Work hours shift Co-worker

[Anonymous]

My co-worker and I have had the same work hours for the past two years. 8am- 5pm.

However, now that her kid starts school she has requested management to shift her work hours.
From 8am-5pm to 6:30am-3:30pm.

Our company is somewhat flexible and she always takes time off to attend her kid, doctor's app., sickness, closing at daycare, etc. When she's out I have to cover for her and vice versa.

I also have kids except mine are already teenagers and I don't need to take time off to attend them.

I would not care she has a different schedule, however, that means I'll have to cover her duties from 3:30pm to 5pm, Occasionally, I don't mind but this would be a complete shift schedule.

Management is looking into her request but how should I approach it once it's communicated to me? I don't want to be responsible for her job and cover for her 1.5hrs daily...

[Anonymous]

I think you need to explain what you do for us to better understand how this is going to affect you.

[Anonymous]

It's also important to highlight that it's no relief to you (or the company in general) that she's covering 6:30-8. That doesn't really benefit anyone.

That said, flexibility is only helpful to all involved, and you should cover her work since you're there anyway, but now you can gather your ammunition for a concession that you would like. More money? Promotion?

[Anonymous]

Are you public facing with open hours 3:30-5?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to explain what you do for us to better understand how this is going to affect you.

We both do Administrative work for a medium size company.

[Anonymous]

Request to adjust your hours to match your co-workers

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think you need to explain what you do for us to better understand how this is going to affect you.

We do Admin. support.

Normal office hours for our company is 8-5pm. Support staff works office hours. Management level works 7-4pm or 8-5pm, but it's completely unrelated to us.

Nothing really happens before 8am within the office and we're pretty busy right until 4-4:30pm.

If she comes early she'll just be doing her work, however, if she leaves early I will have the burden of covering for her, again I don't mind covering when she's out but this would be daily.

[Anonymous]

Are you part of the decision making group? If not, it doesn’t sound like you really have any options if they decide to agree. I mean you can quit over it. Or you can complain. But if you do a crappy job or refuse work, it’s only going to look bad on you.

[Anonymous]

There are parts of your day where you likely engage in work that is your own, just like her. I come in early and that is the time of day I do deep work, and then respond to fire drills all day from 8-4. Get over it.

[Anonymous]

Ask that the company adjust expectations for the hour and a half that they’ll be having single coverage. Remind them of the busy time and ask what task you will need to prioritize.

[Anonymous]

Can’t you leave stuff from end of day for her to finish in the early morning? You need a shared work queue in this scenario.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's also important to highlight that it's no relief to you (or the company in general) that she's covering 6:30-8. That doesn't really benefit anyone.

That said, flexibility is only helpful to all involved, and you should cover her work since you're there anyway, but now you can gather your ammunition for a concession that you would like. More money? Promotion?

+1. It sounds like it's not actually a problem for you because you're there anyway, but you find it unfair. Turn that into leverage. I also like PP's idea of a work queue where she does more of the "paper" tasks if you have to do more interaction by manning the desk.

FWIW, I work these hours. It has limited the jobs I can take, because some actually do need face time during later hours ... but most jobs in my field don't and I appreciate people being reasonable.

[Anonymous]

My whole working life has been like that from age 18-45. I thought it's norm. I try my best to get everything done alone. Lucky if others are helping.
I also knew I can't last into 50s like that. So, instead of concentrating what others are not doing, I concentrated on what I can do to change all this.
I learned to invest, retired early, and left them all behind.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are parts of your day where you likely engage in work that is your own, just like her. I come in early and that is the time of day I do deep work, and then respond to fire drills all day from 8-4. Get over it.

Op here. We're both admin but we do completely different jobs. I do more HR stuff and she does Payroll/accounting. I cover for her when she's out but she doesn't have to cover for me when I'm out (my job does not have deadlines when I'm out things just sit at my desk).

By her switching her schedule 2hrs. early. It leaves me to cover part of her work on a daily basis.

I just want to know if there is room for me to negotiate and bring it up to management...

We're different Generations and see things differently and she's not seeing that by changing her schedule other people have to carry her workload.

[Anonymous]

But she's covering your duties from 6:30 to 8 a.m. We live in a global economy with multiple time zones. I don't see the problem with her shifting her schedule. She's doing the right thing by her child. Leave her be.