Come in to work early (accidentally) - leave early? Thoughts

[soccerdad72]

Just curious about other's thoughts on this situation I had this afternoon.

Quick background - I manage a department at a community college. Due to snow this morning, the College (including administration, like my department) were on a delayed start, which meant that we opened at 11am this morning.

Turns out, three or four of my staff ended up getting in at like 9:30 or 10am, mostly because they were worried that roads were still going to be bad and it turned out they were all clear.

One of my staff just came in my office and said, "You know, there's a number of us who are going to be looking to leave early today." When I asked why people would be leaving when it's only a 6 hour day to begin with (less, factoring in everyone's lunch hour), he mentioned that most of them got here early.

I'll probably let them leave early (they're hourly), but it's bugging me that because they were unlikely in the office, working away for that extra hour or so, but want the extra time this afternoon.

What would you do?

 

[sonnyjane]

Wow. A lot of thoughts....

Why do you say that it's unlikely they were working for that extra hour? If they got there at 9:30 or 10, what do you think they were doing?

I think it's a weird way to phrase it to come into your office and say "A number of us are going to be looking to leave early today". Does your staff normally dictate things to you that way?

I've worked at jobs where you actually get penalized if you clock in earlier than scheduled, but this seems like it was an honest mistake. I suppose they could have gone somewhere to get a coffee for 90 minutes instead of working but, that seems silly if they're already there. I dunno. I'd probably be more inclined to pay them for an extra hour and make them stay until the end of business hours, but I'm not sure how your office does things.

 

[hereyago]

Just curious about other's thoughts on this situation I had this afternoon.

Quick background - I manage a department at a community college. Due to snow this morning, the College (including administration, like my department) were on a delayed start, which meant that we opened at 11am this morning.

Turns out, three or four of my staff ended up getting in at like 9:30 or 10am, mostly because they were worried that roads were still going to be bad and it turned out they were all clear.

One of my staff just came in my office and said, "You know, there's a number of us who are going to be looking to leave early today." When I asked why people would be leaving when it's only a 6 hour day to begin with (less, factoring in everyone's lunch hour), he mentioned that most of them got here early.

I'll probably let them leave early (they're hourly), but it's bugging me that because they were unlikely in the office, working away for that extra hour or so, but want the extra time this afternoon.

What would you do?

Have them stay and work.

 

[Squirlz]

I would think quitting time would remain the same. Come in early, that's on you.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

The end of the day is the end of the day, regardless of when you got in, unless you're workload is especially light and you don't need them, they should be there all day.

 

[rwdavis2]

What is the official policy? Stick to that. Do they get paid in full for the day? Then they don't get to leave early. But then, don't ever expect them to be in early again in this situation.

 

[QueenIsabella]

Sounds pretty nervy to me. When we've had school delays, it was delays for the students only, NOT the staff.

Also, since the morning delay started thing later, they wouldn't have worked their normal 6-hour (or whatever) day. I'm not particularly sympathetic. Sometimes my DH has an early meeting, and has to get up at 4am to go in. He still works until 5pm. Now, he's salaried, and they might turn a blind eye if he had to leave early on a different day for a doctor's appointment or something, but he most definitely does NOT get to leave early, jsut because he came in early. In fact, when he's playing the boss man, he not only goes in early, he frequently leaves late.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

As a salaried/exempt employee, I'm paid for working 40 hours per week. I do not get paid for a 45 minute lunch. Our office's official open hours are 8:30 - 5:15.

I come in at 7:15 and leave at 4. Just about everybody in my department comes in early.

So, um, it depends on your policy?

 

[Klayfish]

Nope. My team tries that from time to time. My answer is that they are salaried employees, and there is no set "8 hour shift" or whatever. We also have core business hours that all staff is expected to be here. We offer flexibility around those, so that we can offer an earlier shift (such as 7am to 4pm) or a later shift (9am to 6pm), but everyone must be here during core hours. Coming in early does not "entitle" you to leave early. Certainly, I will flex where I can, but it's not a "right", rather a privilege.

 

[ImDMous]

I guess it depends on what they do. If they are interacting with students/faculty/customers who expect the office to be open certain hours then they should be staying until those hours are finished regardless of when they got there.

If their work is entirely independent and they were actually working when they got there, then it's probably ok to let them leave early if it was an honest mistake and not something that happens all the time. This is assuming your department is going to get approval to pay for that extra time when campus wasn't officially open.

