Being forced to work too much? Too much unnecessary stress? Here's my solution for you. (employment, apply)

[ragnarkar]

There's been quite a few threads here about people who are unhappy with their work usually due to being forced to work more hours than agreed upon with no additional pay and no end in sight. I've been there myself as well, and I'll share some of my insights. From now on, I'll refer my response in this thread instead of responding to each thread individually.

Abstract:

When dealing with an unhappy work environment that you have little/no control over, I suggest you assess your situation. Why are you working so hard? Is there any "big" payoff coming for your work? Or are you trying to move ahead in your career (same or different company)? Or you're just afraid of being fired and need the money (most common)?

You need to set these 3 goals:

1) Short-term: Improve your work efficiency.
2) Medium-term: Cut your spending and save up a safety net in case you're terminated.
3) Long-term: Look for a new job.

Step 0: Why are you working so hard?

Even if the answer is obvious, ask yourself this question. Do you need the money? Can you get by with less in your life by living more Frugally? Is it worth sacrificing your health to work SO hard?

Why is your employer pressuring/forcing you to work so many hours? Are you inefficient? Or is the company struggling? Or if neither of these, then are they trying to squeeze as much out of you as possible?

Is there some sort of big payoff if you worked so hard now (i.e. promotion, lump sum bonus, etc.?)

First of all, don't fall for it if they verbally promise some sort of big payoff like a promotion or bonus. Get it in writing before you commit a significant amount of overtime to it.

Step 1: Improve your work efficiency. (Short Term)

Some tips to improve your efficiency so you get more done in less time:

1) Use the 80/20 Rule. Especially if you've been doing your job for a while, you should understand what activities bring the most results and what does not. Strive to eliminate the activities that don't. If you've read the 4 hour work week, you're probably familiar with this idea.

Remember, WHAT you do is far more important than HOW you do it, although HOW you do it can also further improve efficiency.

2) Related to #1, eliminate the time you spend surfing the web or useless chitchatting at work. Stop reading the news or looking at web sites for a week (unless it's necessary to get a work-related task complete.) Once you get through the 1st week, the subsequent weeks become easier.

3) If your time management really stinks, consider trying the Pomodoro Technique.

4) Also, read these 2 articles:

Using the 80/20 Rule to Earn More and Work Less
One Rule to Know before Breaking Other Rules

Step 2: Cut Your Spending and Save Up a Large Emergency Fund (Medium Term)

There are very many things you can do to cut your spending AND save more.. the Frugal Living forums will provide more detailed advice. Here are a few key ideas you need to keep in mind:

1) Related to the 80/20 Rule above, focus your efforts on cutting your biggest expenses like Housing, Cars, Vacations, etc. Rent a cheaper place or downgrade your house if it's practical.

2) Get a used but reliable fuel efficient car to replace your current one.

Create a leaner budget and you'll be saving more money fast! Once you have at least 2 years of living expenses saved (with the NEW budget), you'll have your "safety net" complete in the event you get fired. At that point, you could consider cutting back your hours at work, especially if you've improved your efficiency as per #1.

Don't slack off of course but start prioritizing your own happiness and health a bit more than in the past and try to leave earlier and earlier without impacting your results if possible. Also, don't quit (yet).. you're more likely to collect unemployment benefits if you're fired or especially if laid off.

Step 3: Look for a New Job (long-term)

This is a long-term goal but you should be doing it concurrently with #1 and #2 you're not happy with your current place.

Conclusion: Whether you feel that way or not, if you're in a situation where you're overworked, underpaid, or otherwise made unhappy because of work, it's at least partially your fault. If you "engineer" your finances and improve your work efficiency, you may be able to bypass the need to sacrifice your health and a big chunk of your life to work unreasonable hours.

[maus]

These are some good tips, thanks for sharing, ragnarkar. I have been in situations like this in times past.

Another thing to add is if you have a side business, try to work on it more to make more money. You never know when you may lose your job, so having a backup plan for other streams of income is important.

Budgeting and cutting your expenses are definitely key. I had done this myself quite a bit due to stagnant wages, and job loss in the past. I don't have cable or have a smart phone and I drive beater cars that have been long paid for. These are examples where I cut expenses.

[D. Scott]

Some very good, And realistic ways to set goals and work smarter over harder. Thanks Op.

Many times especially nowadays people who have been at their jobs for years and held on through the height of the recession may be comfortable and have some security and get TOO comfortable and just cruise. Good to decide conclusively when the road should have an exit to the next freeway so to speak while still having security for a rainy day. In some form or another that day always arrives even if a termination is not part of it.

