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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have pretty much automated 90% of my job and pretend I'm very busy?

262 replies

IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 09/02/2025 19:53

So, I run a database and predecessor didn't seem to actually understand databases and what they can do so was working 50+hrs and not achieving very much. We'll call him Phil.
I took over and was warned how much work Phil did, he was very busy and he was actually in a retainer in case I needed his help or had any queries over certain tasks. I work in education and there's weekly, half termly, termly and annual tasks, quite cyclic and not difficult.

Within a month I'd automated the daily, weekly and monthly reports, added more useful ones and sent them out. During my first academic year, I'd introduced new systems to automate tasks for others, developed new ways of capturing and reporting data, linked systems to the main MIS to automate account creation and syncing etc

So basically I have very little to do anymore. I do ask for stuff to do, but there's nothing much really. I look for stuff to do but again, there's not much.Occasionally I'll get feature requests or specific reports.

But honestly I do about 4-6 hours of work a week...max, and that includes stuff that isn't really my job, like fixing printers and laptops and stuff.

Should I confess?

OP posts:
Jeansandfleece · 10/02/2025 16:58

IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 15:57

Why would it make a difference?

If I'm employed to provide 100 items,and I'm given 40 hours a week to do that for £1000. Why does it cost the public sector any more/less, if I provide the 100 items in 6 hours instead of 40? Why shouldn't I get paid £1000? Why should I also have to provide 300 other items for the same wage?

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Because you’ve effectively made the role you were employed for redundant.
it’s really great that you’ve been able set up these systems and you deserve to be paid generously for that but you’re no longer needed.

Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 16:45

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 16:08

OKAY. Is your boss aware?

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No idea really, I don't really see him much. I haven't had a performance review since I got there 3 years ago (and ,yes, I've asked)

OP posts:
Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 16:08

IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 15:49

I am in 9-5, but I probably only do 5-6hrs work a week, as the rest of the role I have automated.

Show quote history

OKAY. Is your boss aware?

Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 15:57

heyhopotato · 10/02/2025 12:35

If you work in the public sector you should confess because it's tax payers' money.

If you work in the private sector, fuck it.

Why would it make a difference?

If I'm employed to provide 100 items,and I'm given 40 hours a week to do that for £1000. Why does it cost the public sector any more/less, if I provide the 100 items in 6 hours instead of 40? Why shouldn't I get paid £1000? Why should I also have to provide 300 other items for the same wage?

OP posts:
Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 15:49

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 14:53

Apologies, my misunderstanding.i thought you were void of work for 90% of your contracted hours & enquiring as to whether to confess to your boss?

Show quote history

I am in 9-5, but I probably only do 5-6hrs work a week, as the rest of the role I have automated.

OP posts:
Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 14:53

IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 12:06

I am at work for my contracted hours, and the work expected of me (and more) is completed.

So yes.

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Apologies, my misunderstanding.i thought you were void of work for 90% of your contracted hours & enquiring as to whether to confess to your boss?

insomniacalways · 10/02/2025 14:24

Been there. Stay quiet. I've done a few roles like this where people don't know how to automate DB or spreadsheets. I view it as I am being paid for my expertise not my time. Spend the time doing other courses etc and when you leave be clear on the actual requirements of the role e.g knowledge of DB programming otherwise they will be back to square one when any new process requires automation when you leave. My view is also that many people could teach themselves a lot of these things but do not!

Parkmybentley · 10/02/2025 14:01

Yeah no. Keep it as it is. You'll just be given extra work or got rid of otherwise. "It runs itself, we don't need that role anymore!"

Def keep notes on the automations - in your private personal cloud or laptop!!!

I feel your pain on trying to help other depts who just don't want to know.

They'd make your role redundant without a second thought, never feel bad for getting the best out of an employer.

tonybennscat · 10/02/2025 13:48

heyhopotato · 10/02/2025 12:35

If you work in the public sector you should confess because it's tax payers' money.

If you work in the private sector, fuck it.

