To be sick of this, think it is utter bollocks and the next generation are actually bang on?

I'm not so sure it's an age thing. I'm your age and have never been told that.

I wonder if it's a sector/company/Eric thing. Has Eric ever worked elsewhere?

My response would be "Eric, I would expect the company values sustainability and staff retention over making it's workers feel overwhelmed, no? I can't see any value in getting me to burnout stage, for me or the firm. So whilst I understand, I'm not going to put myself in that position. I work as hard as I can in my hours but that's all I can offer; if you want more work done, let me know and I can maybe sometimes offer paid overtime".

Stand your ground. He sounds like a shit, and very short sighted, manager.

This is my first thought too. If he’s offering a pay rise there should be an achievable route to getting it. How much is the pay rise? What are the KPIs? Etc. Not some bs ‘I’m going to work you into the ground because I can. After that we will talk about a pay rise’. No thanks. Tbh you should think about speaking to HR. Although that then can have your card marked… It sounds like he wants to offload his work to you with no guarantee of recompense or promotion. Piss off Eric imo

If it's law then those people are at the top in every sizeable firm

I've worked 75 hour weeks for thirty plus years. The DH 60. Two more years and we're done.
Our DS recently told us he and his gf had decided against 'big jobs'. Their plans were mid level and a clocking off at 5.30 culture. I don't blame them.

I had a hugely toxic employer last year and a little arse of a colleague who got in at 6am everyday to prove his 'commitment'. Turns out he was a fraudster and a sex pest.
I'm being medically retired save for a bit of consultancy. Do we say on our deathbed i wish I'd done more hours? No.
I'm quite enjoying telling the headhunters no to five days in London or two weeks overseas per month living out of a suitcase. It's very freeing.

Do not demean the work that you do by giving it to your employer for free.

It’s a local culture problem, not a generational problem. The older workers in your office sound like they’ve worked there for years and become conditioned.

it is time to get woke. Or walk.

I worked really hard at school, and achieved top A-Level grades and an Oxbridge degree. I then had a baby pretty soon after graduating (she's now nearly 21). Since then, I have prioritised life over work. I am a teacher but work 0.8 and have no extra responsibilities other than those I actively choose to take on. Today is my day off, and I'm visiting two friends and taking the dog for a stroll in the countryside.

Two things have vindicated my choices: my mum died at 54, and I was diagnosed five years ago at 40 with MS. Touch wood, I'm well at the moment. But I'm damned if I'm going to wait until retirement, which I might not even live to see, to take time for myself.

So, yeah, my career has not been stellar. But my life has been much better than it would have been if I'd spent the whole thing at work. DH is very much of the old school - good for him. But it's not the path that works for me.

Same here and I was just thinking it sounds like some asshole who is trying to be a City rainmaker.

This kind of bullshit is for dinosaurs and is on the way out.

I have no problem working really hard to get paid really well but that kind of performative machismo needs to get in the bin.

Anyone focussing too much on Eric and saying leave etc doesn't work in this industry. Eric is in every dept in every company. We allowed the madness to take hold and now the younger generation are pushing back. They get told "ah well you won't make partner" and reply "I don't want to be partner, it looks terrible", which leaves the Erics utterly baffled.

Time to tell Eric you are taking your skills elsewhere.

Eric is a dick. As a manager, it’s my actual job to ensure that my team can get their work done in their allocated hours. If they can’t, I am doing something wrong. Very occasionally we will all need to stay late for some reason, but this is maybe once a year and they take that time back at a time to suit them.
I am the one at 5pm telling everyone to go home. Eric needs some management training I think!

Don't do it. Look for another job. I was in HE and was worked to the point I had to take medical leave. I finally wised up, saved my money, and retired as soon as I could afford it. Seriously. Employers only want the most work for the cheapest price. They don't care about you. Your workmates/bosses are not there for you, they are there for them. Remember, while you are working, they are taking your holiday.

I tend to work 8:30-5 and try to live by 'your failure to plan is not my emergency'. Whether that's my manager not planning staffing levels or workloads appropriately or a colleague who didn't plan the work for an upcoming deadline and is now trying to get everyone on the project to work evenings.

Sometimes unexpected things come up and sometimes I fail to plan my own work, in which case I'll work the odd evening or Saturday, but too many people (colleagues and managers) now expect others to put in extra hours on a regular basis.

It's your choice to work there or not. If you don't like the way Eric is treating you then vote with your feet. He'll learn that this is not the way to keep good employees.

What's all this "if you pay me more, I'll work more hours"? Nonsense?

40 hours is more than enough work for anyone in a week as an employee. Anyone that accepts more time at the job is a mug and is contributing to an early death, divorced and lonely, miserable life in the end.

And yes, doctors, nurses and paramedics are included.

Resist this American working culture at all costs.

You get paid for the hours you work amd that's it. Otherwise you're accepting slave labour and you'll be dead before you hit retirement.

Work to live, not live to work. Otherwise you're wasting your one and only precious life, just to line someone else's pockets.

Employers aren't grateful for the extra work. Nor do they reward it. Very quickly it becomes the norm, the minimum standard expected.

I made the mistake of doing this in my previous role. My boss walked out one day. I was expected to do her job and mine. I was working all hours including through the night.

Did I get any reward for this? Did I heck as like!

It was a horrible organisation. Bullying was rife. Employees made to feel worthless.

One day a potential job dropped into my lap. I applied, got the job and handed in my notice. Employer was gobsmacked. It was like a piece of the furniture had got up and said 'I'm off'.

New employer pays me 50% more plus much better benefits. Any going above and beyond is noted and rewarded (in actual cash).

I'd tell Eric to get my P45 ready.

Honestly I had a manager who was "musing' in a review that it has been noted that I go out for my lunch (1 hour unpaid) and seem to like going home on time... it wasn't even a very well paid job!
I left asap!

I couldn’t keep a straight face if someone said I had to ‘mount’ the pressure. Mental image of humping a pile of pressure!

This^

I used to work in HR. Believe me, if you dropped dead, you’d be replaced the next day,

As a 50 something let me share with you that what really matters in life is relationships ( family, friends) and hobbies. Yes, we need money to pay bills but there’s no point having a nice house or fancy stuff if you can’t appreciate it.

My job is taking the piss now with me. Not long hours, but workload. I’m about to tell my manager that I’m not doing it.

This is clearly some kind of office wanker who thinks his work is of staggering importance but it probably isn't.

Even so, I'd like medical staff to work regular hours where possible as I don't want a tired, strung out doctor making bad decisions.

I do extra hours in my job sometimes when something needs doing - but it shouldn't be the norm. Good people get sick and burned out. Many people my age have senior jobs and also responsibilities for elderly relatives and children at the same time. We can't run workplaces on the basis that employees are automatons or on the assumption that they have a wife at home looking after all this for them.

Eric's going to find himself explaining this to HR sooner or later.

This kind of working culture was built on men having wives take up the slack.

My industry (education) has this work-til-you drop culture. I don't- I've been there, done it. I value my work-life balance. Unfortunately, the next generation are voting with their feet and leaving.the profession. I don't blame them.

As my grandad used to say "the graveyard is full of people who thought they were indispensable"!

Same!

A lot of work that involves long hours is usually the result of someone’s inefficiency.