Hours of *work* - what's your view (slightly lighthearted debate)

ferien_uk2011

My current job is taking calls from customers, so I get in early to make sure I am logged in to the phones for my entire shift. Similarly, in previous jobs in retail, I would be on the shop floor for the start of the shift, so would have to get in a bit early to put my stuff in a locker etc.

My last office job was flexitime, I'd arrive at various times depending on how I got there/ the traffic etc (always before 9 though), turn my computer on, make a cup of coffee then sit at my desk and that would be my start time. Getting my work out of the cupboard/ putting into order of priority I would class as 'work'. Similarly, at the end of the day I would class putting the work away, making sure the filing cabinets are locked, all post sent out etc as 'work' so would put my finish time down as whenever this was all done. However, getting your personal things together, ie washing your cup, putting stuff in your bag etc, I don't class as 'work' so I would do it after my finish time.

I think it really depends on the environment, as customer facing roles are different to non-customer facing ones. Also, as someone else said, this is the difference between a 'job' and a 'career'. If I'm in a job that I know is just a job and not a career-job, I learned that starting work early does you no favours!

GothicStirling

I always make sure I leave the staffroom 5min before my start time, so by the time I get up stairs, clock in and on the floor for my start time. I don't leave the floor until at least my finish time [unless I am sent home early.]

Kajimba

ferien_uk2011 wrote: »

I think it really depends on the environment, as customer facing roles are different to non-customer facing ones. Also, as someone else said, this is the difference between a 'job' and a 'career'. If I'm in a job that I know is just a job and not a career-job, I learned that starting work early does you no favours!

I agree with this, sometimes you need to conserve your energy in order to look for a better job.:D

It's only recently that I've learnt to abide by the adage:
"minimum wage paid, minimum effort made".

Saying that, most of the other employees where I work faff about considerably more than me. This dates to the company changing it's break time policy form half an hour for any shift over five hours to the legal minimum (no break until the shift is over 6 hours, then 20 minutes unless the shift is over 8 hours). Until then people made tea, smoked etc as part of their break & packed up after 5.30. Since the changes to breaks they all do whatever they can to waste time. I'd say that the company has lost rather than gained productivity since they reduced the breaks.;)

diggle

one of the retail company's i worked for you were contracted in to be available to begin work 15mins before start time and remain 15mins after finish time to complete any work..i.e facing up products,sweeping floor ,till checking etc..

DCFC79

Hootie19 wrote: »

Interesting to get others' views! Seems there is quite a range of views and opinions. I guess none of them are right, and equally none of them are wrong.



We have someone like this in our office too. Every morning, without fail, she is anything from 5 to 10 minutes late, and every morning, blames it on "the traffic". I did suggest to her one day she might consider leaving home a tad earlier to try and time her journey so she arrived on time. Fell on deaf ears, needless to say! She did say that she gets pulled up on her timekeeping on a regular basis - but nothing concrete seems to be done. And it's not like she's the last out of the door either!

i think he blamed the traffic too, everyone else managed to get there on time for 9 but he didnt quite do it. The further away you live from work the later you are for work is the saying is it not.

DCFC79

diggle wrote: »

one of the retail company's i worked for you were contracted in to be available to begin work 15mins before start time and remain 15mins after finish time to complete any work..i.e facing up products,sweeping floor ,till checking etc..

yes 1 of my last employers we were asked to be in 10/15 minutes before shift started and stay till when everything else was done like cleaning, cashing up etc

Kajimba wrote: »

I agree with this, sometimes you need to conserve your energy in order to look for a better job.:D

It's only recently that I've learnt to abide by the adage:
"minimum wage paid, minimum effort made".

that is a true saying, but i found it also depends if you have an interest in the job as if you dont then the min wage min effort gets to you(what i found in last job), also having a manager who knows what hes doing has an affect too.

Humphrey10

I've never been able to understand why employers that pay min wage expect their staff to work for free before and after their shifts, but employers that pay much more don't expect a minute's extra work. I also don't understand why people put up with working for free, I had a job in Toys R Us that tried it on, at closing time they expected everyone to stay for 20 mins tidying up, but they only paid up until closing time, so I said to the store managers that I wasn't willing to work for free, so they said OK and let me leave at the end of my shift from then on. I had no problems eg they didn't try to make my life hard or fire me, in fact on multiple times they praised my work, so I don't know why everyone else was so spineless and scared to complain.

In my current job, because everyone paid a decent wage, and has decent working conditions, and is treated with respect, and is only expected to work their contracted hours, many people work for hours and hours longer than than they have to, because they have pride in their work and want to get it all finished. I'm sure they wouldn't stay for these extra hours if they were paid min wage and physically prevented from leaving whenever they wanted!

freeoffers

Hootie19 wrote: »

My colleagues believe that as long as they are in the building at 9am, that's acceptable, and that they should start to pack up their desks at about 4.45pm, ready to be out of the building at 5pm.

My argument is that my contracted *hours of work* are 9 to 5, not my contracted hours of *being in the building* are 9 to 5.

I did an internship and arrived at 8.30 and left at 6.15, my hours were 9 till six. Your post tells me what is wrong with some people in this country. You are paid to work from 9 until 5, not be in the building at those times. And when at work that means work, not chatting to colleagues or surfing the net, which I've seen plenty of people doing.

freeoffers

Kajimba wrote: »

It's only recently that I've learnt to abide by the adage:
"minimum wage paid, minimum effort made".

We are paid what we are worth IMHO, and if that's what you're paid it's what your service is worth. No matter what I'm paid I have personal pride in doing my best because I believe it pervades other areas of my life. I started out being paid minimum wage too but having the right attitude is priceless.

freeoffers

Humphrey10 wrote: »

I've never been able to understand why employers that pay min wage expect their staff to work for free before and after their shifts,

that's called taking the urine! I work hard but not for free!