qofcc
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Post by qofcc on Feb 28, 2011 11:26:02 GMT -5
money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=b98f313a-0406-481d-a439-89964bbc339eWhat do you think about this article? I work in a job where my phone rarely rings and most customer contact is done by e-mail with an expected turn-around time of 24 hours (and I usually turn around requests within minutes). My job is project based and I'm salaried and expected to stay late and work through lunch when necessary. I also work at home occasionally. When I was responsible for manning the phones with customer contact (at previous jobs), I made a real effort to arrive on time , but these days, I usually arrive within 1/2 hour of start time (as do many people in my office). I'm not a morning person and I've been sick a lot and I'm trying to reduce the stress in my life and starting every day racing against the clock just doesn't seem worth it. If my employer made a big deal about it, I'd figure out a way to arrive at 8 on the dot, but I don't see how that would increase the quality or timeliness of my work. I consider the fact that they don't make a big deal about it a big benefit of working here and I've mentioned that to my supervisor and on employee satisfaction surveys. What is it like where you work?
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Gardening Grandma
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Post by Gardening Grandma on Feb 28, 2011 11:30:01 GMT -5
I'm retired now, but when I worked, being on time was important. Repeated lateness was grounds for dismissal.
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Post by illinicheme on Feb 28, 2011 11:30:17 GMT -5
I've been fortunate to work at three companies in which the managers didn't watch the clock. People arrive at a whole range of times between 6:30-9:30am, and leave at a whole range of times from 3-7pm. But it's different for salaried workers than hourly.
Personally, I don't pay much attention to the arrival/departure of my colleagues. However, it does drive me nuts when people are routinely late for meetings.
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Small Biz Owner
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Post by Small Biz Owner on Feb 28, 2011 11:33:11 GMT -5
I sure don't encourage it. Other people are depending on you to be there.
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telephus44
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Post by telephus44 on Feb 28, 2011 11:38:15 GMT -5
I'm pretty much with the OP. I do work in customer service, but it's more account management - my largest account doesn't open until 8:30am. My official start time is 8am, but most days I arrive between 8:05 and 8:10. I am not a morning person and usually have to work around my 4 year old in the morning. I work during lunches and will stay late if needed. I think work atmosphere plays a big part though - I've worked places where I've gotten a verbal warning for being 3 minutes late, but my current employer just seems happy that I get the job done. And yes, I am salaried.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Feb 28, 2011 11:41:42 GMT -5
The supervisors here don't watch what time you start/leave as long as you put in the required 40 hours a week. I have a co-worker who comes in at 6:30 and leaves at 3:30. I come in around 8 am and leave at 5 pm, but I do commute with someone and those are the hours she works and I always make sure I put in at least 40 hours each week including working during lunch/from home if necessary.
We do have one person who never showed up on time, took long lunches and many breaks, left early, etc. among other issues. She never worked a full 40 hour week for the first couple of years I worked with her even though she didn't have any leave time available. She always said she would make up the time on the weekend, but never did. She was put on a performance improvement plan but nothing changed and she was finally let go.
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NomoreDramaQ1015
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Post by NomoreDramaQ1015 on Feb 28, 2011 11:42:00 GMT -5
I try to avoid it but some days lately it isn't always possible. I usually unlock the lab door at around 8:10 when I am late. I work alone in the lab though so it's all on my head to get it done and I always do. I am also courteous and let them know if I am going to be really late or if I am leaving really early.
It has not been an issue because I always get my work done and thensome.
I had a lab partner once though that would constantly show up 2 hours or more late, disappear for hours or leave early without telling anyone. THAT is unacceptable in the extreme.
I avoid being late if at all possible because I personally do not like to be late, but if I am going to be late I try not to be any later than 10 minutes from when I "offically" start.
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reader79
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Post by reader79 on Feb 28, 2011 11:43:49 GMT -5
For hourly employees, they are written up if they are consistently late or call out. They have coworkers who may not be able to leave or take a break if they don't show.