If she works in the public sector then she’s doing exactly what she’s supposed to be doing, delivering an efficient, quality service. Cutting her hours then when something goes wrong or needs to be changed having to get someone else in who doesn’t understand the system and costs a lot more doesn’t make sense.

Serriadh · 10/02/2025 13:29

OP, you say you’ve documented the new processes but have you documented the improvements? I’d make sure I had a “project close” report for every new thing implemented, detailing the improvements it delivered, the other people impacted by the improvements, etc. Include lessons learnt and next steps for continuous improvement and an agreed review cycle. Then you can add to your tasks a regular “review” of the stuff you’ve set up - chat to the stakeholders, write it up. Then you have lots more documentation showing a) genuine improvements and what a badass you are and b) what they need to keep you on for (regular/scheduled updates, improvements, etc). Maybe when you review there aren’t any updates this time. Oh well, how sad.

heyhopotato · 10/02/2025 12:35

If you work in the public sector you should confess because it's tax payers' money.

If you work in the private sector, fuck it.

Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 12:18

lovepets · 10/02/2025 08:40

Do I assume you work for an academy and not an LA?
My daughter took on a job as a school business manager with some relevant experience, but certainly having no idea what she was letting herself in for.
She too automated a lot, worked like a Trojan to understand all the systems, alongside doing a qualification in school business management in half the time allowed, as there was too much for her to do otherwise.
Unfortunately, whenever she had proved she had automated something, or accomplished something, she was handed another job, to the point where she was considering leaving as it was becoming too much.
She hasn't, but the job is still very full on. My point is this, is there no one else you can help in the office? Is someone else struggling while you're quietly gloating in the corner that your job only takes 6 hours but you're being paid for 37.5?

You can assume anything you want - makes no odds.

I do ask people and observe and there are just some depts that don't want to change. they're a "I keep it on my head" team and basically insinuate that you are saying they can't do their job. So I backed off and just help when directly asked by them (normally because they've entered data incorrectly/omitted information). Like they would ask why some student didn't get a letter - and it will be because they did something like didn't tick an "Include in this mailing list" box or not recorded an emails address or whatever

OP posts:
tonybennscat · 10/02/2025 12:17

A lot of non IT people don’t understand how IT works. This is how it should be, organised, efficient and running without interference with automated monitoring and thresholds and alerting in place.
You still need someone in a role who knows how to fix things when they go wrong, who knows how to implement changes (say for regulatory purposes), who can perform upgrades etc but for a lot of the time it can be quite boring when a system has gone live and all the wrinkles are ironed out. (Former DBA here).

OriginalUsername2 · 10/02/2025 12:17

I wouldn’t say a word. You’re doing your job extremely well. It’s not cheating.

Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 12:15

madroid · 10/02/2025 08:39

YABU - you need a frank conversation with the Head. They should be hiring you as a consultant to other schools.

And in the other scenario, of taking over two other's jobs but getting a 3k rise - why not propose this but for a 30k rise? It still saves the school circa 50k and keeps you retained.

would you really suggest the loss of two peoples jobs?

OP posts:
Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 12:14

Fifthtimelucky · 10/02/2025 11:55

I'm old fashioned enough to think that the OP should be working her contracted hours. Of course the school is paying for her skills and expertise but they are also paying for her time.

She has flagged up that she has spare capacity and both she and her boss now have to decide what to do with that information.

If I were the boss I would be asking her to take on additional responsibilities - for example doing a more in-depth analysis of the data, which would presumably free up the time of teachers who are doing that now, or perhaps looking at other systems to see if they could be managed better, which would free up the time of other staff who could then be deployed on more productive tasks. Either way the school would become more efficient, which is surely in everyone's interests.

If I were the OP I would be seeking additional responsibilities in order to demonstrate my value to the organisation with a view to negotiate for a wider and better paid role.

