Is finishing early on a Friday an outdated perk?
Discussion
I took over a small department where often we did not quite complete all the tasks on a Friday so one or two seemed to hang over until Monday. On the advice of my sergeant, I allowed all but one of the staff to go home at 3pm on a Friday (instead of 4.45) as long as all the work was up to date.
We never had work running over to the Monday.
Further, I had to do some of the work the staff would normally do: answering the phone, sorting out last minute problems. It meant I saw some of the bottlenecks in real time. More importantly from my point of view I realised that other departments were putting their work onto mine. It was fun telling them that it wasn't my problem.
Within a few months we could extend the finish time to 2pm and then later we let two go at midday and another two at 2pm, after working through their lunch. It was a win/win. Sometimes I let the remaining staff member go early as well. This gave me time to talk to my sergeant on a one to one without having to take him out of the office.
The staff believed I was giving them something for nothing. The only problem I had was a certain resentment when the workload occasionally meant that they had to stay beyond the by then normal finish time. This despite them not having to work beyond 3pm. And odd response and one I had difficulty accepting. My sergeant used to ask if he could tell the staff they'd be staying as my way used to upset them.
I did in again, although not quite so generously, in the next department I ran and it worked a treat. I recommend it as a management tool.
We never had work running over to the Monday.
Further, I had to do some of the work the staff would normally do: answering the phone, sorting out last minute problems. It meant I saw some of the bottlenecks in real time. More importantly from my point of view I realised that other departments were putting their work onto mine. It was fun telling them that it wasn't my problem.
Within a few months we could extend the finish time to 2pm and then later we let two go at midday and another two at 2pm, after working through their lunch. It was a win/win. Sometimes I let the remaining staff member go early as well. This gave me time to talk to my sergeant on a one to one without having to take him out of the office.
The staff believed I was giving them something for nothing. The only problem I had was a certain resentment when the workload occasionally meant that they had to stay beyond the by then normal finish time. This despite them not having to work beyond 3pm. And odd response and one I had difficulty accepting. My sergeant used to ask if he could tell the staff they'd be staying as my way used to upset them.
I did in again, although not quite so generously, in the next department I ran and it worked a treat. I recommend it as a management tool.
davepoth said:
I worked in a place where we did 8:30 - 5, but then that was changed to 8:30 to 3:45 on a Friday with 15 minutes less for lunch to cover for it. Great for everyone apart from me because I often had to talk to the west coast of the USA on a Friday so I had to work until 5, so everyone else got an hour off work and I got an hour of unpaid overtime. 
so take your 15min each lunchtime, and explain the reason why to your managerSome of us go home early and others sit around the office. The strangest thing is that those who work longer hours and those of us that pretend to be part time get comparable results. I have no idea what exactly it is they do when I leave 
.
The ideal I aspire to is to get organised and work efficiently for the minimum duration of time needed to make people happy (the German work philosophy?). Nor have I ever understood the type of people that work all hours, often performing a thankless job for not a lot of money...so in a few or many years they will be promoted to work even longer hours overseeing people still performing a thankless task for very slightly better money.
.The ideal I aspire to is to get organised and work efficiently for the minimum duration of time needed to make people happy (the German work philosophy?). Nor have I ever understood the type of people that work all hours, often performing a thankless job for not a lot of money...so in a few or many years they will be promoted to work even longer hours overseeing people still performing a thankless task for very slightly better money.
JonnyFive said:
We work 8-6pm Monday > Friday.. Why would you have one day thats shorter than the others?
Not saying I'd turn it down if it was offered to me
We work less hours on a tuesday as it's always a quiet day, we then work longer thurs/fri to make up the time .Not saying I'd turn it down if it was offered to me
You don't want your staff on 9-5 every day if there's nothing for them to do.
Used to have POETS day when I was in manufacturing (office side) many years ago. Mon-Thurs 8-4.30pm with 30 min lunch, Fri 8-1pm. As long as the weeks hours were fulfilled, necessary work completed and some cover for phones etc it was fine.
Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
Migsy said:
Used to have POETS day when I was in manufacturing (office side) many years ago. Mon-Thurs 8-4.30pm with 30 min lunch, Fri 8-1pm. As long as the weeks hours were fulfilled, necessary work completed and some cover for phones etc it was fine.
Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
Did staff have to give notice if they were going go for the late start monday option? I've just got visions of having no staff and loads of work on mondays.Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
Pints said:
Very much this. I work to the job, not to the clock.
Ditto.I had mates who couldn't understand that way of working as they loved the extra hour or two off on a Friday. They also tended to be the ones who couldn't comprehend what some people get paid (as in larger amounts than they were getting despite being "similarly" skilled).
turbobloke said:
Do some work remotely that can be done remotely? Just asking...
