AIBU to stop overperforming at work?

@ParotidPal if you work for the government every hour you work over your allocated hours are then given back to you (maybe councils are different) but central government they are given back.

I used to do a lot of work in my own time because it was something I enjoyed doing. (research) However when I decided to go to uni as a mature student I gradually dropped the rope on all these extra dutues and used my free time for researching universities and courses. This was the early 1980s so no internet. It meant trips to the central library, browsing uni prospectuses. Later when I got interviews from all 5 on the UCCAS form it meant taking leave for out of town trips to look around the campus.

I never took time off sick or slacked during this process, I worked for the hours I was paid and no more than that. I just gradually stopped all the little extras I had been doing. So the work had to be done within the formal hours. Nowadays they call it quiet quitting.

I can remember the last appraisal I had from my boss, who infrerrred that I "did not seem to be as productive as in the past." I agreed with him and told him I had other priorities now. He then said that he had noticed I had been taking single days of my leave allocation and asked if I had been attending interviews. I admitted that yes I had, but offered no furtherd details. I allowed him to conclude that I was applying for other jobs.

As we talked I was holding a firm offer from the uni of my choice and had only to arrange accommadation in the new city. Its a wonderful feeling to have the opportunity to tell someone that you categorically would not be there next year, so there was really no point in continuing the conversation. I can still remember the blank look on his face when I did so.

Four weeks later I wrote to the chief executive "Dear Mr M, I am writing to tender my resigantion from (organization) as of YY"

That was it.

OP, you re-frame your thinking is how.

You're attaching 'professional pride' to being a 'people pleaser' and going above and beyond for an employer who wouldn't do the same for you.

It shows self worth and self confidence to be able to only work the hours they actually pay you for !

Working for free is stupid. It's exhausting. It's absolutely thankless, and it's definitely NOT reciprocated by your employer! It's what your employer is now 'expecting' from you because you've done it in the past.

Please note, that even if your employer is 100% aware that your workload is excessive, and they know you are working beyond your paid hours, they haven't offered to pay you overtime, they haven't offered to lessen your workload to fit within your paid hours, and very likely that they haven't even acknowledged your unpaid work, never mind thanked you for it, have they??

Stop doing it NOW. Simply work your paid hours and then leave work. Whatever is outstanding will still be there for you the next day you work.

If you employer comments/complains simply say 'I'm afraid the volume of work you are assigning me is impossible to complete within my working hours, but I'm happy to prioritize what you need me to within the time available? Or you could offer to work overtime, but only PAID overtime, or even to temporarily increase your working hours (again, only if PAID).

What a horrible thing to say!

This is very good advice that I need to heed too!
Also in 50s!

Just do your hours and use the flexi time, and use your free time to do things that save you the money you have lost (eg cooking, selling clothes on Vinted) and that makes your health and happiness better

Learn the word no

im sorry I can’t help this time

don’t work over your hours - if something will slip as a result message your boss and say so “I have put in a lot of extra hours which obviously can’t continue - what do you suggest I prioritise “ and only do that

Stop doing overtime unless you get paid. If you are a hard worker, and someone asks why xx wasn't done, you can say 'I was doing (no.1 priority) and (no.2 priority). I've been this person! And am in recovery.

So practical steps:

• Write down your to do list and identify whats in your job role and what isnt. And I mean properly, sit down and write it all out in a spreadsheet.
• for what isnt in your job role, deliberately hand something with low visibility back - think the kind of thankless admin stuff. Say 'I've taken on too much and I won't be able to make time for this, someone else needs to take it on' and then dont do it.
• look at the list and put things in priority order, with everything actually included in your role at the top. Then look at the 'not in role' stuff and only prioritise the stuff that will actively contribute towards career progression. And that might mean 'whats most visible' or something else, depending on industry.
• now the MOST important bit: actually work a week where you do things ONLY in the 'in your role' part of the list, and log on/off on time every day, and take your breaks. It's hard, but you need to almost prove to yourself that the sky doesn't fall in. It's just one week. You dont know how good you are at snowboarding unless you actually try it, and you need to practice something if you aren't very good at it. Tell yourself it's practice.

I've got more, but I'd need to know what your relationship with your manager is like. You can and will wind this back, as I dont recommend burning out!

Youre letting your ego burn you out. Cut back.put your boundaries in

I have a job where it is impossible to get ‘promoted’. You have to apply for a different more Senior role yourself and there is an arduous three stage recruitment process.

Also, the job me has various managerial elements that are not attractive.Myself and a some peers in the same role who are very experienced on the top bracket salary of our job, all out perform the junior people who are on the same salary of the same job.

There is no way for the company to pay us more, but also it’s deflating to be doing double what other people are on the same salary.

