Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...

mkrupar

I was walking to the train station last night and happened to hear this snippet of conversation,

"...so she says to me that while she understands I have a baby at home, I have been missing too much work because he's been sick. She said I should plan better because my being out affects the rest of the team members..."

Then she giggled like she thought what her boss (I assume, because remember I only heard this bit) was saying was wrong or completely unbelievable.

I ask the mothers, and the non-mothers on E:

Do you work with someone who constantly misses work for kid related things?

How much does it bother you and how much does it affect your (or your whole team's) workload?

Do you think there needs to be a limit on how much is missed, regardless of whether or not they have the time off available in the bank, so to speak?

I understand that you can't really plan for a child getting sick, but the snippet got me wondering how much this really affects people and bothers them if a coworker is constantly out because little johnny or little suzie have the sniffles again.

This is a total P&R because I'm starving and must eat lunch.

dumdumfroggie

I have worked with people like this before.  I do think that if the kid is sick, then the parent needs to be approved for FMLA...unless they have PTO or something that they are able to take for it.

laurenclaire1386

When I was working, it always ended up that if someone had to stay late for something it was always me because everyone else had kid obligations. It pissed me off. I might not have a kid, but I have a life that is every bit as important as any of my coworkers. I felt like I got penalized for not having a kid because I ended up working longer hours. I'm not saying I think that there should be no leeway. Shiiit you don't plan on happens anyway. For instance, though, if your kid is too irresponsible to spend 2 hours alone so you have to go pick him up from the bus stop so you get off at 4:00 every day and I stay til 6, you can kiss my rosy red ass. 

SB1512

I honestly think it depends on the kind of sick.  I remember as a kid when I had chicken pox, my mom or dad was home with me until I was better.  But for colds or even a mild fever, my mom would def hire a babysitter to watch me so she could go to work.  Maybe it was because her job was 10 minutes from our home and should there be an emergency she was close to home and our doctor's office.  And obviously if a parent is dealing with a more serious child illness they should be on FMLA. And not work related, but in one of my grad classes we had a gorup project that required outside meetings and one group member would always miss our meetings because "her kid was sick."  We had to pick up her slack but we def made our professor aware of her lack of participation. 

Mrs.B6302007

I managed to be out only 3 days this entire school year for Baby Bee.  1st time was in December when and I *almost* made it the rest of the year but then we all got the stomach bug so I was out 2 more days (I was sick, too) in May.  Now, I'm grateful to have a husband in the picture as well as my folks who were able to help out in order to limit the number of days I had to take and I realize not everyone has that same support.  However, 3-4 days a month is ridiculous.  If your child is that ill, there must be something wrong.

ErinG93

Do you work with someone who constantly misses work for kid related things?

I do. I work for a really flexible company and there are a lot of people who do this. They do use their PTO or make up their time later, though. The woman I share an office with is in and out pretty often because her kids have doctor appointments, plays, recitals, games, etc. She seems to always get her work done.

How much does it bother you and how much does it affect your (or your whole team's) workload?

It hasn't affected my work load, but our jobs don't require anything from each other.

Do you think there needs to be a limit on how much is missed, regardless of whether or not they have the time off available in the bank, so to speak?

Nope. I think as long as the person leaving is giving proper notice and not leaving co-workers hanging, it's fine. I would hope that the people taking 'kid time' off work are making arrangements and being responsible about things.

SB1512

I haven't work with people like this, but I did have an issue with a classmate in one of my grad classes.  We had a group project (assigned groups, ugh) that required outside meetings and she was always skipping becauser "her kid was sick".  We had to pick up her slack and we def made our professor aware of her lack of effort.  I really think it depends on the illness you're dealing with.  I remember as a child when I had chicken pox my mom or dad was home with me until I was better.  But for colds, or mild fevers, or even strep throat or an ear infection (once I was on medicine and not contagious) my mom would get a sitter so she could go to work.  Maybe that was because she worked 15 minutes from our home so she could come home quickly if there was an issue, but she made sure exploit her kids being sick for a day off.

aurianna

I don't know about every company, but we get sickleave here. Like 12 or 14 days a year. If your kid is sick, you take a day of sick leave.
If you run out of sick leave and you or kid gets sick again, you use vacation days.
If you run out of vacation days, you take off the time you need, but then work extra the rest of the pay period to make up the hours.
If you or a child is sick for a long time and you have no more paid time off / can't flex, you take short-term disability for 70% of the pay. If that isn't an option, maybe once or twice our manager will authorize a very short Time off With Pay.

