Is this an appropriate ask?

[Anonymous]

I have been at my company for 2 years and just found out that we are allowed to take a 30 min lunch break. I'm salaried and have never taken a break and typically work 8am-5pm.

I am a single mom and it would be lifechanging if I could leave once a week at 3pm. Do you think it's an appropriate ask if I don't take any breaks during the day, can I leave at 3pm once per week instead?

[Anonymous]

Do you have a good relationship with your manager and a good office culture? If so, I don't see the downside in asking.

You might have more luck with asking to end your workday at 4:30 each day IMO.

[Anonymous]

No. Taking 30 minutes is related to employment law. You wanting to save up your 30 minute segments and leave two hours early once a week doesn't fall under employment law.

[Anonymous]

You can ask but they might think you're work shy after that

[Anonymous]

As a manager, I'd say no and start planning to let you go.

[Anonymous]

It can’t hurt to ask, maybe work 6-3?

[Anonymous]

I'm a manager and the truth is that most folks work through their lunch break. I would, however, be willing to have you work until 5:30 or start at 7:30 several days a week and then leave early one day.

[Anonymous]

Do you get all your work done? That's all I care about as a manager.

[Anonymous]

Look at the written policies of the company first and see what they say. It may require the lunch break come in the middle of the day or there may be a union contract that spells out lunch breaks.

[Anonymous]

Are you willing to work longer days to leave at 3 one dsy? Doesn't sound like it but if you are ask about flextime. You get your hours in but not evenly.

[Anonymous]

It would be a hard no at our organization.

[Anonymous]

Totally reasonable to ask to leave early. Can you use 4 hrs leave each month to cover that or can you wfh for 1 hr a day?

[Anonymous]

Another idea would be to work the first or last 30 minutes of your workday in a different time zone. Once you have, add up the difference between the first hour and the last and divide by the ways in the time period you’re looking at, whether a day, a week, a month, a two-week pay period, etc.

If your employer is resistant, ask them which time zone they’d prefer you work in and then add that to your existing balance, minus existing or planned overages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. Taking 30 minutes is related to employment law. You wanting to save up your 30 minute segments and leave two hours early once a week doesn't fall under employment law.

+1. Sorry.

[Anonymous]

How large is your organization? How much flexibility do you have? Is 3-5 a time when you regularly have meetings?

I wouldn’t put in in writing, but I’d unofficially find a way to make it work for a really great employee (provided it didn’t disrupt meetings, and didn’t effect work completion, etc)