Work Dilemma...Cautious to bring this up for several reasons, but...

[mjr]

Bit of a work dilemma.

I get that everybody has their own lives and their own schedules and such.

And I understand that everyone has their own means of getting to the office.

And I really like working with the people on my team.

That said...

I make every effort to get here to the office by (or a bit after) 8 AM every day I work in the office (we're in 4 days a week, and have one remote day). I generally don't take a full hour lunch, except when I'm eating with a buddy of mine who works at a different company, or on my remote day if I'm eating with a friend or family.

So therefore, I generally leave at 5 PM. Because generally for my department, our workday is 8 AM to 5 PM.

However, I'm occasionally frustrated at what time others on my team get here, and leave.

We have a meeting every day at 9:30 AM (and it's on the entire team's calendar). Sometimes they're not even in the office yet when this meeting starts, and they have to call into it.

Now, I will cut them a bit of slack, because I know that many of them take public transportation. I drive (public transportation doesn't run to the office from where I live, and it would generally take longer for me than driving anyway). Though one guy literally lives within walking distance of the office. Of course, there are days where he gets here at like 9:15 or 9:30, and stays late.

And here's the "I don't know" part, because there are rules about this kind of thing, Mister...

The general rule is you have to put in your 8 hours, six of which must be related to what you're actually doing (IIRC).

The ones that leave early (to catch public transit, I presume), I don't know if they're logging on while they're in transit, or when they get home, or what.

I don't want to come off like a complainer, and like I said, I like the people I work with, but it appears (though it may not be true) that some rules may be being skirted.

I'm wondering if I should bring this up at my upcoming performance review or not. Because it'd be SUPER easy for me to get here later (just leave my house later), and leave early every day. The problem is once I get home (or, once I leave work) I feel like I'm on my time, and I really wouldn't want to log back in for a couple of hours, especially with my personal situation limiting my evening hours anyway.

Our team kicks a lot of butt, and gets a lot of work done, this just frustrates me from time to time. I'm not sure how much good it would actually do to bring this up, either.

They've sent out emails about this before. I Don't know that it did any good then, either.

[RealUnimportant]

I think the most important question is "is all the work getting done?" If the answer is yes, then really I don't see much sense in rocking the boat; you've said that there's no way for you to know that they're doing the full required hours but is it really any of your business?

[mjr]

I think the most important question is "is all the work getting done?" If the answer is yes, then really I don't see much sense in rocking the boat

Yeah, the work is definitely getting done.

you've said that there's no way for you to know that they're doing the full required hours but is it really any of your business?

I understand your perspective here, and you're right that there's no way to know, but we've been told "There's rules here, Mister..." on a couple of different occasions.

And you're correct in that I don't know if they're doing it later.

The company has a problem in that they seem to convey two different things:

• Your standard working hours are X to Y
• We don't care, as long as you get your work done

I'm sure you can see the contradiction there.

Heck, several weeks ago, they huddled a few teams into a conference room and wagged their fingers at us for something similar. Apparently, the "big wigs" are walking the floor in the morning, and in the afternoon, and aren't seeing butts in seats. So teams were "finger wagged" about that.

But stuff really didn't change.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Yeah, the work is definitely getting done.

Then it comes down to whether or not you want to be "the guy that got us all in trouble." If you complain and management cracks down, your co-workers will find out you were the one who complained, one way or another.

Personally I wouldn't say anything.

[Aria]

As long as this isn't adding extra work to you I agree with Irv, wouldn't say anything. This could make you tremendously unpopular and management clearly knows already, they're just not motivated to fix it.

If this IS adding extra work to you, that's a different matter.

[mjr]

Great perspective, all. Hadn't considered that. Just a little frustrating because it feels like I'm doing what I'm supposed to as far as start/stop times...

You know how it goes.

[Nunavut Pants]

I suggest you keep doing what you're doing. Don't feel entitled to leave early and start late because it seems everyone else is doing it, just work in the way that lets you do your best work. Don't make an issue of it (especially if you don't know for a fact that the rules are being broken) unless and until it starts adding to your workload.

