Please help me leave work on time...

[ContractedHours]

Work in a school (admin/pastoral) full time. In so many ways I love my job. The students, the team I work with, the teachers (OK there is the odd exception) and (most) of the parents.

But in the three years I have been there I think I have left on time a handful of times. Always work through lunch.

There is so much to do deadline wise (admissions, new starters, parents evenings, open evenings, census) yet this has to be juggled with daily enquiries, requests, safeguarding issues, etc. Limited people to share the workload with. One similar role in my team - she is the same with no lunchbreaks/working late, so cannot ask her to do more.

I am shit at doing a half-arsed job...I want to do my best for the students/my colleagues etc so I end up finishing a minimum of 30-45 minutes late every day. Often later.

My boss, as she leaves every evening, is telling me to pack up and go home....and not to log on at home all well and good but the stuff needs doing and I cannot do it all 8.30-4.30 and no-one else can do it or has time to do

So this year I am determined to do that --to leave at the end of my contracted hours and not login again until the next day. Ha....it has worked 1 day out of 6 so far!😐

So, I have:
Set a vibrating alarm on my watch to go at 4pm (finish at 4.30pm) to tell me to start packing up
Set a audible alarm on my phone at 4.35pm to tell me to call my son to remind him to get on with his revision (GSCE year)

I am hoping these "nags" will push me out of the door. But am not sure how these alone will help...I need to shift my mindset as well as my end of day time keeping....I need to switch off the "I'll just quickly do this before I leave" mentality.

I earn a measly £21.5k....I am not paid enough to be working like this..

Has anyone else managed to change from always working late to leaving on time? If so, what helped you do that?

TL/DR :
What else can I do to get my arse out of school and not do hours of unpaid overtime

I used to be a secondary teacher (HoD) and was always the last one left in the school of an evening and caretaker regularly came to kick me out. Same as you - a conscientious mentality meaning I cared about doing a great job but wasn't paid enough!

In the end I burned out. Then when I moved to supply teaching I started having much firmer boundaries. I realised that what mattered was being present for the kids, and also present for my own kids and self / family. So burning myself out had not worked in the long run and everyone including myself suffered.

On your death bed you won't be saying "I wish I'd stayed later at work". The to-do list is never done. Value your priorities - doing a good job but looking after your well-being and bring there for your DC.

I found using a bullet journal system for my to-do list helped. You can watch YouTube videos about it. You migrate tasks that are incomplete to the next day. I would take 15 minutes before I end the day to migrate all my tasks and have the next day's list ready for the morning so that I don't have to think about it all until I start work the next day. Then log off / clock out and forget about it all till the next day.

In my supply job I used to get the bus to work and I had a rule that I was only allowed to start thinking about work when I got to a certain stop. Before that stop I would read fiction. Then on the way home it was the same rule in reverse - after X stop I leave work thoughts behind. You could maybe try that with your journey home whether walking / driving past a particular street / bus stop etc.

Ha, yes. My car is always the last in the car park.

Every. Single. Day.

I was going to suggest an alarm but you are already there.
I feel your pain

Since I posted, I have been trying to work out what methods in my working practice will help. So writing down the task rather than "quickly just doing it before I leave" is going to have to be one of my new ways of working...
Trouble is, I know the next day is going to be soooo busy...the temptation to just do it now...

You have to put that 4pm in your head as your finish time - the last 30 minutes is preparing for the morning.

Safeguarding first.

Look at the things with statutory timescales. New starters have to be notified to the LA within 5 days, for example, and that's also safeguarding, which is why it's first. Have you got an MIS report that produces the information about starters (and leavers) in a format readable for the LA and everybody else who needs to remove/add access and accounts after a few clicks, rather than having to type each one manually?

Census is October, but the school needs to have FSM dealt with in advance - and kids need to be fed - which is urgent safeguarding and welfare. Are finance doing that? They need to be responsible for checking and updating the MIS to show PPG as well as entitlement. Do you have a Data Manager also trying to keep all the balls in the air at the same time? The FSM data needs to be on before census so you aren't dealing with a thousand error messages after initial submission.

Do the parents have the ability to update information themselves or do you have to input it manually? Is there a comms package that needs to be activated to enable this?

