If you read Reddit for awhile, it could seem like good managers are truly few and far between.
And well…this one isn’t going to change anyone’s mind.
OP is working on a case that includes employees from all over the country. Because of this his days often start early and subsequently end early.
I work on a case with people from many different areas. Most of the people on the case work in a time zone that’s three hours ahead of mine.
This means that I am often on meetings or depositions that start at around 7:00 am or earlier.
After he left at 3pm a few days in a row, his boss called him on the carpet to tell him that his day starts at 9 and ends at 5 – and she wouldn’t hear another word about it.
A couple of weeks ago, I attended several days of a deposition, starting at 5:30 (for me) each day. Those days, I left the office at around 3:00.
My manager then called me into her office, and demanded to know why I was “leaving early” every day. I told her about the situation, but she did not care.
She said, “This is a 9-5 job. It doesn’t matter if you’re in earlier, you leave at 5:00. Otherwise people will think it’s okay to come in and leave whenever they want.”
So, OP stuck to his assigned schedule, regardless of meetings missed.
Well, 9-5 it is! I started arriving in the office promptly at 9.
This unfortunately led to me skipping several meetings, but alas, it cannot be helped.
At least, he did until he missed a meeting that made his boss look bad – then, he was allowed to work the hours required by his (and her) job.
One meeting I skipped, scheduled for 6:00 am, is an important biweekly one that my manager is also supposed to attend. She has never attended and she always relies on me preparing her report on the meeting, so she can present it to her boss.
When she asked for the report, I informed her that I was unable to attend the meeting, since I work a 9-5 job and I don’t want to give anyone the wrong impression.
No report, sorry!
As I left promptly at 5, I peeked through the window to her office and got a great view of her trying to explain herself to her boss.
Today, she called me and dejectedly informed me that I can leave the office whenever I want from now on.
I bet I can guess that Reddit is patting OP on the back!
The top comment speaks for all of us when they say they just don’t get it.
This person thinks they know the answer.
Companies take note, because this is not the way.
There is only one rule.
But maybe with a sub-rule.
This manager had to learn the hard way.
I guess that’s the way some people do it!