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Original poster

A work predicament

13 replies

BananasAreEvil · 22/04/2021 06:30

I work 4 days a week. I have been doing this for the last 7 years. There's a lot of work, and on the 4 days I work I never take my lunchbreak. I also put in hours in the evenings and weekends. I don't make a big fuss of it, I just get on with it. It's a very lowly paid job but I love it.

A person has started on Wednesdays, the day I am off. Same title and grade as me. I am finding that she starts things on Wednesdays that she can't see through, and a lot of work as been generated for me as a result.

I find that in some ways this adds an extra layer of work for me as there's this unspoken expectation that the two of us will just get on with whatever needs doing. However, this truly has resulted in extra work for me.

I feel that the Wednesday person should liaise with the managers so they can oversee what's been done/hasn't been done, rather than me picking up the tab for no benefit whatsoever.

I'd be grateful for opinions and thoughts as I am truly not sure if I am being unreasonable here.

OP posts:
Kingin · 22/04/2021 06:45

@BananasAreEvil

I work 4 days a week. I have been doing this for the last 7 years. There's a lot of work, and on the 4 days I work I never take my lunchbreak. I also put in hours in the evenings and weekends. I don't make a big fuss of it, I just get on with it. It's a very lowly paid job but I love it.

A person has started on Wednesdays, the day I am off. Same title and grade as me. I am finding that she starts things on Wednesdays that she can't see through, and a lot of work as been generated for me as a result.

I find that in some ways this adds an extra layer of work for me as there's this unspoken expectation that the two of us will just get on with whatever needs doing. However, this truly has resulted in extra work for me.

I feel that the Wednesday person should liaise with the managers so they can oversee what's been done/hasn't been done, rather than me picking up the tab for no benefit whatsoever.

I'd be grateful for opinions and thoughts as I am truly not sure if I am being unreasonable here.

You have a valid point but however, you can talk to the manager too.
BeingATwatItsABingThing · 22/04/2021 06:48

I think you need to consider your roles as separate if that’s possible. If she starts a job on Wednesday, she’ll finish it the following Wednesday. I don’t know the nature of your job though so that may not work.

Original poster
BananasAreEvil · 22/04/2021 07:20

Thank you both. I will of course talk to the manager, but I just want to get things clear in my head before I do so.

OP posts:
Milkywaystars · 22/04/2021 07:56

The fact that you work extra has attributed to the expectation from management that her work will be completed by you. You really need to take your lunch break as it helps increase productivity. By working extra unpaid in the evening & weekends disguises the need to hire more staff. The management knows that there's a lot of work but they also know you'll do it cheaply.

ElderMillennial · 22/04/2021 08:31

Working one day a week... I don't know what the job is but can't see how she would do a job in one day, unless it's a job share with you, but doesn't sound like it is.

On what basis do you pick up her work? Does she leave you a note? Can it wait til the following week? I think you need to make clear that you cannot pick up her work on top of your own so she needs to either finish things the same day or she will have to pick them up again the following week...

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 22/04/2021 08:38

@Milkywaystars

The fact that you work extra has attributed to the expectation from management that her work will be completed by you. You really need to take your lunch break as it helps increase productivity. By working extra unpaid in the evening & weekends disguises the need to hire more staff. The management knows that there's a lot of work but they also know you'll do it cheaply.
Whilst I agree with this completely, this is really hard to actually action. My job involves plenty of ‘out of hours’ work but that’s just the way it is. There would need to be a dramatic shift in the way employers view their staff’s workload before people can stop working over breaks and at home.
ElderMillennial · 22/04/2021 08:48

Lots of jobs do involve working late but OP days it's a "lowly paid job" and she is working over her hours and not taking lunch.

What she means by lowly paid I don't know but i think it's one thing to work late if you're salaried but another idea you're on min wage or not much more than that.

Floweree · 22/04/2021 08:58

Does this person work just the one day, or do they work one day in your team and elsewhere with others? That sounds challenging in itself to be honest, and if it is making your workload more unsustainable definitely raise it. No need to be personal, just say how it affects you ie since there is someone working one day a week my workload has increased by x and it feels unmanageable.

Herbie0987 · 22/04/2021 09:10

I work part time and when I finish for the week I send an update email to my manager and colleague.
You have not helped the situation by doing extra hours in your own time as your manager has no idea of how much work is involved in the role.

Original poster
BananasAreEvil · 22/04/2021 17:10

Thank you all.
I wonder if management want to view it as a job share. What would the difference be?
For me it is way more hassle having to ask someone to do something I am involved in, and then having to check where they're at with it, follow-up or not, document it, etc. It almost feels like a supervisory role but without the title and the salary, just the hassle.

OP posts:
ElderMillennial · 22/04/2021 19:05

Well if it were a job share you would have to pick up her stuff and she would pick up yours but it seems you'd be picking up more since you work four days and she works one

Original poster
BananasAreEvil · 22/04/2021 19:32

If it was a job share I imagine I would have been involved in the process somewhow or at least be told that the company was doing this? I had no idea this person was joining until literally the week before she started and I was told that someone would be using my office on wednesdays.
I happen to know who she is because she works another 2 days a week in a completely different department. I very rarely see her in person.

OP posts:
EscapeDragon · 22/04/2021 20:21

What has she actually been brought in to do then? The same job as you If so, then you should have less work to do, not more.

Ask your manager to clarify their expectation of who's doing what.

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