clock watching

Would this put you off working somewhere, if you had a choice of jobs, now both jobs are more or less the same, however in one job there is a lot of clock watching, going ten minutes early for lunch and coming back late from lunch.

For me as long as the work was done who cares, but was having a conversation with someone who is really bothered by this particulate seeing it new graduates in the job.

So bothered by clock watchers or not?

Baron Kurtz

mariaalice wrote: »

Would this put you off working somewhere, if you had a choice of jobs, now both jobs are more or less the same, however in one job there is a lot of clock watching, going ten minutes early for lunch and coming back late from lunch.

For me as long as the work was done who cares, but was having a conversation with someone who is really bothered by this particulate seeing it new graduates in the job.

So bothered by clock watchers or not?

What watching?! Oh right, CLOCK. We were nearly down a cocky road there for a second.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

I haven't looked at a clock in that way in years. I'm not sure what your point is but if it's comments from an employer about leaving early and coming back late, then I see their point. This old "as long as the jobs done" is only good to a limited degree. Very few jobs have a definitive amount of work. There's usually some added value to be had. If you're paid by time then work the time. If paid by results then provide the results. I always allowed my staff leeway and they paid me back by working after hours at times or chipping in to help others at moments of pressure. But habitual bad time keepers or people abusing the goodwill have to be checked.

Now, is it time for a coffee yet?

AnonoBoy

I was a security guard at the Junghans factory once.

A lot of clock watching in that job let me tell you.

Sunny Dayz

mariaalice wrote: »

Would this put you off working somewhere, if you had a choice of jobs, now both jobs are more or less the same, however in one job there is a lot of clock watching, going ten minutes early for lunch and coming back late from lunch.

If someone is going early from lunch and coming back late - they aren't exactly clock watching are they??

Sunny Dayz

I used to work in an office where one of the girls, you could set your watch by her, she would be out the door straight away at 5 and took her full lunch hour. She said that she used to come in early in the morning to get things done while the office was quiet but really it was to get in before the traffic and she used to drink coffee and internet surf until 9.

Sunny Dayz

On the other hand I used to work in a department store where you had to clock on and off the floor. If you were on for say 10am you waited until a minute or two before 10am cos there was no way you were getting paid for going on the floor 10 mins early!
Also you had to be precise going on the lunch break cos there was always someone waiting to go on your return who would moan if you were late back.

petes

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

I used to work in an office where one of the girls, you could set your watch by her, she would be out the door straight away at 5 and took her full lunch hour. She said that she used to come in early in the morning to get things done while the office was quiet but really it was to get in before the traffic and she used to drink coffee and internet surf until 9.

I don't see your point. Were her hours 9-5 with an hour lunch break?

Sunny Dayz

petes wrote: »

I don't see your point. Were her hours 9-5 with an hour lunch break?

Yes but she was literally up from her seat at 5. Files closed, computer off. It takes me about 5 mins by the time I save and close all my programs and documents on the pc and tidy up my file and desk. Also who actually stops in the middle of whatever they are working on just cos it's 5?




BTW love the ads for EBS with the washing machine repair guy and the other one with the driving instructor!!

the evasion_kid

I used to work in a factory that was unreal for it,the part I worked in was set apart from the rest of it and everyday at 5.25 used to be funny watching all the heads sticking up like meerkats watching the clock at the top of the production area,then bang as soon as it hit 5.30 there was a mad dash to the cloak room,it was like the wackey races

Redhairedguy

Used to work in a shop where you had to clock in and out if you wanted to go to the bathroom. (It was in a shopping centre, and the shop itself had no toilet facilities) My boss at the time was a demon for time, even setting the clock in the back of the shop back 5 minutes, so you had to clock in 5 minutes early to avoid an argument.

One day, I had a bit of stomach thing, not serious enough to miss work, but necessitated a few trips to the jacks throughout the day. He took me aside at one point, and said that I had exceeded my allocated time allowance for bathroom breaks, and if I took any more, he'd have to take it out of my hours. He was literally sitting in the back office, timing how long I was gone.

