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

[Missy1961]

The company I used to work for tried to use a delayed opening once. But almost everyone had already left so it didn't matter in the end. And we just worked our regular hours.

This makes me think of something that happened many years ago when my dad was a director of a clinic. We had a lousy snow day, so the clinic closed early and every one left. One of the guys was on vacation and he heard about the early closing when he got back to the office, and he wanted to leave early some other day "because it wasn't fair". Yeah, dad shot him down real fast. But this happened about 30 years ago, so entitled people have always been around.

 

[MaryLovesPoohBear]

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.

No kidding.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

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".

He's beautiful.

I've never missed a snow day, and our hours are never altered. I wish they were.

That said, his approach was all wrong. "We expect to have such and such" isn't the best way to negotiate. Unless you're like, the Mob or something.

 

[ols386]

For this one time in particular, I'd let them leave an hour early.

 

[wvjules]

Well, what did you do????? Don't leave us hanging. We need to question your decision over and over.

 

[Gracie09]

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.

also union rules. If I allowed one employee to go home early because they came in early in violation of the union contract I would spend the next year dealing with a grievance. When people complain I point to the contract and tell them when its up for renewal they should speak to their shop steward about a change until then the rule is the rule.

 

[soccerdad72]

Well, what did you do????? Don't leave us hanging. We need to question your decision over and over.

They stayed until 5.

We also had another delayed opening this morning (until 10am). One or two of them were here a little early - others (including my hopeful retiree ) was in a couple minutes ago.

 

[LilyWDW]

Here, we would have to stay until the end of our shifts. Then again if it was a delayed opening made by my job, we would still get paid the time we were scheduled to work. Same if my job decided to stay closed one day due to reasons. If you are scheduled to work, you get paid as the decision was out of your hands.

 

[RedAngie]

They stayed until 5.

We also had another delayed opening this morning (until 10am). One or two of them were here a little early - others (including my hopeful retiree ) was in a couple minutes ago.

But did they get paid for the whole time they were present or just 11 am to 5 pm?

 

[soccerdad72]

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 think I answered most of these at some point during the thread, but here goes:

1.) Some hourly, some salaried (also some union and some non-union)
2.) OT wouldn't be involved because technically, nobody would be considered "on the clock" until 11am yesterday.
3.) In general, yes, at least one or two of them usually needs to be here in case we get questions from people.
4.) There's always work to be done - day-to-day work was caught up with, but there's other projects that are ongoing.
5.) No clue, I wasn't here.
6.) Not much harm - it was more in the way it was presented to me that made me question some things.

 

[soccerdad72]

But did they get paid for the whole time they were present or just 11 am to 5 pm?

Those that are hourly get paid for an 8 hour shift yesterday.

 

[loves to dive]

The few times I've been hourly or worked anywhere that had hourly, the problem was solved by you just couldn't clock in until your designated work time. When I worked in the office at a factory, there was an actual time clock you punched your card into, as a secretary at UGA, you filled out a time card at the end of the week and wrote in your times, the company I currently work for has on line time sheets but you enter your times. My staff (back when I had one, we've downsized) were not allowed to enter their time before they were supposed to be there, didn't matter if they were there a hour early or not. They could be sitting at their desk but could not be doing any work, if it was the receptionist, she could not be at her desk or answer the phones. I'm actually having that problem right now with my current receptionist. Our office hours are 8:30 to 5 and this year we had to make her hourly because of the new laws, which have yet to take place. She cried when I told her she couldn't clock in at 8 and couldn't leave early on Fridays. She has to have her kid at school by 7 something so just comes into work. Not my problem. What am I supposed to do, she asked. I told her she could come in and sit in the kitchen and eat breakfast or even sit at her desk and play on her computer but she could not pull the phones back from the answering service until 8:30. We really don't need the phones answered before 8:30 so no reason to pay her to do it. I also told her she had to take a half hour lunch every day or at least take a hour one every other day. That worked for about 2 weeks, then she started putting 8 to 5 with no lunch break on her time sheets. I talked to her again, her dad had a stroke and she was having to take a lot of time dealing with him, again, we don't open until 8:30, I don't need the phones answered at 8, you can skip your lunch but you can't clock in at 8. I was having to work until 5 on Fridays (I'm salaried) every week because she was getting off early. I'll just adjust my time sheets, she says. You can't do that, if you have the phones pulled back or are sitting at your desk and eating and answer the phone, I have to pay you. That worked for about a week and then she went back to her old ways again. I talked to my boss and he said he would talk to her. He never did and technically I'm not her supervisor. I gave up and just come and go as I want and if she has to leave early because she insists on being here when she isn't needed, the phones go to the answering service.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think I answered most of these at some point during the thread, but here goes:

1.) Some hourly, some salaried (also some union and some non-union)
2.) OT wouldn't be involved because technically, nobody would be considered "on the clock" until 11am yesterday.
3.) In general, yes, at least one or two of them usually needs to be here in case we get questions from people.
4.) There's always work to be done - day-to-day work was caught up with, but there's other projects that are ongoing.
5.) No clue, I wasn't here.
6.) Not much harm - it was more in the way it was presented to me that made me question some things.

As long as it doesn't violate some rule (union?) I'd probably let them go early. But I think you're also justified by saying it was their call to come in early. They're responsible for being there at the start of their shift. They can show up 5 minutes or 5 hours before, but their shift doesn't start until the scheduled time.

 

[nkereina]

The company I work for will often allow staff to leave 2 hours early the day before a holiday, but will pay them for a full 8 hour day. If we have a vacation day on an early release day, we still have to take 8 hours of vacation. They won't permit us to use only 6 hours of vacation, even though everyone who is present that day is only working 6 hours. So to me in your scenario, they should be expected to work until their normal end time. If they got there early and knew they were early, the could have run errands or got a coffee or something to kill time until 11am, if they only wanted to work 6 hours.

 

[soccerdad72]

I also just found out that this wasn't a group of my staff who were discussing this - just the one guy. He apparently was trying to get others on the staff to argue the same thing, but everyone else disagreed with him.

 

[Missy1961]

I also just found out that this wasn't a group of my staff who were discussing this - just the one guy. He apparently was trying to get others on the staff to argue the same thing, but everyone else disagreed with him.

I'm not surprised. And I bet you weren't either.

 

[TheIncredibles!]

Unless flex time is part of their contract then they stay till normal quitting time. They didn't have to come in early, they chose to and probably did it thinking they could leave early.

 

[Minnesota!]

At my job, you put in your 8 hours, it's all good. If you need to, you can come in at 3am and do your 8 and work till 11. Not on a consistent basis, but as needed. If I came in 90 minutes early, my boss would not have a problem with me leaving 90 minutes early.

 

[Wishing on a star]

Some jobs and positions have a bit more flexibility than others.
Flexibility or not, the approach taken by that employee (and maybe some of the others) would be an issue for me.
I am glad to hear that they stayed.

My husband gets closer to retirement every day... He is in a position with some flexibility. He seems to want to be more 'FLEXIBLE' the closer he gets to retirement!
Hahahaha!!!!
I can laugh, but really, even as his wife, I don't necessarily always agree!

 

[Nancyg56]

I think that if you work where the hours are not flexible, then the time is the time. You want to arrive early on a delayed opening, you still stay until close of your shift.

I work in an office that allows flexibility, but that is a two way street between our employer and us. There are times when we need to change our schedule for our clients, and we do, but he also allows for us to manage our time when we need to. I would never think of making changes on my own in an environment that is not set up for that kind of flexibility.