Does being on time matter in this context?

[Anonymous]

PP, you didn't bill that time, you effectively don't get credit for that time. It's not the same thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, you didn't bill that time, you effectively don't get credit for that time. It's not the same thing.

I get paid for my whole day no matter what I bill. When I wasn't a lawyer, I also never did anything truly productive during those first 15 minutes. I'm sure not a single secretary at my firm does either, they're all gathered in the kitchen putting away their lunches and gabbing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 15 minutes one can come in, put away coat, throw in a load of laundry, and empty a dishwasher or make two sandwiches. It is not that hard. The laundry room isn't a half mile down the road. The dirty laundry is already sorted and waiting in laundry room.

It bothers me that she treats this as a flexible start time and leaves things for us to finish in the evening that could have been completed during work day if she arrived on time and pushed a start button on a machine.

Yeah you COULD and if I were at my own house I MIGHT but I'm an office worker and if I had, say, a meeting start 15 min after my start time I would 90% of the time get nothing accomplished in that first window. So I can see why she doesn't feel the need to get there on time, it's not really enough time to transition into work mode, get some work done, then leave. (I'm the poster who said it's a weird schedule). The more I think about it the more I'm thinking you wouldn't be happy if she got there 1 min early every day because your expectations for using that first 15 min of a workday aren't reasonable.

Part of being on time is being ready to work, not taking 5-15 minutes to get into work mode.

While I understand that perspective it seems unrealistic to me and a higher standard for your employee than most employers can expect of their employees. I am a lawyer at a large law firm and I will be goddamned if I have EVER billed either of the first .2 hours at my desk.

1. You don't bill for it, so you aren't paid for it. If you choose not to work when scheduled, and don't bill for that time because you aren't working, that's your business.
2. I'm a nanny, not an employer. I am ready to work when my day starts, if not a few minutes early. It's not unrealistic, it's the norm.

If a nanny is told that she needs to arrive at 7.45 (and that's when her daily pay starts) so that MB can leave at 8, nobody quibbles that the nanny should be in "work mode", says that it's okay if she arrives late or says it doesn't matter if she stands there idle. If the nanny is supposed to be at the school at 3.15 to pick up kids, and her day start at 3.05 when she picks up the car, nobody quibbles. If doesn't matter who is home. Start time is start time, and the nanny should be ready to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, you didn't bill that time, you effectively don't get credit for that time. It's not the same thing.

I get paid for my whole day no matter what I bill. When I wasn't a lawyer, I also never did anything truly productive during those first 15 minutes. I'm sure not a single secretary at my firm does either, they're all gathered in the kitchen putting away their lunches and gabbing.

That's ridiculous! Every job I've had required me to be ready to work when my day started. That meant my food and outer clothing were taken care of, my mind was on work, and I was at my desk or a time clock, or I waiting for MB/DB to give me a rundown on the day.

[Anonymous]

She should arrive on time.

However I agree the schedule is weird and even if she arrives on time I wouldn't expect anything additional to really get done in that time. If you want her to be accomplishing tasks in the ten minutes after taking off her coat, etc. you should add more time beforehand.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, you didn't bill that time, you effectively don't get credit for that time. It's not the same thing.

I get paid for my whole day no matter what I bill. When I wasn't a lawyer, I also never did anything truly productive during those first 15 minutes. I'm sure not a single secretary at my firm does either, they're all gathered in the kitchen putting away their lunches and gabbing.

That's ridiculous! Every job I've had required me to be ready to work when my day started. That meant my food and outer clothing were taken care of, my mind was on work, and I was at my desk or a time clock, or I waiting for MB/DB to give me a rundown on the day.

So you actually had to be there early, or work with your jacket on and your lunch at your desk. I suppose you also needed to arrive early to make sure you computer was already turned on?

Believe it or not that isn't the norm.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 15 minutes one can come in, put away coat, throw in a load of laundry, and empty a dishwasher or make two sandwiches. It is not that hard. The laundry room isn't a half mile down the road. The dirty laundry is already sorted and waiting in laundry room.

It bothers me that she treats this as a flexible start time and leaves things for us to finish in the evening that could have been completed during work day if she arrived on time and pushed a start button on a machine.

Yeah you COULD and if I were at my own house I MIGHT but I'm an office worker and if I had, say, a meeting start 15 min after my start time I would 90% of the time get nothing accomplished in that first window. So I can see why she doesn't feel the need to get there on time, it's not really enough time to transition into work mode, get some work done, then leave. (I'm the poster who said it's a weird schedule). The more I think about it the more I'm thinking you wouldn't be happy if she got there 1 min early every day because your expectations for using that first 15 min of a workday aren't reasonable.