AnonoBoy

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Also who actually stops in the middle of whatever they are working on just cos it's 5?

Who does that? Someone who isn't being paid enough to work past 5 I'd wager.

brevity

Redhairedguy wrote: »

Used to work in a shop where you had to clock in and out if you wanted to go to the bathroom. (It was in a shopping centre, and the shop itself had no toilet facilities) My boss at the time was a demon for time, even setting the clock in the back of the shop back 5 minutes, so you had to clock in 5 minutes early to avoid an argument.

One day, I had a bit of stomach thing, not serious enough to miss work, but necessitated a few trips to the jacks throughout the day. He took me aside at one point, and said that I had exceeded my allocated time allowance for bathroom breaks, and if I took any more, he'd have to take it out of my hours. He was literally sitting in the back office, timing how long I was gone.

There is something wrong with people who do this.

biko

I work in a place where it's more important to get things done than what hours you worked.
So some months I work much more than 40h week and sometimes I only have 2-3 hours work a day for a week.

Unfortunately it leans more towards that I work more than I should so recently I will try to leave at 5ish, it's rare something cannot wait until the next day.

Sunny Dayz

AnonoBoy wrote: »

Who does that? Someone who isn't being paid enough to work past 5 I'd wager.

Ah yeah but in an office are you really going to stop in the middle of a wage calculation, in the middle of a VAT return, in the middle of a rental computation to go home when staying on 5 mins will have it finished? Or rather wasting 5 mins when you go into work the next morning opening all your files again and trying to figure out where you where in your calculation?

Salvation Tambourine

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Ah yeah but in an office are you really going to stop in the middle of a wage calculation, in the middle of a VAT return, in the middle of a rental computation to go home when staying on 5 mins will have it finished? Or rather wasting 5 mins when you go into work the next morning opening all your files again and trying to figure out where you where in your calculation?

Maybe they know how long something like that can take and does it when they know they can finish it in full.

I have been in my job for nine months now and have only ever done one bit of overtime and that was for half an hour.

I'm off at 16.30, so I leave then.

sashafierce

This post has been deleted.

Super-Rush

I go on lunch from 1 to 2. It's a 10 minute drive back to the office. I'd better get going I suppose.

Mother Brain

There's a bit of a weird attitude to work that tends to surface on threads like these from time to time, to the effect that if you're not bending over backwards while simultaneously singing the praises of your employers while they f**k you up the ass that you're just 'lazy' or have no work ethic.

I just hope all of that type are happy with the pat on the head they may or may not get from the boss once they've sunk every shred of personal energy and creativity you have into making them a few extra quid.

Mother Brain

Mother Brain wrote: »

There's a bit of a weird attitude to work that tends to surface on threads like these from time to time, to the effect that if you're not bending over backwards while simultaneously singing the praises of your employers while they f**k you up the ass that you're just 'lazy' or have no work ethic.

I just hope all of that type are happy with the pat on the head they may or may not get from the boss once they've sunk every shred of personal energy and creativity you have into making them a few extra quid.

Believe it or not, some people enjoy their work and don't think of every little thing as a transaction where one or the other is getting one over on the other.

I love my job, I put in extra hours because I take pride in it. Not because anyone is getting rich (they aren't) or because I want a pat on the head. Satisfaction comes from within.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mother Brain wrote: »

There's a bit of a weird attitude to work that tends to surface on threads like these from time to time, to the effect that if you're not bending over backwards while simultaneously singing the praises of your employers while they f**k you up the ass that you're just 'lazy' or have no work ethic.

I just hope all of that type are happy with the pat on the head they may or may not get from the boss once they've sunk every shred of personal energy and creativity you have into making them a few extra quid.

