I just wanted to have a whinge about my work situation. I work in a drug and alcohol unit and the other week I accidentally walked into the methadone unit after hours to send a fax. Now the external doors are alarmed and I didn't realise the internal door to the methadone unit was alarmed. Anyway my boss got the sh*ts at me because it is potentially a big hassle when someone sets off an alarm because sometimes the security guards plus the fire brigade has to come. In this case they didn't have to come because we notified them straight away. Anyway I genuinely didn't know that door was alarmed otherwise I wouldn't have done it. So, my boss said that I was no longer allowed to stay after 5-30, because I set the alarm off twice in 6 months. I actually didn't set the alarm off the other time - we thought I had but I hadn't, and I never have in the 2.5 years I have worked there. I haven't told her that. Anyway, I do research work and I don't have to be at work for clients and in the past we have been able to be somewhat flexible with our work hours (and in every other research job I have had for 11 years). So I have been able to arrive late sometimes and work back a bit later if I needed to, to make up hours or in other jobs they have just trusted you have times where you work at home, etc). They have just introduced this new policy at my current job so that everyone is supposed to leave at 5-30 and arrive by 9, but it seems most of the staff in the research office still have some flexibility. So what this means is that I always have to arrive on time or else the only way I can make up time is to come in even earlier. I tend to sleep late and I hate getting up early so this sucks. Though, I am happy to work as late as you like.

Lately, I have had lots of deadlines to meet on statistics for a presentation my boss did in London last week. My work has a policy of organising time in lieu in advance. So I asked for some time in lieu and my boss gave me 2 hours but I needed to do about 12 to complete the statistics. I didn't tell my boss because I get in trouble for working too much overtime. So anyway, since the methadone door incident, without telling me, my work has been monitoring the times I am coming in from the door swipe. I took the liberty to come in half an hour late a couple of times (amounting to about 2 hours in late time altogether) while I have been working all the overtime and then my boss told me I had been monitored and again I got in trouble. So now I have to make sure that I turn up on time for the next 6 weeks and they will continue to monitor me. I told my boss that I had done the large amount of overtime. I have been soooo careful on these stats to check everything and clean data and stuff (loathesome tasks for someone with add) and have been feeling like a champion for doing the job well that I am paid to do. Anyways, it is not so much that I have to turn up on time that bugs me, it is that other people can be more flexible with their hours and I can't because of one incident because of not knowing, not because of inattention (which i think is what my boss attributes it to - she knows about my add). And because other people in my office turn up late without saying anything to the boss and without being monitored. And I think I deserve more flexibility because of my ADD. Anyway, any thoughts on the situation would be appreciated. I hope i don't lose my job over this bullsh*t.

That sucks. Don't the doors get locked when everyone leaves that area before the alarms go on?
It seems like they've really overreacted for one incident.
I hate it when you get monitored, because everyone does something wrong that they can pick on, intentional or not.
I'm assuming a D&A unit would make it a govt job. I've seen some really bizarre rules and also some absolute idiots in management positions in govt jobs. A lot of them have really bad management skills and know nobody there likes them, and as a reaction turn into a little hitler...
My advice would be just try to keep your head down for the 6 weeks (it may not even be that long)... keep up the good work and impress them even more. Sometimes easier said than done I know.

Unfortunately I can't have flexible work hours, but that's because our support line cuts over at 7am and some poor sucker (me) has to be there :(

No you can still use the swipe to get in.

This particular boss is actually usually alright. This thing of not being able to stay back after 5-30 is supposed to be for a whole year. I am not sure whether I should tell her I never set the alarm off on another occassion and argue for being allowed to stay back late. Other people have accidentally set the alarm off before so I am probably being unfairly treated. Maybe I should.

No - DO NOT argue. If you make her look bad it will only make things worse. Just try to lay low for a while. Stay as far under the radar as possible.

Most likely they'll forget your restrictions sooner than you will.

However, keep all your overtime documented!!!!!!!!!!!! Whether or not you actually clocked it in. Say you worked an extra hour off the clock write it down, you may need it one day.

If you do get fired a disability case will get you nowhere, however, an overtime case just might leave you with a nice settlement.