I’ve worked out a thing where I work for four solid hours, and then deal with urgent only for the rest of the day. Because in essence I can do what some people do in a day in 4 hours. My manager still says I’m in the exceptional bracket for performance. So clearly I’ve got the right balance. If you work at home, try working half days and then just picking up emails on an afternoon. It really does stop the resentment.

Stop doing over your hours unless you are getting TOIL or being paid overtime. All it does is make your managers take you for granted and your team hate you for making them look bad for 'only' doing the hours they are paid for.

I'd start applying for internal roles a grade or two higher. Even if you don't get one straight away it sends a message.

Well, for a start, you should never work overtime. Only work the hours you're being paid. Seriously! When you've done your 8 hours, log off. Never work for free.

@CasperGutman I get that and I do understand there are a lot of people in public sector jobs battling against massive underfunding, backlogs etc. I didn’t mean to imply that public sector workers are lazy.

But in this case it just seems to be a culture where some going above and beyond and being driven makes you a square peg in a round hole. A lot of posters are encouraging the OP to go with this and coast. But this clearly isn’t going to work for her constitutionally. She sounds very driven and is going to get bored and frustrated.

I think taking a junior role was a mistake. If you're the sort of person who works hard and takes pride in what they do, having a job that's too easy was always going to be boring for you. Why not rethink and find a new job that offers a challenge (whether that is private or public sector)?

Promotion in the public sector can be quite box-ticky- if they have approval for a promotion then someone will get it, if not then they won't. It's not like the private sector where there's the flexibility to use promotion to award exceptional performance.

@Shellyash completely agree. If you are a driven person its not as simple as just “quiet quitting”. It really goes against the grain for many people to do this. If the culture doesn’t reward hard work then it’s probably the wrong environment.

It's not necessarily "mediocrity and working to rule". I work in the public sector, in a role where I and dozens of colleagues have a backlog of casework that's built up over years. We work hard to complete work to a high standard, for the hours we're paid for, and then we go home.

What else could we do? How many hours of unpaid overtime would be considered "enough"/not "working to rule"? We could ALL work 24/7 for a year, and there would still be a pile of work to do.

Look about for a job in a different sector. I am an employer and there is a massive shortage of people with your work ethics. Most are doing what you are being advised on here, to slow down and play by the book. I understand when you have professional pride that it isn't as easy as that to just work the union way. You need to feel valued and appreciated and rewarded in your vocation.

Honestly this is why I don’t think I could work in the public sector, important though it is. I can’t see the point of working in an environment where mediocrity and working to rule is a cultural norm (I know not everyone in the public sector works like this but it does seem to be a widespread cultural note).

It sounds like maybe you don’t need the money, am I right? If you don’t, is this the best use of your time? If you do, could you look to reenter the private sector?

Youve heard the expression ' give an inch ,and they'll take a mile applies here.

You need to quiet quit!! Just do what you have to do,that's all. That is literally your job.

Have a few phrases ready, like 'im really sorry, totally bombed out at the moment, could you ask Linda to help maybe?
Or
I'd love to help but I have to focus on ( whatever)
Or
I might be able to do it but it'll have to go the bottom of the pile I'm afraid, maybe towards the end of next week I can have a look and see where we're at?

If you can put on a lightheated, jokey voice I'd say " come on, that's an above my pay grade job and you know it!'

Other option is apply for promotion and full time role. Either where you are or different LA.

Are you able to ask for a job re-evaluation, rather than a promotion, to ensure you are properly remunerated for what you do beyond your role?

Just do your contracted hours. That’s the easiest thing to change.
Look at job description. Push back if getting lots of work above pay grade.
If you can’t get work done in time you have then make it clear to manager and agree what priority is.
People pleasing and doing far more than paid for isn’t a good trait.
There’s probably work/life balance, work smarter not harder type courses etc you can book on.

I’ve been in a similar situation and understand it’s not easy to slow down if you’re used to performing at private sector levels. I still struggle with this.

Things that helped:
Building a routine outside of work. Scheduling hobbies/interests for the same time each week and making them non-negotiable (ie I can’t work beyond my hours today because I need to do x hobby).

Finding a second role/volunteering opportunity where I can be productive and my time is valued. This made me realise my time is valued by others even if it isn’t by the public sector (if someone is willing to pay for the time I spend working, then why should I do unpaid overtime for my employer).

Having a total meh of a year firefighting dealing with sick relatives who live at the other end of the country. After all that, I don’t have the energy to perform at my peak anymore. (I don’t actually recommend this though, obviously!)

As a tax payer, thanks!

But I agree with the advice to slow down, sadly...

What a dissapointing situation that your colleagues don't have your pride and energy for what is (presumably) necessary work