The fact that campus wasn't actually open is a bit odd. DH works on a college campus and you have to get special authorization to get paid for time when campus is not open if you're hourly. He's salary so he can pretty much work whenever and it doesn't really matter.

 

[soccerdad72]

Why do you say that it's unlikely they were working for that extra hour? If they got there at 9:30 or 10, what do you think they were doing?

Mostly just through prior experience. One or two of them often get here ahead of their usual start time and read the paper or do personal stuff until 8:30 rolls around.

I think it's a weird way to phrase it to come into your office and say "A number of us are going to be looking to leave early today". Does your staff normally dictate things to you that way?

This particular staff person is not exactly known for his tact. He's also been here something like 35 years and whenever confronted about something he's done wrong, his standard response (even to me) is often, "Time for me to retire". In case it matters, he's union.

I'm pretty sure our policy is that working hours are fixed - if you come in early, you don't have the right to leave early. I allow it from time to time, if asked in advance.

 

[sk!mom]

So they were conscientious enough to allow extra time to get to work but you doubt they were actually working once there?

I'd reward their intiative and let them leave early. They put the time in, after all.

 

[soccerdad72]

Sounds pretty nervy to me. When we've had school delays, it was delays for the students only, NOT the staff.

We have two levels of closing/delay - one is just for students and faculty and the other includes administration.

 

[hereyago]

I wonder if Mr. Tactless thought of the idea of leaving early?

 

[sksjasams]

What are their normal work hours - start time and end time?

Do they get paid hourly?

 

[wvjules]

I think the end of the day is the end of the day regardless of whether or not there was a delay. Coming in early (before 11) under those circumstances doesn't mean they get to leave early.

 

[brockash]

Just curious about other's thoughts on this situation I had this afternoon.

Quick background - I manage a department at a community college. Due to snow this morning, the College (including administration, like my department) were on a delayed start, which meant that we opened at 11am this morning.

Turns out, three or four of my staff ended up getting in at like 9:30 or 10am, mostly because they were worried that roads were still going to be bad and it turned out they were all clear.

One of my staff just came in my office and said, "You know, there's a number of us who are going to be looking to leave early today." When I asked why people would be leaving when it's only a 6 hour day to begin with (less, factoring in everyone's lunch hour), he mentioned that most of them got here early.

I'll probably let them leave early (they're hourly), but it's bugging me that because they were unlikely in the office, working away for that extra hour or so, but want the extra time this afternoon.

What would you do?

I can definitely see both sides of it and I think it kinda depends on the job. If there are customers/students that need one of those positions available to them for the entire time you're "opened," then obviously something needs to be worked out where one of them "stays" - maybe given flex time later. If it becomes a pattern/issue, then I'd make it clear that in the future if there's a delay, employees will not be allowed to leave early just because they came in before the new start time for that das. Honestly, I'd never make a big deal out of it or make it an issue unless I had to, because on the flip side, those employees that arrived early were courteous/thoughtful enough to leave earlier than they had to to make sure someone was there on time in case of bad weather. -On the flip side of that, if they're still required to stay as long as everyone else who came in later, it will start to look worthless and almost like a punishment for them to care enough and to be proactive enought to be conscious of weather conditions.

If their job does not really require a specific start/end time, then who cares? Why should they work 7 hours when everyone else only works 6, yet they all get paid the same? Like I said, if it becomes a problem address it then, but it's not like delays happen a lot, so I say let it be.

If ppl. are generally good employees who get their work done, I think it goes a long way to be as flexible as possible etc., even if that means it's not always your ideal.

 

[soccerdad72]

What are their normal work hours - start time and end time?

Do they get paid hourly?

Normal work hours are 8:30 - 5. Oddly enough, half my staff are hourly and half are salaried. And some are union while others are non-union.

And to answer another question - we don't deal with students (we're purchasing), but they do handle questions and requests from other departments during the usual course of the business day.

 

[sksjasams]

Normal work hours are 8:30 - 5. Oddly enough, half my staff are hourly and half are salaried. And some are union while others are non-union.

And to answer another question - we don't deal with students (we're purchasing), but they do handle questions and requests from other departments during the usual course of the business day.

Are they allowed "schedule mods" on a regular basis? For example, coming in early and leaving early, and vice versa?

 

[Mickeyluver37]

Anytime an employee is more concerned with the exact time they put in, rather than just getting their work done, I get annoyed. Honestly, I feel like whining that something isn't fair, or someone else got to work one hour less than you is an immaturity thing. We are all salaried non-union though. That's an interesting mix of employee statuses you have to deal with.