'Fuck it attitude' to everything work-related since hitting 50...

[YankeeDoodleWhat]

That's it. I can't say this in real life but since hitting 50 I just don't seem to care about work-related 'stuff'.

I do my job and am in a very senior role but I've lost all attachment to it. I'm more shocked than anyone as I used to love work and everything surrounding it. Now, I'm annoyed if I have to work an evening or weekend.

Not sure why I've posted, just a rant as I can't say this out loud in the real world 🙂

If anyone's been here and come through, please let me know how. I can't afford to retire or do fewer hours.

Wellbeing strikes me as a way to paper over the cracks. Employers don't need wellbeing initiatives if they provide decent pay, terms and conditions and sufficient training and resources to do the job including necessary adjustments for medical conditions and disabilities.

Better late than never I suppose.

This! The irony of companies rolling out wellbeing initiatives and my favourite - ‘resilience training’ - no one would need to be shown how to be resilient if companies weren’t putting them under so much strain in the first place.

This made me laugh because my internal dialogue is 'fuck off' to any requests too. It's only nearly been my external dialogue a couple of times!

I spent a total of 3.5 hours travelling to a team day earlier this week where I refused to get an earlier train than 7.15am and therefore turned up 30 minutes late. I had already said this would be the case. My boss asked me (half-jokingly) 'what time do you call this?' when I arrived, to which I replied 'oh do fuck off'

if anyone asks me to do anything my immediate internal response is f off

😄me too! I always respond with 'kindness' in real life though 😄

I bet there are millions of us that say a silent f off, f you, f it, every time another annoying request comes through

@Floofydawg that's the spirit 👍

I typed the original message and then walked away. I can't tell you how much I love this thread. Thank you all.
Shall we just keep it as a little hidden corner of the internet where we can rant?

Also, another thing I thought of, I no longer have the patience to babysit my team when they can't seem to work out how to get from a to fucking b, despite being convinced of their own genius.

Ah, YES OP! Yesterday I had to ignore about a billion teams messages of 'have you got a minute' - no I fucking haven't, work it out yourself dickhead.

Ahh love love this thread, I am so tired of the corporate bs. Mid 40s and wish I could retire. But need to work full time as DH is just about to lose his job because of a work injury.

We had mental health and wellbeing training from an external consultant this week, and at the end the HR manager was meant to come on the video call and tell us where we could access the external help. They never turned up!

Those of you who retired early how much did you have in your private pensions when you took retirement?

I'm 25 and already feel like this. I really want to find a job I love but my motivation is non existent, I used to be very driven and strived for the best but since having my daughter, any time away from her I could think of a thousand other things I'd rather do than go to work!

Yep, me. 52, work in the NHS. Started not being bothered about work mid 40's and don't like the teaching of students and new staff now, even though I've been told I'm good at it. Changed work areas almost 2 years ago, and even less patient facing (although some still). But going through the motions until I can retire. Or win the lottery!

Hmm not sure that's in the spirit of the thread as we all have had decades more of the corporate bs and being treated badly/overlooked

Maybe for some. But there are a lot of people on this thread reporting this feeling a lot earlier than that.... I think it's more the Bullshit Jobs phenomenon.

I have a second interview this afternoon for a job that I hope will help me to get my work mojo back. But reading this thread is making me wonder if that is realistic.

I phone it in with my job(but keep getting great feedback) but, as a previous poster said, when I do have a good day where I get stuck in I feel so much better, hence the thought of getting a new, more interesting and challenging role.

Does anyone have any positive stories about things improving when you move jobs? I am wondering if I should stay put.

48 and feel the same, I was completely the other way 10 years ago but that wasn’t good either, I was obsessed with work.

Im sorry I didn’t start saving towards retirement earlier as it seems like I will have to work for nearly 20 more years…..sounds like a lifetime!

Yes! I feel bad about my lack of patience with some of my direct reports sometimes but I think about the level of responsibility I had my mid/late 20’s and they aren’t anywhere near. Don’t seem to have any common sense or try to work things out themselves.