With salaried workers, it depends on the department or even the individual supervisor. I see my boss once, maybe twice a week. He's down the hall and around the corner from me. I have my own entrance and little nook, with just one other co-worker who sits in an office. We notice if each other is out/late, but unless someone comes back here looking for us, we could be out for days without anyone noticing. This is also due to the fact that I can access my computer remotely from home, and that the other guy has a blackberry. As long as the emails keep flowing, there is no problem.
Other friends that I have here have bosses who are clockpunchers - they are called, emailed or texted for being even five minutes late. I can't live like that. We were transferred to this supervisor a year-and-a-half ago after our former boss was removed, and we made a point to keep alternative schedules, just so that we didn't set a precedent for being punctual or always at our desks. It helps that we are the only retailers who work here, so they think we are at the store most times we are away from our desks.
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reader79
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Post by reader79 on Feb 28, 2011 11:47:53 GMT -5
I should add that I usually arrive 30 minutes early. I take an earlier bus to avoid the bulk of the rush hour traffic.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 12:07:05 GMT -5
Other friends that I have here have bosses who are clockpunchers - they are called, emailed or texted for being even five minutes late. I can't live like that. That would be a dealbreaker for me. My boss is in Switzerland and none of my team members is in my local office. Typically I start work up in my home office at 7 AM and commute sometime later into the office- DH and I have one car and it depends on when he gets up. Sometimes I have a string of early-morning calls so I may not show up in the office till 10 AM. Tomorrow I have calls from 7:30 to 9:30 and will be taking the car into the office before those calls. I work through lunch although I do use the fitness center for an hour, and I'm done at 5:30 most days. It requires someone who can actually manage to evaluate your work instead of counting how many minutes you were in the office. I couldn't work with a clock-watching boss. And the ones who are overly rigid should be reminded that if you define your salaried workers' start and end times too inflexibly, the law may consider them hourly workers and subject to overtime pay.
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Urban Chicago
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Post by Urban Chicago on Feb 28, 2011 12:19:42 GMT -5
I'm usually early in the morning, but often leave a few minutes early. Primarily, this is to avoid traffic and if I were directly working with customers, I'd stick with posted hours.
It drives me NUTS when people are routinely late for things. Fortunately, no one in my office is like that buy I hate it when friends and family do it too.
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Post by ca on Feb 28, 2011 12:19:57 GMT -5
Get the job done, put in the amount of hours required (8 or 7.5 or whatever) and I don't care what hours of the day it is in. I think it's very old school and stupid to be one of those bosses who tut tuts everyone who comes in at 9:04am. If someone isn't pulling their weight, it's not because they come in 5 or ten minutes late.
For time card punchers and other jobs where people need to be there on time, YES, very important. A general office job that isn't CS focused in today's world of blackberries and emails and internet, who cares???
Our HR lady is of the old school mentality, while our CFO is not. Once our HR lady told my boss she noticed me in after 9am, and our CFO said I'm the only one of her finance team who is there every night past 5 and coming in on weekends, and that the HR lady needs to STFU. Great time.
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gooddecisions
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Post by gooddecisions on Feb 28, 2011 12:22:33 GMT -5
I am never late either. If I found myself routinely starting later than my agreed upon start time, I would be concerned people were noticing and try to negotiate a later start time with my boss. I am salary and my boss, direct reports, and coworkers do not live in the same city, but still...
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lynnerself
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Post by lynnerself on Feb 28, 2011 12:23:38 GMT -5
It is important for my staff to be on time, as there is working waiting for them as soon as they arrive. My hours could be more flexible, but it sets a better example if I am on time too.
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Feb 28, 2011 12:24:40 GMT -5
I think this is different if it is a job that is done at the office. If you telecommute even part of the time it doesn't matter. The people in the office don't count on you for anything as far as being there anyway.