Part of being on time is being ready to work, not taking 5-15 minutes to get into work mode.

While I understand that perspective it seems unrealistic to me and a higher standard for your employee than most employers can expect of their employees. I am a lawyer at a large law firm and I will be goddamned if I have EVER billed either of the first .2 hours at my desk.

1. You don't bill for it, so you aren't paid for it. If you choose not to work when scheduled, and don't bill for that time because you aren't working, that's your business.
2. I'm a nanny, not an employer. I am ready to work when my day starts, if not a few minutes early. It's not unrealistic, it's the norm.

If a nanny is told that she needs to arrive at 7.45 (and that's when her daily pay starts) so that MB can leave at 8, nobody quibbles that the nanny should be in "work mode", says that it's okay if she arrives late or says it doesn't matter if she stands there idle. If the nanny is supposed to be at the school at 3.15 to pick up kids, and her day start at 3.05 when she picks up the car, nobody quibbles. If doesn't matter who is home. Start time is start time, and the nanny should be ready to work.

No but she is likely still putting her lunch away, taking off her coat, saying hello, etc while making sure the kids don't kill themselves before she is settled.

She isn't running in and throwing laundry in the wash while she speed cooks c

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:She should arrive on time.

However I agree the schedule is weird and even if she arrives on time I wouldn't expect anything additional to really get done in that time. If you want her to be accomplishing tasks in the ten minutes after taking off her coat, etc. you should add more time beforehand.

Yeah that's definitely my point. Is it okay to be late? No. But I understand, from her perspective, thinking it's not important to be on time since she probably thinks she wouldn't get anything done anyway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP, you didn't bill that time, you effectively don't get credit for that time. It's not the same thing.

I get paid for my whole day no matter what I bill. When I wasn't a lawyer, I also never did anything truly productive during those first 15 minutes. I'm sure not a single secretary at my firm does either, they're all gathered in the kitchen putting away their lunches and gabbing.

That's ridiculous! Every job I've had required me to be ready to work when my day started. That meant my food and outer clothing were taken care of, my mind was on work, and I was at my desk or a time clock, or I waiting for MB/DB to give me a rundown on the day.

So you actually had to be there early, or work with your jacket on and your lunch at your desk. I suppose you also needed to arrive early to make sure you computer was already turned on?

Believe it or not that isn't the norm.

I was expected to be there on time, with my things put away, yes. Turning the computer on was part of starting my work day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In 15 minutes one can come in, put away coat, throw in a load of laundry, and empty a dishwasher or make two sandwiches. It is not that hard. The laundry room isn't a half mile down the road. The dirty laundry is already sorted and waiting in laundry room.

It bothers me that she treats this as a flexible start time and leaves things for us to finish in the evening that could have been completed during work day if she arrived on time and pushed a start button on a machine.

Yeah you COULD and if I were at my own house I MIGHT but I'm an office worker and if I had, say, a meeting start 15 min after my start time I would 90% of the time get nothing accomplished in that first window. So I can see why she doesn't feel the need to get there on time, it's not really enough time to transition into work mode, get some work done, then leave. (I'm the poster who said it's a weird schedule). The more I think about it the more I'm thinking you wouldn't be happy if she got there 1 min early every day because your expectations for using that first 15 min of a workday aren't reasonable.

Part of being on time is being ready to work, not taking 5-15 minutes to get into work mode.

While I understand that perspective it seems unrealistic to me and a higher standard for your employee than most employers can expect of their employees. I am a lawyer at a large law firm and I will be goddamned if I have EVER billed either of the first .2 hours at my desk.

1. You don't bill for it, so you aren't paid for it. If you choose not to work when scheduled, and don't bill for that time because you aren't working, that's your business.
2. I'm a nanny, not an employer. I am ready to work when my day starts, if not a few minutes early. It's not unrealistic, it's the norm.

If a nanny is told that she needs to arrive at 7.45 (and that's when her daily pay starts) so that MB can leave at 8, nobody quibbles that the nanny should be in "work mode", says that it's okay if she arrives late or says it doesn't matter if she stands there idle. If the nanny is supposed to be at the school at 3.15 to pick up kids, and her day start at 3.05 when she picks up the car, nobody quibbles. If doesn't matter who is home. Start time is start time, and the nanny should be ready to work.

No but she is likely still putting her lunch away, taking off her coat, saying hello, etc while making sure the kids don't kill themselves before she is settled.

She isn't running in and throwing laundry in the wash while she speed cooks c

I'm a nanny, for pete's sake! It's not that big of a deal to start of load of clothes, slap together two sandwiches, grab the car and get to the school. I have never, not once, stood around taking care of my own things once I was already on the clock. When I am working, I'm working, not getting ready for work.