/2022 17:31

Blossomtoes · 27/07/2022 17:25

If she worked for me she’d be paid to achieve her objectives to a satisfactory standard. If she did that she could work whatever hours she liked. I believe in treating people like adults and I don’t believe in presenteeism.

Show quote history

@Blossomtoes agreed, a good manager focuses on the outcomes and what is achieved, otherwise you end up incentivising people to be inefficient which will just demotivate them in the long term.

Crazykatie · 27/07/2022 17:44

The OP does not understand her job, it is to organize and supervise the juniors in her department, that includes making sure they work the hours they are paid for.
There is no problem with leaving early, if you ask permission and make up the time. If the OP is not doing her job she should be sacked.

Blossomtoes · 27/07/2022 17:55

Blimey @Crazykatie, according to you I should have been sacked from every management role I ever had. Strangely I kept being promoted..

thing47 · 27/07/2022 17:56

Fascinating reading how different workplaces operate, and how different employers view different aspects more or less seriously.

FWIW the agency where I primarily work is pretty relaxed about hours and if there isn't a deadline looming or other crisis on hand, arriving a little late or leaving a little early occasionally would not be an issue at all. If it was every single day, there might be a conversation around a slight shift in core hours, but it would all be very polite and more along the lines of accommodating someone's preferences than anything critical.

If, on the other hand, I or one of my colleagues told our boss that we wouldn't do something because it 'wasn't our job', we would be fired on the spot. I've seen this happen and yes the colleague in question got a payoff, but they didn't get their job back.

girlmom21 · 27/07/2022 17:57

Some absolute jobsworths on this thread!

excelledyourself · 27/07/2022 18:27

Please familiarise yourself with the company CCTV policy.

One of our managers viewed the CCTV to prove something and it went down like a lead balloon with the unions and resulted in a grievance and review of the policy (perhaps the creation of the policy, I can't be sure). Caused the manager far more trouble than it did for the employee who was initially in the wrong.

Even the police have to fill in specific paperwork to view the cctv in my organisation, and authorisation is given by one of only a handful of management.

Original poster
Marie2022 · 27/07/2022 20:37

Thanks everyone, I’ve clearly got some things to learn about being a manager. I also had no idea it was illegal to view the CCTV, so thanks for that.

To be honest, I have largely let her get on with it and not interfered in her work. It was only when there were some incidents that I began to look at what she was doing more closely.

I asked her about her hours and she confirmed what I had read in her contract, so there is no pre-existing arrangement to leave early.

Without giving too much away, she works on reception, so anyone who visits or calls in the time between her leaving and us closing, will not be attended to. As I am on another floor and work longer hours, I had no idea this was going on.

OP posts:
WTF475878237NC · 27/07/2022 20:40

Well you can still address her poor performance as clearly she's not doing her job if the phones aren't getting answered as she's buggered off early every day. You don't need to mention the CCTV as PP suggest.

Panatone · 27/07/2022 21:06

Ah, the inevitable drip feed of the OP, when she doesn’t get the answers she wants! Incidents indeed!
She hasn’t had any conversation with her at all, and has deduced that she’s skiving off. Can’t believe your level of incompetence!