The 9/80 work week was great 20 years ago when it started and nobody cared about business as prices rose. But we can no longer afford it now that low prices are here to stay. It wipes out at least one work day per week, which is 20% of our effectiveness. ExxonMobil never did 9/80 because they knew it was a joke. When everyone is working flat out, as they should be in this environment, including the occasional weekend or evening, Fridays off makes no sense. We could end the program and reduce staff 15-20% overnight.
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Work your @ss off if you like -seal. You're only spinning your wheels in the mud at Chevron. Don't expend too much energy is my advise. It buys you nothing at Chevron. The day you are laid off because you've gotten too old and your pay is seen as too high, you'll finally understand.
It's interesting how many of those on the layoffs forum know all about things like just showing up and doing nothing and looking like you're working, then collect a paycheck. I don't have that kind of attitude and never did. My time is way more valuable than that. I'm not going to waste my life away doing nothing like a useless bottom feeder or parasite, You guys go ahead and do that if you want.
That's right @qxsv. Woody Allen said it first; "Showing up is 80% of success". The other 20% is a combination of things, including the appearance of doing a good job. In business, the one who schmoozes best often times gets ahead. No truer words spoken about working at Chevron.
This all reminds me of the saying that "just showing up is half the battle" and someone once said to me that just as important to success as doing a good job is APPEARING to do a good job. Being at the office is part of showing up and keeping up appearances.
The "If your a manager" idiot poster below certainly is in that group, 8gtd. Do Chevron employees need to be able to read and write in English in coherent thoughts, or is anything acceptable?
I have worked the "9 and a half" for many decades with no ill effects on staff or clients. It's a widespread industry accepted schedule now. On the odd Friday that you have an afternoon meeting, you just go to it and make up for the time. It is the most convenient schedule for most parties involved. To the Houston commuting complaining cry-babies, get a life and a clue. Everyone has to commute to some location. Where you choose to live is your decision and your problem. Deal with it or move.
-8gtd: yes! ... maximizing fit for venue behavior. Rock on!
There are so many jerk and smart-allecky comments posted here by less than mature people. It is impossible for any topic on this board to be free of these people. Is this how all of you behave at work?
7vua, it's obvious to me you are not involved in serious projects for the company, else you need to be relegated to the mailroom to stay out of trouble. A 4 hour workday is ludicrous in Houston. The commute time both ways from home to office has got to take almost 2 hours. What sense is it to spend that much time in Houston traffic only to work a 4-hour day? You haven't by chance put in any time as a project manager at Gorgon or Wheatstone, have you?
Why not have a 9 hour work day M-F and have a 4 hour day every Friday? That way, everyone will come to work every day of the week and still have free time on Friday to take care of personal business. Ultimately, it is up to the managers and supervisors to ensure that employees are making a good faith effort to adhere to the work schedule. They are probably just as guilty as everyone else who skimming some free time and getting paid for it.
I totally agree, 7byt. I too see nothing but positive things for having and keeping the 9/80 work schedule.
"many, maybe not most, of Chevron office employees do not 'work' a full 80 hours". In truth I really have no idea as I am too occupied getting my own work done to notice. That said, I would be disappointed to loose my occasional Friday off as I find it useful at times to get personal business done on a "banking" day. In the end it is managements job to supervise slackers and not the best policy to put the skews on everyone for sins of the few. I may be a workaholic, but in return I expect my employer to offer a little workplace flexibility.
6ezb - I think in the truest sense, that many, maybe not most of Chevron office employees do not "work" a full 80 hours every 2 weeks. By "work" I mean actual productive work. I see a lot of idle time and look-busy walking up and down, coffee pot conversation, surfing the internet and longer than normal lunch breaks, just to site a few examples. Yet, management does nothing.
-7rbz: I advice you get a life. If your a manager then your direct reports are your responsibility....if they are not doing their duty address it. We have had enough layoffs at this point that most of the deadwood underbrush should have been cleared. If your not a manager, as I suspect, then piss off...your just being an a--hole. Not your role.
