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

[Marie2022]

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.

No it's not reasonable if you haven't informed the employee that is what cctv will be used for and if that use is not covered in your record of processing activities.

@AlisonDonut have you had GDPR training?

If the colleague is leaving reception early then the manager is well within their rights to see if they have left the premises, that could mean checking CCTV and it could mean looking in the car park. It could be checking the clocking out cards. It could be checking the toilets. It could be asking security staff if they have seen Receptionist Name has driven past them. As that's what managers can do if their staff have disappeared. Especially from reception where they actually work.

The manager is absolutely not within their rights to do it unless the employee has been told that cctv will be used to monitor time and attendance and that use case is recorded in the ROP document.

Obviously not. Or management training.

@AlisonDonut OP isn't well within her rights at all unless she got the required permissions and informed employees that's what the CCTV monitoring would be used for.
Also your narrative that the receptionist "disappeared" that day doesn't really fit with the OP scrawling through two weeks worth of footage stalking the receptionist's comings and goings each day.

Oh, this sounds like my office.
I am there by 8.30 every day, so leave at 4.30. Sometimes earlier if I need to let contractors in to the building.
A colleague never starts before 10.30 but I hear about them staying late all the time - well yeah, they need to work until 6.30 to get their hours in.
Soooo frustrating.

Hi
Yes you need to speak to the staff member. Yes look at their JD, also the staff member leaving early is totally wrong, it's fraud if they are paid for 37.5 hours and go home 20 minutes early every day that is 100 minutes every week which adds up.
I would have a team meeting and set ground rules. You may need to get HR involved. Good luck!!

Wow even though your colleagues actions are highly annoying, to me yours are even worse to be honest. If any of my bosses were checking CCTV on me, I would be flabbergasted and questioning their sanity and mental health. Please rethink keeping such close tabs on your staff and just talk to them. Maybe she had a shorter lunch to make up for the time - have you communicated her working hours clearly? Does she know how important they are? Is it hybrid working?

I think you should have a regular one to one meeting her and allow opportunity to raise any issues - take the JD along and show her how the activities you are requesting of her do actually fall within her remit. Then basically, tell her what she's doing and give her a deadline. Be polite, but assertive. If she doesn't do it and refuses, go down the channels (not CCTV) to give her her first warning and try working things out until she either steps up or hangs herself.

I get about 60 emails a day, often in a 2 hr period on deadline day, and in the last 20 minutes I'm often dealing with queries so they don't run into the next day. You need to lift the phone, clarify what you're expecting to happen and trust your staff unless you can do their job as well as yours. Sorry if that sounds harsh.