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

[mjr]

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.

Well, see, the problem is a couple of different things here. I work downtown in a major metro area. A lot of the people that work there now take public transportation. Including some of the managers.

As many of you know, public transportation runs on a schedule. I assume that these people wake up get their kids ready for school (if they have any) drive to the public transit station (bus or train), and then take that into a station near the office, and walk the couple of blocks to the office. My understanding is that in some cases it takes them longer to get to/from work than it takes me, and they live closer. So I guess the bus/train schedule starts changing later in the day or something, because a lot of them bail around 4 PM. I'm guessing so that they can get home around 5:30 or 6 PM. I don't know. I don't know how long it takes for these buses/trains to run their routes.

I live about a 30-35 mile drive from the office. Public transit doesn't service where I live, and I likely wouldn't use it if it did, unless it was necessary for some reason.

[Android Kaeli]

Well, see, the problem is a couple of different things here. I work downtown in a major metro area. A lot of the people that work there now take public transportation. Including some of the managers.

I understand having to use public transportation when one can't get a car of their own, for whatever reason that may be. I've had coworkers who have used said transportation, be it cab, bus, or something else. I don't have a problem with someone needing to use this as a way to get to and from wherever they need to go.

What I don't understand is why they can't sit down with their direct manager, or someone who does the scheduling, to find a way to keep their hours without coming in late/leaving early all the time. Find a workaround so that they can come into work at, say, 7 am and leave by 3 or 4 pm. Or maybe I'm just used to coworkers doing that anyways, or them getting fired because they refuse to make a reasonable accommodation in order to get to work.

Or maybe because I work directly with people all the time so anyone who gets into work late/leaves early without it being an emergency or a manager says to go home early, will often not have a job for very much longer.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

What I don't understand is why they can't sit down with their direct manager, or someone who does the scheduling, to find a way to keep their hours without coming in late/leaving early all the time. Find a workaround so that they can come into work at, say, 7 am and leave by 3 or 4 pm.

Because the people who drive their own vehicles to work might want the same option to come in early and leave early, and claim unfair treatment if denied.

Which is why I would say nothing at all. It will just lead to a "one size fits all" solution that makes people angry.

[mjr]

I understand having to use public transportation when one can't get a car of their own, for whatever reason that may be. I've had coworkers who have used said transportation, be it cab, bus, or something else. I don't have a problem with someone needing to use this as a way to get to and from wherever they need to go.

I don't know how many are in this situation, however I think a large majority do actually have vehicles, but since they live in/near a "public transit" service area, they choose to take public transportation.

[Kristev]

The point is, stay out of it! Acting will only boomerang back at you in the long run.

[Android Kaeli]

I drive to and from work. I wouldn't give a damn if someone were to sit down with a manager to work around their bus schedule, so long as they get to work and don't arrive late/leave early all the time. Even if they work the same damn shift every day I wouldn't care, I much rather have the person be at work then not.