Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Lateness

I hate being late to work, but sometimes I just can't help it.

The main problem for me is the variability of the traffic in my city. I have to drive about 25 miles to work each morning, and it's mostly interstate miles. It's hard to know how retarded the drivers are going to act on any given day on my route.

Apparently I was late a lot last week. I remember being late some days, but I am never more than two or three minutes past 8:00 getting here. We work on time clocks, so the admins are super-Nazis about time.

In email yesterday I received this automated message from my supervisor:

MJ,
You were late to work 4 out of 5 days last week. Please make any adjustment necessary in your schedule to correct that problem.

Thanks

Oh. My. GOSH.

Seriously? Over two or three minutes? And I always make up those minutes by taking really short lunch breaks. There's also no need for me to be right on time, since everyone else is in a production meeting first thing every morning.

Oh well. I got here ten minutes early this morning, as I will the rest of the week. Giving me an extra thirty minutes added to the overtime I'm already going to be making off of this week.

Not that I think my bosses should be discouraging my promptness, but you would think they wouldn't get their panties in a wad over it considering I make up the time elsewhere. I'm a big advocate of loose time restrictions, as long as the work gets done (and done right), who cares?

These kind of inefficiencies in business drive me absolutely crazy.

I really hate my job.

Note to Self: And it was sooo hard getting up this morning after staying up last night to watch The Shield, which was AWESOME by the way.

12 comments:

Mahala said...

I feel your pain. It seems as though, in the grand scheme of things, bosses find the dumbest things to get in a wad over.

Anonymous said...

At a previous job, you were docked at your quarterly reviews if you were late. An email was sent out company wide if you were late saying "So and So in late this morning"
And literally, it didnt matter if you came in at 8:01 or 8:30, it was the same to them.
ridiculous.

colbymarshall said...

Wow- 2 or 3 minutes is harsh. Gross.

MJ said...

Mahala - No kidding. *thinks about covers on TPS reports*

VV - Where've you been? Haven't seen you around. Yeah, it does peeve me that they pretend being two minutes late is as epoch as being an hour late. Give me a break!

CM - No kidding. Cruel and unusual.

Y of F said...

i hate that stuff.I have to show up at nine, but we work 60-80 hour weeks, so i dont care if i am a few minutes late... whatever.

p.s. I KNOW! SHIELD! AHH!

p.s.- you ever watch third watch? its on repeats but its actually very close to the NYPD and how they work. the cop and i are on the second season now, playin catch up.

Anonymous said...

MJ - Completely agree with you! 2 or 3 minutes?? Whats the big deal? Like you said, as long as you get your work done (correctly), who cares? .... But from the perspective of the employer, I'd say if they let you get away w/ 2 or 3 minutes, that will soon become 5 minutes (you get where I am going w/ this).

MJ said...

SM - Never seen Third Watch, but I'll look into it. Thanks for the tip!

KPD - I see what you mean, which is why I'll be early from now on and get in that overtime! :) Thanks for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

I'm with ya 100%. I once had a job where the computer automatically generated some message if you didn't sign in by 9:00. 9:01 - automatic message. Of course, this really meant you had to be there by 8:55, because you had to boot up the computer. And, really, that meant 8:50, to be safe.

pure evyl said...

The boss is probably one of the fucktards on the interstate.

DEL said...

That does seem ridiculous!

One of my staff comes in every day at exactly 8:09, she produces excellent work, and is always done ahead of schedule. I could raise a big stink about her consistent lateness but I have more important things to do than pick on an excellent employee.

People need to get a grip.

Anonymous said...

Way to be, del.

MJ said...

Livin - That stinks. At least with a time clock, when you're right on the edge of being late, you can make a sprint to punch your card or call a friend to punch it for you.

PE - No, he's one of those get there an hour early people. I don't think I've ever gotten here before either of my bosses more than twice.

del - Can I come work for you?