-6ezb, Hyperventilate all you want, I am very busy all day and here all day working, and see when many, many, many folks arrive (after me) and leave ( before me) and take long lunches. I am a 30+ year Chevroid veteran. Much of what is exposed on this site is truthful. I do not work very long hours , just my honest 9 hours of actual work + 8 on Friday and take an honest lunch hour daily, not included in my work hours, unlike many thieves. How much more evidence do I need sir before what is fantasy to you in your land of make-believe becomes the reality that it is? Please advise.
-6yis: "The vast number of Chevron employees in Houston work less than 80 hours" per paycheck .... That simply has not been my experience over the long period of time that I have worked for Chevron. I work in ETC, so it may be that earth scientists are more self motivated than whichever group of folks you are referring to. To the contrary, I suspect that most people in my Unit work significantly more than their minimum assigned hours: I certainty do. Like the folks that hyperventilate over voter fraud, before you propose new regulations to address the problem it would be good to first confirm that it is a real issue. Despite -6ccg's statement (or was that your fake post?), I am not convinced that this is.
"You should be expected to show some initiative and ask for additional work duties if the current work load is so light" - Yeah right!!! LOL. You hit it correctly with "Most people at Chevron just done care". My view is... do what is expected of you and your job responsibilities. Find efficiencies if possible to improve the quality and accuracy of your work product. But my advise of 28 years on the job is to no more than required. If you finish your work early and earn extra time to yourself, don't tell the boss. Keep your tricks of the trade private and always look busy when you're not busting tail. Use your "free time" to network (code word for brown-nose). It's that last tidbit that's worth the most at Chevron.
All salaried employees are guaranteed a fixed pay regardless of the number of hours worked and are generally regarded as being 'professionals'. You should be expected to show some initiative and ask for additional work duties if the current work load is so light that you can afford to take off early 1 hour each day and only work part of Friday. You are being paid for 80 hours of actual work, +/- a couple hours, not 65, 70, or 75. Why should salaried people be less responsible and accountable for their time than hourly people? It is not a perk but a privilege and sometimes you may be expected to work late or on an 'off' Friday or weekend or holiday. The vast number of Chevron employees in Houston work less than 80 hours and take advantage of the 9/80 schedule. If your work load is too light, then ask if there is something more you can do. Too often, management condones this easy-work environment. Being a professional is more than just following the liberal PC crap at Chevron, otherwise you would just be a Chevroid. Why am I even posting this? Most people at Chevron just don't care.
Seems to be multiple conversations going on, with different folks reading different messages from the same posts. I do not read many of these posts to say folks think it ok to work short hours, but rather suggesting that reducing workplace flexibility is not necessarily the answer for improving results. If the guy in the next office spends all his time worrying about when I come and go, then he is the one with the problem. If my boss thinks I am not producing (including no putting in the hours) then I would agree that it is I with the problem.
It is interesting to hear people claim they are just paid to get the work done, not for the hours. As if the boss would be happy if they dropped in one day per week as long as the work got done. As a boss I would hire someone who can do all the work in one day, then ask him to work five days and do the work of four other slackers who I would then fire. If you are not busy and not asking your boss for more work scope you are a maximum 2- in my book. if you are not around at least 40 hours per week, as per your work contract you are a 3.
How about 5 - 8's ? Ever heard of just showing up for work everyday and working? Apparently many snoflakes these days are unfamiliar with the concept. What a novel concept. Show up for work every day and do what you are being paid to do. That will ever go over well with the entitled trophy for everyone millenials that the company needs to keep spoiled and babysit, though. What a pity. Tsk Tsk!
Forget 9/80, more like 8/80.....far too many empty spots on all Fridays to be 1/2 the workforce
Hey 5ktf, we're just keeping it real and following the real Chevron Way (not the sales pitch).
@-5mwp, I'm not off work, remember, sir, after I wash your truck I will be detailing it and waxing it.
