Quick question about office hours

[Gob Bluth]

I am at a new shop and I was wondering if my two experiences are isolated or if this a normal thing. How much office hours do you put in during business hours. I am at a PM small shop M-F, AM Sat-Sun, and I typically work Monday, Tuesday and Friday mornings to help with design, but the rest of the week I am in and out of the office. Now I am feeling pressure to show up more.
I was at an AM before this and I maybe was in the office during hours twice a week and even then for only a couple hours at a time.

I am working a split week as well. I get Sunday and Wednesday off if I am lucky. I have had to work on the last four Wednesday's and I usually use Sunday as a day to catch up for the next week.

I feel like I am not doing my job if I am sitting at my desk. I like to go practice's, but with all this office hour stuff, I am having less time to do that. I was just wandering how other people did it. I work long hours at night just like everybody else, but maybe they just want someone to be here.

Thanks for the help.

 

[spnited]

Why not just talk to your boss about this, find out what his expectations of you are, instead of coming here and seeing what everybody else does.
You are YOU, not everybody else. This is YOUR job, not anyone else's. Get your boss to tell you what your responsibilities are, and do your job accordingly.

 

[Cosmo]

Spnited's right. I'm hardly in the office at all during football season, and when I am, it's to help out taking calls between 8-10 p.m. or to get on league conference calls in the morning. Being around for usual 9-5 office hours makes little sense. But I cover a beat and am not expected to copy edit or design or anything, so I'm of greater use out in the field. You're probably different.

 

[Precious Roy]

I had the same problem when I was at a small AM paper, I didn't come into the office until the afternoon, and then only to get stuff and head out to cover events or go to practices. It didn't go over well because while I was out, everyone thought I was just being lazy. I likely put in 60+ hours a week there and was only paid for 40, but since I wasn't in the office by 8 a.m. it was like I was stealing from them. It's just the way it works sometimes. I'll agree with the earlier posts, just talk to your boss about expectations.

 

[Batman]

I'm at a similar shop as you, Gob, a small daily PM. The hours vary by the season.
During football, there's not much to do at night during the week so I'll work more mornings. Come in to proofread, help with design, whatever, before lunch. Then in the afternoon I'll do whatever needs to be done writing-wise. So one day a week, usually Wednesday, I'll be in the office all day (morning with production, afternoon with writing). The others I'm either off or out gathering news. Most days (except Friday and Saturday, of course) I'm home by dinner time and it's pretty close to a 9-5 job.
During basketball and baseball season, when there's a lot more night work, I'll be in a lot less during business hours. Maybe a couple afternoons to write or something. It's not uncommon to go a week without setting foot in the office between noon and 5.

But to answer your question, don't be alarmed. PMs are a bit different from AMs. You actually get to have a little bit of a life for part of the year. You'll be working vampire hours again once basketball starts.

 

[Ace]

Why would you think are aren't doing your job -- or giving the appearance of not doing your job -- if you are at practice, rather than sitting at a desk?

 

[Crimson Tide]

Good advice here. Find out exaclty what is expected of you. My job isn't like Ace's job or spnited's job or like your job.

Personally, I work a 40-hour M-F week unless it's state tournament time. Some here may view that as slacking, but that's all I can work. No OT unless necessary, and especially no unpaid OT (I've heard stories that the state audited my shop less than 10 years ago, but don't know how true that is).

In fact, I only cover maybe three gamers a week. I'm expected to write lots of features and profiles, a few gamers and tournaments. Very little in preview work, etc. Unless I'm interviewing sources for stories or coordinationg a feature photo shoot or at one of my three games, I'm mostly in the office writing. Maybe help edit a story or two. Hardly any design work unless I have a special page design that I want for my feature.

Of course, if you're reading this at the office instead of at home, then get to forking work! =)