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I like my job, and I have a great boss, but I (and most everyone where I work) have so much work it is impossible to keep up. I work many extra hours, to the point where I don't do much else, and yet, I am always behind.
My boss knows, and she is in the same boat, so when I do say something, there is not much she can do. The expectation from everyone is that we say yes and work hard, so "no" doesn't really work. Also, the extra stuff that comes my way, is more interesting and will lead to better things if I can keep up with it.
So, my question is, would you keep going (lots of extra hours to the point where you are neglecting important life things), or would you let some things slide? Also, the only things I could really let slide, would be last minute requests from customers. I would never let things slide that were already in progress, or that an internal person asked of me (have to say yes), so new external things are my only option.
Last, I am exempt from overtime, but probably should be non-exempt.
Keep letting them do it and they'll keep abusing you-especially if you're literally working for free. I suppose once you have a break down or a heart attack, they'll have to get you some help. Might want to make sure you have plenty of health insurance.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Yes, as exempt management it's hard to work so hard and end up making less than your staff who get overtime. As long as the economy is bad we all have to get along with less help. While less of a social life is no big deal, you have to draw the line when it affects your health. The trick is to balance it, do enough work to stay out of trouble with the upper management but get enough rest. Any chance of doing some work from home? I find that by bringing home the company laptop and using the Virtual Private Network
I can get more done without interruptions, and at least be at home more.
Inform the boss who says she is in the same boat of your intentions:
1) cut back your hours worked to what you're being paid for.
2) be diligent that what you do have time for gets done well.
3) let the rest (all of it) fall by the wayside.
If you are very detail oriented, let go of perfection and just do what has to be done to complete the task or project.
Don't volunteer for anything, including helping or assisting a coworker, you will be given that duty permanently. Always be/look busy, even if you are caught up, as you will be given more work if they see any free time.
Get a good idea of what is priority, this can change any time as new requests are made. Set aside anything that doesn't need to be completed that day before you leave. Don't be a afraid to ask anyone bringing you a task when they need it. If too much is priority for one day, get with your supervisor and ask for input on what to do or whose task needs to be done before the end of the day and in what order.
I am very detail oriented, I do it once so it doesn't come back at a later date. So, it may take me longer to complete something than another employee. My last job, I had to lower my standards to keep up. I hated doing that, it went against my grain, but I got used to it, and there was no way I could get my duties completed without letting go of perfection.
If you keep busting butt to get everything done the same day, that is what will be expected. Look for any shortcuts you can make w/o affecting the outcome of the completed duty.
Seems every company is running their workers to the bone. Everyone is behind, and quality suffers. Right now, everything is about costs, and quality is less of a concern. Pretty sad, but it's about the almighty dollar right now. You could seek work elsewhere, but this seems to be the norm. Salaried people seem to be getting the biggest screw job of them all. I would never work for a salaried position in this day and age.
Is it REALLY expected of you to address last minute requests by customers?
I'm just asking because corporate cultures can kind of breed a bit of competitiveness where if one person stays late, everyone else does too because they don't want to look like slackers. If someone stays an hour late, another stays two, and then everyone starts staying three hours late. No one gets up and leaves on time because no one even notices that its the end of the work day--there's not the usual hustle and bustle of people leaving, so everyone just keeps on working until they're ready to drop. Eventually the tension builds so much that eventually it deflates itself, and the clock sort of resets and the whole thing starts over. But the thing of it is--it isn't management creating this atmosphere. It's the workers themselves doing it. Management isn't setting this expectation, the workers are just assuming that they are.
Maybe what you need to do is pull the plug, metaphorically. Instead of working late, get up and leave at the end of your work day. If one person makes the move to turn off and go home, others will follow. If you get a last minute request from a customer, tell them you'll handle it tomorrow. Your coworkers might appreciate you taking the initiative to restore some sanity to the office.
Is it REALLY expected of you to address last minute requests by customers?