After a while though it has to become time off without pay. If a lot of that is needed, unfortunately performance reviews will go down (though not until that point), and if there's ever a round of layoffs, you might be higher on the list.

But that's just the way it works here.

EDIT:
Assuming the parent is going through the proper procedure, it's hard to resent them too much. Yes, we have to pick up their work, but we get compensated for overtime. So in my particular situation, I think a parent should be with their child. I know it isn't the same in everyone's work situation, however.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

I am working with someone like this right now, and similar to LTB and LC, I am always the one left holding the bag. I try not to let it bother me too much, because I was in a similar situation a few years ago and it was so extraordinarily draining. Sometimes though, I just want to stand up and scream "HOW COME NOBODY DOES ANYTHING?!"

Having Vacation time and PTO is great, but in most cases is supposed to be scheduled well in advance of your day off. There is nothing I hate more than coming in and finding out that so and so is out -- AGAIN!!! -- at the last minute. Last week she took her son to his two year old check up... was supposed to come in before, leave for the appt, then come back. Didn't come in before, said she would be in around 11, and no one heard from her for the rest of the day. Yet, she is still employed. People play the kid card way too easily, IMO, and it works every time because no one wants to be the douche that says no to a parent with a sick kid. I agree that sometimes you need to go be a parent obviously, but unless there are extenuating circumstances, sometimes you need to bite the bullet and plan your time better. There need to be limits to the kindness, because those of us who are child free end up with the short end of the stick every. single. time.

[Deleted User]

Thankfully, none of the people I currently work with are like this, but I have in the past. Needless to say, I find that sort of thing very bothersome. Particularly when parents are afforded more leeway/time off by management than non-parents. That sort of thing does happen and it's discrimination.

LDYGTR13

Do you work with someone who constantly misses work for kid related things?

Eff, yes I do. On both sides. One is my boss and the other is my good friend who's job doesn't have much effect on me other than our owner knows we're friends and will question me about if the baby is actually sick.

How much does it bother you and how much does it affect your (or your whole team's) workload?

My boss not being here actually affects me a lot. A LOT a lot. I'm not allowed to make a lot of decisions (control freak), so many times, I have to tell people they'll have to wait until my boss comes in for their answer. My friend - it doesn't affect my work load at all. 

It bothers me when my boss doesn't try to schedule her appointments for the beginning or end of the day. I realize those are the most sought after times, but pulling your kid out at noon from school to take him to a doctor's appt and then not taking him back the rest of the day is bad parenting to me. My mom always did my appointments for after school if she could help it, so I didn't miss school.

I also understand the need/want to go to your child' school activities/plays/whatever. I don't understand having to go to all of them and be hours late to work each time. Your kid does not need you to come see them make their 5 minute science fair presentation or do a speech in her speech class. Sure, if you're never out, go for it, but if you're out WEEKLY because of something going on with your kids, I think that's overboard. 

Do you think there needs to be a limit on how much is missed, regardless of whether or not they have the time off available in the bank, so to speak?

I dont think there needs to be a limit other than your sick/personal time, that's yours to use as you see fit. However, I think, at my company at least, there needs to be more regulation about "working from home." If you're napping with your kid and not answering your phone, you are not working from home and should be charged sick/personal time. 

Mrs.B6302007

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:d6906c8e-0b02-425b-8b40-314058448779">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]sometimes you need to bite the bullet and plan your time better. There need to be limits to the kindness, because those of us who are child free end up with the short end of the stick every. single. time.
Posted by HappinessByTheKilowatt[/QUOTE]
Yup.  We're fortunate to have a pediatrician who has awesome hours.  They're open from  8-6:30 (well, techincally 7 but you have to be in by 6:30) and 9-12 on Saturdays.  I always make wellness appts for after work.

RamonaFlowers

At my office we have lots of mothers. There have been a couple that have been let go due to excessive absences related to their children. My company is pretty obliging when it comes to moms working around their kids ... but there comes a point where if you're not even trying to work with the company, then you just can't work for the company.

And my company really tries to make it work. There was a woman who seriously missed at least one day of work every single week for 5 straight months before they finally gave up on trying to work with her and let her go.

Snippylynn

This is a huge difference between the American mindset, and the Swedish one that I work with now.

In Sweden, anything that has to do with kids or any family obligation comes before work. Always. I have to learn how to deal with it, but it pisses me the eff off. H has someone that he works with who leaves early all.the.time. for his kids or for pretty much any other reason he thinks is legit. It drives me up the wall because H ends up doing more work to pick up the slack. No one else thinks it's wrong or bad though.

