New York Lawyer
November 10, 2005

Q:
I'm in-house and I keep running into this problem: the boss schedules early morning meetings. I have little kids -- I'm the only one in my group who does -- and this makes it very hard for me to organize child care, schedules, etc. The boss has a habit of doing this at the last minute. What can I do?

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A:

It depends on the situation and on many criteria - your seniority vs. your boss's and your peers', the culture of the company, the reasons for the early meetings - and there are solutions ranging from direct to indirect.

If there is an excellent reason for early morning meetings (such as, it's really the only time everyone is available, it's important to have group meetings, and it doesn't happen too often), you should figure it out on your end and get child care or make whatever other adjustments you need to make. While there are times when the workplace should be flexible, there are also times when you need to be flexible as well.

The last minute situation is different: it's hard to believe there's a "good reason" for frequently scheduled last minute meetings. Now and then is one thing, but if it's a habit, that means it's just laziness.

If there isn't any particularly good reason to meet early, other than the boss's whim, and if you can talk to your boss, explain the situation and ask for some consideration. Ask your boss to consider scheduling the meetings at a variety of times so that different schedules can be accommodated, rather than assuming that early morning works for everyone regardless of their circumstances.

There are less direct approaches if you can't talk to your boss about this directly:

•   Mention in passing, at an unrelated time, the time that your child care starts, so at least the boss knows.

•   Arrive late and don't say anything (see: "ask for forgiveness not permission").

•  I f you arrive late and get some attitude, or a direct question, just say briefly "Sorry, hit a snag this morning," and sit down. Don't wring your hands publicly or act guilty and contrite.

Sincerely,
Holly English
Principal Consultant, Values at Work