[mjr]

I suggest you keep doing what you're doing. Don't feel entitled to leave early and start late because it seems everyone else is doing it, just work in the way that lets you do your best work. Don't make an issue of it (especially if you don't know for a fact that the rules are being broken) unless and until it starts adding to your workload.

It hasn't affected my workload personally. I don't know that it will. We use an Agile methodology, so we each have our own assigned tasks to work on, and they're generally not dependent (or we try to not make them so) upon each other.

[Shyla]

There's no good way to bring it up. You can't know if they're thinking "At least mjr is a good worker and puts in his hours." You can't know if your coworker works from home 4 hours a night. Do your work well and try to ignore the slackers unless they cause you direct trouble.

[RealUnimportant]

I can definitely identify with feeling that you're working to rules that are being ignored, but where my co-irker leaves an obvious footprint of failings, you have only suspicions. Try & let go, and as others have said just keep doing what works for you. If manglement are having a crackdown, it's down to them to access the logs and apportion blame.

[bloo]

As long as this isn't adding extra work to you I agree with Irv, wouldn't say anything. This could make you tremendously unpopular and management clearly knows already, they're just not motivated to fix it.

If this IS adding extra work to you, that's a different matter.

I think this is exactly what Alison at Ask a Manager would say as well. I'd be frustrated but I'd learn to accept the flexible culture.

[Catwoman2965]

I suggest you keep doing what you're doing. Don't feel entitled to leave early and start late because it seems everyone else is doing it, just work in the way that lets you do your best work. Don't make an issue of it (especially if you don't know for a fact that the rules are being broken) unless and until it starts adding to your workload.

This. The company I work for has so much dead wood you could build a Texas size bonfire. Yet those who abuse the system consistently get away with it. My one boss is a huge offender.

Her latest was “suddenly” realizing she had vacation time she needed to use or lose. Uh huh. We can carry over, but only as much as you get each year. So if you get 3 weeks, but have 5 left, you need to take 2 or lose it.

Well, the issue with her is she admits she isn’t good about keeping track of her time, and her boss, my director, is a huge big idiot, who could care less, holds NO ONE accountable, and just signs off on her timesheets.

Second issue is while she comes and goes as she pleases, and frequently takes as much time during the day to do her personal stuff, as would be considerered half a day, she doesn’t put it in as time off. because you see, she DOES work before and after. Great, but it doesn’t work that way. Once in a blue moon, under extenuating circumstances, sure, but the reason she “had” so much time left to take was this.

Yet my boss and I come in, do our jobs, and take off when we need to TO take care of our personal business.

I'm a firm believer in karma and also not stooping to someone else's level, so while i would love to slack off like she does, it will only hurt ME, so i just leave it alone.

[Food Lady]

I don't get this not working the hours you're assigned and then doing the work later (?). To me, you work when you're at work and you don't work off the clock. If you work from home, you work during whatever those hours are and when you're off, you're off. I guess that's because I've had so many jobs where we handle customers directly and we have to have coverage. That's even true in my non-retail job. That said, if it's not hampering you from doing your job then leave it. Don't stir up the hornet's nest.

[Android Kaeli]

I'd leave an anonymous note to a manager, saying that you've been noticing certain people are coming in late and/or leaving early and that maybe there should be a clearer policy on the start and/or end times for everyone. Personally I wouldn't normally care if someone came in late or left early once in a while or had to leave early because of other obligations, however I'd be very angry if I was able to get into work and stay at work like everyone else is supposed to but other people were coming in late/leaving early constantly without getting in trouble for it.

Really doesn't matter if someone is getting their work done before they leave early or if it doesn't affect everyone directly, at some point down the line it will affect the wrong person at the wrong time.

[Captain Neon]

I firmly understand the "Work Hard. Play Hard." philosophy of some very successful companies. People are expected to come in early and stay late, but this expectation applies to everyone so then its fair, and it was known right away.

I've had two bosses that were big on requiring their subordinates to come in early and stay late, but they showed up late, took long lunches, and left early. Really ticked me off, and frankly, it still does.

They delegated everything to their subordinates forcing us to regularly work long hours to the point of a 50 hour work week was like going on holiday. I was working my butt off for NOTHING, but the privilege of getting my regular paychecque and they are taking expensive vacations on the bonuses they earned from my hard work. I hate them both!