Face time/leaving before your boss

[Anonymous]

Do you feel strange leaving before your boss? As I get older, every incremental hour and even minute just seems so unbearable, and I just see it as time away from the family. Do you have to check in before leaving the office each day with your boss? Or do you just leave on the dot at 5 or 6 pm? I have a decent level of job security and have proven myself as pretty hard-working and my skills are seen as relatively value-added/not as easily replaceable, relatively speaking.

[Anonymous]

I don't worry about it because I'm there an hour before they arrive every day and they know it. And I log in often enough from home that they know I'm on top of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't worry about it because I'm there an hour before they arrive every day and they know it. And I log in often enough from home that they know I'm on top of things.

Me too.

[Anonymous]

Do you have to check in before leaving the office each day with your boss? Or do you just leave on the dot at 5 or 6 pm? I have a decent level of job security and have proven myself as pretty hard-working and my skills are seen as relatively value-added/not as easily replaceable, relatively speaking.

I don't have to check, but I don't necessarily leave on the dot at 5 or 6 pm either. I leave when my work is done, which could be later. I don't stay just because my boss is there.

[Anonymous]

It's easy. I work in the private sector (not a government contractor) and have no clock pressures. It helps that my boss is also the workaholic owner who sleeps in his office a couple nights a week.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't worry about face time, but I'd be skeptical of anyone who leaves at 5 on the dot on a routine basis. I leave when the work's (relatively) done, which is usually at least 30-45 minutes after the "official" end of work day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't worry about it because I'm there an hour before they arrive every day and they know it. And I log in often enough from home that they know I'm on top of things.

Me too.

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about face time, but I'd be skeptical of anyone who leaves at 5 on the dot on a routine basis. I leave when the work's (relatively) done, which is usually at least 30-45 minutes after the "official" end of work day.

Early bird vs night owl. One could accomplish the same thing by coming into the office earlier first thing the next day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about face time, but I'd be skeptical of anyone who leaves at 5 on the dot on a routine basis. I leave when the work's (relatively) done, which is usually at least 30-45 minutes after the "official" end of work day.

That cuts both ways. I could also equally be skeptical of someone who is so inefficient that they must consistently stay late to get their work done. What were you doing during the day?

See? Leaving later than the end of the work day isn't proof of being legit. In my case, I come into work about 2hrs before my boss and leave similarly early. Our households run on different schedules in terms of childcare, commutes and so on.

[Anonymous]

I don't feel strange because I arrive earlier than my boss, and also because my "competition" in the office leaves even earlier than I do.

My last boss would arrive before me and leave after me, and that did make me uncomfortable. However, I still kept to my schedule: life is too short, and my obligations at home are more important than the [frankly, minimal] promotion opportunities that might come from longer hours.

[Anonymous]

My boss is really big on face time. I got a stern talking to when he felt like I wasn't in the office long enough - I was there regularly for 8.5 hours, and took whatever work remained home (and it often was several hours). My work doesn't hold anyone else up, I can log in and access everything I need from home, so there is really no actual need to be in the office. He's also a crazy micro-manager. Yeah, I am looking for another job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't worry about face time, but I'd be skeptical of anyone who leaves at 5 on the dot on a routine basis. I leave when the work's (relatively) done, which is usually at least 30-45 minutes after the "official" end of work day.

That cuts both ways. I could also equally be skeptical of someone who is so inefficient that they must consistently stay late to get their work done. What were you doing during the day?

See? Leaving later than the end of the work day isn't proof of being legit. In my case, I come into work about 2hrs before my boss and leave similarly early. Our households run on different schedules in terms of childcare, commutes and so on.

I get that, & I think it also depends on what kind of work you do. I'm a litigator. The work is never "done." The people in my office leaving at 5 on the dot aren't the ones showing up 2 hours early.