I can and do frequently work from home. My point is that with many jobs there's no point working until the job is completed as the completion never happens. There's always one more email that comes in, or one more project task to complete, or one more document to review.Better in my view to work fast and effectively for 8 hours and then bugger off home than dick about in the office for 10 or more. In reality one tends not to accomplish any more, and frequently the quality suffers anyway. I'm always amused by the so-called 'hard workers' in my current client's offices, they make a great show of staying in the office until 7 or 8pm. But when I arrive at 7:15 in the morning there's no-one around, they don't turn up until 9:30 and seem to spend the first hour popping out to Starbucks for coffee and discussing last night's football.
Gaspode said:
I can and do frequently work from home. My point is that with many jobs there's no point working until the job is completed as the completion never happens.
So true, the Forth Bridge syndrome. However we need a new myth as the bridge won't need re-painting until 2031 allegedly.Gaspode said:
I'm always amused by the so-called 'hard workers' in my current client's offices, they make a great show of staying in the office until 7 or 8pm. But when I arrive at 7:15 in the morning there's no-one around, they don't turn up until 9:30 and seem to spend the first hour popping out to Starbucks for coffee and discussing last night's football.
The joy of permies/staffers...Eric Mc said:
Never been a factor in my working life. And now that I work for myself, I still don't particularly mark out Friday to be any different to any other working day.
Ditto. I have worked in both the public and private sectors and have never had an early finish on Fridays.Now that I'm self employed and mainly working from home, what day of the week it is makes no difference at all. Some days I have no work at all, other days a 14-hour stint, and anything in between.
rs1952 said:
Eric Mc said:
Never been a factor in my working life. And now that I work for myself, I still don't particularly mark out Friday to be any different to any other working day.
Ditto. I have worked in both the public and private sectors and have never had an early finish on Fridays.Now that I'm self employed and mainly working from home, what day of the week it is makes no difference at all. Some days I have no work at all, other days a 14-hour stint, and anything in between.
egor110 said:
Migsy said:
Used to have POETS day when I was in manufacturing (office side) many years ago. Mon-Thurs 8-4.30pm with 30 min lunch, Fri 8-1pm. As long as the weeks hours were fulfilled, necessary work completed and some cover for phones etc it was fine.
Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
Did staff have to give notice if they were going go for the late start monday option? I've just got visions of having no staff and loads of work on mondays.Later on in Management (private sector, different industry), I brought the early finish on Fridays or late start Monday in as a tool to reduce absence. More productive staff, lower absence, better team working and much better morale. Weekly hours still had to be worked or banked to take the time off.
speedy_thrills said:
Some of us go home early and others sit around the office. The strangest thing is that those who work longer hours and those of us that pretend to be part time get comparable results. I have no idea what exactly it is they do when I leave .
The ideal I aspire to is to get organised and work efficiently for the minimum duration of time needed to make people happy (the German work philosophy?). Nor have I ever understood the type of people that work all hours, often performing a thankless job for not a lot of money...so in a few or many years they will be promoted to work even longer hours overseeing people still performing a thankless task for very slightly better money.
Yeah bit then how would you play games of one-upmanship on the internet?.The ideal I aspire to is to get organised and work efficiently for the minimum duration of time needed to make people happy (the German work philosophy?). Nor have I ever understood the type of people that work all hours, often performing a thankless job for not a lot of money...so in a few or many years they will be promoted to work even longer hours overseeing people still performing a thankless task for very slightly better money.
In theory we can leave at 12:00 on a Friday as long as we've clocked up 37 hours by that time. In reality, many of us are too busy to get away until mid afternoon, and that's despite getting to the 37 hour mark some time on Thursday afternoon. The main thing we have to be aware of is contravening the European Working Time Directive, as the company monitors it and expects us to comply (or formally opt out, which is discouraged).
However, the factory staff are usually chomping at the bit at 11:59, and there's a stampede at 12:00.
However, the factory staff are usually chomping at the bit at 11:59, and there's a stampede at 12:00.
YesItsAVW said:
We don't have "dress down" days, but the women can wear what they like all week.
My previous office in summer the men are all there in suits and ties. In a morning meeting on an especially hot day I am sitting there with jacket on chair and tie on table in front of me. Director tells me to put my tie on at work. As she is saying this female broker enters in see through summer dress, no bra and high heel mules..not a word said. Quite glad I no longer work for the company for the general ethos, but this wasn't one of my happier days!..Regarding finishing earlier on a Friday?..in theory yes, half an hour earlier at 4.30pm, but in reality most people at desks till gone 7 even on a Friday..that's life!..Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff