I go to work to work and then go home. I calculate how much time my commute needs so I can maximize my free time and don’t waste time at the workplace before the shift begins. I don’t owe my employer any unpaid time.
I’m the only one who thinks like this: my coworkers are full in the “we are a family” vibe and some of them come 30 minutes before the shift begins, what to me is an extremely idiotic idea. Why being at the workplace more time than needed?
This is nursing and I need to hear report before working. Our second shift begins at 12:35 but some coworkers want to start it at 12:30, even to the point of giving report without me, which is fine as long as they give me report about my patients. Each of us has, theoretically, 3 minutes to change into scrubs, but this is also ignored. They expect me to be at 12:30 fully dressed and seated, ready for report. Union says 12:30 is the time I enter my unit and change into scrubs, so I start at 12:35. My coworkers simply don’t want to hear that shift begins at the hour it begins, the manager is passive.
Our union is very conflict avoidant.
I’m not the kind of person who does things like expected just because that’s how it’s always been done but if I question why I get yelled at. I like following the book because otherwise the manager’s favorites get away working less and blabbing more.
I don’t know if this is one of those situations where I should pick my battles and let it go. I feel they steal my free time.
And the union doesn’t care as much as I do.
I agree, but I really don’t think complying will be advantageous to OP either. Not only do they get less prep time out of it, it’s also removing from the benefits given by the contract.
There’s also a chance that if they’re firm on their action and make it clear they are going to follow the contract, the people running the meeting may stop doing it early days they work, as they need to recap the entire thing once they are on the clock anyway.
Regardless I don’t think OP should let it get to them, my old work was that way, everyone was expected to clock in early and work late, I stood firm and even made some comments on how I habe a life outside of work and I follow my shift, they eventually left me alone.
There’s no winning if you cave and just follow the mantra all you do is come out with less. Regardless of what the rest of the workers think.