Toxic workplace mandates monthly 8 AM meetings on Sundays, employees search for loopholes: 'Sounds like mandatory pay for your time'

Author image for JR Atkinson
JR Atkinson • Writer and Editor
Oct 22, 2024 1:00 PM EDT

Everyone needs rest, it's a non-negotiable. You need time to sleep, absolutely. That's a given. But you also need time to rest your mind from work. You need days where nobody outside of your family asks anything of you, and you can just spend time doing things you enjoy doing. Perhaps you're into needlepoint, or perhaps you're in a flag football league. Whatever it is, you need unstructured time to feed those parts of yourself. And work isn't allowed to swoop in and take that away from you. 

They already do a good enough job with that as it is. So that's why one worker was understandably miffed when their employer instituted a recurring early meeting on the weekend. And as someone who usually worked the late shift, it totally didn't jibe with their schedule. Read on for the details and see what you would have done in that situation. 

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    Cheezburger Image 10418785792
    via Dylan Gillis
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    My employer has decided to give us a monthly in-person mandatory meeting at 8am one Sunday every month
    via u/CORKSTREETBULLY
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    They will not allow virtual attendance. I work retail, and am typically a 2nd shift. employee working nights each day of the week. If I work 2nd shift the day of our required meeting I'd have to be at the meeting until 9am then come right back at 2pm. I know I COULD make it work, but this is an ANTIWORK group
    via u/CORKSTREETBULLY
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    so I'm looking for ideas! I'm underpaid and the meetings are always things that could easily be covered in a simple email. If I were to tell them I attend church at that time on Sundays (even though I don't) do you think that would get me out of it? Is there another loophole you can think of to help me stick it to the man and not have to be there in person?
    via u/CORKSTREETBULLY
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    Full-Run4124 • 14h ago • Check your state laws. My wife's company sometimes has her come in for department meetings on days off. By law they have to pay her 4 hours no matter how short the meeting is, and it counts toward overtime. That might be enough to make them decide it's not a mandatory meeting.
    via u/Full-Run4124
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    walrus_breath • 14h ago • I told my boss I was only available during (whatever my regular hours were). I don't typically try to give excuses that way people don't try to negotiate with me about it. Ask them if they can reschedule the meeting for times that work with your schedule ((literally only your schedule) or
    via u/walrus_breath
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    unfortunately you won't be able to attend and can someone please give you notes about whatever is covered in the meeting that way you don't miss anything. (No one will ever give you notes don't worry it'll just make you look concerned.)
    via u/walrus_breath
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    . tc_cad 14h ago • I had a job once that I said I couldn't work Sundays due to Church. My boss laughed and said he didn't believe me. I said I'd invite him to join me at service on Sunday. He declined and I never worked a Sunday in the four years he had that job.
    via u/tc_cad
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    • backwardbuttplug 15h ago • Sounds like mandatory pay for your time!
    via u/backwardbuttplug
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    • Jimbobthefrog 14h ago • I work in the medical field and have had to work 7pm-7am and then go back at 9am-4pm for CPR/etc training then go back to work at 7pm to 7am. I felt psychically ill after doing it. Now I refuse to go to any staff meetings because they are always between my sleeping hours. Yet they still expect us to go. It's pure insanity and if they don't respect me I won't respect what they want.
    via u/Jimbobthefrog
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    Also I wouldn't mind but the meetings are the biggest load of BS regurgitated garbage that no one really cares about. But the manager has to make them selfs feel important right.
    via u/Jimbobthefrog
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    Yverthel 14h ago • • Remember, in the US they can't ask, and they can't accuse you of lying. If you say "I need (day) off for religious observation." they have to grant it, they can't ask your religion, what you're doing, etc. My roommate actually used that at a company to ensure he had Saturday's off... for D&D >.>
    via u/Yverthel
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    summonsays • 15h ago Do the math for them, X number of employees, Y average pay rate. Go talk to your boss. "Hey man, did you know you could save $800 a month? I had no idea it cost so much to run the Sunday meeting!"
    via u/summonsays
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    Boro... 13h ago Edited 10h ago You're overthinking it. This meeting is well outside your normal hours, right? And you never work those hours? "Sorry, I am unavailable during that time." You don't need to explain why you're not available. That's your free time. If you offer an excuse, you're basically giving them power to judge whether or not
    via u/Boronore
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    they find your reason acceptable. Years ago, I worked 21:00 to 6:00, and my manager tried to get me to change my hours to work 00:00 to 9:00. I told her I had classes, which I did, but could maybe stay until 7:00. She asked for proof. Naturally that me off, so I told her that unless she's reimbursing me for my classes, which she wasn't, my education is none of her business, and on
    via u/Boronore
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    further consideration, I wasn't going to sacrifice my nap/study time. I was hired to work specific hours, so if she needed morning coverage, she could ask one of the day employees. She stammered that they have kids, and it's difficult for them to arrange childcare at that time. Normally I would've felt bad, but as I was already ין countered that their decision to have kids wasn't my problem and I wasn't going to be penalized for it. That was the last I heard of them wanting to change my hours.
    via u/Boronore
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    commorancy0 · 14h ago • I think I'd want to know what is so dire urgent that they need to spend an hour discussing with me once per month on Sunday at 8am. Why can't this discussion be made during the week or while on shift?
    via u/commorancy0
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    • SecretScavenger36 14h ago In my state that's an easy 4hrs pay even if it was 5mins of meeting time.
    via u/SecretScavenger36
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    ClockWeasel • 12h ago • 1. He is with everyone and he deserves all the fires of wrath. If you have an HR department, they are also having a fit 2. This is the normal sleep cycle for your shift and insufficient rest between shifts. Check your state laws.
    via u/ClockWeasel
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    3. If you're in California, a 7th day straight gets you double time. 4. If they know you don't normally attend Sunday morning services "you need. to drive your invalid neighbor lady to church" "you're checking out churches"
    via u/ClockWeasel
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    Sutaru 13h ago • Sounds like you're suddenly a devout and dedicated Mormon, attending church from 7am to 5pm on Sundays :>
    via u/Sutaru

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