https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 17 May 2026 23:46:09 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192513 Thu, 28 May 2015 18:18:37 +0000 Mama Bird 2192513@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>That was me a couple of years ago. We have billable hours, and I put in my 40+ every week, but mostly at really odd hours - nights, weekends, whatever worked. I still dealt with all the client emergencies as soon as they happened, but I'm sure it looked like I was slacking to people I didn't work with directly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192512 Thu, 28 May 2015 18:17:39 +0000 autumnlove 2192512@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I worked with two longtime abusers but they got fired or laid off earlier this year. They were not parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192510 Thu, 28 May 2015 18:16:38 +0000 Truth Bombs 2192510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I can think of two people in my office who seem to be out all the time because of stuff with the kids. But one gets her shit done, so I really don't care. The other one is a total slacker and other people have to cover her. I'm much more interested in the work getting done than face time in the office/hours clocked. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192500 Thu, 28 May 2015 18:11:48 +0000 clover 2192500@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are some people who take advantage but its not necessarily the parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192480 Thu, 28 May 2015 18:00:09 +0000 winter_wonder 2192480@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>There are two people who come to mind. I feel like they're never at work! If they are, it's for very short periods of time. </p> <p>One thing that drives me bonkers is that this one guy will frequently call in for meetings and you can hear his kids crying, talking, etc. In background. I would be ok with this if it happened infrequently but it seems sooooo often. It's super distracting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192426 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:50:46 +0000 mrscobee 2192426@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have lots of people who do this (including myself, and I'm not a parent quite yet, will be in September), but people generally stay out of each other's business, and as long as people are getting their work done, it's fine. Your work and schedule is between you and your boss. I plan to continue to use this flexibility when I'm a parent, but again, my boss knows whether I'm getting my work done and the value I bring to the company, so in general, I'm not worried how it is perceived, and I try not to judge whether others are / are not slacking. If I'm not directly reviewing someone's work, I can't really say whether they are worth their pay, etc.</p> <p>To me, in this day and age, it is less about whether you regularly come in late, and more about the value you bring to the company and whether you are overall responsible with getting your work done and producing quality work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192424 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:50:03 +0000 TemperanceBrennan 2192424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We have to be billable and submit our hours every two weeks, so I try not to get too worked up about how much time people spend in the office. I figure they have to answer for their work/changeability goals and if they aren't getting it done, our boss will know.</p> <p>I do think that in my office parents are granted flex-time hours more easily than non-parents. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192415 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:41:50 +0000 simplyfelicity 2192415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Since we have contractual hours, that doesn't happen. That doesn't mean people don't slack off in their classrooms, of course, but there isn't much to take advantage of. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192411 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:38:05 +0000 josina 2192411@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We actually don't have the option to work-from-home because my boss didn't want people taking advantage, so if we have a sick baby we have to use PTO.<br /> A past 'purchasing manager' used to bring her kids to work whenever they were sick and let them run around and do whatever they wanted (in a warehouse that was so not safe, not to mention they were messing with computers). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192409 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:37:37 +0000 MsMini 2192409@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am a NICU nurse, so we don't have the ability to come in late/leave early/work from home etc, but I did work a ton more overtime, stayed extra more often before we had kids. I am just way too tired to work 60+ hours a week anymore, and I would rather be home with my kids than work OT most of the time. The nurses that are younger/childless etc definitely end up pulling a bit more weight. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192405 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:31:26 +0000 Corduroy 2192405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think there are always going to be some people that slack, parents or not. I don't see a disproportionate amount of slacking from parents in my office. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192385 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:18:06 +0000 hotchildinthecity 2192385@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We've had several instances of this at my job. One person would come in late, leave early, call in sick constantly, work from home all the time, etc. and the excuse was always "the kids." Those of us without kids started feeling really discouraged because it seemed like he was getting different treatment.</p> <p>Currently there's a mom who stays on the phone ALL DAY LONG talking to her husband, who is a SAHD, making appointments, ordering things for her kid, etc. It's incredibly annoying. She also always gets out of early morning meetings "because of her kid" but her husband stays at home, soooo....?</p> <p>So I've felt the backlash as kid-free and with kids. Because since some people take advantage, people think that parents don't work as hard, or will use their kids to get out of anything. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192382 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:15:39 +0000 wonderstruck 2192382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At my job you couldn't get away with this - you had a scheduled time, and if you clocked in or out before then without permission it was an issue and you'd be hearing about it. Different kind of job though, obviously. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/coworkers-abusing-workplace-flexibility#post-2192376 Thu, 28 May 2015 16:12:52 +0000 mrbee 2192376@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Someone mentioned in a recent thread that a few working parents at their office are taking (too much) advantage of workplace flexibility offered by the company. This is definitely something I've seen before - for some parents, coming late, leaving early and "working from home" are the rule rather than the exception.</p> <p>This bugs me because people get upset with the working parents who take advantage, and there's often a backlash against that affects all the other working parents too!</p> <p>Do you have any coworkers that regularly come in late, leave early and don't always get their work done? Wondering how widespread this issue is, or if it's just a few bad seeds here and there. </p>