Working extra hours unpaid - what to do?

Mischa8

Got a question here on behalf of friend (she asked me to post for her as she wasn't sure about posting as a new user).

She works for a large building contractor firm, has been there for 2.5 years as an auditor, but has worked in other areas of accounting for the past few years. Driving is a big part of her job and she often drives all over the country as per an auditor's remit. Her colleagues live very near their place of work, she doesn't (lives about 30 to 40 minute drive depending upon traffic) but she gets in on time generally.

About a year ago she was given in her appraisal a sort of talking to about time-keeping (as she sometimes gets in at say 9.15am as opposed to 9am due to traffic jams, severe snow etc). She took this on board and eventually decided to go in so she's in early every day, say at 8.30am and she often finishes at 6pm. She wasn't happy about doing this but seemed to think she had no choice.

Now, she has pointed out (and so have I and her friends) in effect she's giving them unpaid overtime, she'd love to do it say more flexi-time eg start at 9.30am generally and finish later and come in early for meetings etc. She can't leave now as it's a hard job market out there.

I was wondering though (even though she hasn't mentioned this) - she's black and female - how much of this may be targeted towards her due to her sex and her race? Would this happen? She *is* in a very male dominated environment and predominantly (I'd guess) white environment.

The main point is she'd love not to be able to work like a dog on those hours eg unpaid but of course she doesn't want to risk her appraisal being pulled up over that. And her appraisals otherwise have been PERFECT. In fact exemplary from what she tells us. She has even been given the option to work from home sometimes but she prefers to work in the office when she can.

So what are her options? and would race/sex come into it and if so what to do? refer to her employment T&C, manual etc?

thanks.

System

All she has to do is work the hours contracted. She was pulled up on her appraisal because she was not getting into work by the correct time. It is her responsibility to achieve that and the fact that everybody lives closer has no bearing.

Her sex/race has no bearing. She has been found wanting on basic timekeeping and it is in her hands to correct it.

vax2002

Sit in the car until the work hours start, leave the second they finish .

Oldernotwiser

Very few people in professional careers like your friend would expect only to work their set hours. I doubt very much that there's any discrimination involved.

anamenottaken

Just because someone arrives at 8.30 am doesn't mean they are or have to work before 9 am. Get a coffee, read a newspaper, chat with other early arrivers, get some exercise walking in the vicinity of the office after sitting in a car for 30 mins.

Working up to 6 pm? Does she ever take more than an hour for lunch - extra time checking personal emails, texting friends? Does she work through her lunch break instead?

Though she may have hours stated in her contract, if she is on a salary that will generally be taken to include working overtime sometimes without extra pay. Of course, if she were on NMW they would need to pay her but that must be far from the case.

Having been given the option to sometimes work from home, she chooses to spend time driving and going to the office. So that's her choice and so is the working extra time.

I would not believe, from what you have said, that her sex or race affects expectations of timekeeping standards. It seems fairly standard that, if you want to progress, you put in the hours necessary to do the job.

getmore4less

Is there anywhere near work she could use up the time say doing the shopping,
The key is to get close enough to work so the traffic and last bit is predictable so you can fit something else in.

Googlewhacker

I love how you have jumped on the race bandwagon because she got pulled up for being late and now she is there early......


As above she doesn't have to start working till 9 and if she is unhappy then she is a fool for working before then!

hermum

She was given the option of working sometimes from home to save the commute, she chooses not to.
Most people give themselves extra "just in case" time to get to work & then have time to sort themselves out for the day ahead, having a coffee, whatever.
It sounds as though it's her choice to actually work longer hours.
If she's unable to complete all the work in the allocated time then maybe she needs to speak to her boss about her workload.
None of it sounds like a race or sex issue.

Mischa8

anamenottaken wrote: »

Just because someone arrives at 8.30 am doesn't mean they are or have to work before 9 am. Get a coffee, read a newspaper, chat with other early arrivers, get some exercise walking in the vicinity of the office after sitting in a car for 30 mins.

Working up to 6 pm? Does she ever take more than an hour for lunch - extra time checking personal emails, texting friends? Does she work through her lunch break instead?

Though she may have hours stated in her contract, if she is on a salary that will generally be taken to include working overtime sometimes without extra pay. Of course, if she were on NMW they would need to pay her but that must be far from the case.

Having been given the option to sometimes work from home, she chooses to spend time driving and going to the office. So that's her choice and so is the working extra time.

I would not believe, from what you have said, that her sex or race affects expectations of timekeeping standards. It seems fairly standard that, if you want to progress, you put in the hours necessary to do the job.

Hi - she doesn't see the point in not starting when she gets in.

She also often doesn't take a lunchbreak (works through) and she rarely surfs the net etc APART from in her lunchbreak She has a Blackberry but uses this infrequently and mostly FOR WORK USE.

I don't think her sex or race counts against her either (neither does she) but you never know.

It is strange how they can't be a bit more flexible and allow her on some days to start say at 9.30pm provided she makes up the time. The other 2 men she works with live really near and she's even told me that they don't have the transport problems she has as they work so near.

Mischa8

Googlewhacker wrote: »

I love how you have jumped on the race bandwagon because she got pulled up for being late and now she is there early......


As above she doesn't have to start working till 9 and if she is unhappy then she is a fool for working before then!

Actually race bandwagon - I myself am white, she happens to be black - I have no idea if her colour would have anything to do with, I'm sure it doesn't have and I hope not.

But as you and I and my friend knows, in the past race has been used against people as per this situation. Please note I also mentioned sex.

Both my friend and I don't believe the sex/race card is being played here but in this type of environment who knows? I was merely asking a question.

eschaton

OP - where do you get off pulling the race card?

Your 'friend' was on occasion late for work and was pulled up for it. Do only black people in life get pulled up for this? I think not.

If she has a job with a start time of 9:00am then she should be there for 9:00am. It's not the employers problem how good or bad the commute is, it's the employees problem.

As for others that live closer - so what? Your 'friend' could live closer if she wanted to.

To pull the race card when she is clearly in the wrong is pathetic.