[hitman619]

Great Advice
I need to stop spending so much time on city-data

[decembergirl]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

There's been quite a few threads here about people who are unhappy with their work usually due to being forced to work more hours than agreed upon with no additional pay and no end in sight. I've been there myself as well, and I'll share some of my insights. From now on, I'll refer my response in this thread instead of responding to each thread individually.

Abstract:

When dealing with an unhappy work environment that you have little/no control over, I suggest you assess your situation. Why are you working so hard? Is there any "big" payoff coming for your work? Or are you trying to move ahead in your career (same or different company)? Or you're just afraid of being fired and need the money (most common)?

You need to set these 3 goals:

1) Short-term: Improve your work efficiency.
2) Medium-term: Cut your spending and save up a safety net in case you're terminated.
3) Long-term: Look for a new job.

Step 0: Why are you working so hard?

Even if the answer is obvious, ask yourself this question. Do you need the money? Can you get by with less in your life by living more Frugally? Is it worth sacrificing your health to work SO hard?

Why is your employer pressuring/forcing you to work so many hours? Are you inefficient? Or is the company struggling? Or if neither of these, then are they trying to squeeze as much out of you as possible?

Is there some sort of big payoff if you worked so hard now (i.e. promotion, lump sum bonus, etc.?)

First of all, don't fall for it if they verbally promise some sort of big payoff like a promotion or bonus. Get it in writing before you commit a significant amount of overtime to it.

Step 1: Improve your work efficiency. (Short Term)

Some tips to improve your efficiency so you get more done in less time:

1) Use the 80/20 Rule. Especially if you've been doing your job for a while, you should understand what activities bring the most results and what does not. Strive to eliminate the activities that don't. If you've read the 4 hour work week, you're probably familiar with this idea.

Remember, WHAT you do is far more important than HOW you do it, although HOW you do it can also further improve efficiency.

2) Related to #1, eliminate the time you spend surfing the web or useless chitchatting at work. Stop reading the news or looking at web sites for a week (unless it's necessary to get a work-related task complete.) Once you get through the 1st week, the subsequent weeks become easier.

3) If your time management really stinks, consider trying the Pomodoro Technique.

4) Also, read these 2 articles:

Using the 80/20 Rule to Earn More and Work Less
One Rule to Know before Breaking Other Rules

Step 2: Cut Your Spending and Save Up a Large Emergency Fund (Medium Term)

There are very many things you can do to cut your spending AND save more.. the Frugal Living forums will provide more detailed advice. Here are a few key ideas you need to keep in mind:

1) Related to the 80/20 Rule above, focus your efforts on cutting your biggest expenses like Housing, Cars, Vacations, etc. Rent a cheaper place or downgrade your house if it's practical.

2) Get a used but reliable fuel efficient car to replace your current one.

Create a leaner budget and you'll be saving more money fast! Once you have at least 2 years of living expenses saved (with the NEW budget), you'll have your "safety net" complete in the event you get fired. At that point, you could consider cutting back your hours at work, especially if you've improved your efficiency as per #1.

Don't slack off of course but start prioritizing your own happiness and health a bit more than in the past and try to leave earlier and earlier without impacting your results if possible. Also, don't quit (yet).. you're more likely to collect unemployment benefits if you're fired or especially if laid off.

Step 3: Look for a New Job (long-term)

This is a long-term goal but you should be doing it concurrently with #1 and #2 you're not happy with your current place.

Conclusion: Whether you feel that way or not, if you're in a situation where you're overworked, underpaid, or otherwise made unhappy because of work, it's at least partially your fault. If you "engineer" your finances and improve your work efficiency, you may be able to bypass the need to sacrifice your health and a big chunk of your life to work unreasonable hours.

When my employer complains about me getting more work done I start intentionally spending more time chit chatting. The past five places I have worked at I have noticed a common truth: the more I do, the less happy they are with it. Meanwhile, around me coworkers are spending time on their smart phones texting or surfing the web, talking non-stop to their spouses on the phone, having lenghty discussions about baseball or soccer, ect. Current supervisor actually once told me that I had taken too long for a certain job. The max turn around they want is 5 days, I usually can do it in 2 days but one time it took me 3 days and he came unglued. Never mind I had taken a day off during that time due to a home emergency and he was aware of this. I work less hard than I used to simply because working hard for narcissistic people just seems to backfire. The job I had before those five...that gal was awesome. I went above and beyond on a regular basis for her. She deserved it. They do not. I will not try to meet expectations that they themselves are unable to achieve.