Your opinion about freetime at work

[LordRaiden]

I was talking this over with a fellow manager at lunch and we obviously have differing viewpoints on this.

My opinion: If you're at work and you're on the clock, so long as your work is done, I don't really care what you do. Go ahead and game, watch a movie, play the game cube, sleep, or whatever you want. If your work ISN'T done, then you sure as heck better be working. But so long as you've completed everything you're welcome to goof off as far as I'm concerned. If you want to do extra projects, go for it. You want to go home early with pay? Eh, I won't do it every day, but I might once or twice a week.

My fellow manager's opinion: If all of your regularly assigned work is done for the day, then there is always a project to do, data to go through, or SOMETHING to do. If you can't find anything yourself, he'll find it for you. The only other option is to go home early without pay for the hours you're not at work on the clock (salaried employees excluded of course). So in short, when at work you either work or go home. No other options.

Which one do you think is the better choice? Do you think I'm right, he's right, or we're both right to a degree?

 

[ggavinmoss]

The truth lies somewhere in the middle, as usual.

-geoff

 

[waylman]

Originally posted by: ggavinmoss
The truth lies somewhere in the middle, as usual.

-geoff

yeah, seconded. You can't let everyone do anything they want, b/c they'll just abuse it. But, if you don't give them any leeway (sp?) they'll end up hating mgt. and quitting.

 

[kalster]

i think as long as you get the job done its cool
i would as much do as game or watch a movie
but i guess a bit of surfing when ur free or bored of coding (as in my case) or posting on ATOT is fine lol

 

[LordRaiden]

Originally posted by: kalster
i think as long as you get the job done its cool
i would as much do as game or watch a movie
but i guess a bit of surfing when ur free or bored of coding (as in my case) or posting on ATOT is fine lol

Yeah, I don't mind people taking breaks as long as they don't abuse it.

 

[gopunk]

i think it really depends on your job description.... if it says something like "process forms" and all teh forms are are done, then do whatever you want. but if it's something open ended like "improve some system", then you can always be doing more.

 

[DainBramaged]

I think that your boss is closer to the truth. There is ALWAYS something to do. I don't know anybody who TRULY dosen't have anything to do. I sit around the shop a lot towards the end of the week, but I make my own projects to do. If nothing else, I sweep. Hey, if they want me to be the highest paid janitor around, thats okay with me. Most people (not necessesarily you) just don't want to do anything but what is EXACTLY specified to them.

 

[kalster]

i think people in comp kidna jobs can always try and read and learn more
when i am free i usually go thur some interesting usenet group on c++ or java or watever, something informative

rather than i donno seeing porn lol, this dude at my company got fired for wathcing infact not just watching porn, hosting some kinda small porn site form his workstation,
wtf hehe

 

[LordRaiden]

Originally posted by: DainBramaged
I think that your boss is closer to the truth. There is ALWAYS something to do. I don't know anybody who TRULY dosen't have anything to do. I sit around the shop a lot towards the end of the week, but I make my own projects to do. If nothing else, I sweep. Hey, if they want me to be the highest paid janitor around, thats okay with me. Most people (not necessesarily you) just don't want to do anything but what is EXACTLY specified to them.

True. I'm sure that if you really wanted to, you could ALWAYS find something to do, which most people would rather do than be bored silly. Things like finding things that should be looked at before they become a problem. Maybe calling back customers. I'm not saying that you don't have to do that, but I give people the option to either do that themselves or if they want to chill out, you're free to do that too.

Tim (the guy I had this conversation with) believes that idle hands are bad for a business and believes that if you have freetime he has a project for you, or that you should always be busy. I can understand that belief but at the same time if you're a hard worker and you've actually completed your work well ahead of the time allotted, then why shouldn't you have freedom to go and chill out if you want?

 

[Blindman]

Really intresting question . . . I guess my opinion sort of counts dosnt it?

I think it really depends on what kind of manager you have and what kind of employee you have.

For me I am those that would love to not do anything. I mean I hate the mundate paper work and pointless part of my job. I mean if a network is down or something deemed mission critcal is off the wall then I'll be here untill its fixed. But I avoid or delay the pointless paper trails I should work on.

The fact is there is always something you can contribute in the work place but then again I also know I am here just for the fact to fix computers. I have a cubical but I dont sit there. I go into the back room and work on my own things as long as nobody's computer is having problems. Yea I have a ton and I do mean literally a ton of paper work to file or push thorugh but seriously noone is getting hurt because the paper work is on hold. Heck nobody truly cares. I have a deadline to do those and as long as I am done by the deadline then its ok. Heck I will work even weekends just to get those paper done in the end but for now I keep pileing them on.

To be honest I think my manger dont care because he knows in the end I would give him a perfect pile of docuemts.

On the other hand, I have tried to quit three times so if they say anything I'll probbly walk.

Acutally my manager received a transfer notice today. Look like he is going to sigapore on the next assigment. I was contemplating quiting again, the reason I even stayed this long was because I felt obligated to stay cause my manager was very supportive during my breakup with my gf. Now that my manger is leaving, its a sign for me to go back to school full time to complete my degree.

But yes I do make the most of it at work. Yesterday I took the whole day at work to study my mid-term ahahha. So yea the question would be if you are a manger would you have fired me earlier?