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    Employee leaves at 2 PM daily to pick up kids from school, manager complains they only work 5 hours a day: 'There wasn't much indication of willingness to change'

    Being a parent and being a good employee frequently seem to be incompatible with one another.

    Let's face it, the 9-to-5, five day week work schedule was not designed with raising kids in mind. It comes with the assumption that if you have children, there is somebody else at home who can dedicate their time and energy to raising them. In modern society, that just isn't how things function for many families. Most people can't afford to have kids unless both parents work in some capacity.

    Those who are lucky manage to snag jobs that have working arrangements that are sympathetic towards the fact that they have child-rearing responsibilities as well. Being part-time, or having some carefully planned breaks, can be a godsend for any working parent. 

    When moms or dads do not have the privilege of a workplace that gives them the grace to do their job alongside parenthood, they often feel like they have no choice but to take liberties. If they are not careful, this can land them in trouble with their boss. As far as many managers are concerned, work responsibilities should come first, and childcare should be arranged to make sure that it doesn't interfere with them.

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    • A mom takes a call on her cellphone with her laptop beside her as her young child eats breakfast in the kitchen
      via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

      A mom takes a call on her cellphone with her laptop beside her as her young child eats breakfast in the kitchen

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    • One manager started to have some concerns when a working parent on the team, whom they had just taken over, seemed to be neglecting their work in favor of their childcare commitments. The parent left at 2 PM almost every day to pick their kids up from school, leaving them working for only about 5 hours of the 8 hour workday. 

      Their previous manager had allowed this arrangement for a couple of years, but the new one felt that it was negatively affecting the employee's performance. They sought advice on how to approach the topic with them.

    • Direct only available 5 hours a day

      I recently took over a team. One of my direct reports is a salaried employee who already has productivity issues, and we're likely heading toward a PIP.
      via [deleted]
    • I've already had conversations with them about expectations, and the previous manager had similar conversations as well.
      via [deleted]
    • One of the core issues is that they leave at 2pm basically every day to pick up their kids.
      via [deleted]
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    • Depending on when they show up, that sometimes means 4-6 hours of actual time at work.
      via [deleted]
    • They say they're checking Slack in the mornings while getting kids ready, but they're definitely not working after they leave.
      via [deleted]
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    • If their output was even around a median level, I'm not sure I'd care as much.
      via [deleted]
    • This person has been doing this for about 1.5-2 years. A previous manager allowed it. rated them highly, and even promoted them.
      via [deleted]
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    • Recently, I was about to schedule a 3pm in- person meeting to catch a couple different cohorts, and I realized I was subconsciously thinking, "well, this person won't be there because they leave at 2." And that feels kind of ridiculous.
      via [deleted]
    • If I schedule a 2 or 3pm meeting and they don't attend because they have to pick up their kids, what then?
      via [deleted]
    • A mom looks at her laptop and holds her cellphone while a young child sits beside her
      via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

      A mom looks at her laptop and holds her cellphone while a young child sits beside her

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    • Am I supposed to just accept that, or actually hold them accountable? I want to be respectful of personal responsibilities, but at the same time this is a salaried role at a large tech company and coverage and availability matter.
      via [deleted]
    • If childcare is the constraint, at what point is it reasonable to expect someone to solve for that?
      via [deleted]
    • For context on my perspective: I'm not someone who expects people to grind nights and weekends constantly.
      via [deleted]
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    • I believe in "work-life balance". But to me, balance means having boundaries and still meeting the expectations of the role, not consistently being unavailable during core working hours.
      via [deleted]
    • When I brought this up previously, they told me their spouse is the primary earner and that picking up the kids is their responsibility.
      via [deleted]
    • There wasn't much indication of willingness to change the situation. Combined with the lack of output over the last year, it makes me question how invested they are in the role.
      via [deleted]
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    • Where do you draw the line when this behavior has been allowed for years? Do I just move forward with the PIP and include limited availability as a contributing factor to the lack of output?
      via [deleted]
    • FWIW, I have a toddler and a spouse with a demanding job that includes INTL travel.
      via [deleted]
    • So I understand the complexities of two working parents with kids. But I believe we have to sacrifice and compromise in our personal lives, to satisfy the requirements of our jobs sometimes.
      via [deleted]
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    • A mom sitting on a couch holds her phone up for the child beside her to watch while working on her laptop
      via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

      A mom sitting on a couch holds her phone up for the child beside her to watch while working on her laptop

      The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

    • Several Law2834 I think there is a way to be flexible here. If they have a standing commitment each day to pick up their kids, then I think you can be accomidating of that while still expecting them to fulfill their job duties. For example, if they need to leave at 2 to pick up their kids, then you can tell them that being unavailable from 2-3 everyday is something you'll accomdiate, but they have to be available again starting at 3 and you expect them to make up the hour by either not taking lu
      via Several_Law2834
    • madogvelkor You have a part time employee getting paid full time salary.
      via madogvelkor
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    • vermillionskye Most parents who have this level of flexibility have a "late shift" where they check in and complete the days work after the kids go to bed. I'd focus on the work quality and deliverables, and go from there. Flexibility isn't a bad approach but people still need to be able to get their work done and deliver at the level of their team.
      via vermillionskye
    • for_my_theme_song I'm really sorry you're going through this and honestly I don't have any good answers and am partially commenting just to get updates as other people comment. The way I see it, you have two options: enforce on-site hours or enforce deliverable based results. If you go on-site hours, I'd recommend a conversation involving HR and the employee that says "I understand the previous management was okay with you leaving at 2pm, but I'm not. Let's use the next X months as a transitioni
      via for_my_theme_song
    • Big_white_dog84 I was in EXACTLY this position. I sat them down and said that I needed comfort that they were doing their contracted hours. Asked them to propose a working week to me that included their childcare commitments. But said it had to add up to their full contracted hours. As a result - as if by magic - some after school clubs have come available.
      via Big_white_dog84
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    • No_Tradition9157 Some of the replies are ridiculous. If the job needs people to be there for meetings, then it should be expected to be there for business hours. To me it is disrespectful to all other team members and will k I team morale I see that from experience during Co id when people babysat their kid and did nothing
      via No_Tradition9157
    • milee30 Separate the issues. You're getting wrapped around the axle because you're concerned with fairness and optics and the thorny issues of childcare/personal issues/what works for other people. You aren't likely to get an easy resolution on any of that. But you can focus in on the productivity. Instead of worrying about who leaves when, define the performance metrics and be consistent and firm in monitoring them. If this employee isn't meeting the targets, you should know that within a day o
      via milee30
    • simongurfinkel I'm a manager who also works a flexible schedule around my kid's childcare (I leave the office at 2:45 to pick kids up). I am still working a 7.5-9 hour day though, as I make up those day hours with evening work after the kids are down. If I have a crucial late-afternoon meeting I can't skip I will arrange alternative care. My employees know they can call or text at any hour and I'll respond promptly. In other words, this employee could make it work if they wanted to. They have go
      via simongurfinkel
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    • otter_759 Good on you for trying to get this under control and not falling into the trap of wanting to be "the nice manager" who continues to permit someone to work fewer hours just because they have kids than their childfree colleagues and still get paid the same. This current arrangement is unfair to all those employees who don't have kids unless they are similarly allowed to leave during the early afternoon and check out for the rest of the day while still collecting their full salary. Three
      via otter_759

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