At 4pm, you're making sure you've added things to the list. I'd suggest a whiteboard. Get them out of your head and onto the wall. Even with some things not obvious up there (because they're confidential) but noted in 'code', it means the scale of what you're doing is visible.

4.10pm, you've closed all your programmes down except email.

4.20pm, close down email. If it's urgent, somebody will call you about it. And if it isn't actually urgent, tell them to email you details and you'll look into it.

4.30pm, you're standing up and pushing your chair in and running walking to your car before somebody stops you to 'just' do one more thing.

DO NOT LOG ONTO YOUR EMAILS. Everything within your remit can perfectly safely be left until the next day. The DSL and Head have the things that are actually essential to handle out of hours. It's not doing you any favours and it's actively undermining all staff who want to keep their boundaries as 'Contracted checks her emails and she's always here late/never takes a lunchbreak'.

Everybody's busy, but if you can't show them the duties are excessive for one person, there's no business case for recruitment of another person (and you becoming office manager, for example - more money that way). You're undermining any case your LM could want to make for you having your workload reduced.

Who else is there? Is there a Data Manager? PA? Receptionist? Are there things that could be shared with multiple members of staff, not just the person you're sitting beside so that nobody has to do everything unsupported? More than one person can do FSM checks, for example. More than one person can input UPNs or record standard pupil files received on a shared spreadsheet tickbox.

When it comes down to it, things often have to fail for anybody to accept that something needs to change. And creating a single point of failure by placing everything upon the head of one person is not the way to work efficiently.

The key is to stick to the genuinely legally essential tasks and if the head gets annoyed that they've not had coffees laid on at the Open Evening, oh well, you told them that you do not have the capacity in your day to deal with refreshments. AND TAKE YOUR BREAK. It makes you more efficient in the afternoon than if you stay there throughout.

It's shit, it's always shittier in September. But your LM is right. Leave and do not touch your inbox until the morning.

Perhaps some things do have to be done late/poorly to demonstrate the workload is too much and unachievable in your contracted hours.

@NeverDropYourMooncup
Firstly, love the username!
Secondly, your sound telling off (iykwim) made me well up a bit - and you are right.

DO NOT LOG ONTO YOUR EMAILS. Everything within your remit can perfectly safely be left until the next day. The DSL and Head have the things that are actually essential to handle out of hours. It's not doing you any favours and it's actively undermining all staff who want to keep their boundaries as 'Contracted checks her emails and she's always here late/never takes a lunchbreak'

This is so true. And I have to remember this. My desire to "get ahead of tomorrow morning/Monday" has driven me try and get one step ahead. One task less to do whilst the students are in. One less thing to remember. But actually, not fair on others, let alone me.

A couple of practical things I also need to do:
4.10pm, you've closed all your programmes down except email
Yes! This. Because often stuff has to be abandoned halfway through doing it (when, for example safeguarding stuff, as you say, take priority) and then at the end of the day you a million tabs open (slight exaggeration) which need saving/closing. It can take me 5 minutes to shut all the stuff down!! And I need to not think - "Oh I'll quickly finish it now" and just write it on tomorrow's list and hit "close".

4.20pm, close down email. If it's urgent, somebody will call you about it. And if it isn't actually urgent, tell them to email you details and you'll look into it.

This too.. Again, when you are so busy, you can sometimes see an email and think "Oh, that will only take 5 minutes to do. I will just do it now to get it off my radar/help someone/not risk it being forgotten with the business of the start of the school day." These quick 5 minutes jobs just stack up and then, there you are...last one in the car park. Again.

Yes. And I suppose, as long as I flag it is a risk before hand, then teh failure if not on me and I should not take the responsibility for it....

My ego is playing a huge part in it all, I know that. I am well regarded as someone who get stuff done, and gets it done well. But with DD in GCSE year and needing support, husband worried about me.....at what expense?

Someone new was recruited last year. They took on a small part of my role....which helped.....but it just meant other stuff (Census, Marketing, Awards Evening) got given to me instead. The new person are the one now also working beyond their hours...so I cannot give them anything more. <sigh>

I think I am also realising that my line manager constantly telling me to go home doesn't actually mean that much if nothing is being done to reduce my workload.....and more keeps coming my way.