Plus, there's that whole 18 months of parental leave thing.

DreamCLG7

the giggling thing would piss me off.  i do think it is very difficult to maintain a work/life balance when you have kids.  I work FT, and i get a hard time because I have to leave on time (not early, mind you, on time) because I have to pick my kid up at daycare before they close.  I miss countless functions - mothers day brunches, plays, etc because I cannot leave and do not have any flexibility even though I have plenty of PTO.  It is constant struggle.

I get side-eyed from all of co-workers and my boss when I do have to leave (i.e, kid has a fever and I have to pick him up from daycare)

and no, if you have PTO, its yours to use. it shouldn't matter what you use the time for. why should it matter if I'm picking up suzy because of the sniffles or if I'm taking a mental health day.  i've started not explaining why I'm leaving or missing work because I get judged for it.

i've also found that women get judged far more than men do for taking time off for the kids. When a chick does it, everyone (at my work) rolls their eyes and bitches about the increased workload and she's not a team player!  When a dude does it, everyone nods and smiles and says what a great dad he must be.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:a4dd7aaf-5e61-432b-b8c1-fe4859f1eb71">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]This is a huge difference between the American mindset, and the Swedish one that I work with now. In Sweden, anything that has to do with kids or any family obligation comes before work. Always. I have to learn how to deal with it, but it pisses me the eff off. H has someone that he works with who leaves early all.the.time. for his kids or for pretty much any other reason he thinks is legit. It drives me up the wall because H ends up doing more work to pick up the slack. No one else thinks it's wrong or bad though. Plus, there's that whole 18 months of parental leave thing.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]
That's sickening.

zizibet

I used to work with someone like this. She had a daughter with asthma and had FMLA approval to be out when her daughter had an attack. Fine. We were in direct client support BTW. The problem was she'd aabuse it. She'd be having a rouigh day, then leave saying her daughter had had an attack. She'd tell coworkers she did this. When we complained, the answer was that because she invoked FMLA every time, they couldn't do anything. It was maddening.
   

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:a4dd7aaf-5e61-432b-b8c1-fe4859f1eb71">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]This is a huge difference between the American mindset, and the Swedish one that I work with now. In Sweden, anything that has to do with kids or any family obligation comes before work. Always. I have to learn how to deal with it, but it pisses me the eff off. H has someone that he works with who leaves early all.the.time. for his kids or for pretty much any other reason he thinks is legit. It drives me up the wall because H ends up doing more work to pick up the slack. No one else thinks it's wrong or bad though. Plus, there's that whole 18 months of parental leave thing.
Posted by Snippylynn[/QUOTE]

I could deal with the 18 months of parental leave just because you can plan for that. But the unexpected "See ya later, Susie's got a bake sale!" crap every week would drive me bananas.

I am all for having time for the family, but not at the expense of the people around you.

DreamCLG7

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:28bd82dd-4fb7-4770-af84-3a325d334a96">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday... : That's sickening.
Posted by daffodil_jill[/QUOTE]

before i get all fired up, what's sickening exactly?

[Deleted User]

Oh my goodness!!!

I have a co-worker with a "sick" (in quotes because all my co-workers now question exactly how "sick" this child is) child. She has FMLA for her CHILD. However, for the last 3 months my co-worker has called out of work EVERY Thursday & Friday because her child is "sick." She started calling out on Mondays & Tuesdays last week. 

Her child is NOT sick. We were on friendly terms for a few months until I discovered the disgusting person that she is, so I get information from another co-worker.  The co-worker with the "sick" child is always posting picture on FaceBook of her "sick" child playing sports, out to eat, having fun, etc on the day that she is allegedly "sick."  Also, our co-worker goes out just about every weeknight & when she does decide to show up at work, she is usually hungover.  So clearly, she is abusing the FMLA & using it to cover HER excessive absences because she would have been fired long ago if she did not have FMLA.

It definitely has brought down morale, as the rest of us don't understand how she gets away with it. Yes, FMLA is a federal law, but at some point abuse has to be seen.  I have FMLA for myself as well as my oldest son and I rarely use it. 

We also wonder how her child could possibly be promoted to the next grade at school when she is always missing so much school because she is "sick.".... The co-worker in in her mid-30s & lives at home with her parents so I can only assume that is the reason she can afford to miss at least 40 hrs every pay period....

We are ALL tired of her & her nonsense!!!

