Who else admits to having a Lazy Girl Job?

[isolabella]

Read this interesting article and realised I finally have what I've always wanted: a lazy girl job that leaves me lots of time for family, exercise, pursuing my interests, life admin etc. Zero guilt.

In my case this is made possible by having put in the effort early on in my job so I've earned trust and I'm efficient so do all my tasks and deal with emails quickly so I can chill out again and do what I want: walk in the woods, go for a run, cook, have a coffee and chat with family. Always take my phone with me so can pick up any calls. Only go to the office once a week max (often not even that) since Covid, thank the lord.

Also made possible because people in my organisation aren't exactly highly performing or skilled, so being efficient when it counts stands out and makes you look like you do an amazing job.

Anyone else?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/09/gen-z-lazy-girl-jobs-tiktok-work

That sounds perfect! Unfortunately those of us who have to commute, do our jobs, then commute back and do the domestics are of course very envious! Actually having to go out and teach teenahers all day every day has become exhausting the older I've become. Need to look into alternatives like this, my bad for going in to a career with no personal space. Xx

I taught primary for 15 years, and quit around 3.5 years ago. I was actually a whistle-blower, and doing that made me realise that I was utterly sick to death of the ridiculous hours (both during and out of term time - a PP made a comment about teachers having plenty of time...I've never met a teacher like that!!), of the never ending paperwork and red tape, of the bitchy, bullying senior staff, ad infinitum... Thank god I got out before the horror that was the pandemic and the last 3.5 years!

I had no idea what to do with my life. All I had ever known was teaching, and my only prerequisite was that I not be sat in an office all day. So I took the first job that caught my eye - activities coordinator in a residential home for the elderly with dementia. I get paid absolute peanuts- a third of what I did - so money is pretty tight, but I absolutely LOVE my job. I basically get to do all the fun activities I did in the classroom, but with 90 year olds instead of 5 year olds. I take very little work home, my hours mean that I'll be able to take my son to school and will often be able to pick him up too. I'm not dead on my feet anymore. I no longer dread getting up each day, or count down the hours until bedtime, or often can't sleep because of worrying about work. I have an autoimmune condition that flares up with stress, so whilst I was teaching I was very unwell more often than I was well. My new role has reduced these flare-ups to just a couple of times a year.

There is no chance of any noteworthy development, but that no longer concerns me. It took me a long time to stop feeling like a worthless member of society, because I stupidly believed that if I wasn't using my degree and earning a good wage it meant that I was being lazy/not contributing enough. (For what it's worth, I'm highly ashamed of that view now.)

However, I feel fulfilled with my day to day role, and it means I have a much, much better work life balance - in my eyes, that's the golden ticket!

So I will probably still be working in my older years, retiring much later than PP have said they expect to. I don't wish to go back to a high-stress role just so that I can retire a few years earlier, essentially just saving up my life's enjoyments for a slightly earlier retirement. I get to enjoy life NOW.

So if you enjoy your job, manage to make ends meet, get to enjoy your life as it is now - bloody kudos to you. Because you'll never get these years back.

You can have some of these without a corporate career, I never said you couldn't. But stagnating in a career as a PA and not caring definitely lessens the chances don't you agree?

Oh look more sneering at anyone that tries hard and has more than you. You expected everyone to applaud your revolutionary choices in life - ie not working hard and jogging instead of doing a days work - then got all contrary and insulting when challenged. Jog on.
Literally.

To be fair you started it.

You seem to have quite a chip on your shoulder for someone with such a wonderful life, a rewarding corporate career, a big house, a wider circle of friends, even 'treats'!

And I'd be willing to bet you don't have 'more than me' - I guess it depends what you consider worth having.

As for jogging, I already have today. And it's my thread so the onus is on you to move on if you don't like it.

Is this about you not being arsed to do exercise and resenting others who do?

@isolabella Literally no chip on my shoulder but this thread has 💯 confirmed I am happy with my approach to life and work, so thank you for posting it. I've no idea how you've logically deduced I don't exercise but hey ho!

We are both happy with our lives and our choices - yay!! I'll drink to that! 🍷

I love this, glad you enjoy it, always scary taking a leap of faith and leaving what you know but so worth it when you find a job you enjoy. I left a well paid role with decent opportunities to train as a nurse and work in NICU, I absolutely love it! Lots leave in search of something less stressful and with a better work/life balance and think I'm crazy for having retrained, but I don't regret it at all; even during covid when I thought I could be working from home and not doing extra shifts every week 🤣

I think happiness and being content at work takes so many forms, there are jobs I'd hate to do but others love, and lots would hate what I do. It's a shame that the reality is lots are constrained by finances and need to earn x amount to live and are stuck in jobs that are slowly killing them.

People are free to chose what they do with their own lives, free from the judgement of others. Even an important job is worth shit all really... No one will remember us or what we did in 100 years, let alone a million. We're all as important/unimportant as each other, broadly speaking.

Calling it a “lazy girl job” is so infantilising.
My partner has a very easy work from home job, is he doing a lazy girl job? And not wanting to work yourself to death for a shareholder does not make you lazy.