I feel that it’s probably not their fault, more to do with how they’ve been educated/parented but it’s certainly made me get tougher with my teenagers - I no longer do as much for them and my frequent response these days is - work it out yourself. I can’t stand the idea that they’re going to go into their first jobs and be the same.

@YankeeDoodleWhat

Also, another thing I thought of, I no longer have the patience to babysit my team when they can't seem to work out how to get from a to fucking b, despite being convinced of their own genius

Absolutely agree, I have zero interest in training up/ mentoring/ helping the younger generations who are overly confident and think they know everything….if you are that fucking great, figure it out yourself!

@Bellebelleagain ikwym one of my DC seems to be incapable of doing anything off their own back without detailed instructions of what needs doing and how and where to do it and a reminder of the timeframe they have for doing it. Trying to get them to join the dots is exhausting. Feeling sorry for their teachers.
The other DC are ok though.

I'm wondering where to start - this thread could have been made for me! Firstly am really hacked off that when I started working, I would have been retired by now and on a State pension.

But now, I have to wait an additional 7 years, and if I take my workplace pension, I will be penalised every year for which I take it before the age of 67. And to top it all, there is no chance of being offered VR.

I'm so exhausted and fed up with the corporate culture - here are my gripes to share:

Corporate top tier of management - the exec seem to have no leadership skills whatsoever, they are just glorified managers - appear to have no vision beyond the status quo. They say they listen, they do lots of consultation, but refuse to change anything about their approach based on suggestions from staff lower down in the pecking order and on the front line;

The Wellness crap - including the new kid on the block, resilience training (as opposed to better pay and meaningful benefits);

Corporate keenies - newer staff who are really enthusiastic about displaying our key values and reaching out to everyone in the organisation;

Our Values - espousing all the usual claptrap, created at huge cost via a firm of consultants;

Any terms to do with teams, eg team working, team buddying, team building ...;

Meetings - and more meetings! As the jobs go upwards, I swear the roles have little or no operational purpose whatsover; these staff seem to spend all their time in meetings doing ... what, exactly? Leaving the lower grade staff to actually do the work;

Meetings for meetings' sake - if it's in the calendar to have a team meeting every month, we must have one (even if it's in August, several people are on holiday and there's nothing to talk about). The option, not to have a meeting, apparently is not acceptable. And meetings must always be run to fill up the available time allocated - if it looks like the agenda is ahead of schedule, there is always some keen twit who will start to waffle on about something or other;

Any corporate speak - please don't tell me it's "robust" again, or that we are working "at pace."

I'm sure there are more, but rant over. Thanks for reading.

Oh my God, the meetings!
Is it just me or do people just like to sit and talk about the work now rather than just going in, doing the work, and going home?

Oh I have found my tribe! The endless meetings - I could weep. The flaky young things with their mental health days, which always coincide with them realising they are going to miss a deadline.

Team building. Mindfulness. Having to “be kind”. My current role finishes in September and I’m going to put in my notice then. Although I have to work four months notice. I worry that if I put it in during this role, they will pull me out and put a shiny and posh young man in to “give him some experience.”

Being asked by bright young things “What does success look like to you?” Having to explain table manners before a formal lunch - don’t put your face two inches from the plate and flick the food in at speed. Don’t speak with your mouth full. Being called “Mrs Robinson” by the bright young things and having to explain why it’s offensive and not hilarious.

🤣 at the 25 year olds and 30 year olds on here. Please! Come back in another 27 years and then tell us how you feel. I guarantee it will be a lot worse than you feel now! You've literally only been working for 8 years at the most aged 25!

Break out rooms in training. We want you to answer these three questions about our proposed vision for 2024/25:

1)What challenges do you think there may be to actioning our vision?
2) How can we mitigate any challenges?
3) What part of the vision are you most excited about actioning?

Can we have one volunteer, please, to take notes and be prepared to feed them back in the main room - thank you.