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:5e9aae31-5b9c-454d-9c6a-dd9de9242e14">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday... : before i get all fired up, what's sickening exactly?
Posted by DreamCLG7[/QUOTE]
18 months of parental leave and the overall attitude in Sweden that parents should be able to take advantage of non-parents.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:7d2435f9-f5c1-4f9b-afea-67a08de4f163">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]the giggling thing would piss me off.  i do think it is very difficult to maintain a work/life balance when you have kids.  I work FT, and i get a hard time because I have to leave on time (not early, mind you, on time) because I have to pick my kid up at daycare before they close.  I miss countless functions - mothers day brunches, plays, etc because I cannot leave and do not have any flexibility even though I have plenty of PTO.  It is constant struggle. I get side-eyed from all of co-workers and my boss when I do have to leave (i.e, kid has a fever and I have to pick him up from daycare) and no, if you have PTO, its yours to use. it shouldn't matter what you use the time for. why should it matter if I'm picking up suzy because of the sniffles or if I'm taking a mental health day.  i've started not explaining why I'm leaving or missing work because I get judged for it. i've also found that women get judged far more than men do for taking time off for the kids. When a chick does it, everyone (at my work) rolls their eyes and bitches about the increased workload and she's not a team player!  When a dude does it, everyone nods and smiles and says what a great dad he must be.
Posted by DreamCLG7[/QUOTE]


I think it matters what you use it for if you're just constantly disappearing and leaving stuff to be done by others. If you tell someone a week in advance "Oh, i'll be out on Friday, let me know if you need anything from me," it's less of a problem. But there is some courtesy and common sense involved there, which a lot of people don't have. It's less about what the time is used for and more about when it's being used.

Also, I tend to agree that women get judged more harshly for taking time off, but there is a guy here who does it (literally misses several days a WEEK) and I judge the eff out of him, if that makes you feel better.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:5e9aae31-5b9c-454d-9c6a-dd9de9242e14">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday... : before i get all fired up, what's sickening exactly?
Posted by DreamCLG7[/QUOTE]
18 months of parental leave and the overall attitude in Sweden that parents should be able to take advantage of non-parents.

[Deleted User]

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:5e9aae31-5b9c-454d-9c6a-dd9de9242e14">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday... : before i get all fired up, what's sickening exactly?
Posted by DreamCLG7[/QUOTE]
18 months of parental leave and the overall attitude in Sweden that parents should be able to take advantage of non-parents.

specialk84

Both of my parents had to take of a significant amount of time for both me and my maternal grandmother. During the same two-year span, she was nearing the end of her life and I was seriously ill. My parents split the occasions they left work, and they always tried to schedule things that could be scheduled for either the beginning or end of the work day. 

My brother drove himself to his appointments and after school activities, but I couldn't drive yet. By that time, I was unable to participate in any extracurriculars. My parents still attended all of his swim meets and volleyball games, but those were never scheduled during the work day.

Eventually, I had to be home schooled. Rather than quit either of their jobs, my parents set me up with a correspondence school over the internet. I was taught by an actual teacher, had real textbooks and assignments, and had to attend class via a webcam. 

I know both my parents were under a tremendous amount of stress, and I feel bad about that. I do know that they did everything in their power not to inconvenience anyone they worked with, since they both understood I was their responsibility and not anyone else's.

midgetthemighty

I don't work with anyone like this currently, at least in my department. There could be someone in the company but we're so large I don't know for sure. Most of the people I work with directly have grown children. They take a lot of vacation time but it's always known about far in advance and rarely makes my job load worse.

When I worked in retail it would happen sometimes but it was a two-way street. If I needed off early for something in my life, they'd work with me equally. I've been fortunate with my jobs in that regard.

As far as a limit, I think it should be based on how much sick time/PTO/vacation time you have. If you go beyond that and the child is severely ill, that's what FMLA is for. Parents should for sure not get better treatment than non-parents.

mkrupar

I was fortunate enough that my grandparents were around most of my young life, lived near us, and were able to pick us up or take care of us when we were sick so my parents wouldn't have to miss work. My dad was a teacher (until I was in HS), so he had limited days off in the school year. If he needed to take one it was usually because HE was sick, not one of us.

I agree with DJs point about "making the time up" because they're not really if their job requires a 9-5 schedule answering phones, meeting with clients, etc. Those two extra hours in the morning or evening aren't really making up the time you missed answering the phones when they ring and meeting with clients when they actually can meet.

Here's another question: Do you find that people who are salaried can get away with it more than people who are hourly?

