How much extra time do you put in out of hours?

[karldenton]

I work 8 till 4, but usually in 20 minutes early. Go home dead on 4 unless something major has happened as I like to collect my daughter from nursery and spend some time with her. Often log in when she's gone to bed though, even if its just to answer emails I didn't get round to / plan jobs list for the following day. My argument is that if it doesn't get done, it's there the following day, with a load more jobs so I'll do my best to fix them. SMT have been fine with me when I needed time off for baby scans etc, and I've not needed to work the time back so I think it works both ways.

[clareq]

I work 8-4 (3:30 on a Friday) and I generally finish on time. I usually get in about 10-15 minutes early, but that's my choice because motorway delays can happen. At my last place, which was nearer home, the expectation was to work past your finishing time, but it isn't so here - in fact my manager bundles me out of the door at 4 o'clock. I do work through my lunch break though, and check e-mails/ remote in from home, but only if it will make my job easier the next day. I'm getting much better at ignoring e-mails that can keep til the morning.

[kennysarmy]

The technicians work 8-4 and I try and get in around 7.40 and then I leave at 3.40 if everything is OK or if not stay till it's sorted!

 

If I dial in from home to fix anything or do updates it gives me the flexibility to do longer lunches when needed.

[TomFreeman]

I often do a lot of work from home, some out of choice because it makes my day to day life easier and sometimes due to necessity as these days teachers workloads mean some of them work 24/7! So the network has to be up constantly. I think like a lot of people have said there has to be a fair balance of give and take otherwise it's just unfair.

I've voted 5+ per week but this includes replying to a barrage of emails of an evening that i haven't had chance to during the day, or just checking on updates/backups etc and general maintenance.

[dapaulio]

Yes, it is, but actually I would like to hear what has changed in peoples working practices during that time - has redundancy threats made people work harder or longer hours?

 

Funny since this thread began we had a network manager, senior tech (me) and a junior tech

 

Now it is just me.

 

I have had to adapt my role to suit just to cover all the work. Contract hour 8:30 until 4:30 full time contract.

I do aim to get in for 8am traffic permitted and never seem to be able leave before 5:30.

 

I tend to then continue to work remotely some nights depending on what going on.

 

I’m regularly thing a have mug written on my forehead as I don’t receive any compensation for my efforts but my opinion is rather that then the consequences the next day

[HarryMonkey]

I do 8:30 - 4:30 (4pm on Fridays). I finish on the dot. I don't work from home, rarely look at emails at home and never answer them (as this would soon become an expectation).

[ITGURU]

I do 8:30 - 4:30 (4pm on Fridays). I finish on the dot. I don't work from home, rarely look at emails at home and never answer them (as this would soon become an expectation).

 

When do you carry out updates, maintenance?

I hate downtime so always schedule for out of hours.

[Joanne]

When do you carry out updates, maintenance?

I hate downtime so always schedule for out of hours.

 

I set the servers to reboot via script before I leave. Simples.

[ITGURU]

I set the servers to reboot via script before I leave. Simples.

 

And if you walk in the next day to a server not booted up? No monitoring/notifications?

[atcoates]

I work Monday-Friday 8-4 across eight schools. I'm contracted for 52 weeks and work 40hrs a week. Last year I did over 400 hours extra from home. This was mostly work that would have been disruptive do do in school so was done out of hours. I've used this as a bargaining tool for a pay rise and for increased time off.

[HarryMonkey]

When do you carry out updates, maintenance?

I hate downtime so always schedule for out of hours.

 

Updates are carried out where possible during school holidays. Windows updates happen overnight and reboot in the wee small hours . Occasionally we might reboot a server at lunch time or before/after school if absolutely necessary. Workstations are stable and need little in the way of rebuilds.

[Joanne]

And if you walk in the next day to a server not booted up? No monitoring/notifications?

 

I switch it on.... no biggie.

 

I'm not gonna waste 2 hours of my own time faffing about with something that can be done the day after.

 

Every school has different expectations. If your school gives you time in leiu for overtime, then that's great. If they don't, why are you doing it? I very much set the standard here that I do everything within my work hours.

Edited May 10, 2018 by Joanne

[Rob_D]

I still keep to my contracted 8:00-16:00 (approximately) and will "encourage" the rest of the team to leave on time.

I'm stricter since the school decided to not allow time in lieu.

 

When do you carry out updates, maintenance?

I hate downtime so always schedule for out of hours.

Holidays, after 3, server reboots can be scheduled to run over-night. This is what we do most of the time. If it really needs to be done overnight then the school has to pay the overtime.

[Katy]

And if you walk in the next day to a server not booted up? No monitoring/notifications?

That's the risk the school takes when it decides "no overtime or time off in lieu" - prioritise saving on a bit of overtime over potentially disrupting the start of the day.

 

I usually do a few hours a week from home but whilst watching TV and it's usually something I want to experiment with and haven't had time to do during the day. Anything else I take the time off in lieu e.g. staying late to tech an event I'll have the same morning off, or last year when I migrated all the VMs off the SAN over a long weekend (from home) so I could flatten it and set up sensibly sized LUNs I took a week or so of half days spread about.

 

Edit: As above I encourage the team to stick to their hours (although we're more flexible around starting and finishing - so long as they do the 37.5 hours it doesn't matter what times too much)

Edited May 10, 2018 by Katy

[Ksavage413]

I do my hours, but i'm just a technician and not a NM-- so less responsibilities that need to be handled outside of work hours in my job description. Generally if I need to work late (open evenings, school production etc) I'll start later in the day or take the time off another day in the week as needed and vice versa for the NM.

 

I do, however, accidentally stay too late on Fridays since I work a half hour shorter day then, whoops!

[elsiegee40]

I know of people who have just started to do their hours and no more as their SLT don't listen or care anymore about their concerns on lack of staffing. They have said that they're not working themselves into the ground for people who couldn't care less.

 

Me.

 

I was on silly part time hours and the job got bigger and bigger. I tried to negotiate, but they weren’t having it. Roughly a fortnight after working only the hours I was paid for they gave in.