"But youre not in the Army"

Evening all.

Just had a very interesting chat with my colleagues (a fellow S02 and an S01) about my skulking off on Civil Service Flexi time and the like.

I used the "but you guys knock off early on a Friday and wander off to the Gym when you like" line as my defence.

This was responded to with the old "The Army say I must be fit, so they have to allocate time for me to go to the Gym".

I, in turn, responded with "but the Army say I must be fit, and yet provide no time for me to go the Gym".

"But you're not in the Army".

Don't get me wrong, the Major in question is a top bloke, but I thought that the Regular Army was past this sort of thing and at least acknowledged that the TA is part of the same organisation.

Any thoughts, or should I just knock off early and accept my lot as a second class citizen?

Edited to add: After re-reading this, it is badly phrased. Please read the rest of the thread before replying.

 

Why not use the 'I am taking my flexi-time what's your problem' line ?

And he is also correct - had you signed in at the time?

msr

 

Less of the lip and get some frigging work done!

 

Duke: I Don't really want to start down that track, but I'm pretty sure I'm right in that I'm still an S02 despite being a Civvy. We can discuss via PM if you'd prefer, or I can edit my post if it's a drama/I'm wrong.

MSR: Not quite sure what you're getting at. I wasn't actually off to the Gym. Rather I was raising the issue of the "You're not in the Army bit".

 

Stab, you are a soldier, but you're not in the Army. You're in the Territorial Army.

Therefore, why should you get time off from your civilian occupation to go down the gym, when being fit will have no bearing on your effectiveness as a civil servant.

OK you get flexi-time which you can spend in anyway you choose, but you get that because of your civilian role, not because you are in the TA.

 

How are your colleagues to know you are in the TA?

Do you have a picture of yourself on exercise on your desk?

The TA doesn't give you time to get fit. It is a personal responsibility.

Deal with it

msr

 

Just to clarify, I'm not trying to blag free time off for the Gym.

It was just the subject that we happened to be chatting about.

Duke: Upon checking the great book, it lists as OF3 rather than S02. I don't think there's any drama using either term, but if there is, please let me know.

 

Well, your still not in the Army. It's the Territorial Army that requires you to be fit, not the Army.

 

Aha. This is my point. Isn't it all one big happy organisation now, with the same standards?

 

Fair enough. Wasn't my intention at all.

 

Well, I'm ex, anyway. But as I see it, you're part of an organization that is tied to the big organisation.

Nothing wrong with being a TA soldier, in fact much kudos, but it's still not same.

 

If you are correct then you would be well within your rights to complain to your RAO that you are only being paid a few days a month. They should actually be paying you all the time, right? After all, if its all one Army, sorry, "one big happy organisation", with the same conditions for everyone, then I am sure he will see the error of his ways and pay you.

I suspect that his answer is more likely to be along the lines of "go away you soft tw@t!"

Do tell us how it goes in case we can't all hear the laughter from where we are.