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Original poster

Do you know anyone who gets paid to do so little?

107 replies

dankehause · 20/09/2022 12:51

I have a friend who works for a cyber security firm working from home.

He does two hours of work a day, then will go about and do as he pleases. His boss knows he's waiting on more work and are very relaxed about it.

He is paid £45k a year and graduated three years ago.

Does anyone know anyone else who has a similar job and what do they do?

OP posts:
BarrelOfOtters · 20/09/2022 12:53

I know people in the civil service who literally do nothing but surf the internet all day….

womaninatightspot · 20/09/2022 13:02

I work for the council and spend 3/4 of my time on my phone tbh. Building needs to be manned for insurance purposes. I watch a lot of box sets.

Original poster
dankehause · 20/09/2022 13:05

@womaninatightspot is this ideal for you or would you prefer to be more busy?

OP posts:
EnormousStuffedMarrow · 20/09/2022 13:06

I'd love a job like this.

Hoppinggreen · 20/09/2022 13:07

I could probably do more but I keep things ticking over and my company is very happy with me.
DH is an IT Contractor and due to his experience and skills he can get a lot done in a very short time, he is very well paid and unless something actually breaks he doesn’t work particularly hard. Some people he knows work for 2 companies simultaneously

kewinsurreylass · 20/09/2022 13:09

Any footballer

Original poster
dankehause · 20/09/2022 13:11

@Hoppinggreen works for two companies? Do you know what they do?

OP posts:
YourLipsMyLipsApocalypse · 20/09/2022 13:12

Sure, footballers get paid a lot (well, some do some are in good but not amazing money).

My friends husband has double training sessions 4/5 days a week, plus match day. They don't get Christmas Day off because there's always a Boxing Day match, etc.

So yes they are well paid, but from my experience they also put the hours in, hours at the gym every day whether you want to or not, and so on.

FTMFML · 20/09/2022 13:13

I used to get paid to go out to the cinema... shops... restaurants... events like concerts/truckfest etc.. drive around the country.. the beach etc with adults with learning difficulties.
I got on great with all the adults I worked with. It was a piece of cake!
However I was bored senseless at times so left and I am now an A&E nurse... not quite so relaxing but I love my job!!

GoldPig · 20/09/2022 13:14

Project manager for a local authority. £45k salary. A typical week has three or four meetings, all of which could be an email. There’ll be some background work, spreadsheets, emailing, a couple of reports. Basically I could do my job as a 1 day rather than 5 day week.

Eileen101 · 20/09/2022 13:16

My husband's workload is dependent upon other people in his factory doing their work first.

There's also a culture of "well the first hour of the day is for coffee and chat" and "there's only two hours of the shift left, so I can't possibly start that now".

He has a fair few shifts where he can fit in at least one film, sometimes an episode of something.

They're surprisingly well paid as well.

EmmaH2022 · 20/09/2022 13:21

I'd love a job like this.

can I ask those who have them, were they all advertised as busy? I've got to start job hunting this week.

NightmareSlashDelightful · 20/09/2022 13:21

I see what you're saying but not every salary is purely down to hours worked. It's also about qualifications, experience, all that. He might only actively work two hours a day but if he's got the knowledge and expertise to stop cyber attacks then much of his salary will be in recognition of that.

Vapeyvapevape · 20/09/2022 13:24

@GoldPig I could also do my job in one day . I came back from annual leave expecting to be busy catching up but was finished by lunchtime.
They recruited me because they were so busy !

NightmareSlashDelightful · 20/09/2022 13:27

Hoppinggreen · 20/09/2022 13:07

I could probably do more but I keep things ticking over and my company is very happy with me.
DH is an IT Contractor and due to his experience and skills he can get a lot done in a very short time, he is very well paid and unless something actually breaks he doesn’t work particularly hard. Some people he knows work for 2 companies simultaneously

Some people he knows work for 2 companies simultaneously

Yeah I've done that before now (freelance, different industry). Notionally, I get paid per day but the job itself will often only take me an hour or two. So often I'll take on another job alongside the first one.

But that's because I'm a) very experienced and b) highly qualified, so when a client pays my 'day rate' they're paying for that, not to keep my hands shackled to my laptop.

The day rate isn't literally a day, it's just a practical way of partitioning time based on skills and expertise for billing purposes. Everyone in my industry knows this, clients and freelancers alike, so it's not some big scam.

SunflowerOrange · 20/09/2022 13:29

Wow I would so love a job like this! I'm currently in a professional role but paid hourly and have to justify every minute. There's also a lot of unpaid work so the worst of all worlds!

GobbolinoTheWitchesCat · 20/09/2022 13:34

I've had periods where I've scratched about for work like that. Although at the time I wasn't earning so much and I was in the office.

I hated every second.

KILM · 20/09/2022 13:43

I know one person on 55k who has got a days work to do a week max by her own admission. Im convinced that the department of 30+ she works in are all part of an unspoken agreement where they all know it could be done with less people but keep their mouths shut and pretend they are busy because you know, its a good deal and you dont want to ruin it for everyone else. (Private sector, massive company)

I also (like someone else upthread) know someone working 2 wfh jobs at once (tech)

I have a friend who moved from private sector in a busy but not especially demanding or well paid role into local government, replacing two people who had retired, with her boss saying we need to wait a few months before getting the 2nd one in, just do what you can so sorry etc.
She lasted 2 months before she broke the news to the boss that she was doing both roles in 3 days a week....

Hoppinggreen · 20/09/2022 13:47

dankehause · 20/09/2022 13:11

@Hoppinggreen works for two companies? Do you know what they do?

Yes I do know.
Its all IT and they are in charge of scheduling meetings themselves so they make sure they don’t have a clash. DH claims he’s so good that half of him is worth as much as a whole one of some of the people they have on projects

SandrasAnnoyingFriend · 20/09/2022 13:53

Me, I get paid a bit more than that and have a similar workload.
It's a bit boring when I have to be in the office but great when I'm at home and can get on with other stuff.
I am in the private sector, no specific qualifications and it's a very profitable business who aren't looking to make savings on staff costs.
I feel lucky but I would enjoy being challenged more.

ILoveAllRainbowsx · 20/09/2022 13:59

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listsandbudgets · 20/09/2022 14:09

I know someone with a very similar job OP. He dips in and out of work when he feels like it and seems to be paid a small fortune. It is however a very niche job that requires a high level of expertise. He's also got a very specialist background. I think his employers want him for his abilities rather than the hours he does (or doesn't ) put in.

abovedecknotbelow · 20/09/2022 14:16

kewinsurreylass · 20/09/2022 13:09

Any footballer

I think that's unfair. Yes they are laid obscene amounts but you can't sit on your arse and stay in professional sports.

There are a fair few Teflon shouldered bods in my team getting paid more than I do.

KILM · 20/09/2022 14:33

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Off topic but im always curious what people like this expect you to do if you dont know what their role entails and there's no documentation as they've been doing it so longother than ask them questions about it! We had two people like it in my old team and they saw it as a massive slight against their abilities when we just needed to know because of sick/leave/retirement cover!

Fuwari · 20/09/2022 14:35

I work approx 2.5 hours a day. Paid for full time, reasonable wage. Luckily wfh so get lots done round the house and in the garden, have lots of home based hobbies I can do. I’m in my 50s and was ready to slow down, no desire to climb further up the ladder etc. So I wouldn’t swap. I’m perfectly happy. I can’t imagine how I’d fit everything in now if I actually did have to work full time hours.