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

[dankehause]

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?

Me - I've worked for the same company for nearly 15 years in all different areas of the organisation and now have about 2 days a week work max, just short of £70k salary. I've asked and asked and asked for more to do but it's not forthcoming, and in my head it makes up for the previous role where I worked at least 60 hours a week and away from home a lot.

I'm quite bored and unfortunately do have to be at my laptop even if I don't have things to do but am getting to grips with that part

I thought this thread was going to be about Jack Monroe. I don’t think she’s quite on 45k though.

My ex manager, you used to say that he was so efficent that he would do his work in the hour after we all left the office. His entire day's work.

Then shit all over the team when targets weren't met.

I left, turns out when I did the place has fallen apart and three of the directors responsible for him have left because he just faked shit in that hour. It was impossible to work with.

I don't feel so bad now on 30k doing nothing when others are on double

Most managers I've worked for don't do much more other than create a few pointless and unnecessary meetings a week to justify their own role as otherwise their diary would literally be empty.

Wow so many people on high salaries doing little.... when so many work so hard for low salaries. Way of the world isn't it. Then another thread will criticise low earners for not having energy to cook/work out etc when they themselves may have only worked a few hours from home etc etc.

Must be a different world. I work 12-hour shifts in an ICU dept and I'm lucky if I get 20 mins for lunch, usually at 3 am.

Bi no vi ft my cu no vi see my Dr Larry good but Jo go ft go go go crazy

Are you the person who translates user manuals for washing machines into a language that you don't have any knowledge of?!

I think there is a huge difference between a role where it's fully expected that you will have very little work to do, but you have to be there 'just in case' or maybe do something quick every half hour - and nobody objects to you surfing the web or reading a book the rest of the time, as long as you're ready to drop it when needed; and a role where your boss is expecting you to be busy, and so you can't relax and have to look busy all the time - that is mega stressful.

I often wonder how violinists and clarinettists in orchestras feel, when they see the pages and pages of intricate music for them to play throughout the performance - and then the person with the triangle or gong just has to sit there, waiting for their one big ting or bong to do right at the end! Are there differences in pay, or is there just a standard fee for each player per performance, regardless?!

Why should the fast skilled person be penalised for working faster by being given more work?

I used to temp doing data entry during university holidays. I always said I wish I was paid piecework rather than a day rate.

I find pattern-based things easy, and a few things that took me five minutes to do (write out the addresses of the five most common courts so I didn't have to keep looking them up) meant I could whip through the files!

Ooh I want this job

My job is now very specialised and I spend about 3 hours a day in meetings, and in most of those meetings I can complete my allocated tasks, I'm usually able to do my days work in the morning, effectively full time pay for part time hours.

I've worked very very hard to get to this point in my career, and as long as I'm achieving and hitting deadlines my employer is really not fussed about me being sat at a desk for 37 hours a week.

Friend works from home as a computer programmer (don't know exact title).

Seems to do few hours at their choice of time and gets paid 80k plus bonus.
I am jealous

I am obviously in the wrong part of the civil service as it's heads down from 8.30 to 5. 15 ish apart from 40 mins for lunch. Bloody exhausting.

Remote DPO on a day rate. Although they have to stay very up to date on legislation, the rest of the time they don’t have to do anything unless flagged by the companies they work for.

I am convinced this is me of the reasons wfh was so popular and so many people refused to go back to the office. UK has a productivity problem and I think shit managers are a major cause of this.

i think an awful lot of people have far too little to do, but managers, to boost their own egos, like lots of staff and to think they are all so busy.

In 30 years of local government and third sector work I have never had enough to do and have spent an awful lot of time with fuck all to do. It’s been shit actually, I really wanted to do more. But now I work at home it means I can get plenty of private stuff done or just potter about relaxing.

My sister works for track and trace England and has had full days sitting about doing nothing.

Sometimes the systems are completely down, she loved being paid by the government to have a long bath and paint her bedroom.

They have now switched to vaccine appointments and she had 3 calls over 2 days but is expecting it to get busier.

I don't think she likes the quiet times since she has to be logged on stuck to her desk with nothing to do and is really bored.

I had a job as a PA to an high net worth couple working 20 hours a week for £30,000 at 25. I had the option of free accommodation too if I’d wanted. IThey were rarely there. When they weren’t there I’d collect the eggs from chickens, walk the dogs and answer the phone on the rare occasion anyone caller. When they were I’d open the post, research their latest ideas and do the odd errand but mostly spent time on the internet. The whole thing was mad and I left because I was bored out of my mind 99% of the time!

That's libel! She worked a 23 hour day last week and regularly works 100 hour weeks for no pay, just the warm glow of helping people. 😎

I used to work in a council role where the okay job I had to do was open the post. I was miserable and the day dragged so much. I now work in acute healthcare, my feet barely touch the floor and the 12 he shifts absolutely fly by. I hate being bored.

As someone who does 5 12 hour shifts for a minimal pay and barely gets time to pee as I'm literally on my feet for nearly all of that time, and in so much PPE, there is no such thing as a sip of your water bottle. Meant to have breaks but rarely can as I am always playing catch up. I am so envious of some of you.

The last job I had I realised very early on that it wasn’t enough to fill my day . It was so boring and even when I said subtly that I can take on more it was declined because I do too much 🤷‍♀️.
the job before I left because there were times I was busy but day to day I was scratching around for work again no I couldn’t take on more .
I took on my current job as was told it was very fast paced environment and I needed a challenge after 10+ years in boring jobs that was hard filing the days . My current job honestly not enough hours in the day I’m so busy , I never understand to be busy in a job previously.I sometimes would like it not so busy but I’m happier doing what I do .

Was having a similar discussion just now after dinner. MIL was commenting about how former MPs and former PMs earnings are undeserved and why should anyone pay ex PMs so much for speaking for 40mins etc. I said I didn't see anything wrong with them being paid whatever anyone wanted to pay them. They're giving information that those paying them find useful and they're free not to engage their public speaking service if they choose not to; unlike with Charles for example. In her opinion nothing is too much for the new King or Queen and we should be happy their tax exempt etc; it's sort of God ordained. This isn't particularly true cos according to the Bible the "Children of God" were reluctantly allowed to have kings because they insisted on it in their desire to be like other nations instead of having only Judges and Prophets as God had commanded.

So yes, there're people who earn a lot for not doing much. As long as they're no deception and all parties are fully informed then all is well.

It's not me, although I sub contract that role to my cat.

I worked for the council during lockdown 2020. I worked from home and the little work I had to do was all done by noon, so I sat in the garden for the rest of the day. No one checked and I did everything properly and as required.

Train Drivers.

I get they are paid for what they know rather than what they door but £60k minimum for pressing go, stop, doors open, doors close, go, stop, doors open and repeat.