Abuse of Overtime

1886

I'd like opinions on this please.

I've noticed that a guy I work with comes in to work between 30-45 minutes early and sits drinking tea instead of starting work. When he's on a late shift he's meant to start work at 10.30am but he comes in before 10.00, clocks on and then either sits in the locker room or the canteen for half an hour.

I'm not sure how long he's been doing this but it's at least a few months. Should I mention it anonymously or keep quiet?

martinthebandit

Is it anything to do with you?

anamenottaken

Clearly you have no line responsibility for him.
What he does with his free time (that is, for example, the half-hour between when he clocks in and when his shift starts) is nothing to do with you.
He seems like a good employee who is ensuring that he is never late for his shift.
Clocking on but not working for 30 minutes would only be an "abuse of overtime" if he were being paid for those 30 minutes. As I don't suppose you are working in payroll then it is still nothing to do with you.

shortcrust

Even if he's getting paid for doing nothing, no one likes a telltale at work when stuff like this is concerned. Have you even mentioned it to him? Making an anonymous complaint without discussing with him first would be a pretty low blow.

ACG

If you want to tell your employers, tell them.
It makes no odds what anyone else on here thinks.

If one of my employees was taking the proverbial, I would want to know.

bluenoseam

30 minutes a day - if he's on a 5 day week that's 2.5hrs a week or over 100hrs a year. Now without seeming to be a bit of a skinflint, if I ran a business & knew that I was spending the rough equivalent of 3 weeks wages a year for someone to drink tea I'd be asking serious questions.

It all hinges on if he's actually clocking in or not, it's not unheard of for me to rock up at work at say 10.30 to start for an 11 o'clock start & casually enjoy a coffee before I actually start. (admittedly most of the time checking out e-mails & bulletins) If he is however clocking on then sitting on his backside then it's something I'd personally be raising as it saves the company a not so insignificant sum of money annually!

ohreally

1886 wrote: »

I'd like opinions on this please.

It's not your party.

GothicStirling

I don't see what your problem is. I do this every day, clock in early and get a coffee. That way I'm on the department at my start time, and if a disaster happens, then I'm there to help. I don't get paid until my start time, and it gives me time to get my head into work mode. My philosophy is 'if you're on time, your late.'

ACG

GothicStirling wrote: »

I don't see what your problem is. I do this every day, clock in early and get a coffee. That way I'm on the department at my start time, and if a disaster happens, then I'm there to help. I don't get paid until my start time,

I think thats where it differs.

anamenottaken

ACG wrote: »

I think thats where it differs.

So you know what is going on in the workplace where the OP is observing a colleague turning up early and starting work on time? You know that the colleague is being paid for this time before his shift officially begins?

"Back in the day" I used to clock in and out twice a day but because the clock wan't near my office I would clock in well before I even reached my desk and stopped formal work well before leaving the factory site. I was paid for my contracted hours not all the time between clocking in and clocking out.

ACG

I have not got a clue about anything, hence why I said "I THINK".

If the OP works in a department on a team and they are all on the same contract then they would know yes. I have worked in offices where we are on the same contract bar the wage. The OP may not know with 100% accuracy whether the contract is the same, but is there any harm in them raising their concerns?

It might cause some resentment between the 2 but if the person was not taking the proverbial out of their employer there would be no issue?