Work: Start Time - your understanding of it

[michael]

Say you are contracted to start at 9am and finish at 5pm - do you arrive at 9am and then prepare for work, boot PC, make coffee, have a chat etc or do you get in early so you can actually start doing some work at 9am?

 

When 5pm comes are you already packed up and ready to go by 5pm or is that your guide to start making a move?

 

I'm not asking because this bothers me or because someone at my work is doing something I don't agree with, I'm of the school of thought where it doesn't matter as long as the work gets done, I'm just curious what other people think.

[AlanM]

Always ready to start at starting time but always ready to head out the door at finishing time as well

[hiten55]

i generally try to arrive 5 minutes early. but thats more to do with the fact that i dont like to sit down and get straight into it. but on the other hand i tend not to leave until everything that needs doing is done. im not one for going by the book when it comes to breaks etc. if i can afford to take one then i will, if i cant, no big deal. It really works both ways - if i need time off at short notice or im running late, im generally not expected to make up the time. its a nice arrangement that suits both parties well

[michael]

i generally try to arrive 5 minutes early. but thats more to do with the fact that i dont like to sit down and get straight into it. but on the other hand i tend not to leave until everything that needs doing is done. im not one for going by the book when it comes to breaks etc. if i can afford to take one then i will, if i cant, no big deal. It really works both ways - if i need time off at short notice or im running late, im generally not expected to make up the time. its a nice arrangement that suits both parties well

 

That's a lot like how we tend to work here, I get in a fair bit earlier than I need to because it makes parking easier and I get some peace and coffee time before they all start wittering at me. I also work quite closely with teams in other countries so when they are often an hour or so ahead and expect you to be ready to help them as soon as you appear online.

 

Hour lunches tend to be 15 minutes, no breaks are taken during the day and you leave when it's appropriate to leave. Then some days you just get annoyed and go home early without feeling too guilty.

 

Flexible working time like that works well as long as nobody takes the piddle out of it.

 

Anyway enough chat, there is work to be done

[Thorin]

I wanted a multiple choice as I also like turtles

[hiten55]

 

Anyway enough chat, there is work to be done

 

not for me - im self employed now (my post was based on my last job for ease of explanation, obviously when you work for yourself things are different:)) and currently on holiday in california

[Ricky49]

Get to work 10mins early have a quick chat put on our PPE and crack to it. We are contracted to 12 hours. But we do 11/11.5 and home we go.

 

Our work know we don't do the full 12 but if they ask us to do a call out we do it whatever time of day/night.

[monsween]

Flexible hours is what we have.

 

Because i work offshore and in the office i get a bit of flexibility. I've seen myself in for 4 hours and i've also seen myself in for 16hrs.

 

All depends on the work to be done

[johnny g]

Working for myself is slightly different, but when I was an employee, I was contracted to do 37.5 hours per week. 7.5 hours per day, over 5 days. There was no 9:00 to 5:30 or 8:30 to 5:00 rule, but what we tended to do was 8:30 to 5:30 with a half hour lunch, rather than the hour and get off a bit early on a Friday.

[AndrewOW]

I get to work about 9.10, then slouch around for a few hours with a coffee or two, maybe watch a downloaded tv programme/film, then approx. hour and 10 minute lunch, and then I do some work (mostly despatch). And at the end of the day I leave between 5 and 5.30.

 

Well, I do own the company, so I suppose I can.

 

People that don't abide by the company rules are a drain on the workforce, and are a disgrace. Give the the boot!

[Godmutha]

I work on flexi time, so as long as we work the hours of 10am - 3.30pm, we're ok. We can start anytime from 7am - 10am and finish any time from 3.30pm - 6.30pm.

We just have to make sure our flexi balance is ok at the end of the month.

[tbourner]

We have a pretty flexible workplace here, core time is 09:30 to 15:30 and you have to be in the office between those times. I generally get in about 08:15 and leave about 16:45. I could come in at 09:30 and leave at 15:30 and nobody would say anything. As long as my work is done for the week and I'm not taking the piss the managers don't care.

We can also bog off in the middle of the day and take 2 hours for lunch if we want to - got to go to the post office be back in an hour - etc., then come back and go for lunch. Again as long as you don't take the piss and do it every day nobody says anything.

 

The honour system works, most people (not line workers I have to add) work more than they need to, do overtime unpaid etc. because the freedom isn't pushing us into a corner.

