It means that the manager will be evaluated based on concrete performance goals, not whether she was in her office every morning at 8 a.m. on the nose. All those night meetings add up, and Council never knows whether the manager is at a regional planning meeting, a breakfast discussion with peers, or just recovering from a tough public meeting. Further, most managers are on the job 24/7: emergencies and Council questions don't wait for Monday. Some jobs require a rigorous office presence, but others -- like ours -- are less clock bound.

You can take compensatory time off at your own risk. You may be evaluated for the time taken off as a part of your over-all evaluation. Best to hope that your organization functions well while you are away. Of course you get to hold your staff accountable upon your return. You just never know how different members of the council will interpret any "problems" that may arise.