Is it fair for a boss to ask for justification of why you can't attend a meeting outside of work hours?

19 Comments

1. Sabrina CortesApril 29,2022 at 1:58AM UTC

   I'm sorry that your boss is questioning you. Maybe you can send her a screenshot of your calendar? Why is she having meetings outside of working hours?

2. AnonymousApril 29,2022 at 2:21AM UTC

   My first question, what is expected? If it’s outside the typical working hours then no submitting “time off” wouldn’t be applicable. Also, if it’s that important why not meet sooner?

3. AnonymousApril 29,2022 at 4:53AM UTC

   Have you set a typical work hour with your boss? If you did, and this meeting doesn’t fall within your usual work hour, reply by

   ‘while in the past I’ve adjusted my schedule to attend these meetings, I have a prior commitment and cannot attend. This meeting is outside of my usual hours which is______.’

   Sometimes when bosses see that we attend meetings outside of our usual hours, they think that is our normal hours. A gentle reminder usually does the trick because they might be managing so many things on their plate and forgets your usual work hours.

4. AnonymousApril 30,2022 at 10:23PM UTC

   Does time zone play a factor where you are on the west coast but others on the east coast?

   If so I can see how that can be a challenge for both sides.

   Sometimes in outlook when I have time blocked off, I literally write the words in large letters "UNAVAILABLE, DO NOT SCHEDULE". Sometimes people are on autopilot when they schedule meetings and just seeing the blocked off time is not enough to trigger the obvious thought to not schedule.....must be the water.

   As annoying as it seems, since this person is your boss, playing it humble will keep you safe. Apologize, "I am sorry I could not make your meeting" give her an untraceable excuse to appease her for that instance.

   If she is making a habit of scheduling meetings outside your core hours and it is unreasonable, schedule a meeting with her to advise that you have routine activities/obligations that you partake in prior to work start time and did not expect your core hours to change and see if she can be more "accommodating"?

5. Crystal HowellMay 1,2022 at 12:36PM UTC

   I think you should check wlawyer , as before or after hours should be paid. I would Ask A Lawyer.com online. Let us know...

   Document all emails requesting meetings , you might get paid.

6. AnonymousMay 1,2022 at 12:40PM UTC

   I have coworkers who have blocked those hours as OOO because that’s the time they’re dropping their children off at school/daycare. If I have to schedule over those hours, I ask first, and I’m aware they’ll be taking a call from the car. It is occasionally necessary because my team can span everything from IST to PST.

   Those are also the hours I typically try to schedule my doctor visits - either first in the morning or last in the afternoon. Easier to start late/end early than take off midday.

   In any case, you told your boss up front that this particular day and time would not work, and that should have been sufficient.

7. AnonymousMay 1,2022 at 1:50PM UTC

   I don't know if annoyed is the right word, but we are not at the beck and call of our firms outside of established work hours. Doctor appointments, kid events, family obligations, etc. are all life events that take priority during our personal time. And if we have followed office protocol on noting events during work hours then that is all the explanation they need.

8. AnonymousMay 1,2022 at 2:50PM UTC

   tell her you can provide an explanation after she's given you one for why she consistently schedules meetings outside of normal work hours.

9. AprilMay 1,2022 at 3:59PM UTC

   I do not see any illegal behavior but I do see inappropriateness from the manager. Is the entire team/ department being asked to attend meetings outside of standard work hours? The answer does not change how you are impacted. If it is only you, it is possible that one / one time is desired. You can tactfully ask your manager to review her own calendar in order to schedule times during the day. Only on occasion ( building relationships) would I meet before hours with my boss. There must be coffee involved, of course. Stand your ground ( and keep notes) and teach your manager how you to be treated. Too much acceptance of these out of office hours becomes… acceptance.

10. AnonymousMay 1,2022 at 7:17PM UTC

    You have a right to all of your feelings.

    You also have a right to tell a baldfaced lie in this instance.

    You also have a right to spend your mornings working on your resume to escape your toxic boss.

11. Liz MilneMay 1,2022 at 10:56PM UTC

    If it's during your contracted working hours, yes. If not, no. Having said that, why on earth is she setting meetings so early? (Unless, of course, it's industry-specific and contracted...)

12. Bernadette M MartinezMay 1,2022 at 11:01PM UTC

    A lot of these comments are making a lot of assumptions about what OP's actual working hours are. Just because the building is open doesn't mean that's when their shift starts. OP clearly stated it was outside of work hours, so the assumption should be that the meeting is outside of OP's work hours.

    If it's outside of your contracted hours, simply point that out. Also point out that it was already blocked off on your calendar as a courtesy.

    "The scheduled meeting is at 8am and my hours don't begin until XX and go until XXpm. While I make every effort to attend these out-of-hours meetings, I cannot make this one. I did have the time blocked off on my calendar/ regularly block off time before my hours (whatever is the case) so that coworkers starting earlier would know I am unavailable at that time as a courtesy."

13. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 6:30PM UTC

    the OP's headline specifically states that these meetings are scheduled "outside of work hours."

14. Deb HornerMay 2,2022 at 1:07AM UTC

    Is the company for which you work one that operates on a 24 hour schedule? If so, then setting a meeting when the outgoing shift is present as well as the incoming shift is present is polite to both. The outgoing shift should not always have to accommodate the incoming shift - nor should night shift always be given the dregs of the meeting schedule. I had a toxic boss who routinely scheduled training events in the middle of the overnight shifts sleep schedule, and refused to accommodate their need for unbroken sleep. Often those who work a schedule that is a bit different than their peers make medical or dental appointments at that hour. I've known folks in recovery to attend meetings right before they go to work (where most triggering events happen). If it is NOT your regularly scheduled time to be at work, then she has NO BUSINESS knowing what you are doing at that time. You can simply tell her that you schedule personal appointments before going to work so that you do not have to leave during the work day to attend to personal business.

15. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 6:30PM UTC

    the OP's headline specifically states that these meetings are scheduled "outside of work hours."

16. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 6:30PM UTC

    the OP's headline specifically states that these meetings are scheduled "outside of work hours."

17. AnonymousMay 2,2022 at 6:31PM UTC

    the OP's headline specifically states that these meetings are scheduled "outside of work hours."

18. Karen GongawareMay 4,2022 at 8:49PM UTC

    IF it is outside of working hours you are under no obligation to attend or give a reason. Check your contract for clarification.

19. Paula BrantnerMay 5,2022 at 2:43PM UTC

    Yes, you're right to be annoyed. If you had clearly communicated that you cannot make it at that time, and you had the time blocked off on your calendar, then that should be sufficient.

    You should also have a clarifying conversation about work hours expectations. I am not a morning person, and could never schedule a meeting during that time period. However, if I needed to do something at 6:00 PM, I would be available.

    I would talk about "wanting to be at my best and focused" when you meet, and that you cannot do that this early, if this is why you don't want to meet at that hour. Or if you're able to do it, but only once a week or once a month, so that you can leave early on that day or otherwise shift your schedule, then propose that as an option.

    Are there others in these meetings? What do they think? Is it just this one boss that wants meetings at these times, regardless of how it affects everyone else?

    I would step back and spend some time analyzing the best way to approach this, because I can't tell whether it's part of your company culture to be there that early, or just this one person's quirk that they're imposing on everyone else.