How to resist the culture of putting in extra at work

[Outofideas79]

I've worked where I do for 9 years. In that whole time there has been a culture of putting in more than your hours. I'm not talking a little bit more, lots. We don't get paid overtime, but can claim it as Toil. I currently have 150 hours of toil, which I basically cannot take and the 'acceptable' is to only claim that for actual attendance at evening or weekend events. Not for those hours you work around working hours in the office or at home. I work part time so all of the above is particularly challenging.

As a middle manager, the expectation is that you put in more as a minimum. This was vocalised by the CEO some years ago. And key members of staff are very vocal about how much extra they work, always making a point about how early they have been in, much extra they worked in the evening or at the weekend, so the pressure is always there.

I've frankly got to the point where I'm exhausted. I have a young child and am a single parent. Financially due to part time hours, I cannot afford wrap, and am unwilling to pay for it when the organisation refuse to pay me or support me for the extra time I put in, despite constantly giving me more work to do. Last week I worked an extra 13 hours, around my daughters bedtime etc. I've raised the issue around extra work and fought for full time hours on the basis of the extra work, but this has been consistently refused. How can I start to put in respectful boundaries in an organisation where it is assumed you will just put the hours in to get something done?

@Surreyclaire I get paid less than 20k on my part time hours. Does your comment still stand?

OP is on £35k (pro-rated) - that's an average salary in the UK.

You clearly missed the post where OP said her job is in the public sector, so she may well already work for a council. The salary level for that level of pressure / responsibility sounds like she might.

@Outofideas79 make it really explicit. In teaching we have ‘Bluesky’ where you basically note down everything above and beyond, and it is then used in appraisals. Do you have a similar tracker/appraisals system? If not, start your own, like a little diary, of everything you do that is technically outside your job description, or is an excellent example of being the perfect employee. E.g. finished task X under budget and ahead of time. Then, if you’re ever hauled into a meeting, you can present your evidence. Or you could literally ‘showboat’ (as a previous manager used to call it), just make sure your manager knows every little extra thing you do.

I lay it on thick thick thick, and they don’t have a leg to stand on.

Nobody thinks you have a life outside of work.
People who have never been single parents will never understand the enormity of what's involved.
I would definitely look for another job OP because if you went off sick with stress they wouldn't want to know. It's a one way street.