I used to work in an office that required we be there to use their computers and process the work. There were a few people who consistently came in late. So if I needed them to do something so I could do my job I was SOL till they got in. I may be hard hearted but I schlepped my way into work through traffic, weather and got two kids to school or the daycare etc and I managed to be there on time almost everyday with the exception of the time I was in a car accident. So if anyone can't also manage that they need to start their own business or work a job that doesn't have others who depend on them because I am not going to put up with that very often.
In one case though as the mgr because one employee was late almost everyday and had to work late to make up for it I just switched her start time for scheduling and didn't tell her. Since she was otherwise a good worker and did work later to make up for it it was just easier to make her start 8 instead of 7 and not tell her. No one expected her to be there till 8 so they made their own adjustments accordingly in advance and since she was late all the time her actual work hours actually reflected the scheduled start time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 12:29:46 GMT -5
We are hourly employees here, with flex scheduling. We do have set work hours, but are allowed to come in anywhere between 6:45am and 8:30am, and then leave accordingly. I take advantage of it frequently as I have an hour-long commute, and sometimes I hit unexpected traffic jams on the interstate due to accidents, etc. I also have kids and a life outside of work. If I have something to do later in the day, an appointment or whatnot, I'll come in at 6:45 so that I can either leave at 2:45pm, or if I need to leave earlier than that, I don't need to use as much vacation time. I could probably find a better paying job with greater advancement opportunites if i wanted, but the flex scheduling keeps me here. The laid-back attitudes do as well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 13:05:53 GMT -5
Flex schedules are fine with me. The key being schedules. I need to know when the various staff are going to be around so I can schedule my work accordingly. And I need the reception people and other dept heads to be here to handle drop ins. When they aren't here to do it, it falls to me and messes up my work plan. In my workplace wandering in and out when you feel like it is disruptive to those that have to work with you.
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sil
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Post by sil on Feb 28, 2011 13:24:55 GMT -5
I am always on time for appointments and meetings. I dont really care what time my co-workers arrive/leave work so long as they are fully available at meeting start time (by fully available I mean not just logging in to their system, opening agendas, etc)
For myself, I now ensure that I arrive at the office on time, but it's mostly because I am making a big effort to now leave the office on time as well
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2011 13:27:33 GMT -5
The people that reports to me are paid hourly and I don't stress over 10-45 minutes late and usually ok in letting them make up that time.
But it only becomes an issue when it is repetetive and impact someone else work. I have night shift, morning shift and evening shift. Usually the person that is working the evening shift cannot leave till the night shift night manager comes in.
So a typical schedule is my assistant working 2:30 - 11 and my night manager/supervisor coming in at 11 - 7:30. So ny night manager keep on coming late on a regular basis, it impact my assistant capabilities of going home and now I have to pay him Overtime for staying which in the long run impact my budget.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Feb 28, 2011 13:35:49 GMT -5
At my work, no one really cares unless you have a meeting. I'm habitually early, so my idea of being late is to arrive at 8:45. However, most of us work late hours so the lack of precision regarding start times is somewhat irrelevant.
It's a pretty laid-back company in general, though. Most of my team is late at least once a week (except for my fellow early birds), and I don't mind. I only get annoyed when someone's lateness is going to affect my work in some way and they don't call or email to explain.
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Post by The Walk of the Penguin Mich on Feb 28, 2011 13:42:13 GMT -5
I"m lucky in that I can choose my working hours and I prefer to work from 6:45 to 3:30.
It started years ago, when we had a bunch of students in the lab who would show up around 9. Once they got into the lab, it was impossible to get anything done as they used the lab for their social network. Most of the lab shows up between 8-9, so I really appreciate that quiet hour that I have to get stuff done uninterrupted.
I'm salaried, so will work as long as necessary to complete what needs to get done that day.