If I were the boss I would be asking her to take on additional responsibilities - for example doing a more in-depth analysis of the data, which would presumably free up the time of teachers who are doing that now. Someone else is paid to do the analysis / tracking /monitoring. But I even helped them by automating some of their job, as they were manually doing things. And I have change the database systems slightly so they can capture more relevant data across the community and then wrote reports for them they can run on demand in order to their analysis. They now have more hours to do the other side of their job, which has helped the TALC committee in turn. All "not my job" but I helped out anyway.

or perhaps looking at other systems to see if they could be managed better, which would free up the time of other staff who could then be deployed on more productive tasks. I have integrated our main MIS systems with about a dozen others - our head of LRC was manually extracting, inputting and updating pupil data on 3 systems, they're automatic now.
The door entry/fingerprint system is automated as much as possible. I sped up their registration process. I even identified and created a workflow for the estates team , repro and resources. All of this is beyond my JD, but I did it anyway.

If I were the OP I would be seeking additional responsibilities the biggest issue is the natural responsibilities I could assume are being held by two other people.

OP posts:
Original poster
IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 12:06

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 10:33

Are you working your contracted hours?

Show quote history

I am at work for my contracted hours, and the work expected of me (and more) is completed.

So yes.

OP posts:
JimHalpertsWife · 10/02/2025 12:03

If I were the boss I would be asking her to take on additional responsibilities

So efficiency basically brings punishment in your case Grin the predecessor wasn't being asked to do more. Do more and reward yourself with more work? Jesus. I'd go back to the old "manual counting" way then!

SugarPlumpFairyCakes · 10/02/2025 11:59

lovepets · 10/02/2025 08:40

Do I assume you work for an academy and not an LA?
My daughter took on a job as a school business manager with some relevant experience, but certainly having no idea what she was letting herself in for.
She too automated a lot, worked like a Trojan to understand all the systems, alongside doing a qualification in school business management in half the time allowed, as there was too much for her to do otherwise.
Unfortunately, whenever she had proved she had automated something, or accomplished something, she was handed another job, to the point where she was considering leaving as it was becoming too much.
She hasn't, but the job is still very full on. My point is this, is there no one else you can help in the office? Is someone else struggling while you're quietly gloating in the corner that your job only takes 6 hours but you're being paid for 37.5?

Gloating?

Fifthtimelucky · 10/02/2025 11:55

I'm old fashioned enough to think that the OP should be working her contracted hours. Of course the school is paying for her skills and expertise but they are also paying for her time.

She has flagged up that she has spare capacity and both she and her boss now have to decide what to do with that information.

If I were the boss I would be asking her to take on additional responsibilities - for example doing a more in-depth analysis of the data, which would presumably free up the time of teachers who are doing that now, or perhaps looking at other systems to see if they could be managed better, which would free up the time of other staff who could then be deployed on more productive tasks. Either way the school would become more efficient, which is surely in everyone's interests.

If I were the OP I would be seeking additional responsibilities in order to demonstrate my value to the organisation with a view to negotiate for a wider and better paid role.

LameBorzoi · 10/02/2025 10:39

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 10:33

Are you working your contracted hours?

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This is the kind of mindset that you need to be wary of, OP. They exist in even the best workplaces.

LameBorzoi · 10/02/2025 10:37

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 10:33

Are you working your contracted hours?

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She's already stated that she is present and available for work hours, and is going above and beyond seeking out extra tasks.

Praying4Peace · 10/02/2025 10:33

IroningBoardAgainstTheWall · 10/02/2025 07:59

What work would you have me do?? I do my role and more...

Show quote history

Are you working your contracted hours?

insomniaclife · 10/02/2025 09:24

It depends on what you want, and atm you want the capacity, and flexibility this job gives you rather than intellectual stimulation and a sense of professional growth imo. And that's fine - keep doing what you're doing and enjoy this time.

When you feel you do want more challenge and sense of purpose in work, then for god sake come and work for my company!

Doitrightnow · 10/02/2025 09:19

My husband and I have both been in a similar situation (before we met). We both stuck with it for much longer than we should have. It was easy and convenient but tbh it didn't make us feel good about ourselves.

He was made redundant in the end and was much happier in his new job with purpose, and I changed department and went officially part time.