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

[wilkeliza]

If they made it in earlier then a delay then no. If my work has a delay opening due to snow but I get into the office early it doesn't change my end time of 5pm. Now my company odes allow schedule mods and flexible hours (basically if your work is getting done and other departments find you approachable and with a good turn around then you could work any hours of the day if you want) so often I will stay later one day to be able to leave early later in the week. That is okayed by my manager in advance though and doesn't just normally happen at lunch same day because I feel like not staying today if that makes sense.

 

[Christine]

I work for the federal government and we have issues like this come up. Delayed arrival as they call it. That's a bit different from actually changing the opening time, but I guess it makes no difference.

The rules are that the company is giving you extra time to get in due to bad weather. It does not mean, oh you only have a 6 hour workday today. The company/school is still open until it's normal closing time. Those workers needed to stay. That's wonderful that they were able to get in early and probably didn't hear the announcement or wanted to avoid traffic, but the entitlement mentality kind of bugs me as a manager.

 

[morgan98]

I work for the federal government and we have issues like this come up. Delayed arrival as they call it. That's a bit different from actually changing the opening time, but I guess it makes no difference.

The rules are that the company is giving you extra time to get in due to bad weather. It does not mean, oh you only have a 6 hour workday today. The company/school is still open until it's normal closing time. Those workers needed to stay. That's wonderful that they were able to get in early and probably didn't hear the announcement or wanted to avoid traffic, but the entitlement mentality kind of bugs me as a manager.

This is exactly the way I see it and how I have enforced something similar with my staff (particularly the hourly ones). The delay in opening was to allow people to get to work safely, not to shorten the work day. Seems like every work place has one person that is more considered with working the bare minimum of time and making sure they are not taken advantage of.

 

[CdnCarrie]

So staff that took initiative and were actually on time with poor road conditions (was it a blizzard?) get penalized?

If I were you staff I would be ticked at the wussies that couldn't be half arsed to get to work until almost noon.

Makes me wonder how many people could have come in on time and were just taking their sweet time in doing so.

 

[Christine]

So staff that took initiative and were actually on time with poor road conditions (was it a blizzard?) get penalized?

If someone can't get up early enough to make it work on time that they really need to 11 to get to work because of some snow need to be not paid for showing up late.

Never in my life have I heard of a late start due to snow unless it's a blizzard.
If I were you staff I would be ticked at the wussies that couldn't be half arsed to get to work until almost noon.

Where I live, we did not have delayed arrival today as the OP did; however, it happens when you have a "mild" storm or maybe something that happened the day before. Usually the area transportation departments will ask the local governments and schools to do a delayed arrival so the work crews can get out there and clean up and also to give the treatments time to work. Additionally, some sunshine and warming can help with morning ice. So it's not unheard of. I also live in a large metropolitan area where people routinely commute 0-50 miles one way to get in. When the roads are coated, slick, slushy etc, your normal 1 hour commute can be a 2 hour commute easily. The delay is so that people are given enough time to *safely* get in yet not be penalized.

I no longer ever take advantage of the delayed arrival because the one time I did it the traffic going in later was so awful that I couldn't take it. So if we have a 2 hour delayed arrival, I just go in at my normal time and I don't concern myself for what I "didn't get."

Now that I am a manager, I don't "give" the early arrivers time off in the afternoon, but I definitely make a mental note of who my dedicated workers are and when I do give rewards, I will always remember the folks that give it their best effort to get to work and don't whine.

 

[wvjules]

When I've had delayed openings I would come in at the time designated. It wasn't being half arsed or a wussy. I was coming in at the appropriate time. The ones in the OP came in early. They are not being punished. They are working until close or the normal EOD as they should be.

 

[RedAngie]

If they got their designated tasks done in the hours they were there, sure, I'd let them leave early instead of paying extra hours to stay.

 

[anniemae]

I think I would make them stay until close of business i.e. their normal time.

 

[North of Mouse]

If it were reversed, what would 'you' want done for you?? Is it in your jurisdiction to let them leave early?

If so, by all means give some 'good will'. Will it hurt you, others? Not like it would happen really often. Before retirement, my dh was faced with similar situations occasionally and would voluntarily let them leave. Sure helps morale to have a nice boss that 'gives' a little. Gets more work done in the long run!!

In a similar vein, he would also let them go a few hours early the day before major holidays.
He appreciated the employees in his department and it was reciprocated.

Some 'hard' managers on this thread!!

 

[Christine]

If it were reversed, what would 'you' want done for you?? Is it in your jurisdiction to let them leave early?

If so, by all means give some 'good will'. Will it hurt you, others? Not like it would happen really often. Before retirement, my dh was faced with similar situations occasionally and would voluntarily let them leave. Sure helps morale to have a nice boss that 'gives' a little. Gets more work done in the long run!!

In a similar vein, he would also let them go a few hours early the day before major holidays.
He appreciated the employees in his department and it was reciprocated.

Some 'hard' managers on this thread!!

Hard managers because some of us (especially in the government) have to follow rules.

