Unpaid overtime?

Well done you

You are being treated like a mug. Not good.

In my NHS trust, anyone over a set band is expected to do overtime and to do that for free unless it's a specific thing like a half day to attend a named thing. Too much work or over running clinics, tough luck.

Well then you leave on the dot of 5 or 6 or whatever.

I used to work somewhere where I had no break at all for the whole day which started at 8.45am and sometimes I didn't finish til about 8.30pm. I was never, ever out the door before 7. I wasn't even allowed to go to the toilet without asking someone to cover for me.

All meals and snacks were brought to me and paid for by the boss. Obviously to stop us fucking leaving for even five poxy minutes?!

I think it was illegal but I was too young to know!

I used to work for a company that expected a shitload of unpaid overtime. There was one month where I did a full working weeks’ worth of overtime, and was off sick for two days with a d&v bug- and they deducted two days’ pay from my salary that month.

I am now on a salary, rather than hourly wage, and t&c’s that say I am available to meet the needs of work as required (so may need to work nights/weekends etc) due to seniority. I’ve always done extra unpaid hours but am currently working roughly 60-80 hour weeks. At Christmas, it should go back to a more “normal” 45-55 hours/week. And so are most people around me.

At my level, it’s really not unusual to have some only doing their 37 hours, and other regularly doing 50-60 - and lots having occasional peaks of a couple of weeks of 50-60+ and then back to 40-45 average.

Depends on your contract. If you are paid hourly, it should be paid (assuming it is authorised).
If you’re salaried, you’re paid to do the job regardless of how many hours that takes. Ideally, the hours ebb and flow - sometimes you need to do more than standard, sometimes the work is less pressured and you can work fewer.

Your company sounds awful!! The world will not end if you put your phone on "do not disturb" during your lunch break and don't check your emails on holiday. Just say you're going to a place with no reception. I worked with equity partners in some of the largest law firms in the world and most of them are unavailable when on holiday. The world doesn't end. If there's a crisis someone else just has to deal with it.

Op! Don’t answer to ur phone or turn it off. Request a work phone and block work people from personal phone - you don’t have to share your personal phone or use it for work

laptop doesn’t come home or go on holiday

you need to stop

How did it go @ThatNattyPlayer?

Fair is giving up annual leave?

in no world is that or should that be acceptable

Go in and talk about it. You are on a salary so you need to clarify with boss what is expected and what you can manage. Fair, to me, would be TOIL for extra hours worked and to have an understanding that you will only check your lap top every second day when on holidays and once per day on the weekends to cater for emergencies.

I assume that your job is not life or death, you need to start saying no, if someone has to wait for something then they have to wait. If it’s that important the company would have set up cover for your annual leave and weekends.

You absolutely need to refuse to do any work while on annual leave, they have no leg to stand on demanding that. I also wouldn't be happy doing unpaid overtime. I'm in a salaried role but overtime usually earns toil, but when its overtime demanded rather than overtime offered I.e. I voluntarily work extra most days to get tasks finished then take the extra hours off when I want to but if there's a rush and I'm asked to stay late to finish or do work at the weekend then they must offer me overtime pay (they can do a calculation using my salary to figure out an hourly rate then add on 50% or 100% depending how many hours I do)

Is it a work phone or personal?
Don't answer work calls when you are off.
Why would you?

Your employer is using you and taking advantage of you

Once you have worked your paid hours do not answer the phone or log on

I would find another job where you are appreciated

They won’t be delighted, but if you log off/don’t answer the phone out of hours, what can they do?

Do you receive toil??
You shouldn't be working at all whilst on annual leave... how does that even work???

I agree with this.

I might stay 30 mins late or so now and again, I might even move my lunch break to accommodate a meeting but I get a lot of flexibility for kids medical appointments etc

If it's not two way then stop working lunch or after hours.

What would actually happen?

I don’t do a second I’m not paid for. Lunch is mine. Occasionally I throw in a bit of time at the weekend if it suits me to help out and I take that time back in the week.

Nobody has ever said a word, and everyone is doing it.

On your lunch break leave your desk and if possible go somewhere you cannot be contacted.

Annual leave: Do not take any device that is linked to the company. If you have a personal device do not engage with company activity.

When you have finished your paid hours log off and go home. If the company have and use your personal or home phone do not answer.

Get a new phone number added to your existing phone and do not give them access to that number ever.

You are entitled to a private life away from that company and you are not a slave.

Just don’t work outside your normal hours. They can’t have it both ways.