"Glad your on the job"????? While you're updating your resume and out of work -5yjn, please go back to 5th grade and retake English. Thanks. Then at least you can truthfully put down that you made it through elementary school - LMAO!!!!
-5eyw: Glad your on the job. While you're at it would you clean my windscreen and check my tires (safety first).
5byc, Yes indeed, you are so correct. Just read the post before mine. We are dealing with a real
"work ethic" surplus right here - LMAO!!
-5ktf; just keep your eyes fixed firmly on your a--hole...you clearly have management potential...at one of our gas stations.
I agree with @NhgmGJQ-4pvu. You slackers and time stealers can talk all of the smack that you want, it doesn't make you one of the exceptional <1% who are that talented and efficient that they can accomplish so much in so little time that hours worked is irrelevant. You guys keep telling yourselves that, though, if it helps you to sleep at night after lying, cheating and stealing time/money from the company that you work for, and your fellow employees. You're lying to yourself and living a lie is all it amounts to.
After reading this it's obvious Chevron is still abundantly over staffed.
I agree with -4pvu: the real talent does not focus on hours at all, but rather getting the job done and done right. The dim weeds and the butthurt deadwood can worry about who is sitting in their office chair and when, but if These morons drive out the folks with the real skills by being anal clock watchers the games overs. You decide, are you a force for good focusing on results and the bottom line or a turd that would be better flushed.
We could easily replace people like -5pxt with temp. part time employees with no benefits and for much cheaper, from his own account. Then he gets the whole week off every week. Win-win! Thanks for making that decision so much easier!!!
Big deal. I've been skipping out of the office early on a regular basis. Nothing is said. My supervisor and his boss are both off on my working Friday. Many times I come in to work on Friday morning and go home at 11:00 for lunch and don't return. Sometimes I set my office phone to forward all calls to my mobile. I do this on Thursday at 4:00 when I plan to skip work the next Friday. Four years doing this and no one says anything. They don't care as long as I get my work done.
World class talent does not try to skip as many hours of work as they can get away with. From my observations, that would seem to be 30-60 minutes a day in the Houston towers, even more on Fridays.
This continued gibberish about increasing productivity is ignorant and short sighted. The productivity of a Chevron worker could double tomorrow and it will not a bit of difference in the direction of the company.
The company is where it is at because of the decisions of the people running the company and risks they took.. despite individual productivity.
To be a world class company you need world class talent. World class talent does not need to be told how many hours a day they need to work
Here is a twist on the 9/80....for every 80 employees, get rid of 9 of them....11percent reduction....seems reasonable
Just because you are in the office 8 or 9 hours a day doesn't mean you are doing 8 or 9 hours of productive work for the company. Being in the office is just good for the morale of your coworkers.
It is good to see staff taking the initiative on making Chevron more efficient and effective. We are far from being out of the woods at this stage. The 9/80 scheme is actually not a corporate rule but is decided in each location by local management. All management remains under intense pressure to increase near term cash flow by any means possible. Undoubtedly some will see the "fat" in the short work week and trim it. Others will not have the guts to make unpopular decisions.
Kind of bizarre to blame anything on a work schedule. Those who abused 9/80 would abuse 5/40 or any schedule out there. I worked in COV with a team that was always in the office at or before 6am and rarely left until at or after 6pm. While I agree that there were some slackers, there were also many who worked hard and smart to make Chevron a great company. BTW, I EOIed in ealy 2016 and have been living the life since.
If an employee were to cheat 1/2 hour every work day, that would be 4.5 hours of not working every 2 week pay period. With a generous 4 weeks of paid vacation, the total non-working cheat time would be 4.5x22 = 99 hours per year. That equates to about 11 work days of pay. Multiply that by hundreds (or more) of employees and it adds up to serious money. I am specifically referring to the slackers in Houston. A regular 10/80, M-F work week might, maybe cut down on some of this payroll cheating. But, considering the overall work ethic of the Chevron Houston staff, even that is doubtful.