You want me to work my exact contract hours? You got it, boss.
I saw a post here about a manager who used a stupid new rule, and it reminded me of a situation with a power-tripping manager I dealt with a few years ago. I wasn't her direct report, which made the whole thing even more infuriating.
I worked in the Operations Support department, and my actual manager was a great guy. He was laid-back and didn't micromanage our hours as long as we completed our weekly hours and got our work done. I was an early bird, and I used to get to work around 7:45 AM, even though my shift was supposed to start at 8:30. I'd make a cup of coffee, chat with a few people, and then start working at my own pace around 8:20, still 10 minutes early.
My official clock-out time was 5:00 PM, but it was flexible. Sometimes I'd stay until 5:15 to finish something, and other days I might sneak out at 4:30. By the end of the week, the hours would balance out, and it was never an issue.
Anyway, my great manager went on long-term medical leave. The person who took over our team was a temporary manager who knew nothing about our work. For some reason, she had it out for us from day one. It was clear she despised our entire department.
It didn't take long for her to notice my 'strange' hours. She called me into her office and gave me a long lecture about how I was 'exploiting the company's flexibility' and setting a bad example for my colleagues. She was determined to 'whip us into shape'.
I tried to explain my system to her, but she cut me off and said, 'This isn't a discussion, it's an order.' So I asked her bluntly, 'What exactly do you want me to do?' She replied, 'From now on, you will work your exact contract hours. Not a minute more, not a minute less.' Just to be perfectly clear, I asked, 'So you want me to clock in at 8:30 on the dot and clock out at 5:00 on the dot?' She gave me a look like I was an idiot and said, 'It's not complicated. Your timesheet must match your contract to the letter.' Roger that.
The next morning, I arrived at my usual time but sat in the breakroom until 8:29. I then went to the time clock and clocked in at exactly 8:30:00. I worked my day as usual, and at 4:59, I was standing by the time clock waiting to clock out the second it hit 5:00. I can be very petty when dealing with bullies and power-trippers. And I knew this move would eventually drive her crazy.
Oh, but it gets better.
My colleagues caught on quickly. Within two days, the entire team, all 12 of us, were doing the same thing. Every day, we'd all gather by the time clock at 8:29 AM and 4:59 PM.
The AH manager didn't notice for about a week. Then she scheduled a mandatory meeting about a 'work improvement initiative' or something at 4:30 PM. Five of my team members were there. Right in the middle of her speech, the clock hit 4:55. The five of us stood up, told her 'We have to go,' and walked out. We grabbed our jackets and bags and ran to the time clock. We all clocked out at exactly 5:00, while she was probably still standing there with her mouth wide open in shock.
The next morning, she sent a meeting invitation for 5:00 PM. Every single person on my team declined it. She followed up with a seething email threatening 'disciplinary action for insubordination'.
We took that entire email chain and forwarded it straight to HR, requesting a meeting. The HR representative listened to the whole story, her eyes getting wider and wider with every word. When we finished, she gave a little laugh, shook her head, and said, 'Alright. Leave this with me.'
We went back to our desks, and as a group, we all clocked out at exactly 5:00.
The next day, the AH manager had vanished. We got an email from HR asking us to stop by their office at 3 PM. They told us that the temporary manager would no longer be responsible for our department. In fact, she no longer worked for the company at all, because her 'management style was not aligned with the company culture'.
The rumors that circulated said she had a history of similar issues with other teams and that this was her last chance. We all went back to our old system and flexible hours. When our original manager returned from her leave, we told her the whole story. She laughed and said, 'I've trained you well!'