I'm just asking because corporate cultures can kind of breed a bit of competitiveness where if one person stays late, everyone else does too because they don't want to look like slackers. If someone stays an hour late, another stays two, and then everyone starts staying three hours late. No one gets up and leaves on time because no one even notices that its the end of the work day--there's not the usual hustle and bustle of people leaving, so everyone just keeps on working until they're ready to drop. Eventually the tension builds so much that eventually it deflates itself, and the clock sort of resets and the whole thing starts over. But the thing of it is--it isn't management creating this atmosphere. It's the workers themselves doing it. Management isn't setting this expectation, the workers are just assuming that they are.
Maybe what you need to do is pull the plug, metaphorically. Instead of working late, get up and leave at the end of your work day. If one person makes the move to turn off and go home, others will follow. If you get a last minute request from a customer, tell them you'll handle it tomorrow. Your coworkers might appreciate you taking the initiative to restore some sanity to the office.
Thanks Kodaka. Just to clarify, what I mean by last minute requests, are requests where the customer gives me only a short time to do all the things I need to do in order to meet their request. I schedule things, and have to send them things, and sometimes the date they request is reasonable, and other times, in order to meet their date, I have to do things more quickly for that one request (so instead of ordering once or twice a week all at once, I have to go back and do all the steps just for that one), which slows me down overall.
It is not in the culture to ignore these requests, however, my boss would be more OK about it than others.
Also, I do usually leave on time, I just end up working a lot after the kids go to bed. When I do stay late, everyone worries that I am working too much, however, they still want everything done :-O
Yes, as exempt management it's hard to work so hard and end up making less than your staff who get overtime. As long as the economy is bad we all have to get along with less help. While less of a social life is no big deal, you have to draw the line when it affects your health. The trick is to balance it, do enough work to stay out of trouble with the upper management but get enough rest. Any chance of doing some work from home? I find that by bringing home the company laptop and using the Virtual Private Network
I can get more done without interruptions, and at least be at home more.
I agree! I am starting to need to draw the line. It might not be effecting my health too much (yet!), but it is effecting my home life, and how much time/patience I have for things like helping my kids with homework.
Also, I do work a lot a home. Some things are easier to do at home and some are easier to do at work, so I try to juggle it that way. Being able to work at home is not always good as it is easy to spend more time than I intended. However, it is much better than not having the option!
Thanks!
Last edited by Reneeme; 10-09-2011 at 02:51 PM..
Reason: error
If you are very detail oriented, let go of perfection and just do what has to be done to complete the task or project.
Don't volunteer for anything, including helping or assisting a coworker, you will be given that duty permanently. Always be/look busy, even if you are caught up, as you will be given more work if they see any free time.
Get a good idea of what is priority, this can change any time as new requests are made. Set aside anything that doesn't need to be completed that day before you leave. Don't be a afraid to ask anyone bringing you a task when they need it. If too much is priority for one day, get with your supervisor and ask for input on what to do or whose task needs to be done before the end of the day and in what order.
I am very detail oriented, I do it once so it doesn't come back at a later date. So, it may take me longer to complete something than another employee. My last job, I had to lower my standards to keep up. I hated doing that, it went against my grain, but I got used to it, and there was no way I could get my duties completed without letting go of perfection.
If you keep busting butt to get everything done the same day, that is what will be expected. Look for any shortcuts you can make w/o affecting the outcome of the completed duty.
I think you are right! I am used to doing things well and I am probably a bit of a perfectionist.
The only thing that bothers me about lowering my standards is that in the long run, doing things well will help me succeed there. There are some new responsibilities that I have (that I volunteered for and are now my permanent duties!), which are much more up my alley than what I was hired to do, and I do think that if I can keep up with everything, that eventually I will be doing more of these types of things and less of the other.
Now that I am writing this, I am thinking that if I keep doing all of it, I will always be doing all of it......hmmmmm......
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