being on time/ending on time

[Zoe Girl]

This is our first week back from summer and wehave lots of meetings and tranings. Plus this morning we had to shop for our sites. Everything from paper towels to toys and a stapler.

We then had a meeting and it was scheduled until 230. At 3:00 we took a break. I needed to leave but theysaid 30 more minutes.Finally the leader was not even taking a break to breath so I had no way to politely give her note. I quietly told the 2nd in charge that I had to go and I just left. 5minutes later and I would have missed my summer camp partner and I needed to see her.

I think I need to say something. It has been every meeting this week. It is affecting me eating lunch on time. I do NOT want to present this as having a physical issue, I just have a limited diet and have to bring all my own food and need to eat on time. I cannot be the only person with this problem.

I am going to recommend that we use some of our meeting techniques from last year like planning them well and having a time keeper. If we have to run over I think there should be a break at the regular stop time and a chance to say something not in front of the group if you need to leave. I make sure with the restof my job and life raising 3 kids that I make all the meetings, so needing to leave one should not reflect badly on me.

[Tiam]

This is our first week back from summer and wehave lots of meetings and tranings. Plus this morning we had to shop for our sites. Everything from paper towels to toys and a stapler.

We then had a meeting and it was scheduled until 230. At 3:00 we took a break. I needed to leave but theysaid 30 more minutes.Finally the leader was not even taking a break to breath so I had no way to politely give her note. I quietly told the 2nd in charge that I had to go and I just left. 5minutes later and I would have missed my summer camp partner and I needed to see her.

I think I need to say something. It has been every meeting this week. It is affecting me eating lunch on time. I do NOT want to present this as having a physical issue, I just have a limited diet and have to bring all my own food and need to eat on time. I cannot be the only person with this problem.

I am going to recommend that we use some of our meeting techniques from last year like planning them well and having a time keeper. If we have to run over I think there should be a break at the regular stop time and a chance to say something not in front of the group if you need to leave. I make sure with the restof my job and life raising 3 kids that I make all the meetings, so needing to leave one should not reflect badly on me.


Zoegirl, I've said before, I suspect we are in the same biz. It keeps getting worse. Where I am they have instituted a computerized time sheet and there are repercussions for being as little as 2 minutes late or early clocking in or out. Problem is, as soon as one steps in the building you are bombarded by people and stuff, and before you know it, you are 10 minutes late clocking in or out. Also the work expectations keep increasing and increasing and the pressure with it. Last year the only way to meet work demands was to take no breaks. Period. And since lunches are 'taken' with kids, that's a full 8 hour day with no break. Meetings and trainings are frequent and common and take away from the capacity to meet work expectations. I haven't seen any improvement in this dilemma over the years. No amount of speaking to the problem seems to help. It's a top down management (who get to have breaks and lunches) and they aren't listening.

[awakenedsoul]

I'm so sorry to hear about this overwork. It sounds so abusive. I am fortunate in that I was able to retire early. I could never handle the way they are treating people now. I taught ballet for 30 years, and I'm appalled at the way they treat teachers in the schools now.
I volunteered at a nearby elementary school to plant their vegetable garden. It was a terrible experience. The teachers were so stressed, the kids were out of control, and I quit. The principal kept trying to manipulate and overwork me. It was ridiculous. She's a workaholic. You have my sympathy...

[Rosemary]

A former employer of mine had excellent policies for "effective meetings."
Some of the concepts, which were printed on posters that were displayed in every conference room:
* Start on time.
* End on time, 10 minutes before the hour so people can get to their next meeting.
* Minutes to be published within 24 hours, with action items highlighted at the top of the minutes.

I had previously worked for a company where none of these things happened at meetings, and it was a huge breath of fresh air to actually feel like (a) meetings could be productive and (b) my time was respected.

[Tussiemussies]

Zoe girl, so sorry that you have to put up with being treated like this. It just sounds so stressful just reading about it. I hope there is some change made soon, for your and yourco-workers sake.

[fidgiegirl]

Just you standing up and doing what you need says something. If one person needed to leave, others did, too. It's rude - they don't know what you have going on after your work commitments, if you have day care pickups or medical appointments or simply need to be done for the day at the time they said it would be done for the day. A few minutes is one thing. An hour is out of this world rude.

[Zoe Girl]

Thank you all, Last year we had much better meetings. And when both sides of the department are together they are very on topof being on time to start and end. So I know we can do it again. I actually really love effective meetings, but as anintrovert I am kinda burned out by people.

One thing that alsomade it hard is that a lot of what we talked about was the schedule and curriculum of our after school program and what we need to talk to staff about. Well since my conversation with my lead person she resigned. I pretty much only have one person. I already decided the schedule of activities in general and what we are doingthe first 2 weeks because I will be swamped doing my job and my leadsjob. However it sounds like this is much better than actually working with this lady and I only have 13kids signed up so far. In talking the logistics throughI simply do not think my boss has enough frontline experience. From what I can tell she has worked more with teenagers, sometimes with little kids the curriculumjust needs to be set aside and you sit with the kid. It is more intuitive at times, instead of making a plan to scheduletime to talk to kids maybe just relax the curriculum to simplytalk to them.

Okay I am less gripy and I have a conference next week

[Tiam]

As for the meetings, knowing that sort of thing often will run the way they do, I often let it be known, not to the group but someone in charge that I have a timeline and that if the meeting runs long, I will be leaving. I leave as quietly and as unobtrusively as possible when the time comes without drawing any undue attention to myself.

[frugalone]

I agree with Tiam. I'm sorry this is happening to you. As someone who has special dietary needs/health issues, I totally sympathize. I hope things will improve for you.

[Zoe Girl]

Tiam,I am so glad we do not have a time clock for us. We are actually exempt this year so no more fudging around making the 40hours look perfect on paper, and I always do at least 40.I will start the year doing split shifts and then a coupletimes a week I need to split for before and after. Sothat is at workat 615 am until about 830 and then 230 to 600 pm again, plus whatever paperwork/meeting/etc work that adds uptomy hours. I have done this Before and a couple times a week I go home and nap.

And the staff quitting so I have to dothis shift? It is being reinforced that Iwould rather start the year with no staffand doing it myself than work with this person. I am actually feeling really lucky, but will have to make my situation and hours clear to the higher ups.