Salaried Employee - 8am Meeting - Personal Conflicts like working out?

[Anonymous]

This was an interesting take, that an employee would push back on an 8am meeting because of a gym meeting.

https://fortune.com/2024/01/30/demoted-podcast-slammed-gen-z-hire-missed-8-am-meeting-workout-forced-apologize-tiktok-backlash/

I do find 8am meetings pretty intrusive, many parents have a hard time attending since its the middle of drop off, but usually they are an urgent topic or require high level participation on short notice who have packed schedules. Definitely seems better than a 6pm meeting?

Surprised at the viral cancellation of the Demoted hosts, Gen Z is pushing back against out of normal working hours expectations, probably because they see that the long hours don't really lead to promotions and raises -- there are other factors that have much more import? But salaried jobs are generally not 9-5, and a workout seems like a pretty feeble excuse?

[Anonymous]

Gen X person who generally goes "above and beyond" (in the negative sense of historically not making waves and in my 20s would have been there at 7 if someone told me to).

I think: the calendar should have been blocked for a personal commitment in advance. Following that, "personal appointment" should have been the stated reason. All else ok

[Anonymous]

The article is behind a paywall but I’ll say 8am meetings aren’t the norm at my Fortune 500 except among the most senior leaders. IME meetings at lower than c suite tend to run between 9am and 4pm, seemingly as an acknowledgment of the variability of beginning and end of day timeframes for employees.

[Anonymous]

Gen X. I frequently have to work late, so I do not encourage early meetings. Why come in early and stay late?

[Anonymous]

8 am is ridiculous, reg hours are 9-5. Anything else better be an emergency.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen X person who generally goes "above and beyond" (in the negative sense of historically not making waves and in my 20s would have been there at 7 if someone told me to).

I think: the calendar should have been blocked for a personal commitment in advance. Following that, "personal appointment" should have been the stated reason. All else ok

So even though typical work day is 9-5, you’re supposed to block out your hours outside of your work day as personal time? That actually seems counterintuitive — do I need to mark every day at 6pm for family dinner and 10pm for bedtime?

[Anonymous]

Before 8:30 and after 5:00, I'm feeling free to decline unless there is a reason (client availability, international attendees) the meeting can't be during core hours

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The article is behind a paywall but I’ll say 8am meetings aren’t the norm at my Fortune 500 except among the most senior leaders. IME meetings at lower than c suite tend to run between 9am and 4pm, seemingly as an acknowledgment of the variability of beginning and end of day timeframes for employees.

Sorry saw it on Apple News, didn’t relieve paywall

Here’s original video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjkwFmb3NtU&t=1019s&mod=ANLink

Some more background https://www.thestreet.com/employment/podcast-host-responds-to-backlash-to-viral-video-on-gen-z-work-life-debate

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The article is behind a paywall but I’ll say 8am meetings aren’t the norm at my Fortune 500 except among the most senior leaders. IME meetings at lower than c suite tend to run between 9am and 4pm, seemingly as an acknowledgment of the variability of beginning and end of day timeframes for employees.

Sorry saw it on Apple News, didn’t relieve paywall

Here’s original video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjkwFmb3NtU&t=1019s&mod=ANLink

Some more background https://www.thestreet.com/employment/podcast-host-responds-to-backlash-to-viral-video-on-gen-z-work-life-debate

A TikTok edited out of their YouTube broadcast a mocking critique of Corporate Natalie’s response , that was went viral but has been since taken down.

[Anonymous]

Meeting are 9-3 start times.

8 am or earlier and 4pm or later require checking for availability.

If you schedule at 5pm meeting with me I’ll be scheduling a 7am meeting with you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gen X person who generally goes "above and beyond" (in the negative sense of historically not making waves and in my 20s would have been there at 7 if someone told me to).

I think: the calendar should have been blocked for a personal commitment in advance. Following that, "personal appointment" should have been the stated reason. All else ok

I agree the overshare of why not available was the mistake, less is more in these situations

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Meeting are 9-3 start times.

8 am or earlier and 4pm or later require checking for availability.

If you schedule at 5pm meeting with me I’ll be scheduling a 7am meeting with you.

Are you in corporate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X person who generally goes "above and beyond" (in the negative sense of historically not making waves and in my 20s would have been there at 7 if someone told me to).

I think: the calendar should have been blocked for a personal commitment in advance. Following that, "personal appointment" should have been the stated reason. All else ok

So even though typical work day is 9-5, you’re supposed to block out your hours outside of your work day as personal time? That actually seems counterintuitive — do I need to mark every day at 6pm for family dinner and 10pm for bedtime?

DP. I’m not senior but I am a SME who often gets called into meetings with senior people. I’m learning to block things between about 7am-7pm so that when the EAs are scheduling they can see whether I’m truly unavailable or if I’d in theory be available albeit technically after hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Gen X person who generally goes "above and beyond" (in the negative sense of historically not making waves and in my 20s would have been there at 7 if someone told me to).

I think: the calendar should have been blocked for a personal commitment in advance. Following that, "personal appointment" should have been the stated reason. All else ok

So even though typical work day is 9-5, you’re supposed to block out your hours outside of your work day as personal time? That actually seems counterintuitive — do I need to mark every day at 6pm for family dinner and 10pm for bedtime?

If I need to leave at the dot of 5, I block (not OOO) 4:30-5 and the set OOO from like 5-6.
Same general principle staring at about 8. This is maybe specific to my office when we have people WFHing all over US and some flexibility is sometimes required. Some team members put their working hours on their calendar and that should be honored as well. So not all hours but yes to ones that overlap with other people's regular hours. Some people even on east coast do prefer 7:30-4 (even though I don't!)

[Anonymous]

I agree it’s rude unless the company is out west. I used to work out west and many businesses start earlier both because of heat and also because clients are on the east coast. So an 8 am start wouldn’t be abnormal there and many people are working 6 to 3 or something like that (not me!). But that’s all very industry dependent.
Otherwise, this is an a-hole move. If it’s a one time you skip the gym and do it. If it’s a pattern, you ask whether the meeting can be set for a later start time. I personally try not to schedule anything before 9:30 or 10 unless there’s a good reason for it.