Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 21:09     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:He lives in the same town as the company. I commute 1 hr 15 minutes each way. And if I don't get there/leave at certain times, it's 2 hrs each way.

Concerned he is going to expect same hours in office as him. Which cannot happen based on balancing family needs. WWYD?


Move
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 15:43     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I think having 4pm meetings is pretty unusual actually: my work place is across several time zones but there is a mindfulness about not scheduling too late into the day. 3pm is really the last slot we'd have unless there is some sort of emergency.


Obviously you are not in multiple time zones. 4 pm is only 1 pm for co-workers in San Fran.


I am and my point is the PST people are accommodating, as are the EST people: we schedule between 11 and 3 EST.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:46     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:My work understands people's lives are all different. Plus there are some long-term highway projects going on right now.

Our core in-office hours are 9-3, 3 days in office, 2 wfh.

We work early and late hours as needed to collaborate with Asia.

This is corporate work. In the Midwest. In a suburb. People do live 30-60 mins away.


Yeah but 30-60 minutes in no traffic is different...it's a known commute. Here you could be 10 miles away and that's 30 minutes or 2 hours.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:37     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:I think having 4pm meetings is pretty unusual actually: my work place is across several time zones but there is a mindfulness about not scheduling too late into the day. 3pm is really the last slot we'd have unless there is some sort of emergency.


Obviously you are not in multiple time zones. 4 pm is only 1 pm for co-workers in San Fran.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:33     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:To be honest what does your commute have to do with the price of tea in China?


With these tariffs? Who Can afford tea form China?


Buy your tea in the US. https://destinationtea.com/7-american-tea-companies-youll-love/
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:30     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
How is this his problem? You have so much entitlement it's scary.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:28     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
I think having 4pm meetings is pretty unusual actually: my work place is across several time zones but there is a mindfulness about not scheduling too late into the day. 3pm is really the last slot we'd have unless there is some sort of emergency.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 14:11     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:To be honest what does your commute have to do with the price of tea in China?


With these tariffs? Who Can afford tea form China?


Good answer!!

But really my old boss used to say you took a job at the office, you knew office location before you took job. How is commute now the issue. The office is still in same location.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 13:57     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:To be honest what does your commute have to do with the price of tea in China?


With these tariffs? Who Can afford tea form China?
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 13:57     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Talk to him.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 13:55     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
To be honest what does your commute have to do with the price of tea in China?
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 13:24     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
I would tell him how exhausted you during business hours. He can’t help it that you aren’t getting enough sleep.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 13:20     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
We had a guy with a 1.5-2 hour commute in our office. He came in later and stayed later to avoid traffic. He always complained about the commute and it made everyone suspicious of his work - sort of like dating, what’s up with this guy that no one offered him a job a whole hour closer to his home? Why did he accept a job so far away if he hates it?

If I were OP, I would look for something closer and in the meantime just tell boss you love your work so much it is worth the commute and that the shifted hours just mean you can dedicate less time in traffic.
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 09:45     Subject: New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
The fact that you are concentrating on this seems to be a big red flag about you
Anonymous
Post 04/16/2025 09:41     Subject: Re:New boss has zero commute. How I should I manage?
Anonymous wrote:If you have a one-on-one when he arrives, you can say something like "I typically work 7 to 3 but I can be available by phone later than that if needed" (assuming that is true). Don't present it as a problem, just a point of information. If he makes an issue of it, then start job hunting - even if just an internal move or temporary secondment.

I disagree with PPs who say this is not the manager's problem - having someone quit and need to be replaced is typically a problem. It's a hassle, and it makes the new manager look bad that someone who was previously performing walked away because new manager wouldn't reschedule his daily standup or whatever. Reasonable managers are willing to work with reasonable employees. But your real leverage depends on how badly they need you and how easily you could leave.


This. And block off your calendar for when you need to leave the office. Of course be available to meet over lunchtimes (does anyone even take "lunch" any more?). As a manager, flexibility is key. Love workers that are at it early with only maybe a cursory check after the commute home. Personally, I have a very early start, then a gap, then I get a ton of things out and communicated for the next day for my team in an earlier timezone. It's super efficient.