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Everyone on this board is so fast to tell people to look for a new job. New jobs aren't that easy to find. And, if one firm in a particular field expects ridiculous hours, most of them will expect hours that are just as ridiculous. And many companies have a waiting period before you can start using vacation time, so that can make things worse instead of better, at least in the short term.
I think what is important is to set boundaries with your employer. Yes, I know that is easier said than done. Some unofficial boundaries that I try to set are:
1. I am willing to stay as late as needed during the week, but want my weekends free.
2. I am willing to work 1 day of a weekend it I can have the other day off.
3. I am willing to work a "regular" weekend to avoid working a holiday weekend.
Everyone on this board is so fast to tell people to look for a new job. New jobs aren't that easy to find. And, if one firm in a particular field expects ridiculous hours, most of them will expect hours that are just as ridiculous. And many companies have a waiting period before you can start using vacation time, so that can make things worse instead of better, at least in the short term.
I think what is important is to set boundaries with your employer. Yes, I know that is easier said than done. Some unofficial boundaries that I try to set are:
1. I am willing to stay as late as needed during the week, but want my weekends free.
2. I am willing to work 1 day of a weekend it I can have the other day off.
3. I am willing to work a "regular" weekend to avoid working a holiday weekend.
I appreciate the alternative response. However, it can be just as difficult setting boundaries with your employer as it can be with finding a new job. For example, I professionally and politely expressed my distaste about the numerous OT hours I've been working to my supervisor and she was not going to hear it. I think I mentioned it earlier in this thread, but she not only did not express any sympathy towards me, she also alluded to the idea that our workload would be doubling soon. In other words, she told me to suck it up and get used to not only this, but an even heftier workload down the road.
I admit, some stories I read on here are tales of true bravery. Any individual who stands up to their employer and puts a stop to the abuse of perceived power over their lives has my utmost respect. The way I personally tend to tell my boss F-U is by finding a new job and basking in the satisfaction over "how surprised they are to see me go so soon". I am usually a good performer and I usually have great rapport with my managers. So, it usually comes as a surprise to them that I'm not happy about something in particular. But what else am I going to do? Am I going to complain to them once and forever be deemed the "squeaky hinge"? I'd rather not have that reputation, nor have to deal with whatever potential vindictive tactics my manager might employ on me after coming to them with such a complaint.
Everyone on this board is so fast to tell people to look for a new job. New jobs aren't that easy to find. And, if one firm in a particular field expects ridiculous hours, most of them will expect hours that are just as ridiculous. And many companies have a waiting period before you can start using vacation time, so that can make things worse instead of better, at least in the short term.
I think what is important is to set boundaries with your employer. Yes, I know that is easier said than done. Some unofficial boundaries that I try to set are:
1. I am willing to stay as late as needed during the week, but want my weekends free.
2. I am willing to work 1 day of a weekend it I can have the other day off.
3. I am willing to work a "regular" weekend to avoid working a holiday weekend.
Most aren't willing to do those things you have suggested.
It is fine on a short term basis. On a long term basis your just getting screwed.
It is one thing if your getting paid OT to put in 60 hours or more.
It is quite another to work 60 plus hours with no OT pay and your making 40k.
Most aren't willing to do those things you have suggested.
It is fine on a short term basis. On a long term basis your just getting screwed.
It is one thing if your getting paid OT to put in 60 hours or more.
It is quite another to work 60 plus hours with no OT pay and your making 40k.
Just not worth it in the long term though.
My point was that if there is no way to avoid working more overtime than you want (and any job in my field requires more overtime than I want, and I suspect the same of the OP, whether he realizes it yet or not), you should try to make agreements to work it when you are more willing to (in my case, weekday evenings), and avoid working it when you absolutely do not want to (in my case, weekends, and especially holidays).
