487
Maybe he simply doesn't know what else to do with his time because of a lack of social contacts. Why don't you invite him over for BBQ on one of those weekends? (If you feel like investing your personal time in that matter)
It can be very hard to get to know new people when working in another country, especially if you are a little shy.
If you get along ...
289
Most people have some sort of commitment that they have to attend after work. These could be making the carpool/train everyday, picking up the kids, or a once a week activity. There is nothing unprofessional about using an alarm reminding you that you need to dash.
This isn't the case of somebody watching the clock, this is making sure that you don't miss ...
257
You should just ask your manager what you should do, as how to specifically bill your time will depend on your company policy.
Of course, you should get paid for this time. You're at work, updating a system that is required for your work. There were probably security updates, for example, that would likely be required by your IT security policies. You weren'...
255
How do I get her to understand that her attendance is critical but at the same time try to cater to her being a single mother?
I think what you need to do is make them understand that her attendance on time is not critical since she does a great job (and is a single parent). Change the policy maybe?
I also don't like how her attendance reflects on my ...
241
I would focus on her productivity, not her individual actions.
If her productivity is reasonable, then let it go. It's her process of getting more done at other times.
If her productivity is low, whether you think it is a result of her chatting or not, address that directly. Have a talk with her about her lower than expected productivity, what is holding ...
236
It sounds like saying anything will be a career limiting move at this place, but that may not be a bad thing. Many companies may ask for occasional overtime to get past short-term deadlines, but it's clear that here a 60+ hour week is considered normal and expected of you. It is bad enough that you're not being paid for that level of effort (and "it's a ...
222
Isn't the real problem here that they are asking to have work meetings, outside of work hours? We have daily scrums slightly after the day starts so that people can get drinks/etc. and then do the meeting and focus on their day. I would argue that, given the meetings are for work, they should arrange them at the start of the work day and not before.
Also ...
205
How do I get her to understand that her attendance is critical but at
the same time try to cater to her being a single mother? I think this
is a tough question because everything I think of comes back to her
answer of "...well I'd love to come in earlier but I have kids...and
I'm a single mom."
First you have to be clear in your own mind how ...
200
So what's the solution? In the evenings I always feel like I have to
decide between losing part of my personal evening time, vs being seen
as a slacker
Unfortunately, there are no simple answers here. "Whenever your work is done" almost certainly means "Whenever you deem it appropriate", since most software developers don't measure their work on a daily ...
194
That should be easy. Open up a new account to use at work and tell your boss that having your private account open at work reduces your productivity because of the private messages that your friends are sending to your personal account. Give him your new account name to chat with you while you are at work.
183
There's a Difference Between "Team Player" and "Sucker"
You definitely shouldn't "feel obligated".
You could be a nice team-player and agree to do some occasional extra work (as you did), under some specific circumstances. But you should never let that become a habit.
Circumstances Matter
Follow the "Man with the Plan". Beware of the Prophet.
Personally,...
162
You can make an impact programming and learning outside of your paid work.
There are many open source projects out there that are looking for talented individuals to help out.
Find something that resonates with you - something you believe in. Possibly something that you will learn from (a different language, framework or area of programming than in your ...
158
The main question is why they (or anyone) should be in the office at 9:30. Do you (or the customer) need to contact the developers in the morning?
Fixed schedules are mostly to make sure that people can be contacted or can meet each other and so closed groups only need to find a time that works for them.
I also don't think they have fewer constraints. ...
155
I myself rely on public transport to get to work. I've taken several steps to mitigate the issues, hopefully they will help.
Talked to my boss about the situation and worked with him to find a solution that worked. This was motivated primarily because last time I moved, I ended up on a less reliable bus line.
I arrive at work 15-20 minutes before my shift ...
153
Different companies have different rules and different levels of tolerance on this.