What I have found as a manager, much to my chagrin (seriously), is that no matter how much goodwill you give, someone complains, or it's not enough, or it's taken advantage of.

I can tell you EXACTLY what would happen in my agency if I started giving goodwill to the two people who came in early on a "late arrival" date. I'd give them two hours on the backend. Everyone would notice that and think "hey, if I would have known we could leave early, I would have done that." The next time, five people will come in early and expect to be "let go" two hours early. This will continue until everyone thinks they should be able to leave early. It's a shame people have to behave that way--always looking out for what they can get out of their employers. You shouldn't have to worry about such things with adults, but sadly, it seems to be the way it is.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

If it were reversed, what would 'you' want done for you?? Is it in your jurisdiction to let them leave early?

If so, by all means give some 'good will'. Will it hurt you, others? Not like it would happen really often. Before retirement, my dh was faced with similar situations occasionally and would voluntarily let them leave. Sure helps morale to have a nice boss that 'gives' a little. Gets more work done in the long run!!

In a similar vein, he would also let them go a few hours early the day before major holidays.
He appreciated the employees in his department and it was reciprocated.

Some 'hard' managers on this thread!!

I agree. I've worked for big firms and as long as you put in the hours, finished your work, they didn't really care when you came or left, within reason. Lots of mutual respect. Some people here seem as though they are just trying to assert their authority in a petty way.

 

[sam_gordon]

Too many variables.
1) Are they hourly or salary?
2) If hourly, would staying bump them into OT?
3) Do a certain amount of people need to stay a certain amount of hours (ie: a store closes at 5, someone needs to stay to close)?
4) Is the work completed?
5) Did they actually "work" that extra hour in the morning?
6) What's the harm in letting them take off early?

I'd need answers to all of those. That being said, I think you are justified by saying it was their choice to come in early and they need to stay. I think you're also justified by letting them go early. Either way, I suggest an email blast saying if someone comes in early on their own to work, they're still responsible for their full time.

 

[Christine]

I agree. I've worked for big firms and as long as you put in the hours, finished your work, they didn't really care when you came or left, within reason. Some people here seem as though they are just trying to assert their authority in a petty way.

What if you have an closing time, though, that has to be manned. What if, say, you worked for the Social Security Administration and you were a service representative that saw customers until 5PM. The government has a delayed opening. You didn't hear the announcement, snow wasn't that bad, so you came it at your normal time. What if five out of ten representatives did that? And five of them left 2 hours early that same day despite having to serve customers until 5PM.

Granted, in some sort of non-customer support job, it probably doesn't matter, say if your project oriented.

 

[PollyannaMom]

It matters to me whether they are dealing with customers or not. I would let them go early if it wasn't going to cause the office to be uncovered when it was supposed to be open. If a job is just paperwork, I'm all for letting people shift hours for whatever reason, but if it's customer service, you kind of have to be there during posted hours.

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

What if you have an closing time, though, that has to be manned. What if, say, you worked for the Social Security Administration and you were a service representative that saw customers until 5PM. The government has a delayed opening. You didn't hear the announcement, snow wasn't that bad, so you came it at your normal time. What if five out of ten representatives did that? And five of them left 2 hours early that same day despite having to serve customers until 5PM.

Granted, in some sort of non-customer support job, it probably doesn't matter, say if your project oriented.

I agree that in a customer support job it would be different and may need to be manned at a certain time. It doesn't seem to be the case with the OP, if I'm correct.

 

[Gracie09]

Are they union? What does the union contract say regarding snow days? If not union, what does the employee handbook say? What is the mechanism that delayed openings are communicated to the staff? and when? I ask because once our school had a delayed opening but it wasn't announced until 20 minutes before the day started. I was pulling into the parking lot (I left home early to make it on time.) I'm salary but our hourly workers were paid from the time they arrived but did not get to leave early.

 

[Kellydelly]

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.

I work as a nurse in a hospital and when there is bad weather I always adjust my driving time to make sure I am able to get to work on time, and always early. I would never get a pat on the back for that, or get to leave early. It's being conscientious, but doesn't require a reward. I would have had the staff stay their regular time, unless the roads were getting bad and there was a reason to leave early.

 

[mi*vida*loca]

When we have delayed openings we have to use our PTO. If you get in early you just use less PTO than others who get in late. Closing time doesn't change. I'm in healthcare at an outpatient office so this is rare. Most are hourly but RNs are salary. As long as the RNs don't have office hours or meetings they can flex their hours. The rest stay since patients call until closing.

 

[anniemae]

The thing is, nobody asked them to come in early. Personally, if I got to work an hour early, I would probably get some coffee/breakfast, surf the net etc. until start time. I would not expect the company to allow me to leave early because I arrived early.

 

[CdnCarrie]

Never heard of delayed openings. We live in a province that gets large snowfall and extreme temperatures. Never happens here. Unless it's an actual blizzard which happens once every 15-20 years and the city shuts down for couple days to dig out.
If it's snowing you get up and leave for work extra early. The end.