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ihearyou2
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Post by ihearyou2 on Feb 28, 2011 13:49:58 GMT -5
I'm a stickler if you abuse it otherwise 5-10 minutes doesn't matter since I expect you to work through lunch and stay late as needed. For hourly I am more concerned since they typically leave at the moment the whistle blows. I am flexible up to a point as far as changing start times to accomodate people's lives.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Feb 28, 2011 13:52:37 GMT -5
I have a co-worker who comes in at 6:30 and leaves at 3:30.
I would part with 5% of my salary to be able to do this. It would make my life so much better and more enjoyable all around. I am such a morning person.
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Feb 28, 2011 13:58:33 GMT -5
I just read the article - at my company, leaving work early hurts you much more than coming in late. Just a little side note. Coming in early is noticed by approximately no one. Staying late is noticed by practically everyone.
Real bummer for the likes of me.
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ugga81
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Post by ugga81 on Feb 28, 2011 14:08:06 GMT -5
I'm on a flex schedule- I can arrive anytime between 6AM and 9:30AM. As long as I put in my 8 hours no one cares. For me, it depends on if I'm dropping the dog off at "daycare" in the morning but I'm usually in the office at 6:30 or 7:30. I work in a different time zone than my supervisor so it really doesn't matter. I get my work done without any complaints and manage to still get in my 40+ hour week so everyone is pretty laid back about it.
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Agatha
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Post by Agatha on Feb 28, 2011 14:15:56 GMT -5
In my profession, I can't abide it. It's a 24/7 business. Rain, sleet, snow, or howling wind. Someone is literally waiting for you to come in so they can hand it over to you and. . .pick up kids . . .cook dinner. . . get some sleep before they have to relieve you at the next change. I'm not saying there isn't a valid reason for it from time to time but habitual is/was thoughtless and rude.
I recall a time I woke up to ice and snow a couple of years ago. Just got dressed and headed out two hours earlier than usual. Managed it for three days straight and got a nice note from my director thanking me for coming in. I just thought to myself, "Hey, I knew what I was getting into when I chose this profession. It's my job!"
Yeah, I'm a nurse. We work 12 hour shifts. It's what we do. ;D
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Firebird
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Post by Firebird on Feb 28, 2011 14:20:23 GMT -5
My best friend is a habitually late person. She's getting better because she's heard from many, many people in no uncertain terms how much it hurts her.
It was very exciting to me when she showed up ON TIME for my birthday celebration last week, especially since my own boyfriend was late (not typical for him at all). It would have been a real bummer if she had been as well - as it was, we had a little girl time before the boys showed up and it was very nice. Splendid timing on her part, in more ways than one!
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sil
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Post by sil on Feb 28, 2011 14:27:33 GMT -5
Ah, as far as social occasions go, that's a totally different story.
DH and I try to arrive about 30 minutes after the start time for a party. We are always the first guests at any family party. Perhaps I should just adjust our clocks backwards by another hour to arrive with the rest of the family. But we're usually the first to leave a family party too since our kids are small, so I suppose it evens out.
The part that bugs me is when we have a party and our friends are sort of punctual, but our family is really late. Especially when its a kids' party that usually only lasts a couple of hours. DH was mad at me when I finally insisted on bringing out the cake at the End Time that we put on the invitation for my daughter's 1st birthday party. Half his family did not show up yet, but half of the little party guests were ready for their naps.
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ihearyou2
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Post by ihearyou2 on Feb 28, 2011 14:41:34 GMT -5
Ah, as far as social occasions go, that's a totally different story. DH and I try to arrive about 30 minutes after the start time for a party. We are always the first guests at any family party. See this does piss me off, for a discretionary event you're a half hour early but for your job which is your responsibility then what? I'm timely regardless of what I'm doing, its a general ethos that I try to always fulfill.
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sil
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Post by sil on Feb 28, 2011 14:43:56 GMT -5
IHY2 - Nope, for discretionary events we are a half-hour late. Believe it or not, if you arrive exactly on time for one of DH's family functions, they would consider it to be kind of rude. And you should never, ever arrive early
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