My job requires 9 hours of work each day. I prefer to arrive by 9.30 and leave at 18.30. My team leader arrives at 11.30 and leaves at 20.30. At the end of his day, he gives a daily update on the day's work. Whenever there are problems, he forces me to stay with him for this briefing. How to avoid waiting until 20.30 and leave at my usual time?

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    Have you discussed this with your team leader? What about your boss (I assume you both report to someone, hopefully the same person)?
    – user
    Aug 21 '14 at 19:19
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    It's kind of difficult to understand what you're asking. There seems to be two questions here
    – Codeman
    Aug 21 '14 at 19:30
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    The answer to this question is subjective imho. It depends a lot on the country you're in. Aug 21 '14 at 20:36
  • @user3429606: If it's approved, I tried rewriting your question to make it more likely to remain open. I also removed the statements about your team lead using "we" when there's a problem and "I" after a project is delivered, as a separate issue. Please feel free to revert my edits.
    – mkennedy
    Aug 21 '14 at 20:54
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    Need more info, please. Are there other people on your team who are working this later shift? Is it common for teams to work late, or is it just your team? Is the team leader your boss? Did you have an agreed schedule before you started work? Is this a change in schedule? Have you talked to him about it at all? Can you ask to be briefed in the morning as you are on your way out the door?
    – MJ6
    Aug 22 '14 at 0:55

What does it say in your contract about hours? If he is forcing you to do unpaid overtime then it needs to have a contractual basis, and not just be because he likes to sleep until the middle of the day before work.

Leaders lead by the good graces of those who they lead... if he is failing its your responsibility to pull him up on it. Authority flows both ways, its just not usually necessary to do anything with it if your seniors are competent.

Start slowly by telling him simply that you aren't staying late and you have done enough unpaid overtime, and that you are going to start calling him on it if he keeps taking credit for your work.

If he does take credit again, call him on it plainly and immediately. The longer you leave that the bigger the problem. Taking credit for other people's work is thoroughly despicable.

Sounds like your boss is terrible at his job. You should ask his boss for advice on this as well if some polite initial efforts are not successful. Personally I'd want to know this sort of thing asap so I can investigate myself, and maybe turn it into formal warnings so that I can remove a bad employee as quickly as possible. You need to make some effort though, e.g. record the times you spent late and the instances of taking credit.


You could try being assertive. Pack up your bags when it is time to go, and on your way out the door, say, "My shift is up, but if you leave me notes, I will focus on these problems in the morning" OR "I'm off, but I am available for a briefing as soon as you get in tomorrow." If you are questioned, say that a shift from 11:30 to 20:30 just doesn't work for you, but you are happy to follow up on any notes or to meet during the time you are both together in the office. State what you are willing to do and how you are willing to help.

Ultimately, if he is your boss, the company may stand behind him in his unusual schedule, and you will have to decide to comply or move on. It kind of depends on the company culture there.

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