Work Your Proper Hours Day

Wildside

If this is in the wrong place please feel free to move.

Friday 26th Feb is Work your Proper Hours Day

How much unpaid overtime do you do? Will you make sure you leave on time, take all your breaks etc on Friday?

You can calculate what unpaid overtime you do with the online overtime calculator

http://www.worksmart.org.uk/overtime_calc.php

Be interesting to hear what MSE people think of their results.

http://www.worksmart.org.uk/workyourproperhoursday/

SandC

Happily I work for a firm which is quite happy for you to work your contracted hours except in situations that require otherwise. I got very sick of a culture of smarmarses trying to outdo each other on how late they stayed some years ago.

To quote a boss I had some years back "if you can't do your job in your contracted hours, bar about 5/6 occasions per year, then I will worry about your competency".

Having said that I start work around half hour earlier than official time and work part of my lunch but that's out of choice and means that the company is quite happy to let me attend the odd appointment in work time, knowing that neither party takes the !!!!.

I got nothing out of my last firm for the many, many hours of unpaid overtime I worked - not even, it seems, respect.

donnajunkie

i have worked for what i think are fairly bad companies as most of them expected people to work lots of overtime whether they wanted to or not. they always paid people for overtime though. i have been quite shocked at the amount of people in these forums who are forced to work overtime without pay, alot do it quite happily it seems as well. it shows how down trodden todays workers have become. i cant understand how this is allowed within employment law. it should be illegal. i even think only getting paid the same as your normal rate for overtime is out of order.

Liz3yy

My hours are the standard 9-5 (till 4 on Fridays) I usually get in the office at 8.30am, though that is my choice to ensure I get a parking space and also to relax with a coffee. I leave around 5,10 minutes past five. I rarely stay later than that and only then when I have to, for an urgent project for instance.

jdturk

donnajunkie wrote: »

i have worked for what i think are fairly bad companies as most of them expected people to work lots of overtime whether they wanted to or not. they always paid people for overtime though. i have been quite shocked at the amount of people in these forums who are forced to work overtime without pay, alot do it quite happily it seems as well. it shows how down trodden todays workers have become. i cant understand how this is allowed within employment law. it should be illegal. i even think only getting paid the same as your normal rate for overtime is out of order.

Its because some realise that some jobs are not 9-5 and to have more employees to do the work will ultimately mean the company may fold

Also those that are salaried are expected to work more hours if required.

Don't come with these 'down trodden' rubbish, employees are much better of now than even 5 years ago

busy_mom_2

i do flexi time so suppose I get paid for what i work, i flex off at lunch but quite often miss my tea breaks, but then have a drink at my desk so it's my choice.
I don't work fridays but become the wife, mother, shopper, cleaner and general slave!

FATBALLZ

I don't think the public sector will support this, they enjoy their 2 hour lunches and early finishes to go down the pub.

Raksha

jdturk wrote: »

Its because some realise that some jobs are not 9-5 and to have more employees to do the work will ultimately mean the company may fold

Also those that are salaried are expected to work more hours if required.

Don't come with these 'down trodden' rubbish, employees are much better of now than even 5 years ago

10, 15 or 20 years ago it was very rare for anyone I knew to work unpaid over time so I don't know what went wrong between 10 years ago and 5 years ago...

bristol_pilot

Any member of my team who insisted on attending only for their contracted hours would soon find me insisting that they worked at 100% workrate for every single second they were in the office. No visits to the vending machine, no chats, no personal phone calls etc etc. I'm not in favour of working long hours so that one can be seen to be doing so, but if the work demands a 'bit extra' from time to time and employees are not willing to put themselves out once in a while...well, there are a few million people who would much rather have their job.

bristol_pilot

Raksha wrote: »

10, 15 or 20 years ago it was very rare for anyone I knew to work unpaid over time so I don't know what went wrong between 10 years ago and 5 years ago...

You have probably moved up the tree a bit. Only people doing basic jobs can get away with clock-watching.

ploder

Friday 26th Feb is Work your Proper Hours Day

How much unpaid overtime do you do? Will you make sure you leave on time, take all your breaks etc on Friday?

It is a nice idea although the reality is that some jobs ask you to waive the 48 hour working week rule. If you don't agree then in effect you won't be employed. It's a sad state of affairs if companies are only staying open because of unpaid overtime or getting 1 person to do the job of 2 for no extra payment.