Yep, that headline, and the smugness of the article, really annoyed me as well. It smacked of posh gels in a London art gallery whittling away their time until some equally posh bloke (or older woman) came along to fund them as a SAHM until they were old enough to become a lady that lunches. I'm all for better work life balance and not killing yourself in a corporate job, but it really did come across like the writer genuinely didn't realise some people are having to work every minute of every day just to eat, pay the rent/mortgage and utility bills right now. ( Plenty of those on this site as well...

Peak Guardian out of touch journalism. In general I like the Guardian for many reasons and sister title The Observer does some excellent in depth stuff. However the Guardian does currently have some utterly clueless and vacuous columnists and contributors and this author is definitely one. The fashionista winds me up as well, I can't work out who some of them are related to, to keep getting these commissions. And don't even get me started on Chiles.....

Agreed it is really out of touch. Many people dream of doing the minimum work and prioritising home and family the reality is most people have to prioritise working to earn as much as possible to just survive. They don't have the luxury of turning down jobs that don't offer 'hybrid working' so they can chill out and walk in the woods during their working hours.

I've got a lazy girl job and a lazy girl salary to match 😅

Exactly!
I made this point earlier in the thread surprised nobody else has picked up on it thus far.
Very privileged to think most people just work for fun lol

For the last two posters: I didn't think that was what the article was about - posh girls waiting for a rich provider, where did you get that from? Obviously there are people for whom these women's choices are not an option, like there always are. And there are women around the world who would consider your lifestyles something they could only dream of.

I don't think it's negative that young women today have found a way of making work and life deliver for them in a way that doesn't crush them or take all of their time and energy. Yes, I take a walk in the woods most days, but I also do my job. Why do you think it so bad that someone has a really good work/life balance? As I've said previously in this thread I've done many awful jobs in my time working long hours on my feet for minimal pay and now I'm grateful I don't have to. That's a good thing, surely.

Anyone else think @Yorkshirelass04may be having somewhat of an existential crisis right now 😂

You can have some of these without a corporate career, I never said you couldn't. But stagnating in a career as a PA and not caring definitely lessens the chances don't you agree?

No, you said bigger, nicer and more..

You didn't say that role enables those things, you said it enables bigger, nicer and more treats....its doesnt. Obviously in some cases it will but in others it most certainly wont.
Giving more time to a corporate company boss doesnt.

I believe everyone has the choice in how best they spend their time, as what it important to one, is not to another.
I know some PAs earn very healthy salaries indeed, as they plan the lives of CEOs of large companies. So again to generalise a role and make an assumption about a person based on that...is shallow and says alot about a person.

I find it embarrassing that women are still accepting and encouraging pulling other woman down for something like a job role or job title? Especially calling it lazy girl role...its pretty ridiculous really.

‘Lazy girl job’ is too irritating

Why ‘girl’

Word of warning about these jobs: they’re very vulnerable to office politics if the management culture changes. I used to work in a role that was not dissimilar to the gallery one mentioned upthread; it was a bit feast-or-famine in terms of demand, and performance management standards were erm…subjective and highly variable. I liked it; it had the unicorn hours of 10 till 2, 5 days a week so fitted right in with the kids. But I never quite felt needed or necessary.

Once Covid struck, the hours changed, a load of colleagues started to leave and there was a change of management at the top. Then my manager started dodging 1-2-1s. Next thing I knew, I was called in for an ‘informal discussion’ about ‘concerns’ (things like passing a call on to a colleague who wasn’t at their phone at the time because they were elsewhere in the building and I wasn’t telepathic).

I wasn’t about to put up with this nonsense for a 10 grand a year job so moved to retail. Not the most obvious move, but I get overtime, colleagues live in the real world and there’s something rather reassuring about working flat out and feeling that your job is actually necessary. It’s surprisingly tiring justifying your existence in the organisation.

I don't understand why someone would start a thread just to show off to random strangers on the internet? If you're so happy with your choice why the need to crow about it- why not just enjoy your nice lifestyle?

You actually admitted that you were showing off - but people are facing difficulties that you have no idea about so why try to deliberately run their noses in that? If you can't just be pleased with your own life choices without trying to put other people down for theirs then it's not unreasonable to question how happy you actually are.

Also, if you're Gen Z you are not a girl of any description. How sexist.

@isolabella Jesus wept. What’s wrong with some people on here? Like you said: this was supposed to be a light hearted thread!
Enjoy your walks. Enjoy being in nature. It’s what life is really about. And if I see you, I’ll smile and say hello.🙋‍♀️

Funny how 'lazy boy jobs' isn't a thing yet many of these exist and a far better paid. Either men are smart enough not to draw attention to this or they truly believe they are working hard and deserve every penny.

I do, although I'm not well paid (admin in NHS). I do it because I am pursuing another career (doing a masters) and so I need my days off free for uni work, placement and supervision.

Shame on the guardian.

I have a lazy, AKA meeting all job requirements, working to extremely tight deadlines on occasion, job.

And I feel no guilt, why should I??