I've recently started a contract and, leaving at 4.30pm fits in with my personal/family needs. My contract states 37 and a half hours a week as standard and, although I'm certainly not a clock watcher and will stay longer if my workload calls for it I've been coming on site at 8.30am and taking a half hour lunch. This hasn't seem to have gone well with my manager who took me to one side and advised that 'the working hours are 8.30am until 5pm.' When I politely mentioned that I generally start at 8.30am as I like to leave at 4.30pm she asked me to, in that case, take an hour lunch and leave at 5pm. I said that I didn't want to take an hour but she pretty much ended the conversation with 'we will discuss this in our next catch up meeting' and walked off.

I have already been told on taking the contract that there is no allowance to work from home which I won't argue with but now I'm also being told when I should work and how long lunch breaks should be to finish at 5pm. This person is also a contractor. To make her point she has also started scheduling half hour meetings with me at 4.30pm. How do I compromise without sounding antagonistic?