r/Accounting • u/sirnibs3 Staff Accountant • Aug 09 '21
Asked to work 9-6 permanently Advice
I’ll try to keep this short, I’m a young staff accountant at a pretty easy industry job. My director was asked by the cfo and president to have at least one accountant in office til 6pm despite everyone working 9 to 5:30 at the absolute latest. I was the one asked to work 6-9 every day and was told to just take an hour lunch to make up for the extra time. I find hour lunches to be a waste of time, 30 mins is more then enough. How should I go about this, just eat the extra time and ask for a higher raise during my performance review in two months? Ask to have an extra day off a month? Ask to come in at 930, or ask to come in at 10 and work to 6:30? Any advice would be appreciated.
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u/Specialist-Orchid365 Aug 10 '21
I would ask for an extra day off every 3 weeks to make up for the time. If they say no then I would start looking for a new job.
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u/Waste_Aide3561 Aug 10 '21
It’s only 30 minutes minutes more. Just ask to come in at 9:30.
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u/LuckyNumber-Bot Aug 10 '21
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69.0. Congrats!
30 + 9 + 30 + = 69.042
2
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u/LawnNoob469 Aug 10 '21
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u/sirnibs3 Staff Accountant Aug 10 '21
We typically have morning meeting between 9-930 and I don’t want to miss those or cause the team to alter there schedule for me
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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '21
The team clearly has no problem asking you to alter your schedule for them. Obviously might not mean that much to you in the grand scheme of things, but if it'd make a difference in your quality of life please ask for it.
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u/Poastash Aug 10 '21
What's the rationale to have someone there up to 6pm?
If there's no difference which one of you stays, you can ask your boss if the person who stays can be rotated among you all.
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u/sirnibs3 Staff Accountant Aug 10 '21
We have business in a different time zone. Everyone else I work with has kids they need to pick up after school
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u/Chipsandsalsa789 Aug 10 '21
Not having kids to pick up is not a good enough reason for them to ask you to work late. If they’re singling you out to do the extra work because you’re the only one without kids that’s absolutely worth calling out when you ask for a later start time or extra days off to make up for the extra hours worked. Speaking from experience it’s a slippery slope since once you start picking up work to accommodate other people’s personal lives, it becomes the new expectation
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u/Inevitable_Draw_7493 Aug 10 '21
Please set your boundaries now - not having kids does not make this okay!! I've frequently joked that when I start a new job, I'm going to invent 3 fake kids so I can always use them as an excuse like this.
Seriously though, do NOT let this become a precedent. Make absolutely sure that you get an extra day off, etc., whatever you think is fair because you are not being treated fairly.
If you allow "because everyone else has kids" to become an issue now, I PROMISE YOU it will come up again in the future.
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u/TW-RM CPA (US) - Tax Aug 10 '21
Love the idea of inventing kids. I have two of my own but there are others on my team who always seem to have severe health/social issues with their kids. Maybe at a new job my normal, healthy (thank the FSM) kids need frequent doctor's appointments.
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u/Poastash Aug 10 '21
I would ask if you can come in later. I know you said you have a 9am staff meeting but they surely can move that to 930 or 10am to wait for you.
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u/growinglettuce Aug 10 '21
I was once in the exact situation exept i got forced to stay last minute and cancel my plans because i was the only one without children.
I left after 2 months as i clocked up way more hours for nothing
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u/FamSC2 Aug 10 '21
Lol wtf. Leave asap or tell them to fuck off, really.
Kids. Lol. Wtf kind of common sense is this.
Next will be parents, then dog, then cat, then mouse. Guaranteed.
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u/JBuhler8 Aug 10 '21
From my experience, I’m a young staff accountant in industry as well. Was hired into a mess. Had to work 50 hour weeks for 3-4 months at EOY with little training. It was terrible, but I learned a lot. Got a bonus and raise after audit finished even though I hadn’t been there a year yet. Hard work pays off. And if it doesn’t pay off to work the hours they ask, I’d take initiative and ask for additional compensation. If denied, maybe look elsewhere.
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u/81632371 Aug 10 '21
I’d hate those longer lunches also. A waste of thirty minutes of your day. First of all, they should cycle it. Even with kids, people who know ahead of time can plan. I raised two kids while working full time. I always knew when month-end was coming. It’s right there on the calendar and I planned my childcare accordingly. But if you agree, I suggest you bank it and leave early every other Friday or whatever works for you. DO NOT do it for free. They will not care or appreciate it later. Your leverage is now, now later.
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u/TheUpsetSpaghet Aug 10 '21
Honestly I don’t see how this is that big of an issue that people are telling you to quit. While it’s not ideal you’re just being asked to stay 30m longer each day which they’re compensating for with a longer break. You’re still working 40 hours, and while I love to wake up early, clock in early, and leave work early, I wouldn’t be quitting my job just over this. It’s not uncommon for employers to specify specific hours that employees must be on site.
I’d just express how much you dislike this change and tell them you’d much rather work earlier/leave earlier. Have they given you a time frame that they’d like you to work these specific hours?
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u/blarghy0 Aug 10 '21
I'd work the extra time until the next performance review and then, if they don't bring it up first, mention that you took the hit for the rest of the team, despite your inability to use the extra break time and that you feel you should be compensated for the extra time in whatever options you propose to them.
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u/TW-RM CPA (US) - Tax Aug 10 '21
There's no leverage after you've done the work. Gotta figure this out before one agrees to do the work.
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u/Klutzy-Tumbleweed-99 Aug 10 '21
Do 9-6 with the long lunch. Use that time to eat, run errands, study, gym or something productive. Then ask for the raise in 2 months for being a trooper
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u/quangtit01 B4 Audit, Staff, VN Aug 10 '21
If you see yourself working there for a while and there's someone in management who would be willing to vouch for you in future career growth, consider accepting. It could be a good thing to point out, should the discussion of your promotion ever come.
If you don't have anyone to vouch for( if you have to ask, you don't), or you don't see yourself working there for long, I'd suggest brushing up your CV.
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u/its-an-accrual-world B4 Advisory | Ex Audit National Firm Aug 09 '21
Best option is probably leave. Second best option is ask to come in later.