Unpaid daily work-related meetings

wontfallforit

This will probably sound a bit petty...that's not my intention, but just curious to know what my 'rights' are, if any.

I start work at 9am, and every day we have a department meeting, in which we spend around 10 minutes assessing the previous day's work, and discussing the objectives for the day ahead. So obviously, from 9am-9.10am, we're doing very little in the way of work, though the meetings are called by the manager, and obviously relate to work. Sometimes, the day ahead looks a bit fuzzy without these daily meetings - they're quite crucial.

Anyway, now the manager has insisted that these meetings take place at 8.50am, with no extra pay (we're paid by the hour). Personally, I'm always around 20 mins early for work, and am always 100% ready to commence work at 9am (unlike some other colleagues, but that's a different matter). However until now, that time before 9am has always been 'my time'. I use it to get a coffee, chat with colleagues, etc.

I'm not going to kick up a fuss and demand pay for, or immunity from, the meetings, but I'm curious to know if what the company is doing is kosher?

A few of my colleagues have already started with knee-jerk reactions along the lines of "I'm not doing this!", but I'm a little more laid back than that, and would like to know where I stand. Basically, on those extremely rare days when I might be running late (weather, etc.), I don't want to be disciplined for failing to attend - or being late for - a meeting I'm not even being paid for.

I regularly put in around 15-20 minutes of unpaid work, almost every day. Anything of 20+ mins is supposed to be paid back in TOIL, but that's never materialised Now this extra 10 minutes makes around 2 1/2 hours per week unpaid :-/

desperado2

Not sure where your exact "legal" stance is on this, but many companies declare their pay policy as only paying overtime if 30 mins or more are worked.. though if the meetings are official, and take place every day, thats 50 mins a week, and I would suggest they should pay you at least 45 mins extra to hold the meetings.

I would also suggest that start times are often seen as when you arrive in the building, whereas it "should" be the time you are at your desk ready to start having hung up your coat, got your coffee and had your chats - you obviousloy do this, but do your colleagues?

rupee99

To use your word it is not "kosher." An hourly paid employee cannot be required to attend any meeting where s/he is not being paid. It is a fundamental part of your contract, you attend for x hours and are paid for x hours, the meeting would count as part of that time. Furthermore if the worker was on minimum wage, the extra time would dilute their hourly rate blow the legal minimum and the employer would be breaking the law.

Salaried workers are treated differently for occasional "extra" hours but it is likely to be the same as hourly paid if it is an habitual meeting adding an extra 10 minutes every day.

Whiteknight

It my last job the staff were expected to turn up for a meeting every Saturday morning 30 minutes before the store opened - the meeting was supposed to be used by the manager to inform the staff of the store performance for the week and what was needed that day to achieve the weekly budget. It actually took a few minutes to say how much the store had done and what needed to be done, just a crafty way for the company to get that little extra work out of the staff without paying them.

It might be worth speaking to your employer about getting your time back.

wontfallforit

Thanks for the replies.

Thankfully I earn over min. wage, but not massively (get around £9.50ph). Nevertheless, it's still routinely diluting my hourly pay. I'm extremely flexible and not shy of hard work, but it seems like every day, more and more extra work comes along, with no reward.

Gonna sit back and see what happens for a couple of weeks - I get the sense that this is going to cause some tensions in our workplace.

Tigsteroonie

I'm sorry, I'd be an awkward b****r and arrive ready to work at my desk bang on 9 o'clock. Any time before then belongs to me, not to my employer.

Savvy_Sue

wontfallforit wrote: »

Thankfully I earn over min. wage, but not massively (get around £9.50ph).

£5.80 strikes me as quite a lot less than £9.50 ph, but there you go ...

pinkshoes

I think I'd say "no" to this one, as I classify it as the employer taking the p*ss!

The odd meeting running into lunch time is fair enough, but I would ask them to change your contracted hours to 8.50am if they want a daily meeting at that time!

Reggie_Rebel

Are you paid hourly, or salaried?

wontfallforit

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

Are you paid hourly, or salaried?

Paid by the hour.

dori2o

I'd have no problem comming in for the meeting, but I would leave 10 mins early every day.

If you are paid by the hour,solong as you are in for the same number of hours as before, they cannot refuse topay you.

i.e if you worked 9-5 previously, then now I would work 8.50 till 4.50.

Why should you be at a loss.