Companies who want you on the dot of your start, usually want you to be in, have had your chat with colleagues, made your coffee etc and BE READY to start work at your time (e.g. 9 am) which is why they are pushing you for 8:45. Although you signed in for 9, you probably ...
answered Jun 10 '15 at 9:51
The Wandering Dev Manager
33.1k11 gold badges66 silver badges119 bronze badges
153
If I understand your question properly, this comes down to a matter of Fairness and Responsibility.
Fairness
"Everyone should work the same hours otherwise it isn't fair."
By saying this, you are basing your happiness and satisfaction upon the actions of others. Bad news: you will never be happy or satisfied.
Someone wiser than me once told me to look ...
141
Nonetheless, is it even appropriate to take a break while my coworkers
go downstairs to grab a hot drink?
Take a break when you need one. Otherwise keep working.
If you want to use your phone during your break, go downstairs (or at least away from your desk) and then use your phone.
135
You amend the printed document in your own handwriting. You initial the parts you amended. You sign the amended copy. You keep a copy for your own records.
Next: If you're really worried, you should get your own copy dated and notarized privately (your company doesn't need to know about that part).
There was no need to tell your manager about any of this. ...
134
As pointed by others, the smell is indeed unpleasant. The level of unpleasantness will vary, for example some people with asthma may experience strong discomfort.
Anyway, in the interest of good workplace relationships, I'll just tell you to buy a vape. I switched from tobacco cigarettes to vaping, and after a few days of adjustment, it is a perfect ...
118
So me and S - who is also overloaded - have little time in common to
discuss technical issues.
How to convince S that I really don't like staying after-hours because
he comes late - without going to M complaining about that - in a
moderate way?
By your own account, you have at least 3.5 hours (and usually more) to discuss technical issues.
...
117
Should I tell him I'll quit or just do it without giving an
explanation?
Don't bother.
Threatening to quit is extremely unlikely to cause the company to abandon the fingerprint scanner. And you were thinking of quitting anyway. Finally, you indicated that you don't want to get into a discussion about the issue anyway.
Just find a new job, give your notice, ...
113
There's a very simple way of conveying that you have an appointment:
Hey boss, I often have appointments scheduled for 6 PM. It takes me about an hour to get to them, and so I'd really like to take advantage of our flex time policy to come in 10 minutes early, and leave at around 4:50, such that I make it on time. Could we talk about it?
If you don't ...
105
Do you have a good rapport with your boss? Do you think your boss is normally reasonable and fair? If so, then you could go to her and ask why this is an issue.
Hey boss, I come in early on Mondays, usually stay later than 5, start working when I get to work, and take less breaks than others. And yet, the 3-6 minutes I am late to work on some days ...
103
For your case, don't bother. Better to leave on good terms and get a reference. It sounds like it's not a good place to work, and you're better off finding a better job.
As an aside:
Nighfillers at a retail store I worked took exception to a finger print scanner.
They tried all sorts of ways to get it removed, including complaining that it was sticky and ...
102
If you're not being paid for these "off hours" meetings, that needs to stop immediately.
Unless your support team is supporting things that are literally life-and-death situations (in which case, these "off hours" meetings wouldn't be happening because you'd have to be staffed 24/7), the organization can sustain an hour every few weeks for an all-hands ...
97
Conversely I would ask:
Is it ethical for a company that thrives on the 'work' or support of a community, not to give something back?
Can a company call on ethics to forbid you from participating in this case?
I think not.
They can forbid you from drawing on outside resources of course. Or shun everything community-backed altogether. But only picking ...
94
It's perfectly natural to struggle to concentrate on something which is not mentally stimulating to you. To answer your question - no, you're certainly not the only person who struggles with this.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution, you just need to find something which works for you. One thing worth considering is the Pomodoro Technique. This basically ...
90
Based on what you tell us, it seems that those jobs that expect you to code for several hours straight may be related to the Software Engineering area of CS (although 8 hours straight sounds a bit exaggerated IMHO).
Those kind of jobs are more code-intensive: a project is designed, tasks divided and assigned, and then it's "just" a matter of coding and ...
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