Fucking hate September/October apart from I love seeing all the bright new shiny students

Honestly, take a step back mentally. You choose to do this, and it’s sacrificing your personal life, time with your family, the job role and colleagues.

If your workload is too large, they need more people doing the role. The fact you have a culture of missing lunch breaks is pretty disgusting tbh.

you’re actively creating the problem by burying yourself in it. Let the team know what can and can’t be done in the contracted hours by working your contracted hours.

Do you have performance review meetings?

I think for someone like you, there needs to be a ‘line in the sand’ moment. Arrange a meeting with your boss and Explain the difficulty in workload. Come up with a plan together of what priorities there are, and stick with that.

You need to let some things go.

And when your boss says 'Why didn't you do X' you say 'Well, you have seen me work every lunch and stay late for Y years. You have never bothered once to sit down and go through my workload, so I decided to take you at your word for a week/month and I went home'.

You know I'm saying this to people at work, don't you? 😀

I am wondering why the SBM/Data Manager isn't doing the census, though, rather than somebody in pastoral. After all, once they're on SIMS, it's a finance job to get FSM, Data/Timetabling or Exams to get QANs, PP downloads and uploads, CTFs and UPNs on the system (all of which form the vast majority of error codes in October).

There does come a point where there is nobody else to give something to or you meet pushback, but that is your (and their) LM's job to handle.

Anyhow STOP TALKING ABOUT WORK! Go and have a cold drink and put your feet up. Like everything else, we'll (meaning education staff) deal with it in the morning.

I’m a teacher with a large workload. Any serious safeguarding concerns go immediate to the DSL.

All safeguarding should be centrally held. On cpoms for example.

Our headteacher insists all staff have emails out of office reply outside of 8.30 am to 4.30 pm as default.

You are being a slave to yourself - no one else. Anyone emails after 4.30 tough it waits. You delegate and forward on anything that can wait. Anything that the pupils can do themselves they do. Eg one of my tutor group is out Friday morning for a hospital appointment but then I ask them to email their teachers to let them know and get work etc and email from parents goes to main office. I’m in at 8 am and we don’t start until 8.40 am and we have an hour and a half for lunch which I sometimes work through but I am 100% through that door at 4.30 (we finish at 4 pm) as the school already has a minimum of an hour of my extra time each day. This year I am going for a walk every day for 15 minutes at lunch regardless.

No one sees you work late. You don’t get paid for it or promoted for it - go - do you have a family? Or dog to get home for?

“My ego is playing a huge part in it all, I know that. I am well regarded as someone who get stuff done, and gets it done well. But with DD in GCSE year and needing support, husband worried about me.....at what expense?”

This is interesting, I could be wrong, but it sounds like you draw a lot of your identity from your job. There has to be balance. Sure you get stuff done at work, but at the expense of your family. It’s a choice you are making everyday.

Also, with all your unpaid over time, you aren’t valuing your own time as much as you should.

I am wondering why the SBM/Data Manager isn't doing the census, though, rather than somebody in pastoral. After all, once they're on SIMS, it's a finance job to get FSM, Data/Timetabling or Exams to get QANs, PP downloads and uploads, CTFs and UPNs on the system (all of which form the vast majority of error codes in October).

Don't start me on this. H5 level. At a Census training course with Heads, Deputy Head, SBM and Data Managers......

I am Sixth Form - so "just" do the 16-19 bit.

I was a bit WTAF when this was given to me last year......

Have you had a conversation about things being way above your pay grade?

@Hermione101 It’s a choice you are making everyday.. I know. And I think this is why I am here today. Am just dreading the hell of now to November....and trying to do everything within my hours is not going to work.

And yes, this is my first full time job since having DC - so in a lot of ways I am loving what has added back to my life/identity. But have, with the dread of the upcoming stuff I have realised I am making this (bad for me/family) choice and trying to work out some plans to stop it.

And trying to work out how to approach my line manager to actually get some changes. Her saying "go home" is not enough. Her recruiting a.n.other who takes say a day a week of my role away...then to add a day and a half back in other stuff, is not enough. But she won't do anything about it if I don't change my actions. My choices.

