My employer has decided to give us a monthly in-person mandatory meeting at 8am one Sunday every month: 'the meetings are always things that could easily be covered in a simple email'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Oct 29, 2024 12:00 PM EDT

Many a misguided middle manager has had the idea of hosting meetings at a time that is convenient for everyone: say during lunch hour when everyone is on break, so won't have any meetings scheduled… except that break is unpaid and, well, when are people supposed to eat their actual lunch when there's suddenly a meeting jammed in there.

No matter how fun they try to make it sound, "zazzing" it up and naming it something they think is cool, like "Power-Hour Lunch-Sync Jamboree," the reality remains the same: unpaid mandatory work. In actuality, if you're working, you should probably (definitely) be paid for it, and having an MBA doesn't mean that you can waive your hand and make that go away. Beyond proper compensation, no one wants to be forced to go to work on their days off, time off is important, not only to do the things that you want and need to do in your personal life but to reduce the risk of burnout too. 

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  • This retail worker shared how their manager has been asking all employees to come to work on Sundays for a mandatory meeting. Frustrated, they turned to this online community to seek advice as to how they could get out of the requirement.

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    My employer has decided to give us a monthly in-person mandatory meeting at 8am one Sunday every month Workplace Ab e 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
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    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 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
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    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?
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    Full-Run4124 22h 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.
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    • walrus_breath 22h 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 unfortunately
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    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.)
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    tc_cad • 22h 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.
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    backwardbut... 23h ago Sounds like mandatory pay for your time!
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    summonsays 22h 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!"
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    21h ago Edited 18h 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,
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    you're basically giving them power to judge whether or not 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 p ed me off, so I told her that unless
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    she's reimbursing me for my classes, which she wasn't, my education is none of her business, and on 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
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    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 p ed, I 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.
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    iwoketoanigh... 22h ago. Even though I don't go, I would say I'm busy going to church.
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    • commorancy0 · 22h 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?
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    Jimbobthefrog • 22h 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.
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    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.
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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.
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    Rough_lan • 22h ago . How do your fellow workers feel? I know that'd be a tender spot for a lot of folks, and you can def build solidarity around it with the churchgoers.
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