Can I be told to come in early?

SummerSunshine2

I went to the toilet at work and came back to my boss telling me to come in early on Christmas Eve as then I can go home early. So I ask what time? He replies as early as possible, way before 8am (my start time is 8:30) so he can send me home sometime before 3pm (finish time is 4:30 assuming I take a 45 min break) and that the traffic wouldn’t be bad. I live a ten min drive from work and traffic is never an issue.

I have an issue with him being vague about a few things. I’m told I only need to clock up 7:15 a day and therefore my lunch can reflect this. And i can start from 8-9am, but in reality I have to start at 8:30am which is fine.

I don’t like being told the last working day to get to work early so he can send me home early, when in reality I’m getting sent home >1 hour early.

So my questions are:
1) can my work hours be changed to meet a non existent need of the business at short notice? Our phone lines are open 9-5 and I don’t work the phones anyway.
2) I have been ill with a cold and I don’t fancy coming to work early because I wake up at 7:30 which is a bit of struggle due to the terrible weather. It’s of no benefit for me to come in early.

System

You work for a very good boss who is quite flexible in how they allow you to work your hours and unfortunately you fail to realise this. The very same boss is trying to do you all a favour and you're too self-centered to realise this.

Yes, they can make a reasonable request, this is reasonable. It is a benefit for you as you'll find out when you're taking an absolute age to get home as you not only have to cope with all the normal commuters but all the people who have been doing last minute shopping as well. As for the weather, what terrible weather? Currently the temperatures are above the seasonal normal for this time of year and if you're that bad you should be off sick. As for the phone lines the chances are there'll be next to no calls and the boss may divert the number to his work mobile.

Your boss is trying to do you and all the other staff a favour and get them an early finish on Xmas eve, something that the vast majority of people would jump at the opportunity to be offered and you're acting like a bit of a prat to be honest as well as being selfish as it isn't only you who would be finishing early but everyone and do you want to be that person who is responsible for them getting home later than they would on a normal day when they had a chance to get home a couple of hours early had it not been for you? Remember that if you're rigid about this that when you ask for a bit of flexibility because you need to do something he might remember having to be in the office 2hrs later than he had to be and spending longer getting home than he had to on Xmas eve so the answer will be a firm no.

suki1964

Terrible weather conditions? Where are you?

I think coming in at 7am and being let home before 3 is very accomadating of your boss

My boss is the same, during the heatwave he allowed us to start at 5am and let us go at 1pm

And Thursday and Friday's which are our busy days, he's more then happy to let us start at 6am so we still get away by 3pm at the latest instead of being stuck there till 5 or 6 pm

Browntoa

I think you just have an issue with your boss reading your other thread

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/75183638#Comment_75183638

pmduk

OP, you sound like a nightmare employee. Have you considered your boss might want to get home to his family and can't do that until his staff have left?

Most employees would be thankful for a concession such as this.

SummerSunshine2

No my boss isn’t Flexiable and Perhaps I didn’t make it clear.

1) I was told I can start between 8-9am. He backtracked and said I have to start at 8:30 and finish at 4:30. I have to take 45 mins for my break when I could just take the min required 20 mins and go home at 4:05. He backtracks on everything he says.

2) he told me to come in early instead of giving me the option to come in early and finish early. It’s of no benefit for me or the business to come in early due to the phone lines - I take calls if there aren’t enough operators and if he’s tell the staff to come in early, and we are already operating at 50% there is the potential for a shortage of operators and our service will fall, which is a flagged issue.


Perhaps I could have been clearer but I’m finding it hard to put it into words. I get told one thing and in reality I’m to do whatever he wants. It would be beneficial for me to work 9-5 because there is only two operators scheduled between 4-5pm and one at 4:30 onwards.

He’s also not “my boss” he senior staff but ultimately he doesn’t have the power to go over senior staff, he can’t recruit and he can’t tell people to go home earlier.

SummerSunshine2

@pmduk actually there was to be someone on the phones until 5, so no it doesn’t make sense telling me to come in early because he will be working. He told me to come in early, not would I like to come in early.

Alter_ego

SummerSunshine2 wrote: »

I went to the toilet at work

Is this important to the question?

nicechap

Terrible weather? - employment laws may be quite different where they live.

D-

[Deleted User]

I was told yesterday too I'll be needing to start work early Monday for an early finish.

I'm allowed 9-3.30pm and ONLY on the proviso when we leave all work is completed for the day with more then half the team on holiday! I work in another county so won't be home in 10 minutes. I sincerely regret making the drive sound better then it does to and from workplace. I'm sure if I am to be there next year when working earlies to lates (not even a hotel receptionist) as our work times are a changing in January it will be a different matter. At the moment I am considering resigning once Christmas is over as I feel that strongly that finishing work 9pm and being back on site for 8am the next day isn't really going to work as the team are opposed to week blocks of shifts which would be my preference. I even rather took the job thinking as new girl I'd cop all lates but it hasn't worked like that. Oh no.

SummerSunshine2

Terrible weather - Yes not everyone can cope with going to work and coming home in the dark. Not everyone is a morning person and I change my wake up time to reflect this. I also don’t sleep as well in the winter and generally feel more tired. Probably suffer from SAD but that’s another story.