No one sticks around when the boss is out

[Anonymous]

When our boss is traveling or on vacation, people wander in a bit later, leave a bit earlier and if it were 15-20 minutes each, I wouldn't think much of it, but for the past week, our office secretary and our acting director have been leaving at 4. Last Friday, most of the office was gone by 3:30. My coworker has been putting in 4-5 hour days and announcing that he's teleworking, rather than getting approval ahead of time. In the meantime, I'm taking work home with me, picking up slack from my coworker who's literally AWOL, coming in early - am I the only one with deliverables that don't go away when the boss is on vacation?

[Anonymous]

Apparently so. Stop picking up the slack. Let your AWOL coworker suffer the consequences of his actions.

[Anonymous]

Agreed. While you might cover for folks when the boss is around to see the results, when the boss is away, you should concentrate on those things for which you are accountable and leave the things that others are accountable for up to them. Let the boss come back and see who was productive and who was not. Otherwise, you are enabling the offenders and encouraging them to do this more often (and hence burden you more). Do your own work. Work overtime if you need to, to get your own things done, but stop covering for the slackers.

[Anonymous]

Today my boss left the office for an hour and a half. I picked up my book and read for an hour and 20 minutes, then ran around for 10 setting up for a meeting. It made my afternoon very relaxing.

[Anonymous]

Document. With absolutely no reference to time, just say what you need from others and when you need it by. Who cares if they do it at midnight from home? And if they don't do it at all, you have emails to cover your ass.

My office does not keep time. At all. No "core hours", no "flexibility", no judgment for the way people accomplish their work. We have goals, period, and everyone is motivated to meet them, both their individual goals and their team objectives. It works really, really well.

[Anonymous]

Not covering for coworker is a bit complicated since we jointly share responsibility for about half the portfolio and when he's out, I am truly responsible for it. But, you're right, I should aim to cover for him less and I am working on that. I'm documenting who's taken on which tasks, confirming via email & CCing boss. I've been trying to wean coworker off my continuous back up services this week and he hasn't coped well. He looks like he was hit by a truck, but at least he got in by 9:30 today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not covering for coworker is a bit complicated since we jointly share responsibility for about half the portfolio and when he's out, I am truly responsible for it. But, you're right, I should aim to cover for him less and I am working on that. I'm documenting who's taken on which tasks, confirming via email & CCing boss. I've been trying to wean coworker off my continuous back up services this week and he hasn't coped well. He looks like he was hit by a truck, but at least he got in by 9:30 today.

Lol. Good for you. Make him do his share. I can't stand slackers - at least not if I'm working my butt off and they do nothing and we get paid the same amount.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Document. With absolutely no reference to time, just say what you need from others and when you need it by. Who cares if they do it at midnight from home? And if they don't do it at all, you have emails to cover your ass.

My office does not keep time. At all. No "core hours", no "flexibility", no judgment for the way people accomplish their work. We have goals, period, and everyone is motivated to meet them, both their individual goals and their team objectives. It works really, really well.

This is how I run my team. Work from the beach, get drunk at 9am, I don't give a shit. All I care about is results. You can work 80 hours a week and get nothing done and I won't give you a nickel of credit for it. Work 30 and kill it, I'll help you get promoted. Bottom line for all companies is results: its not subject to office politics, not subject to bullshit arguments, its just simple. People love te autonomy and frankly work a ton harder than they otherwise would because of the ownership

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Document. With absolutely no reference to time, just say what you need from others and when you need it by. Who cares if they do it at midnight from home? And if they don't do it at all, you have emails to cover your ass.

My office does not keep time. At all. No "core hours", no "flexibility", no judgment for the way people accomplish their work. We have goals, period, and everyone is motivated to meet them, both their individual goals and their team objectives. It works really, really well.

This is how I run my team. Work from the beach, get drunk at 9am, I don't give a shit. All I care about is results. You can work 80 hours a week and get nothing done and I won't give you a nickel of credit for it. Work 30 and kill it, I'll help you get promoted. Bottom line for all companies is results: its not subject to office politics, not subject to bullshit arguments, its just simple. People love te autonomy and frankly work a ton harder than they otherwise would because of the ownership

I want to work for you!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Document. With absolutely no reference to time, just say what you need from others and when you need it by. Who cares if they do it at midnight from home? And if they don't do it at all, you have emails to cover your ass.

My office does not keep time. At all. No "core hours", no "flexibility", no judgment for the way people accomplish their work. We have goals, period, and everyone is motivated to meet them, both their individual goals and their team objectives. It works really, really well.

This is how I run my team. Work from the beach, get drunk at 9am, I don't give a shit. All I care about is results. You can work 80 hours a week and get nothing done and I won't give you a nickel of credit for it. Work 30 and kill it, I'll help you get promoted. Bottom line for all companies is results: its not subject to office politics, not subject to bullshit arguments, its just simple. People love te autonomy and frankly work a ton harder than they otherwise would because of the ownership

I want to work for you!

Join us. It's a good team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Document. With absolutely no reference to time, just say what you need from others and when you need it by. Who cares if they do it at midnight from home? And if they don't do it at all, you have emails to cover your ass.

My office does not keep time. At all. No "core hours", no "flexibility", no judgment for the way people accomplish their work. We have goals, period, and everyone is motivated to meet them, both their individual goals and their team objectives. It works really, really well.

This is how I run my team. Work from the beach, get drunk at 9am, I don't give a shit. All I care about is results. You can work 80 hours a week and get nothing done and I won't give you a nickel of credit for it. Work 30 and kill it, I'll help you get promoted. Bottom line for all companies is results: its not subject to office politics, not subject to bullshit arguments, its just simple. People love te autonomy and frankly work a ton harder than they otherwise would because of the ownership

I want to work for you!

Join us. It's a good team.

I'm curious what kind of work the two of you do that have this flexibility?