My point was that if there is no way to avoid working more overtime than you want (and any job in my field requires more overtime than I want, and I suspect the same of the OP, whether he realizes it yet or not), you should try to make agreements to work it when you are more willing to (in my case, weekday evenings), and avoid working it when you absolutely do not want to (in my case, weekends, and especially holidays).
I'm currently in a sales organization. It is unlike most other organizations I have ever worked for. Once I get out of sales, I'm confident that my situation will be better.
My point was that if there is no way to avoid working more overtime than you want (and any job in my field requires more overtime than I want, and I suspect the same of the OP, whether he realizes it yet or not), you should try to make agreements to work it when you are more willing to (in my case, weekday evenings), and avoid working it when you absolutely do not want to (in my case, weekends, and especially holidays).
My point was that if there is no way to avoid working more overtime than you want (and any job in my field requires more overtime than I want, and I suspect the same of the OP, whether he realizes it yet or not), you should try to make agreements to work it when you are more willing to (in my case, weekday evenings), and avoid working it when you absolutely do not want to (in my case, weekends, and especially holidays).
If that works for you that is great.
The vast majorityof jobs if you walked into the manager's office and said I will work Monday - Saturday but I Have to have off Sunday they will just laugh at you.
I will stay late as needed, but I need my weekends off. Again they will laugh.
Most companies aren't going to bend over backwards to help you out like that. They probably have a 1 foot stack of applications they can hire and pay less for.
So in the end if you don't want to work 60 hours with no OT pay then you will have to find a new job. With OT pay that is quite different. There even has been people who said they worked under 50 hours so there are certainly jobs out there where your not working 60 plus hours with not OT pay.
The vast majorityof jobs if you walked into the manager's office and said I will work Monday - Saturday but I Have to have off Sunday they will just laugh at you.
I will stay late as needed, but I need my weekends off. Again they will laugh.
Most companies aren't going to bend over backwards to help you out like that. They probably have a 1 foot stack of applications they can hire and pay less for.
So in the end if you don't want to work 60 hours with no OT pay then you will have to find a new job. With OT pay that is quite different. There even has been people who said they worked under 50 hours so there are certainly jobs out there where your not working 60 plus hours with not OT pay.
I don't explicitly say that I will work Mon to Sat but want Sunday off or that I will stay as late as needed but want weekends off. I just stay as late as I need during the week to get my work done, so I am less likely to need to work weekends. And I never volunteer to work weekends. There are many other people who will be out the door at 5 PM sharp every day, but will gladly arrive at the crack of dawn on weekends. In one instance, I volunteered to work the Saturday before Thanksgiving in order to get more work done and avoid being asked to work Thanksgiving weekend. Remember, what counts is getting your work done on time, it shouldn't matter when it's done.
Unfortunately, this kind of crap happens all too often.
I worked at a place some years ago that paid double time for Sundays and holidays. It was very rare to schedule OT like that but when busy times came around.....it was a good incentive for some folks to make extra cash.
This company machined and assembled 2 cycle engine components so y'all could imagine the increase in orders when a major hurricane hit the U.S. (chainsaw sales).
So...in walks a brand new operations manager and he decides that our workforce is too large and we could save money by cutting staff and working OT vs. paying the high cost of benefits (think health care).
And, by the way, this double time policy is being eliminated because....."We rarely do that anyway."
Unfortunately, this kind of crap happens all too often.
I worked at a place some years ago that paid double time for Sundays and holidays. It was very rare to schedule OT like that but when busy times came around.....it was a good incentive for some folks to make extra cash.
This company machined and assembled 2 cycle engine components so y'all could imagine the increase in orders when a major hurricane hit the U.S. (chainsaw sales).
So...in walks a brand new operations manager and he decides that our workforce is too large and we could save money by cutting staff and working OT vs. paying the high cost of benefits (think health care).
And, by the way, this double time policy is being eliminated because....."We rarely do that anyway."
A couple of weeks later:
Mandatory Sunday work.
Nice.
That definitely sucks. But the extra pay must have been nice for the time being.
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