Working extra hours unpaid - what to do?

Mischa8

Jimavfc82 wrote: »

A few things stand out from this to me -

1.) On what basis whatsoever is there any suggestion of racial or sexual discrimiation. You mention your friend was in trouble for being late - i am presuming that the same process has applied for all that are late?

2.) Your friend is not being forced to "work like a dog". She voluntaririly comes in early. If she wanted she could have a coffee for this time or read a paper. Furthermore it is half an hour early - i know the many people i work with, including myself, will do 20+ unpaid hours a week in the current climate, this isn't the right thing but it is often a reality. Being upset because of an extra half hour a morning does sound very petty to me, even more so when she has taken it on herself to do that

3.) Flexible working - Has she approached this option with management. If others have it and she is not allowed then has she been given a reason why, or is it something that is either not operated or she hasn't even asked for?

To be honest it sounds a very minor issue for her, that has no discrimination present at all on the face of it

Thanks for your input. My friend actually wasn't 'in trouble' as such for being late, it was merely brought up as an aside at her appraisal. It certainly wasn't a disciplinary matter.

I agree with you, maybe she is being petty about her extra hours.

I will find out about her flexible time options in due course (may take a week or so) and update here. I think personally she may have got the general idea from her department that flexible time wouldn't work nor be allowed so not wanting to make waves she didn't ask for it. I think she feels in this tough economic climate that making waves over something like flexi-time may not go in her favour.

SarEl

Mischa8 wrote: »

I am merely thinking out aloud or aren't I allowed to do this here?!

I take umbrage at most of your comments directed towards me here and in particular the tone, how am I 'spitting' at people for goodness sake?!

I am not applying double standards, merely after my OP taking other people's POV on board and then rethinking my answer/reply. That is what normal people do, I believe when getting other info/replies from a message board/forum.

And why should I have to put down 'every little thing' I think about before typing it out in this post?! Believe me there is no hidden meaning here.

Having said that I do take your replies on board, and thank you for your input employment wise. I have seen personally when you have offered helpful and polite advice to other people on this board and when you're doing it for free it is a very noble action.

Let's calm all this down shall we eh?

Your thinking out loud is becoming very confusing. First it was possibly discrimination because her lateness was brought up at appraisals - although I acknowldege that it was now "and aside". And now it's about time of for caring responsibilities and disability, which you have never mentioned at all before and has nothing to do with being late due to traffic, snow, etc. - and which she may not even have asked for or been refused.

You may take as much umbrage as you like - my responses to you have been polite, unlike your responses to people, in which you have been rather intolerant and childish (the *I am taking my bat and ball home and not posting anymore because I don't like the answers" - although I notice that you haven't.)

But feel free to muse away. I shall be elsewhere dealing with real and not imagined slights.

Savvy_Sue

Mischa8 wrote: »

I should have mentioned perhaps that my friend also has an elderly and sick mother who lives with my friend's autistic brother - my friend has recently rented out their bought flat and bought them a house near where she lives. There is only another sister living nearby who works for a London council but the sister works long hours too and isn't as forthcoming with offers of help to my friend.

So this is partly why my friend needs/wants time off. And AFAIK her company now have never said she can't have time off if she needs to accompany her mother to the hospital for an appointment etc.

Well, you've not been entirely clear in your previous posts, if I may say so. What you've raised initially is the fact that occasional lateness has been raised at appraisals - not unreasonably.

However, if your friend has caring responsibilities, it does open up a whole new avenue of possibilities. Whether she wants to go there or not is another matter!

But if she WANTS flexible working to help with her caring responsibilities, she could look here. She isn't automatically entitled to it, but she can ask. And if there's ever a crisis, she should look here.

diable

jenhugs wrote: »

My husband is a Project Management Accountant, his hours of work are either meant to be 8-4 or 9-5 dependent on day what cover he has etc. He actually goes into work every day for 8 and gets home at 5.30 or 6. Some days he even goes without his lunch because he is too busy.

I guess when you get to a certain position it is expected of you.

Why is that?

bluecelticgirl

What a strange thread - it seems to be all over the place. The only thing that stands out is that the OP's friend wants flexi time but for some reason hasn't asked or company hasn't given it. I don't understand why she would want to look for another job either - only problem with this one seems to be company wants her to be at work at 9 am - or have I missed something? I work a 5 minute drive away from work with a 9 am start - I am in at 8.30 am every morning and so are most of my colleagues. I just like to get a head start on the day - don't have to do this of course but this is my choice so wouldn't expect company to pay me for this as they haven't asked me to do this. Really don't get the problem - company has stated they want her to be there by 9 am which is her normal working hours start time. Surely she has raised the flexi time issue in the past if she has been pulled up on this in an appraisal? Sounds like company don't do flexi time and OP's friend wants flexi time?

hcb42

I dont know how getting in a few minutes early and working late can be deemed to be sex/race discrimination in anyone's world.

I thought they were the minimum hours to keep a FT job, and 30-40 minutes is a very short commute too.

Bark up another tree, or even ask if the flexitime is available, I guarantee that conversation will go a lot further than one based on unfounded sex/race discrimination.

hcb42

diable wrote: »

I guess when you get to a certain position it is expected of you.

Why is that?

because you are paid on results not on timekeeping.

jenhugs

Exactly hcb42 it is what you put in to what you get out.

Don't get me wrong my husband has a good work life balance, however he knows that to keep building his carreer he needs to put the time in.

I don't know of many people who do no work additional unpaid hours in this current climate.

CFC

Mischa8 wrote: »

And yes, I am NOT the person in question with the problem. I am merely posting on her behalf. She would probably wonder why and maybe be embarassed at all the attention this post is getting. As am I.

I expect she would be embarrassed at you trying to get her to play the race and sex card, yes.
I think you should feel embarrassed as well.

Heaven knows there are enough real examples of age sex and race discrimination in the workplace, without trying to find an angle that will let someone be late to work when they feel like it.

RuthnJasper

bluecelticgirl wrote: »

What a strange thread - it seems to be all over the place. The only thing that stands out is that the OP's friend wants flexi time but for some reason hasn't asked or company hasn't given it. I don't understand why she would want to look for another job either - only problem with this one seems to be company wants her to be at work at 9 am - or have I missed something? I work a 5 minute drive away from work with a 9 am start - I am in at 8.30 am every morning and so are most of my colleagues. I just like to get a head start on the day - don't have to do this of course but this is my choice so wouldn't expect company to pay me for this as they haven't asked me to do this. Really don't get the problem - company has stated they want her to be there by 9 am which is her normal working hours start time. Surely she has raised the flexi time issue in the past if she has been pulled up on this in an appraisal? Sounds like company don't do flexi time and OP's friend wants flexi time?

BCG - I was going to make the comment about this being a strange thread! Why did the OP wait so long to put in about her friend's family circumstances and this being why she needed time off? Is the the friend happy that her private family circumstances are being posted on a public thread for all to see?

All of this could be solved one way or the other if the OP's friend simply discussed the situation with her line manager. If flexi-time or additional remote working is a possibility, all well and good. If not, then it is up to the friend to decide whether or not she wishes to stay on or seek alternative work.

Mischa8 - I am sure you are raising these questions with the best intentions for your friend. However, I wonder if she would be 100% happy that she is becoming the unwitting subject of several pages-worth of discussion on a public forum?

Whatever happens, good luck to her, and to you. x