[martini]

Doing a Ph.D, so it's up to me. I have to finish by September though, otherwise I don't get it.

 

Currently working from home and being reasonably productive. Work better in the evenings though as my brain isn't usually switched on in the morning.

 

When I get a job as a postdoctoral researcher, it'll be roughly 9-6 but no set times. Again, as others have said - it's more about productivity than actual hours sat at a desk.

[RobSoarerTT]

I have it pretty easy really, it's all about balance. I'm a Quantity Surveyor and my "Contracted Hours", Are 8am till 5pm.

 

 

If my projects are all trouble free, it's easy and as long as my work gets done, I'm doing what I'm meant to be, and the company are making money I have a pretty long leash. I can get in later, or chip off for the afternoon etc is not a problem. Book it down as "Site" and have my phone on me if anything happens is the rule.

 

 

If I have a BIG problem on a project, and there have been a few!! It's politically sensible to be in a little earlier, or leave a little later and be seen to be making every effort to fix the problem. I might even do a bit at the weekend, if thats what it takes to swing the balance back to Easy street.

 

 

It's all about keeping boss happy.

[sdistc]

I'm classed as a "contractor" - but as my billable hours are purely dependent on how many victims.. er.. *patients* I see, my start and finish times can vary from my available hours of 8-6.

 

Generally, I'm in before start and leave after finish times. Also, stated working hours don't include paperwork, such as referral letters and medical reports.

 

edit: dammit.. voted for the wrong one. I meant to be "in when I'm in etc"

[Swampy442]

Bit different in the forces as we dont have contracted hours but where i work we do have a shift pattern. 24 hour cover split into 3 shifts so 8 hour days, but youre always in early and leave late due to hand overs from the other shifts etc.

[michael]

Good to see lots of support for the turtles

[Smallshinyant]

I tend to start early. As an IT trainer/Tech it depends on what i am doing for the day. If I am training, I will have to get somewhere early to make sure everything is set-up correctly. If I am doing my Technical stuff start times are not so important. I am on a 37.5 hour contract and i make sure i give my bosses at least that time, I tend to skip lunches or breaks as a smoker and take the odd 5min breaks throughout the day and pop onto the odd website as I work.

 

When im based in worthing i also like to get into work early so i can go get a coffee from the coffee guy at Durrington station, if you are local and have not had a coffee off him yet, go get one. (He is the same guy that does the coffee's at the goodwood breakfast club.)

 

The more i am challenged by a job the harder i work, if it bores me i am not such a good employee.

[Porky1978]

Always at work at least half an hour before start time. Gives me time to get into my work clothes, go for a fag, get a coffee and have a game of pool or two.

 

Nothing like having a chill before starting work.

 

My other choice would have been the turtle

[AlexM]

Just for the record, I also like turtles (it should have been multiple choice!).

[tDR]

I've always been of the 'til the work's done' mindset. If busy I don't tend to stop for any breaks / lunch etc. and literally no hours of the day / night or days are particularly sacred but the flipside is I can fit personal things into my business day as necessary.

 

I'm not office based being in Presales for a Software vendor - I provide technical closure on opportunities working with Sales guys, go out and do tech pitches, quoting etc. generally get about!

 

Cheers,

 

Brian.

[Lbm]

I work with turtles and they're sticklers for punctuality. Although they're generous with our time off & the sumptious Chritsmas hampers are always welcome.

 

By and large though, I'll arrive 10 mins before each job and can leave more or less as it finishes, so I can move on to the next one, with each one lasting approximately one hour.

[Hoppy]

I work 3 shifts pattern, which has set hours. I have to be at my workstation by start time.

 

I work in manufacturing which can be very boring + very heavy at times, but the money's good and it's spitting distance from my house, which is always a +

[Smallshinyant]

I work with turtles and they're sticklers for punctuality. Although they're generous with our time off & the sumptious Chritsmas hampers are always welcome.

 

.

 

I want to work for turtles There ninja skills must help keep everyone on there toes. Assassination has always been a big motivator for me.

[AndrewOW]

I work with turtles and they're sticklers for punctuality. Although they're generous with our time off & the sumptious Chritsmas hampers are always welcome.

 

By and large though, I'll arrive 10 mins before each job and can leave more or less as it finishes, so I can move on to the next one, with each one lasting approximately one hour.

 

 

Are you a male escort?