My manager talked to me about working 7 hours and 40 minutes a day. How should I handle this?
Hey everyone, my manager pulled me into a meeting today about my working hours, and honestly, I'm a bit shocked. He pointed out that I take a 50-minute lunch, whereas the 'standard' is 30 minutes.
I'm a data analyst, and our policy is very flexible: as long as you complete your 8 hours, arrival and departure times don't really matter. I usually get in at 8 AM and leave at 4:30 PM, which means I'm on-site for 8 and a half hours. My 50-minute lunch means I technically work 7 hours and 40 minutes, which is 20 minutes short of the full 8 hours.
The thing is, I finish all my projects well before their deadlines. I often ask for more work in the afternoon because I've completed all my tasks. Most of the team takes a full hour for lunch, but I prefer to eat and come right back so I can leave a little early. Why should I sit at my desk if my work is finished?
I'm pretty sure I know who complained. There's a colleague who has been here for years and always struggles with the new reporting software. It seems he's annoyed that I manage to finish my tasks and leave on time, while he often has to stay late. I feel this isn't really about the 20 minutes but more about him being resentful.
I'm a salaried employee, and the company gets my full output and more, and I don't get paid for any overtime. So when I finish my work, I see no logic in sitting at my desk pretending to be busy. My manager wants to 'talk again' about this tomorrow. How can I explain my perspective without sounding lazy or full of myself? This is all just unnecessary, petty office drama.
Actually, while I was scrolling on reddit, I read some helpful tips on this post, it'll help not only in interviews but in any meeting in general, will try to use them tomorrow with my manager, will update you