Feel trapped in bullshit job with good pay/benefits

[onesweetlife]

Anyone with me?

I hate my job. I don't believe in what I'm doing, I don't enjoy it, I ultimately feel it's pointless. I rarely get any recognition or praise, and I work mostly on my own so there is none of the team spirit/cameradie others talk about.

However. I'm pretty well paid for what I do (considering my qualifications aren't that great and I have no particular expertise) and the job is really flexible. I've just been able to reduce my hours to three days a week from four, and only need to work in the office one day a week.

Basically I hate it but I'm trapped because the benefits are really good. Anyone with me? I feel like my soul is dying so I look at online job vacancies but they all pay less and are full time and so I decide I need to stick it out with the current job and so it goes on and on and on...

Oh my god, are you me?!

@chisontoast not just me then

Any good coping strategies or escape plans? I just bought a euromillions ticket but not sure if that counts.

ME, I am in exactly the same position.

I swallow my professional pride and shrug now. I get paid way too much to consider moving. I also do very little to be honest. I am pushing 60 and trying to top up my pension as I didnt start one till I was almost 40. I have resigned myself to the fact that professional pride means nothing at this stage, its all about the money.

Hopefully the company will sell and those shares they gave me will actually be worth enough for me to never have to work again, I am so over this working crap.

Yep you are officially me. Had great prospects when I started but requested to go part time when DS was born, since then Ive been stuck in the same part time hole for years watching newcomers leapfrog over me. I’ve been making it clear I am ready to take on new opportunities full time but still here waiting. Alternative is to leave for a lower salary elsewhere and start at the bottom again.

I was the same in my old job. Then I took at £10k paycut and I love my new job. I've cut my outgoings, I WFH full time and its been worth every penny.

They've got us trapped haven't they?

The problem is until I had DC2 the official line was that I was there for the mat leave. But now that is done so I'm here for the part-time hours. Give me a few years and I guess I'll just be there for the pension...

Oh Jesus, op. I’m exactly the same! Except I’m in a ‘do good’ sector so feel bad about this.

Quick question before I give you my take: are you in a permanent or fixed term position?

Same here!

It's easy, pays fairly well, flexible, wfh, etc, but my god it's boring and pointless!

I'm kind of the same. My job does have a point but I wish I could leave and find something better for my health.

But I'm paid too much to consider it. And I'd never get another job anywhere near my current salary.

So I'll push on for another 20 years 🤦‍♀️

@onesweetlife

If you are paid well, can you plan ahead to retire early? Having an escape plan was the only thing that got me through the last few years at work.

Yep I’ll join the club, very well paid for what I do, have imposter syndrome anyway so would be taking a pay cut if I were to resign and get something else, fed up of corporate bullshit, quite happy WFH but will be dragged into office no doubt to do at least 3 days even though I don’t collaborate with anyone at the site (part of a global team)only light at end of tunnel is I am training off shore team and one day, soon hopefully, they won’t need me, this team are getting the best training from me to get them up running asap! Then I can semi retire and get a part time job to live a stress free life.

Same here, but I’ve only been there six weeks before quickly realising it’s not what I want to do.

I’m actively looking for another job before I get used to the extra money and annual leave.

Agree with adding into your pension or saving more so you can retire early. Gives you a focus & something to aim for.

Quick question before I give you my take: are you in a permanent or fixed term position?

Permanent!

If you are paid well, can you plan ahead to retire early? Having an escape plan was the only thing that got me through the last few years at work.

Hmmm, so I did wonder about this but I decided I would be wishing my life away. That's why I've gone down to 3 days a week - slightly less painful but over a longer time frame. Not sure yet if it was the right choice!

Yeah I feel like that @onesweetlife It’s an easy-going WFH job with NHS pension so I can’t complain. We’re both working on how we can retire by 55 which is 14 and 17 years for us.

same.

I wfh a lot and do a lot of exercise in the day.

At work I try to move projects forward and make as much progress as possible. IT IS VERY SLOW GOING but I will get there.

Also I love winding up work people who annoy me. Mainly by pushing for improvements. Why do rubbish people hate change?

I feel like this sometimes too! Except I work for oh's parents business (since before he was OH) and now run their company. OH also works for the company in a v niche market so neither of us would be easily replaced at all and his parents are virtually retired.

Also I love winding up work people who annoy me. Mainly by pushing for improvements. Why do rubbish people hate change?

Ah see I have weeks like this too but then at other points I just give up on the whole thing.

I could have written your post except I’m well-qualified and my pay and benefits are shit. 3-day week, flexible and fully remote though.

Keep considering civil service so I can stop freaking out about my pension. Other than that my plans are: lottery win. Using my spare day in the week (one is with DD; one is ALL ME) to retrain or do something creative just to feel barely alive

Same! In a boring, part time job sat at a computer all day and dreaming of doing something different but it is just so flexible I can’t give it up. I can work from home, swap days, take time out to take my children for appointments etc. My husband works a way a lot so it has been ideal for me.

Me too! Exactly the same situation, even down to how flexible they are. But Ive finally run out of any motivation at all to work (may get fired if I keep dragging myself through it!).

Ive been doing virtual interviews recently, Ive been applying for full time roles with potential for training/progression as my skills are fairly transferable and including that I would like a part time role on the cover letters. Have had quite a few happy to consider pt. Im waiting on some second interviews. Some have asked that I spread the hours over more days which I have declined.
The good thing is Im finding there are more options out there than I thought and I can take my time to find a good one!

@tigerlilymochalatte what sort of roles/organisations are you applying to? Do you find they're happy to consider three days? It seems to me that lots of places are happy with four days but three isn't enough...

What job do you do BigYellowHat?

I was in the same situation till recently. I couldn't face continuing for the benefits only so I managed to instigate a redundancy and so was paid to leave.

Nothing better than being paid to leave a job that makes you miserable.

Oh I would LOVE to be made redundant! It would make sense to leave if I was being paid...