Author Topic: Comp time question  (Read 3129 times)

MayDay

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Comp time question
« on: October 12, 2017, 03:47:22 PM »
I am salaried and my company is flexible about the hours I work.

My boss told me today that I should make sure to leave early a few days, or come in late, since I've been working so much.  Yay!

Except actually I haven't. I work pretty darn close to 40 hours a week. I think I just look like work more because I am efficient and because sometimes I leave early but send emails at night. So if she doesn't see me leave early all she knows is I am working at night.


Anyone else been in this situation? How did you handle it? On one hand I don't want to take advantage be of flexibility. Otoh it's not my fault I'm efficient and she is telling me to go home early.

ETA: I'm an engineer doing technology development if that matters to your answer.
« Last Edit: October 13, 2017, 05:36:56 AM by MayDay »

okits

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2017, 07:52:26 PM »
Do you feel you are selling your time or selling your production to your employer?

If you're selling your time, don't give any less than 40 hours a week (though after hours e-mails do count as work).  If you're selling your production, get all your work done and leave if you can get away with it (or, in your case, you have been encouraged to do so).

JLee

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2017, 08:00:46 PM »
If my boss tells me to go home early, I'd have a really hard time not doing it. :P

Exflyboy

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2017, 08:37:10 PM »
Think yourself lucky.. Most employers pay for 40 but expect you to work whatever it takes.. which almost invariably means 50+

If I were you i'd work 40 and continue to be efficient. Sounds like you are valued congratulations!

forumname123

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #4 on: October 12, 2017, 08:42:16 PM »
I am salaried and my company is flexible about the hours I work.

My boss told me today that I should make sure to leave early a few days, or come in late, since I've been working so much.  Yay!

Except actually I haven't.I work pretty darn close to 40 hours a week. I think I just look like work more because I am efficient and because sometimes I leave early but send emails at night. So if she doesn't see me leave early all she knows is I am working at night.


Anyone else been in this situation? How did you handle it? On one hand I don't want to take advantage be of flexibility. Otoh it's not my fault I'm efficient and she is telling me to go home early.

Maybe you're working more than you think. Why the emails at night? Are they actually just quick emails or are you just working from home? Either way, that time counts.

MayDay

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2017, 05:36:18 AM »
I am salaried and my company is flexible about the hours I work.

My boss told me today that I should make sure to leave early a few days, or come in late, since I've been working so much.  Yay!

Except actually I haven't.I work pretty darn close to 40 hours a week. I think I just look like work more because I am efficient and because sometimes I leave early but send emails at night. So if she doesn't see me leave early all she knows is I am working at night.


Anyone else been in this situation? How did you handle it? On one hand I don't want to take advantage be of flexibility. Otoh it's not my fault I'm efficient and she is telling me to go home early.

Maybe you're working more than you think. Why the emails at night? Are they actually just quick emails or are you just working from home? Either way, that time counts.

I'll actually work a half hour or hour at night if I left early to get the kids or had a doctor's appointment or whatever.

I'm an engineer doing technology development. So if I lay in bed at night thinking about a work problem I don't count that as work. If I spend Saturday texting the plant engineer intermittently about production problems I don't count that as work. 

Maybe I should but that seems like a slippery slope since work problems cross my mind regularly (not in a stressful way, just "oh hey maybe I should reorganize my experiment" or "maybe my technician could do it like this") so if I start counting all that at work I'd only have to actually be at work half the time.

MayDay

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2017, 05:37:54 AM »
Do you feel you are selling your time or selling your production to your employer?

If you're selling your time, don't give any less than 40 hours a week (though after hours e-mails do count as work).  If you're selling your production, get all your work done and leave if you can get away with it (or, in your case, you have been encouraged to do so).

Definitely production.

chasesfish

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2017, 06:33:19 AM »
I'm in production, you do what it takes to get the job done.   I tend to not have as many office or client facing hours anymore and can knock out the administrative part of my job over morning coffee from home.

Everyone is different, but I'm a firm believer that you're paid to get a job done

Acastus

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2017, 09:23:49 AM »
Take a couple Friday afternoons off. Everyone deserves a little mental vacation. It sounds like an unofficial ata boy from your boss.

mm1970

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2017, 11:04:30 AM »
I am salaried and my company is flexible about the hours I work.

My boss told me today that I should make sure to leave early a few days, or come in late, since I've been working so much.  Yay!

Except actually I haven't.I work pretty darn close to 40 hours a week. I think I just look like work more because I am efficient and because sometimes I leave early but send emails at night. So if she doesn't see me leave early all she knows is I am working at night.


Anyone else been in this situation? How did you handle it? On one hand I don't want to take advantage be of flexibility. Otoh it's not my fault I'm efficient and she is telling me to go home early.

Maybe you're working more than you think. Why the emails at night? Are they actually just quick emails or are you just working from home? Either way, that time counts.

I'll actually work a half hour or hour at night if I left early to get the kids or had a doctor's appointment or whatever.

I'm an engineer doing technology development. So if I lay in bed at night thinking about a work problem I don't count that as work. If I spend Saturday texting the plant engineer intermittently about production problems I don't count that as work. 

Maybe I should but that seems like a slippery slope since work problems cross my mind regularly (not in a stressful way, just "oh hey maybe I should reorganize my experiment" or "maybe my technician could do it like this") so if I start counting all that at work I'd only have to actually be at work half the time.
Go home early.  What matters is what you get accomplished.

I'm also an engineer, and my productivity varies by the day, based on what I'm working on and what I get accomplished. Some days/ weeks I'm on fire, some I'm not.

I spend a lot of time at home thinking about work, and I totally figure that counts.  It's part of the reason that I'm so efficient.

I also look at it this way - sometimes, a really hard 6.5-7 hours of work is far more draining than an 8 hour "routine" day.  What's best for me then, rather than start something new or put in the time, is to just leave.

Uturn

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2017, 11:38:12 AM »
A few years ago I took a new job, and worked mostly around 40 hours.  But there is always after hour emergencies and scheduled weekend work if you work in IT.  It usually works out that I give more than required.  After being on the job about 8 months, I had to leave 3 hours early for a doctor's appointment.  Boss says "don't forget to submit a PTO request."   I looked at him quizzically and asked "are you paying me to run your network to the best of my abilities, or are you paying me to occupy a chair for 40 hours?"  Nothing else was ever said about my flexible schedule.   

Basically, it is a relationship.  All relationships require give and take in order to function well for both parties.

Schaefer Light

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2017, 12:16:09 PM »
I looked at him quizzically and asked "are you paying me to run your network to the best of my abilities, or are you paying me to occupy a chair for 40 hours?" 

My boss would have said "both".  I love my job ;).

MrMoogle

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Re: Comp time question
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2017, 12:18:12 PM »
If you're truly salary, then you don't have to work 40 hours a week.  I'm called salary, but that refers more that I'm not part time.  I have to work 40 hours a week, seat in chair hours, and they make that very clear.  Again, if I work more than that, they have to compensate me somehow, so I'm not really what normal people call salary.

I would count some of the time you're working at home.  My last job had a rule, if you get called at home for work, you charge at least 2 hours.  You're probably multitasking while you send those texts, so if you want to be generous, you could count half of that time.  Realize, people like me work 40 and never get calls outside that 40.  That work you do outside normal hours is valuable and comes at a cost to you.