I’m glad you can see it for yourself op. Genuinely, to create the change then things will have to be dropped. Please start fresh tomorrow. Go and sit in your car for your lunch break. Switch your monitor off at 4:20, bag on your shoulder heading for the door at 4:30. Do it.

Do exactly the same on Tuesday. And Wednesday. When you’re given an additional task, respond to the email/query with a ‘that will take me about 45 minutes to achieve, I also have x,y,z on my agenda today. What would you like to be prioritised and what can get pushed to a further date?’

I did a double take at this thread as it could be me writing it!

I do usually take my lunch break but so often stayed an hour past my finish time. However this term I am determined to leave on time & so far I have 😃.

I can't tell you how wonderful it is to get home an hour early on time & sit in the garden unwinding. Yes I have jobs that I will have to do the next day but that's ok. My head teacher is supportive (although demanding). I love my job but I love my husband & family more. It's only been 3 days but I'm determined to keep it up.

The point about making others look bad for going on time is very valid. I do have a colleague who frequently misses their lunch then complains about it/guilt trips people.

Good luck keeping it up op.

One revelation for one was that, to an extent, I don't want to leave work. Yes, I love my DC and home but they're so demanding straight after school, there's always dinner to think about and cook and so on and I am constantly being torn in 20 directions. Work is also demanding and a constant juggle but I get to tick it off and am appreciated!
I'm now trying to leave time when I should and stop on my way home for a quick 20 minute walk. I get home about the same time as I used to but am in a much better frame of mind. If it's raining, I get home, check in with the DC and make sure there are no burning issues and then go up to my room and read or faff around on the internet for 20 mins. I actually need to have something to do for me to drive me out of the office
I don't know if you use an online calendar to book meetings but I've also blocked my time out for the 15 mins before I finish work. Often, I had meetings which were scheduled to finish when I finished but they overran or someone wanted a word. Even if they didn't, I had to get back to my desk, check nothing urgent had come in whilst I was in the meeting and those sorts of things so always left late. Everyone knows my official leaving time so can still put a meeting it but it's not so automatic

Let us know how you get on! I’m a teacher, so have some understanding of your issue and you have my full sympathy. Prioritise your family.

I would suggest it isn't because you are not working smart or hard enough, having done the same job as you, it's simply because there is too much work for one person to do in the hours they are paid for.

So you prioritise what must be done and work through those things. You leave a list of things that's you have not done or your line managers or heads desk and say these things have not been done but I have now ran out of time.

Then you don't do them and go home! Every single day.

Then the next day you add those things to your priority list again and they'll move higher up the list the closer the deadline is!

Then it's their decision to either increase your hours, pay you OT or employ or get someone to do those things.
If you don't do that, nothing will change.

I am a teacher and do what I can in school. I don't take work home unless it is urgent or coursework. What doesn't get done , has to wait until my next free or when we have directed time.
You have to be firm and walk away for the day. So not work through lunch. You are entitled to at least a 20 min break per day.

Manson's Law of Avoidance: The more something threatens your identity, the more you will avoid doing it. “That means that the more something threatens to change how you view yourself, how you believe yourself to be, the more you will procrastinate ever getting around to doing it.”

So if your sense of identity is bound up in being always on top of things, always admired, the person who makes it happy, then address that first.

Well I did it. Logged off at 4.30. Went for a wee. Left. Was ahead of DD who had been at school play rehearsal.

I may have worked through lunch

Had an uncomfortabl-ish conversation with my line manager. I got, in a way, a bit of a telling off. Her view - I am too much of a perfectionist and have to let things go/slide and just keep her informed. That within education there is always the idea of what perfect looks like, but there are just not the resources to achieve it. I guess she has a point. I totally acknowledge it was my choice to have worked late so much. And we laughed about the fact it was very tedious for her continually telling me to go home.

Nothing has been taken off me................

I guess I just have to live with not doing stuff.

That is going to be hard. Especially as, @ehb102 , yep, that whole law of avoidance rings very true!

I bullet-journalled everything first thing @fundates (DH uses a version of this and we chatted it through yesterday). I can see this working for me (list to task v v v long!) as long as I keep it up.

But how lovely to walk through the door at 4.45pm. Tea is just about ready.

I am NOT going to log in until 8.30am tomorrow.

Thank you for your comments everyone....fingers crossed I can do more than a day!