Shortened work days

[HulaSista]

perhaps i've worked for some cruel people and some cruel companies - but...

how is it possible that a person can get abbreviated work days to, say, drop off/pick up kids to and from school, ball games, etc and yet get full pay or not get into trouble?

i have a couple of girlfriends who get 9:30 to 5 or 4 or 4:30 shifts, one does the same type job that i do, and they are not short in the cash. AND... they are married, so, they MIGHT have a spouse that CAN take the kids to school but don't need to because the wife can come in late/get off early.

i asked 2 friends and they said 'i just told them thats what i need'. perhaps they aren't telling me the whole story and they do get short pay an hour or two?

i feel like i'm limited to what i can do wtih my kid and many others get these sorts of leeway. do i need to change jobs or what? i've ALWAYS been told that i MUST adhere to the 8-5pm schedule or i CAN'T have the job. :(

do any of you get abbreviated work schedules? how did YOU do it?

signed,
sad i have to wake up early and come home late Mom in Vallejo :(

[ERinger]

Shit, I wish. Now, I do make those little ones rest for a period of 30-45 mins each day. But during that time I'm getting caught up on work. However, if we don't have that rest period, the principal is liable to walk by and see a row of kids standing outside facing the wall, or doing jumpin jacks, lol. I don't leave early, but I schedule a break in between lessons when I/they need one.

[Tastey]

Hula,

I think sometimes it boils down to the supervisor or manager. On my job there is a chick who stayed home with a sick dog for 2 days...but I got flack for staying home with my sick child 1/2 day.

It never makes sense to me.

I wish I had the answer for you. :(

[ERinger]

Now, let me add, there are folks who leave early, including the principal. Still not sure how they pull that one off.

[HulaSista]

Tastey - a sick dog... for realz? AND she had the nerves to admit it? i am sure someone here has done that too!

i've never been one to pout about the need to go home or come in late... does that help?

here, we have this thing called 'summer hours' where everyone gets off at 3p on fridays during the summer... i've recieved NO sympathy for staying til 5 and a couple of times, when i was stuck in meetings no one stopped to say 'hey, shouldn't we be taking our asses home?" lol...

one female manager of mine, i am SO SURE she would be the one that would LET me do this, cause she's really big on the kid after school activity thing... but... all other managers, male or female have either gone home early themselves or looked at me as if they want to say "where's the kids daddy at?". but managers i know gets away with murder, and i get that. ain't trying to change their world (one day i may be one, so i won't complain when the benefit is extended to me) but regular old employees like me?... HA...

now, they do be trying to kick my ass up outta here when i'm bent on over time - be damn if i collect on that! ain't no body trying to have to justify that since there is 'no overtime'. oh yeah, i'll get stormed if i stay late.

but in late, off early on a daily basis? :(

[Tastey]

I was shocked she admitted it, and that the supervisor had no issue with saying "She won't be here today Corky has diarhea and she needs to "watch" her."

WTF??

She coulda locked the bytch in the bathroom and came to work.

[lasttry]

White women??? If so, then there's your answer. I got a horror/similar story to tell later (I'm hushing at work :upto:)

[Brightness]

Depends on the job industry, your duties, and more importantly your company or manager. I've never worked for companies with true flex time but.... up until recently have had jobs with 50% or more travel as well as remote access which permits me to work in any city in addition to working from home. If you are in a support capacity.....limits your flexibility. But.... I've been known to create my own schedule from time to time. I also generally TELL MY NEEDS rather than ask and present win-win options with them. Such as to be off early on Weds I can work early\late Mons.

[Juicey1]

The company I work for is pretty flexible.........The even give one day a year for education type time off............if you want to go on a field trip with your kids class, attend something at their school, be a room mother for the day, etc............I have been very fortunate with the company I work for. There have been times my daughter has called and said "Ma, can you come pick me up.............this or that happened"..............and I will tell my supervisor, that my daughter just called, I got an emergency and I will be right back. Sometimes I may put it down as PT or use my lunch period or sometimes I don't even apply it to PV or PT, just do it (very seldom do that one). I get 5 weeks of PV and 3 days of PT, plus they have that education day which I may have used maybe twice since its been in place.

A lot of times it just depends on the management.................some folks can get away with coming in late, leaving when they want, etc.......and some can't. I know when I was in St. Louis, I caught hell for getting to work late and I lived in another state. I lived in Illinois, but worked in Missouri and drove the farthest. But let one of them lily white gals who live around the corner come in late and it was all good.

[Pamalicious]

My name is Pamela and I get away with it. I work 9-5 and I told them I would work traditional work hours get over it. Technically if I come in at 9 I am suppose to work till 5:30.

I also take anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half lunch break daily.

[HulaSista]

i take long breaks too... but i eat it in the evening. its nothing to get in at 7:30 or 8am and get off at 5:30, 6, 6:30, 7... or later. :(

they are gurantee to get 8 hours out of me. i'm pretty honest about my time and they can never say i slack because... for that half hour they can't find me on a break... they know they got me here at the end of the day.

when i do get off early for dentist appt and that type of stuff... i feel wierd, like, i'm not allowed to do those things.

[Pamalicious]

Well Hula Big Red and I have the same train of thought - My office hours are 9-5. I have 35 pto days so I use those accordingly to go to the Dr. etc. etc. I tend to use them more to task so that I don't 'run to pick up my daughter' and not have that count. I will say - count it as a PTO day.

It does depend on your manager and the climate of your job in general. My husband must work all his hours and a few more folks hours. That's just the nature of his job. However, they were so excited to see him happy he got four weeks vacation the first year of our relationship - just because, lol

[HulaSista]

we have a little 'secret' that time off after 2pm, doesn't count on the time card, however, i've had 4 manager changes in the last year and 9 months and only the first one was laissez faire about it cause he was the one who told me about it. maybe it was his secret love for black women that helped :upto: with his cute little italian ass...