Is getting gowned or work part of your work hours?

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119775508#Comment_119775508

If you want a robot buy or hire one :)

mikeybhoy

Absolutely it should be paid. Are you a member of a union if so make your shop steward aware if he/she hasn't been already. Workers need to stand up against this kind of nonsense from employers.

If they want you wearing all that PPE then they should pay you for the time it takes to put it on.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119774045#Comment_119774045

Yes, Richard is extremely good btw. I’d recommend everyone here gives him a follow….Gives clear, unambiguous advice…as relates to employment situations and employment law. An excellent communicator and a good dude.

i think it should be paid. It’s PPE wear / equipment…it’s NOT uniform…

Don’t know what the op does, but if it’s a clean room in pharma, it is effectively a uniform as it is necessary to wear it at work.

Strumms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119775930#Comment_119775930

its literally PPE :) marketed as PPE, sold as PPE and worn as PPE… not even defined as uniform.

it’s necessary that a welder wears goggles and gloves and coveralls…he is not or shouldn’t be coming in early to wear either 😉

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119776007#Comment_119776007

Op said he/she works in a lab, if it’s a clean room, the gowns are not just PPE, they are necessary to prevent contamination of the material/equipment being worked on. So instead of jumping to smart ass conclusions, why not let the op clarify.

jester77

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119774017#Comment_119774017

And every time you sit on the toilet, you are taking time from your employer. Do you add that to the end of your day?

irelandrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119776271#Comment_119776271

Do you expect a serious answer to that comment?

If you think gowning up is putting on a lab coat then I'd see why you'd think it's no big deal.

But since the Op is allowed 5 minutes I expect it's a more elaborate process. Which means it's a task of their job they are trained to do. Not doing it properly can cause problem for their employer.

If my employer had to train me to do part of my job then I expect to be paid when I perform that task. Maybe I just have very high standards that I expect from my employers.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119775883#Comment_119775883

If you want to actually get on in live you meet to be a bit more flexible, otherwise they'll use you when they need you and can you at the first opportunity when the recession comes along.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119776853#Comment_119776853

I've been through a few recessions and I've never found that to be true.

No one (in a work environment) values time given for free. If you don't value it, no one else will.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777171#Comment_119777171

Not many employers expect employees to be automatons providing value by working every minute they are at work though. There are always times when we don’t provide value for the time we are paid. So taking your perspective isn’t practical, not all time provides value to both sides, so a little bit of context and perspective goes a long way, for both employer and employee. As I said earlier, this is not the hill for the op’s career to die on, being ready to commence work at the time you are supposed to begin isn’t a hardship if it takes 5mins preparation to be at your desk in a lab. Most employers wouldn’t care, if the op works for one who does, maybe he/she should dust off their CV if that 5mins is so important.

Flinty997

I agree I wouldn't be pinning my flag to the mast over 5 mins.

But the comment my post was responding to was expecting exactly that. Work like a robot. Unfortunately it's a common attitude. Selective blindness to time.

To the people here saying oh it's only 5 minutes per day. You do realise how that adds up over a year?

Presuming the OP works 5 days a week and 50 weeks a year that 5 minutes of unpaid time getting ready adds up to just under 21 hours per year of unpaid work. Now let's presume the OP earns €15 per hour, for the 5 minutes per day they are not being paid they are losing €312 per year.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777511#Comment_119777511

The employee/employer has bigger problems if the op is at the workplace 50 of the 52 weeks per year.

Leaving that aside, both would drive themselves nuts if they started getting bent out of shape over 5 mins.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777511#Comment_119777511

€15 per hour = a 30k annual salary. So of that 312, they keep 80% (actually just under, but keeping it simple). That's €249.60. Which amounts to a fiver a week. Ie a third of on hour's pay.

Molehill. Mountain. Much.

Jim2007

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119777511#Comment_119777511

Right and if the employee does the same at coffee breaks, lunch breaks and knocking off time they steal the same amount.... it's not a one way street.

And in any case people who get pedantic about 5 minutes, will do the same on a whole lot of other issues as well, they'll PO the employer, the supervisors and colleagues, so when the opportunity arises, like a recession, they will be on the list to go.

Recliner

Hi, OP here.

Interesting to see people takes on this. As I said not a problem for me, but it was just a discussion that came up in work about whether or not it should be done in work time. And it is a bit more involved than putting on a lab coat.

I also agree that it's a 2 way street. I'm fortunate that I can, depending on my workload, take a bit of extra time for breaks. So it does balance out over time.

Having said that, I do believe it should be part of your working day, no matter that people think it's only a €5 a week for some. My salary is high enough that it would be more than that, but some interesting viewpoints.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119778406#Comment_119778406

For me it's not about the 5 mins. The issue is why it's not officially documented in the terms and conditions. Companies don't document these things because they don't want to pay for them.

The time employees take in breaks etc is drop in the ocean compared to what companies take. If someone is taking the mick then it's usually obvious and that's a hr issue.

Again for the OP this is a non issue as it's miniscule.

Donald Trump

Salaried job - I wouldn't expect it to be an issue

paid-per-hour job - they would be right to kick up.

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119778790#Comment_119778790

Many do document it.

For example nurses, doctors etc are required to be ready to go at shirt start time.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779276#Comment_119779276

I know that's why I mentioned it. Some places have very specific rules about breaks etc. Time on floor or desk etc. A few places I've worked you clock in and out between buildings.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119779276#Comment_119779276

Yes they are however they all work sub 40 hour weeks. As well you will find that nurses especially have handover time. This is where shifts overlap to allow handover of units. These would be quite times and handover may be completed by 1-2 staff as rest arrive or head away.

A lot of MNC's have staff working shift and it at your desk/position for these eight hours as your breaks are I cluded in your working day.

If your breaks are covered and you are working 8-4 shift then most workers should have no problem with gowning up or down. However if all breaks are extracurricular to the working day then I expect that gowning up and down would be part of the working day.

I have seen situations where an employer had the working day extended to nearly ten hour day.

Day started at 8 pm, there was a break in work for 30 minutes for tea at 10.30 pm. Lunch was from 1.30 to 2.30pm and the day finished at 5.30. you were expected to be on-site at 8 pm sharp and could not exit until 5.30pm. it ment being in site at 7.50 am.

If the day is 8-4 then I expect the gowning up to be outside those hours. If 8-5 I expect to be gowning up during working hours depending on length of time involved.