Monitoring at work

mirko

olly300 wrote: »

I agree with that advice.

I worked for a company where a team of 6 of us would come in any time between 7.30am-10am and leave after doing 8 or 9 hours depending on the work. So that meant there was someone in the office from about 7.30am to 8pm.

One of the bosses moaned about us not coming in at 9am so for one week we all came in for 9am and left exactly 8 hours later. (I was actually earlier due to train timetables but didn't start work until 9am.)

One day during that week someone on the client site rang the office between 7.30am to 8.30am and finally got through to me at 8.45am. They then complained because no-one had been there and they couldn't get something done for the client on time..

We had a very similar thing happen where I work.

It used to be pretty much total flexitime, with core hours of 10-4. Some boss guy decided he wanted everyone in at 9 (this is a nightmare due to traffic). All the people who used to work long hours 8-9-10 hours a day worked to rule and left spot on time.

The amount of work time lost by the company was huge and they still haven't recovered from the bad feeling they caused. Many people left the company.

Craig2108

When I read that you were expressing your feelings that you were being clock watched, then proceeded to say that you have been 5 minutes late to work on a regular occurrance I had to have a little laugh.
If you have to be in for 9 o'clock and I was your manager I'd be asking why are you late alot, especially if you live 10 minutes away.
With working over, haven't you thought about counting how many minutes you stay over and accruing it and then going to the chief and saying I want to leave work half hour early due to this time owing?
As to running errands for the boss I personally think he's taking you for a mug and you need to be more firm and ask 'whats in it for me?' other wise he'll have you polishing his shoes next.

shikoku

To my understanding if there is monitoring going on it has to be done to everyone, to single out one person for close attention has legal implications, bullying, victimisation etc., is everyone in your workplace being monitored?

Raksha

Craig2108 wrote: »

When I read that you were expressing your feelings that you were being clock watched, then proceeded to say that you have been 5 minutes late to work on a regular occurrance I had to have a little laugh.
If you have to be in for 9 o'clock and I was your manager I'd be asking why are you late alot, especially if you live 10 minutes away.
With working over, haven't you thought about counting how many minutes you stay over and accruing it and then going to the chief and saying I want to leave work half hour early due to this time owing?
As to running errands for the boss I personally think he's taking you for a mug and you need to be more firm and ask 'whats in it for me?' other wise he'll have you polishing his shoes next.

Glad I lightened your day a little.

I think a good manager should be asking why too - not telling me to watch my time keeping.

If you read this thread, you will see a TOIL system is in operation, I just wasn't petty enough to be counting each minute that I take to complete a task for my own personal satisfaction at the end of my working day.

Running errands is part of my job as a PA, but obviously now that will only be during working hours.

Things are a little complicated by the fact that my contract has a 'additional hours as my be required etc.' clause. Which basically means I can be asked to work up to 48 hours a week and have no come back. If I refuse, I could be in breach of my contract.

Raksha

shikoku wrote: »

To my understanding if there is monitoring going on it has to be done to everyone, to single out one person for close attention has legal implications, bullying, victimisation etc., is everyone in your workplace being monitored?

There are only 3 of us, I am aware the other member of staff has been 'observed having long lunches' (15 minutes and more to my knowledge, but I've certainly not been keeping any record, nor have I mentioned this to my boss)

ceridwen

Raksha wrote: »

Things are a little complicated by the fact that my contract has a 'additional hours as my be required etc.' clause. Which basically means I can be asked to work up to 48 hours a week and have no come back. If I refuse, I could be in breach of my contract.

Hmmm....so many contracts seem to have a little "catch-all" clause like that....:cool:

What does the contract say about what you get for any additional hours required? Is it TOIL or overtime money? If its overtime money - does it say what rate the overtime is paid at (eg time and a half/double time)?

ceridwen

Raksha wrote: »

There are only 3 of us, I am aware the other member of staff has been 'observed having long lunches' (15 minutes and more to my knowledge, but I've certainly not been keeping any record, nor have I mentioned this to my boss)

:confused smilie:

Do you mean 15 minutes ON TOP of their standard lunchbreak presumably?

Dont forget that legal right to a lunchbreak for those working at least 6 hours.

ceridwen

You might find some interesting reading in:

http://www.tuc.org.uk/tuc/rights_main.cfm

...and...me...I'm still thinking back to a previous comment of yours along the lines of things being in a mess (financially speaking) in that firm and wondering.....

A common reaction in employers to finding that they "are in the ****" is to decide they have to cut staff and then try to do so in the cheapest way possible - and that means "sitting on peoples backs" being petty/bullying them until sufficient staff have "cracked" and resigned to bring the numbers down to what they now want - at no cost to the employer...

Its very wrong - but a lot of employers do do this...and so I am wondering if this could explain this bout of pettiness/bullying...as it sounds like its not just you that is being affected.

Proc

Hahahahahahaha.

This has to be a wind-up right?

Some jumped-up jobsworth whining about their rights to not be monitored even though they turn up late every day and only live a stone's throw from the office?

Lol.

Oh, you stay a few minutes late each night? Boo hoo. I bet most of the employed people on this board are thinking "I'd love to get out bang on time every evening". If you're staying more than say 15-30minutes regularly, then yes, say something about it. But if it's only like 5-10 mins (as your post suggests) then that's kind of expected with most employers.

10 minute walk. Always late. Cries about not being able to get away with it. Cries about staying a few minutes late. Verdict; jobsworth.

edit: I would love to see what would happen if every person in the UK who has to work a few extra minutes here and there started kicking up a fuss.

Zazen999

Proc wrote: »

I bet most of the employed people on this board are thinking "I'd love to get out bang on time every evening".

And plenty of the unemployed ones as well. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

[Not all mind, just quite a few]....