You need to get a new job. I have never experienced a work situation like that. I always enjoyed my work and had very decent employers.

hawkwind23

Its a funny one this
I work for myself mostly and like that , its do the job right and do it well , i know what my services are worth per job so money or time dont really come into it , you just do the job

However , work was slack a few years back and i took a part time job on for a large company , now that was an eye opener!
Minimum wage , or a few pennies above it so they could claim they paid well?
Clock in and clock out

What really got me was the brainwashing , the staff were treated like shyte yet came in every morning at least half an hour early and worked through all breaks and taking lunch was seen as a negative.
They did a lot of moaning and backstabbing but when middle management came in they were down on their knees , yes sir / no sir / three bags full sir , sickening behavoir

I dont think people understand how demeaning some of the minimum wage jobs out there are , seriously , you may get a pittance to live on but your self worth will be taken away from you.
Whats more crazy is some of the people in them jobs who almost have a Stockholm Syndrome illness toward their employer/master!

hawkwind23

Oh and i do a few jobs now on an employee basis and they are great
Same attitude , its a two way street and no need for micromanagement , i enjoy them jobs albeit it part time.
Its bad companies and sadly the minimum wage market has more of them perhaps in part to the lack of education on the employees behalf.
In the aforementioned job all the older , decent managers were pushed out and all these pimply faced kids with zero personality replaced them , i believe it was because they just did what they were told without questioning things.

sebcity

I work for a multinational. It is very lax in here and time doesn't come into it. Come and go as you please once your outputs and deliverables are up to scratch. I would generally leave on time or within 10 mins of my finishing time. I feel no obligation to stay late. If my workload requires it, I will, no hassle. I finish at 4 generally, once I stayed in til 5.55pm and I swear my car was the last one in the car park. I like my job

Paramite Pie

Mother Brain wrote: »

I just hope all of that type are happy with the pat on the head they may or may not get from the boss once they've sunk every shred of personal energy and creativity you have into making them a few extra quid.

Actually I find it's the other way around; the people who don't get constant praise for simply doing their job whinge about not being appreciated and do the bare minimum to stick it to them -- sure fook them anyways, right?:cool:

If I'm hired for a job I'm going to do that job and time goes a lot faster if I just dig in. Quiet days are insufferable if your just watching the clock. Management usually leave you alone if you bring in results which is the best reward of all.

The entitlement of people who slack off a work is beyond me.

I can't stand having strict hours and would really sruggle going back to that way of working after years in a very flexible environment where nobody really cares once the work is done.

People start in the morning when they want, take lunch when they want etc. If you need to go to town something in the middle of the day you just go, if you need to take a half day you just go home. But if you need to work a weekend at a busy time or work until 11 or 12 at night everyday for a period of time when the pressure is on then you do that too without being asked and get paid nothing extra.

Much better way to work than a strict 9 to 5.

Mother Brain

Rey Helpless Production wrote: »

You need to get a new job. I have never experienced a work situation like that. I always enjoyed my work and had very decent employers.

I'm self employed. Working for other people is bulls**t.

Paramite Pie wrote: »

If I'm hired for a job I'm going to do that job and time goes a lot faster if I just dig in. Quiet days are insufferable if your just watching the clock.
...

The entitlement of people who slack off a work is beyond me.

What are you doing in that situation if not slacking off?

Also, the fact that people are in these situations where you're paid to basically sit at a desk for a given amount of time regardless of the actual work to be done or the time you can complete your work in, you still have to just f**king sit there to fill out the hours, wasting your time and your sanity just so the boss man can know he's got his money's worth out of your sorry hide is precisely what makes most work bulls**t.

AnonoBoy

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Ah yeah but in an office are you really going to stop in the middle of a wage calculation, in the middle of a VAT return, in the middle of a rental computation to go home when staying on 5 mins will have it finished?

I'd ensure that situation never arises by never starting any important or long tasks in the last half hour of the working day.

Man! I should work in the civil service! I'd fit right in!

Paramite Pie

Mother Brain wrote: »

What are you doing in that situation if not slacking off?

Trying to catch me out eh? My previous job involved working in a retail stockroom. If we had low deliveries then there was no physical work to do except endlessly sweep the floor and tidy things that were already tidied. At least we could walk around I guess.

Mother Brain wrote: »

Also, the fact that people are in these situations where you're paid to basically sit at a desk for a given amount of time regardless of the actual work to be done or the time you can complete your work in, you still have to just f**king sit there to fill out the hours, wasting your time and your sanity just so the boss man can know he's got his money's worth out of your sorry hide is precisely what makes most work bulls**t.

I guess it depends on the job. In my job, there was almost always work spilling over into the next day due to sheer volume. And one co-worker would disappear for hours but would come back to tell me that I wasn't working hard enough! He was finally caught on camera thankfully. Because of the shifts, some slackers would let work pile up for the hard workers if they were on later.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Mother Brain wrote: »

I'm self employed. Working for other people is bulls**t.

Then stop pontificating about what it's like for others. You have no idea.

_Kaiser_

It really depends on the job/industry I suppose..

I'm in a role/level where I can pretty much make my own hours/schedule and work from home occasionally if needed, but despite that freedom I don't abuse it all the same.
My day usually starts at home at 8 with some emails and maybe a conference call with Asia, into the office then for 10am and the stuff there, then the US wakes up in the afternoon which keeps me busy till around 7.

Although that's a long enough day I suppose, it suits me better as I miss the worst of the traffic both ways and when I get home I can relax rather than maybe have to do another hour or so.

Similarly I'm pretty flexible with my team as long as work is getting done and cover is provided. If someone needs the occasional half hour in the morning to drop the kids to school first then that's no issue as the same person will often be in a lot earlier than scheduled anyway or stay late if needed as well without even having to be asked.

It's give and take. I'm not one for clock-watching or micromanagement anyway, but at the same time everyone knows that the job needs to be done and as long as people don't abuse it (which thankfully has never happened) then I'm happy.

Mother Brain

Rey Helpless Production wrote: »

Then stop pontificating about what it's like for others. You have no idea.

Actually I've every right to say that as I was PAYE for the guts of a decade and have had jobs that span pretty much the entire spectrum of available work.

From farm work and building sites to engineering companies and solicitors offices, retail at fast food places and hmv type places and even a factory job.

I've worked enough jobs for enough different types of employers to know for a fact that working for other people is bulls**t across the board.

So why don't you just f**k right off.

Agricola

Depends on the job. If it's a role where you have some leeway with the employer, maybe a smaller business where you arent just a number and your extra effort is appreciated, then there should be no need for downing tools and running out the door at 5pm on the dot.
But anyone who's done factory/call centre/retail work knows that the employee is monitored to the nth degree, you ARE just a number and the company does no favours for anyone. So it's just a matter of doing your contracted time and getting out.

Bonzo Delaney

Mother Brain wrote: »

I'm self employed. Working for other people is bulls**t."


But you still work for other people yes ?
You still have to answer to someone every day to sell your product to. Be it to deliver on time and to a certain quality.

Azalea

Wouldn't work more than five minutes past my finishing time. I would be told to head away anyway. And we're actually asked not to clock in more than a minute before our starting time.

If people want to do work that they won't be paid for, that's their prerogative, but I don't understand them deeming it a flaw for someone not to work beyond the time for which they're paid. During the hours for which they are paid, they should work as hard as they can - I'm all for productivity, but the trade-off is going home at the time they are scheduled to go home. No wrongdoing there.

It's good training to manage your time within an allocated frame anyway.

jester77

Time to change jobs if you are looking at the clock, worried about when to go to lunch or drop everything the second 5 pm comes around. That's no way to live. The only thing that takes up more time in your life than a job is sleeping. Do something that you enjoy instead of being miserable.

kylith

What I hate is working for hourly pay rather than for a set salary. It means that if I do a good day's work and get finished early I'm stuck there trying to look busy until home time because I'll be docked pay for leaving early, despite the fact that the amount of work done is the same.

