A demanding boss ordered his worker to come in 15 minutes early for his shift, without pay, and his texts sparked a debate about “work ethic.”
The manager sent the controversial messages to ‘The Outsourcing Expert’, Michael Sanz, who revealed last week in a video that some bosses consider arriving at the agreed start time the same as arriving late.
Before reading the text string, Sanz started the video by saying: “This one doesn’t surprise me at all.”
The exchange began when the boss asked: ‘Hello friend. You logged on at 9am this morning, any reason?
The employee responded, ‘Does my shift start at nine?’
Text messages (pictured) between a boss and an employee about unpaid work have ignited a debate over work ethics
The boss replied, “Yes, but you have to be ready to start at 9 am, which means you have to arrive at least 15 minutes early.”
Both Mr Sanz and the commenters praised the employee’s response, which said: ‘Okay, how do you want me to record that on my timesheet?’ It only allows me to start from 9 in the morning.’
“They sound very reasonable, like they want to be able to help get there early so the company believes they will be ready to go,” Mr. Sanz said.
“He sounds like a very good member of the team.”
However, the boss was less impressed by the worker’s response.
‘No way, it’s not something you get paid for. “You just need to be ready to start at 9am and not just walk in,” they wrote.
The worker replied: ‘But then I’m ready to start. I log in at 9 am and start. Has there even been any problem?
The boss responded, “Well, no, but we need everyone to arrive 15 minutes early so there’s no rush.”
The worker sent his final message, saying: ‘Once you figure out how we can check in 15 minutes early, I’ll start on that.
‘Or maybe you want me to finish 15 minutes early? Happy either way.
“I just need to make it clear if I’m getting paid for overtime or how you want to structure this so it works for everyone.”
Sanz said it has become more common for Australian bosses to require their employees to start early or finish late.
“That’s fine, but a lot of people don’t get paid for that time, so I can see the problem,” he said.
“If you have to come early or work out of shift, then you should be compensated.”
However, opinion in the comments was very divided between “old school” and “young” mentalities.
‘The time is early. Be late on time. “Old school attitude is the best,” one person wrote.
‘Outsourcing expert’ Michael Sanz (pictured) applauded the worker for standing his ground, but recruitment expert Graham Wynn warned that not following the manager’s requests could cost employees their promotion.
‘I think you should get there at least 5 or 10 minutes before you start. “It’s just a good work ethic,” said another.
“You better never take an extra minute on your lunch break, never take a personal call during work hours, or use your phone to do any personal work,” said a third.
“If you want the job, arrive 15 minutes early,” wrote another.
Those supporting the worker argued that unpaid minutes would quickly add up to unpaid hours.
“It’s only fifteen minutes, but that’s equivalent to an unpaid hour in just four days,” said one.
“These are the same type of employers that make sure breaks are down to the second,” said another.
“The pay and cost of living are not on par and there is no incentive for me to spend my free time or do more than what my contract requires,” wrote another.
While Sanz applauded the worker for standing his ground, recruiting expert Graham Wynn warned that not following managers’ requests could cost employees their promotion.
“If you always arrive at the start time and leave exactly at the end time, you will most likely be overlooked for promotions, etc.,” he said. Yahoo Finance.
“Employers are always looking to reward those who put in a little extra effort.”