Be Excellent To Each Other

Next week we're driving down to head office - a four hour drive - for a meeting/learning thing. Swapping ideas, shooting the shit, you know? Proper business stuff and that.

Thing is, I couldn't really give a shit about my "career" in this line of work because I plan to bugger off to uni soon, so being in the good books and knuckling down, licking arse and getting on with it really isn't an issue.

SO, on Tuesday evening, we're driving down (4 hours), staying in a hotel and having the meeting all day Wednesday, then travelling back on the evening. This will basically waste my entire Tuesday evening of free time and most of my Wednesday's free time quota. Am I within my rights to request a day off somewhere else down the line?

I'm getting some funny looks for raising this question in the office... Mainly from people who haven't been invited to the meeting, but still.

Also, I'm not trying to make out that my free time is really important or anything like that, and none of the other people who are going have raised this question, but it is genuinely important to me.

Why not just not go?
You're not going to get the time back anyway..

Hmmm, I think you've just got to put up with it, I'm afraid. If you don't want to go, say you'd rather not go instead. They'll accuse you of not being flexible enough otherwise.

You can try... what does your contract say about it?

I think you'll be told to get to fucking fuck if you ask. Why not pull a sickie or say you can't be arsed if it's not that important?

Overtime surely? Most places allow you to claim the travel time to your destination as work time, so 4 hours really.

Not really an option - I don't want to come across as unappreciative, and it would kinda help my work for the remaining few months I envisage that I'll be here. PLUS, I'd like to work here part time when I go back to uni (not entirely likely that they'll let me, but it's worth a shot).

I wouldn't formally request time off. I'd just stroll out at 2pm or something on Friday and say "something has come up, and as I spent time travelling on Wed/Thur, I'm going home, OK?"

I'd have to fish it out from wherever I threw it...

Well, if it's of benefit and you're otherwise happy to go to it, then you'll have to put up with the lost time I'm afraid

Asking for it back is going to seem petty and will cause trouble. (Although I'd probably do what the Doc suggested)

Yeah I'm thinking pretty much this. Plus, my manager kinda hinted at a similar solution. Half day kinda thing. But still, 8 hours of travel in total and a night in a shitty travel lodge twiddling my thumbs doesn't really compare

It looks this way. I'll just walk out at lunchtime next Friday

very much

Malc

Wait 'till you get sent to an industrial zone in China for the week over Christmas, then you can complain about your personal time being used up. And you still won't get any sympathy

Ooof!

When Sinister Megaglobal German Corporation took over our part of (not ITV - Ed) each one of us was supposed to go to an induction day at the big circular building where Roy Castle tap danced with 1000 kids around the fountain.

Thing was I was planning to leave and didn't fancy the commute for a wasted day. Luckily I was overcome with CRIPPLING PAIN and therefore had to take the day off sick. Sadly I'd managed to book myself onto the last of the induction days so I was unable rebook.

Sometimes events just conspire against you really.

You'll ne'er get all all your time back, which is why you'll order the most expensive thing on the menu on Wed night.

How many crystals did you get?

Yeah, I've had to travel up for courses the night before, I wouldn't dream of asking for the time off in lieu as it makes you look a bit of a jobber.

I order fillet steak, though.

or Kinloss for a week...

Part of my job is a lot of travelling, so I know how you feel... but it is my job so I suck it up...

Plus expenses.. won't you get free food and beer??

Red Hot Wives

And a shitload of beer charged to the room as well.

At least, that's what I did.

One person on Popbitch claimed to have gone to Amsterdam while working for a certain bearded businessman in the music industry and managed to get both drugs and whores on expenses.

Roger Whittaker?

Indeed. Fortunately whenever I have to go away, my company pay for a nice B&B, take me out for meals*, pay for everything while I'm there as well as my travel and, above all, I don't hate the people I spend the time with.


*last time I had a lovely Italian meal, and for dessert: pancakes with strawberries and ice cream, Grand Marnier and Brandy poured over everything, then the whole thing set on fire. It was absolutely lovely.

Last time a company said they would pay for all my drinks, I took it as a challenge.
It's not happened again.

I normally try to get out of these kinda work trips as I'm usually only needed for a tiny part of it and spent the rest of any meetings bored stupid. However, last week we had an all-day 'product strategy day' off-site and the hotel paid for all the drinks as they're a client of ours and the CEO paid for all the food which was great*

*as in the food was great (best Indian food I've had) but also great because I had £2 on me at the time.

Thanks for tipping, come again

Overtime doesn't exist in most contracts usually there's a phrase that you'll be expected to "on occasion put in additional hours above 40 to meet the needs of the business"

Yes, unless it's agreed with your line manager. If you don't agree it and then decide to walk out at lunchtime on Friday, the company are well within their rights to say that you have to work that time back, as it wasn't agreed.

Most probably wouldn't, though, as it'd be a bit cuntlike.

but my manager is flexible, so if I have done a long week I am off home early on Friday.. or I can 'work' from home

Yep, it's all down to how good a manager you've got, pretty much.

Mine is cool... which makes the job easier/better..

Speaking of work trips, I'm going to a chocolate factory on Monday.

Which I think is fine if you work for a small-ish company and are happy doing so. I don't mind putting in a few extra hours when it's needed of me, especially seeing as I'm the only guy in the company able to do that I do.

My mum works for Somerfield. They expect her to work many hours over her contract each week, and aren't prepared to pay her a penny for it. In a company that big, they can get to fucking fuck. Work to live, an' all that.

Barrymore's new nightclub?

This, basically. I'm not working for a little company.

You have to suck it up, like all us big corperate boys do.

Are you regularly asked to work many hours over your stated contracted hours?

Yup...

Unpaid, with no time in lieu? I mean, I don't mind the odd evening here or there for a course (which is why I don't see why bobajob is moaning so much ), but I wouldn't do that.

Yeah, but you probably like your job/employer. It's kind of an "us against them" situation here. Evil corporate company and that.

Yup

Aye. Document it for a month then say "No more." If you get fired/redundant within 6 months, TRIBUNAL BABY.

I'm never asked to work overtime; most of us end up accidentally working over up to a couple of hours a week anyway - but don't mind, because we're allowed 3 brew breaks a day (20-30 minutes each) and unmonitored innernehs.

It is a company of managerial excellence, much to the chagrin of the sales guy who sits at the top; basically, if he started kicking up a fuss the biggest strop would be thrown by the managers. So you all should definitely not come and work here, because I like it.

Oh right, so you want to arselick to their face, but stick it to the man behind their back? I never realised you were so two-faced.

Doesn't work like that in real life though does it?

Er, yes. Yes it does. Well, it should, unless you get a bent judge.

Edit: I do mean for habitual demands, obviously, not just dealing with panics and crunches every now and again.

or your contract says that you will work additionla hours if deemed necessary.


Or I ever want to work in IT again

It does if you're not a complete pushover. There's got to be give and take. If you just let it happen you're just as guilty as they are for taking advantage of you.

"If deemed necessary" is not some sort of magical phrase that trumps employment law; it can only be used to cover atypical situations. If you're expected to work hours extra every week Just Because, a tribunal winnar is you.

If you're not prepared to take it and have the stomach to fight back; I'm not sure and don't know if I would.