Meetings

[martid12]

Hi,

 

I have worked for my company for over three years, 2.5 of them quite happy.

 

However following a merger between three other companies i have a new manager and things arent so good.

 

We are forced to attend meetings 50 miles from home that start at 08:00, we are being pressured into the manager coming to our homes in the day for quarterly stock checks. (im a mobile engineer - printers)

 

He also tries to get us to do overtime without pay but with time of in leu

 

My contract says i work from 09:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday

 

These are unreasonable demands arent they?

 

My company is a huge EU wide company, there are over 900 "of me" working here. From chatting to other people it seems like this manager is running the show his way, no other managers seem to do this.

 

opinions before i commit career suicide?

 

Thanks

[Surfer01]

I suggest that you read through the company's handbook on procedures etc in the first instance. If you are not on flexi time then overtime may need to be paid especially if you do not agree to tiem in lieu. I am very wary of tiem in lieu as firstly it just neve seems to happen. If it does it disrupts your working week as no else is able to do your work while you are absent or you work overtime again and yu are back in to tiem in lieu so you might as well have never taken it in the first place.

Manager cannot chnage company rules to suit themselves.

[rebel11]

Hi mart

 

If your in a Union, contact them for advise, other then that, you should raise a Greivance if you are being treated differently to other employees in the company, if there are quite a few of you, you could do a collective greivance, but you need to make sure

they do not back out later.

 

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/ResolvingWorkplaceDisputes/Grievanceprocedures/DG_10027992

 

You can also contact ACAS for advice:-

 

http://www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1670

[Mash It Up Harry]

Hi,

 

I have worked for my company for over three years, 2.5 of them quite happy.

 

However following a merger between three other companies i have a new manager and things arent so good.

 

We are forced to attend meetings 50 miles from home that start at 08:00, we are being pressured into the manager coming to our homes in the day for quarterly stock checks. (im a mobile engineer - printers)

 

He also tries to get us to do overtime without pay but with time of in leu

 

My contract says i work from 09:00 to 17:30 Monday to Friday

 

These are unreasonable demands arent they?

 

My company is a huge EU wide company, there are over 900 "of me" working here. From chatting to other people it seems like this manager is running the show his way, no other managers seem to do this.

 

opinions before i commit career suicide?

 

Thanks

 

I don't believe that the meetings are unreasonable. I take it that you effectively work from home, & if so, you would have to keep company stock at home &/or in the company vehicle? If so, why is it unreasonable for your employer to carry out quarterly stock checks at your home address? Surely this would potentially save you another 50 mile trip?

 

The first response to your post is correct, you need to refer to your contract. I would suspect that that the first two points re meetings and stock checks are covered. Some contracts state that any extra time worked won't be paid for but given back as TOIL.

 

Before you go down the route of greivances I would suggest that you at least talk to your manager & perhaps suggest an informal team meeting (assuming your peers agree with you) where someone from HR could attend so you could at least voice your concerns. Raising a greivance in my opinion should only be a last resort. Speaking as someone with lots of management experience, I would take it as a personal failure if relations deterioted so far that my team saw a greivance as the only way to resolve a dispute.

 

It may well be that your new manager isn't aware of the bad feeling being created, so why not at least give him the chance to put things right first?

[rebel11]

Raise the concerns informally is pointed out in the link I posted.

 

I don't believe that the meetings are unreasonable. I take it that you effectively work from home, & if so, you would have to keep company stock at home &/or in the company vehicle? If so, why is it unreasonable for your employer to carry out quarterly stock checks at your home address? Surely this would potentially save you another 50 mile trip?

 

The first response to your post is correct, you need to refer to your contract. I would suspect that that the first two points re meetings and stock checks are covered. Some contracts state that any extra time worked won't be paid for but given back as TOIL.

 

Before you go down the route of greivances I would suggest that you at least talk to your manager & perhaps suggest an informal team meeting (assuming your peers agree with you) where someone from HR could attend so you could at least voice your concerns. Raising a greivance in my opinion should only be a last resort. Speaking as someone with lots of management experience, I would take it as a personal failure if relations deterioted so far that my team saw a greivance as the only way to resolve a dispute.

 

It may well be that your new manager isn't aware of the bad feeling being created, so why not at least give him the chance to put things right first?

[martid12]

Many Thanks for the replies.

 

We do intend to have an informal chat with our manager as a group or possibly our team leader may have a one to one with him. Our Team party was on Saturday and out of 23 members 5 turned up.

 

Manager was a little embarrassed.

 

I do understand that meetings are an important part of my job. Before the merger they were always done at the end of the day, maybe 16:30. New policy is to have 'breakfast' meetings that start at 8:00. My main problem is childcare as i have to leave home at 06:30 on that day.

 

I do effectively work from home, all stock check for parts on company vehicles have always been done at a office, its company procedure. I have since found out today that we are extremely short staffed within our team so this may have been the reason. I am uncomfortable with managers from work coming to my home. I have never been asked in 20 years of work if someone can come to my home for work purposes.

 

Many Thanks

 

 

Just to add: I wasn't planning to go to HR with a problem, i was going to try a one to one with him. He just is not good at taking criticism

Edited December 20, 2010 by martid12
Extra

[Surfer01]

Unless it is in your terms and conditions I doubt whether he is allowed to come to your house.

[rebel11]

Even if stock is kept at home, this is totally unacceptable. If they view your home as a storage facility which requires regular stock checks, then you should send them

an invoice for storage facilities, they should pay rent.

 

'I have never been asked in 20 years of work if someone can come to my home for work purposes.'

[Surfer01]

In addition you should be paying business rates as you are effectively operating a business from home. If all the stock is kept on the vehicle ther si no necessity for them to visit your home. I am sure that there is a regulation preventing them from doing this unless with just cause and your permission. Tell the manage that you are not prepared to do any further dealings at home as it can then be construed that you opewrate from home which cna cause all sorts of complications. Tell them that you will meet at some coffee shop!