I'm an hourly manager, I don't have kids, but if I miss time during the week, you better believe I'm making it up somewhere (my job can be done 24 hours for the most part). If a salaried employee misses a few hours here and there and says, "Oh I'll make it up later". Do people really track that? Does anyone really know if they've made the time up? I feel like it's way more flexible as a salaried employee to take the kids to appointments, go see school plays, etc.

specialk84

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:694be081-d1d9-4792-88b6-4737ec273462">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]Oh my goodness!!! I have a co-worker with a "sick" (in quotes because all my co-workers now question exactly how "sick" this child is) child. She has FMLA for her CHILD. However, for the last 3 months my co-worker has called out of work EVERY Thursday & Friday because her child is "sick." She started calling out on Mondays & Tuesdays last week.  Her child is NOT sick. We were on friendly terms for a few months until I discovered the disgusting person that she is, so I get information from another co-worker.  The co-worker with the "sick" child is always posting picture on FaceBook of her "sick" child playing sports, out to eat, having fun, etc on the day that she is allegedly "sick."  Also, our co-worker goes out just about every weeknight & when she does decide to show up at work, she is usually hungover.  So clearly, she is abusing the FMLA & using it to cover HER excessive absences because she would have been fired long ago if she did not have FMLA. It definitely has brought down morale, as the rest of us don't understand how she gets away with it. Yes, FMLA is a federal law, but at some point abuse has to be seen.  I have FMLA for myself as well as my oldest son and I rarely use it.  <strong>We also wonder how her child could possibly be promoted to the next grade at school when she is always missing so much school because she is "sick."</strong>.... The co-worker in in her mid-30s & lives at home with her parents so I can only assume that is the reason she can afford to miss at least 40 hrs every pay period.... We are ALL tired of her & her nonsense!!!
Posted by cvmami78[/QUOTE]

<div>In tenth grade, I missed two-thirds of the school year. My parents hired tutors. I moved on to eleventh grade, but when I realized I would not be able to attend even a third of the classes, my parents switched to homeschooling.</div><div>
</div><div>And yeah, some days, they did take me out to eat, or to a movie, or whatever. It was usually on a day when I wasn't feeling as awful, and they did it to make me feel more like a normal kid.</div><div>
</div><div>ETA: In tenth grade, I kept up with all my schoolwork at home. I did not have any trouble passing my classes, and not one teacher gave me a hard time about it.</div>

mkrupar

At my last job, if I wanted to use PTO I HAD to put in the request BEFORE the pay period started. We did have sick time, so if I was ill I was able to use that. I don't know if other workers with kids were allowed to take their sick time for their kids. I do know, that taking PTO wasn't as simple as calling in and telling your boss you're taking a "mental health day".

mkrupar

Special it sounds like your parents worked very hard to keep up their responsbilities in both their home life and their work life.

HappinessByTheKilowatt

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_etiquette_overheard-someone-on-the-phone-yesterday?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:9Discussion:12be76f4-95df-4cab-ba22-4c5e5886d847Post:3ee537e9-afd6-4d1a-9b26-8b7aa0789959">Re: Overheard Someone on the Phone Yesterday...</a>:
[QUOTE]I was fortunate enough that my grandparents were around most of my young life, lived near us, and were able to pick us up or take care of us when we were sick so my parents wouldn't have to miss work. My dad was a teacher (until I was in HS), so he had limited days off in the school year. If he needed to take one it was usually because HE was sick, not one of us. I agree with DJs point about "making the time up" because they're not really if their job requires a 9-5 schedule answering phones, meeting with clients, etc. Those two extra hours in the morning or evening aren't really making up the time you missed answering the phones when they ring and meeting with clients when they actually can meet. Here's another question: Do you find that people who are salaried can get away with it more than people who are hourly? I'm an hourly manager, I don't have kids, but if I miss time during the week, you better believe I'm making it up somewhere (my job can be done 24 hours for the most part). If a salaried employee misses a few hours here and there and says, "Oh I'll make it up later". Do people really track that? Does anyone really know if they've made the time up? I feel like it's way more flexible as a salaried employee to take the kids to appointments, go see school plays, etc.
Posted by mkrupar[/QUOTE]

I think it depends on where you work. If you work for a company that bills out your time, it's much harder to pretend to make up even if you are salaried. If you do not, and you just have to report a general 8 hours or no time at all, then I imagine you could get away with quite a bit.

I also agree with the "making it up" being BS. It depends on the job, obviously, but like you said, if you're needed from 9-5, and you decide to stay until 7 with no one around and nothing to do, all you have successfully done is sit in your office instead of on your couch, not made up work.

ETA: Clarity