Azalea

jester77 wrote: »

Time to change jobs if you are looking at the clock, worried about when to go to lunch or drop everything the second 5 pm comes around. That's no way to live. The only thing that takes up more time in your life than a job is sleeping. Do something that you enjoy instead of being miserable.

Why would dropping everything the second your finishing time come around mean you're miserable in your job? I leave at the time my workday finishes and I really like my job.

Samsgirl

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I'd ensure that situation never arises by never starting any important or long tasks in the last half hour of the working day.

Man! I should work in the civil service! I'd fit right in!

You sound over qualified;-)

Samsgirl

Have worked the Finance office of a multinational where people were afraid ti leave at 5pm as it would 'look bad' be the first to go.

Have also worked in the public sector where finishing time was 5.30pm and from around 5.25 there would be a queue at the clocking machine to go.

chrissb8

The work day should be flexible at this stage. 9-5 is very draconian. Get a set amount of work, do set amount of work at your own pace before the deadline, have a flexible life where you can move work around to fit it. That is how it should be. The amount of times I've heard friends say they're bored out of their tree at work with no work to do after they get to 3pm and then on some Friday's saying it's dead. I know it's in practice in a lot of places already and the benefits are evident but I still think there will be a shift.

Azalea

Azalea wrote: »

Wouldn't work more than five minutes past my finishing time. I would be told to head away anyway. And we're actually asked not to clock in more than a minute before our starting time.

If people want to do work that they won't be paid for, that's their prerogative, but I don't understand them deeming it a flaw for someone not to work beyond the time for which they're paid. During the hours for which they are paid, they should work as hard as they can - I'm all for productivity, but the trade-off is going home at the time they are scheduled to go home. No wrongdoing there.

It's good training to manage your time within an allocated frame anyway.

Not every job is so straight forward. Officially our work hours are 9am to 5:30pm and to be honest I literally never work them hours. For a start I rarely come in before 9:30 or even 10 so will always be working until 6 or after it.

The nature of our work means it gets very busy sometimes and is quiet other times. If its busy and you have a deadline its physically impossible to get the work done in an 8 hour day. We would work from maybe 9am till 8pm or even up till 12am (building closes then) if needed. Also we would come in on weekends and as its salary no extra pay.

On the other hand when its quiet we would take 2 hours for lunch, take a half day on a whim (without taking it out of holidays) etc so it all balances out. Its also very handy as if you need to go to the bank or go to a shop etc you can just go and not worry about someone watching you and wondering why you aren't at your desk.

Azalea

Yeah in the above type situation, working past your official finish time is necessary - and it balances out the quiet times where you can take it easy.

I'm just saying, though, that clocking out at the exact time you finish is not always a sign of not having a good attitude towards work, or of being unhappy in your job. Some jobs are structured where you simply work continuously during the hours you are scheduled to start and finish (apart from designated breaks).

Mother Brain

Mother Brain wrote: »

Actually I've every right to say that as I was PAYE for the guts of a decade and have had jobs that span pretty much the entire spectrum of available work.

From farm work and building sites to engineering companies and solicitors offices, retail at fast food places and hmv type places and even a factory job.

I've worked enough jobs for enough different types of employers to know for a fact that working for other people is bulls**t across the board.

So why don't you just f**k right off.

Just want to extend an apology to Srameen over this little outburst the other day.

I do my best to keep my lid on when i'm on the web (especially here!) but I allowed a rough week to get the better of me and cause me to go off on one.

I was in a stinker of a mood and jumped on a fairly innocuous comment by ah standards! Should have handled it better.

Anyway, hope there's no hard feelings.

Cheers

(And no, this has not been requested by a mod before anyone considers that!)