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Office Etiquette...
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
by cchip81
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 10:32 pm
by 2013
cchip81 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Just leave without telling the partner. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re leaving before him or her.
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 11:26 pm
by 4LTsPointingNorth
2013 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 10:32 pm
cchip81 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Just leave without telling the partner. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re leaving before him or her.
This is right. The partner won't care or notice that you stayed in the office from 5-8 p.m. sitting around doing nothing just in case they needed something. They will absolutely notice if you don't respond promptly to the new assignment they send you unexpectedly at 9 p.m., regardless of where you're working from.
We're in a post-COVID world now where even the partners who thrived on facetime have had to reset their expectations. This is the best chance you'll ever get to tactfully set new boundaries that fit with your desired working preferences (within reason).
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 11:55 am
by cchip81
2013 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 10:32 pm
cchip81 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Just leave without telling the partner. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re leaving before him or her.
Our offices are very close to one another.....I just leave and don't say anything?
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 11:58 am
by cavalier1138
cchip81 wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 11:55 am
2013 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 10:32 pm
cchip81 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Just leave without telling the partner. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re leaving before him or her.
Our offices are very close to one another.....I just leave and don't say anything?
If their office door is open (a pretty decent sign that they aren't working on anything and don't need you to stick around anyway), then "See you tomorrow!" Or if you want to be a real go-getter: "Shoot me an email if anything comes up tonight."
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 1:08 pm
by Anonymous User
cchip81 wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 11:55 am
Our offices are very close to one another.....I just leave and don't say anything?
100%. Telling him you’re going is an invitation for him to take advantage of you (whether maliciously or just thoughtlessly). I lateraled to a small firm from a much larger firm and sometimes feel self-conscious about this myself, but it’s much better than setting the expectation that the norm is for you to wait around for him, and that you leaving at a reasonable time is somehow inappropriate. One thing I did at the beginning when I felt particularly awkward about this was wait until the partner near me was on the phone or had stepped out - no need to make the decision about whether to say bye in that case.
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 1:25 pm
by lolwutpar
I deliberately chose an office that let me go straight out and exit through a side door. Y'all are wild if you just sit in your office waiting for people to leave. It's one thing to be a first year leaving at 5 pm when everyone else is still there, it's another thing entirely staying past 8 pm with nothing to do.
Re: Office Etiquette...
Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 4:13 pm
by 2013
cchip81 wrote: ↑Mon May 10, 2021 11:55 am
2013 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 10:32 pm
cchip81 wrote: ↑Sun May 09, 2021 8:43 pm
I started at a new firm about 10 months before covid started and then due to covid a work from home policy was put into place. I basically work directly for one Partner and this Partner loves to be in the office from early morning until one of the last to leave at night. I am not sure if there is a rule, but out of respect I would stay every night until the Partner would leave. The firm also does not offer meal reimbursement. Therefore, by the time I would get home I would not be eating dinner until at least 8:30pm and then falling asleep not so much after that and it just was not a healthy situation. I should also mention, I would have no problem staying and working late if there was work to do, but a lot of the time I was just sitting at my desk waiting to leave. Working at home has allowed me to eat much earlier even if I still need to get work done. We have now been told that we need to start reporting back to the office a few days a week and one of the things giving me anxiety is getting back into this routine in having to sit there and wait. I guess I am just wondering if what I am doing is the right thing by staying until the Partner leaves and I just need to suck it up and get back into that or if at this point I can just be like "hey...I am leaving, if anything is needed I can go log on from home".
Just leave without telling the partner. You don’t want to draw attention to the fact that you’re leaving before him or her.
Our offices are very close to one another.....I just leave and don't say anything?
Just save goodbye and say see you tomorrow.