I get paid a lot of money for doing very little

[Thrilley]

I'm not proud at all, I'm a bit bored, but also recognise I have it pretty good.

I lead a small operations team, 3 people including me. I took the job mostly because it paid the same as my old job, but for only 3 days pw, whereas before I was FT.

Partly, I have little to do becuase my no2 is very good and very keen to take on new work. I'm enjoying developing her and there's no doubt she's doing some work that should be mine. She seems happy with this/glad of the training though. Regardless, I think our team of 2.6 people is probably 1 too many, the others aren't over worked either.

However, no one outside the team seems to have noticed, no one seems to care about cost, everyone is very happy with the service we deliver and none of us is likely to easily find similar work for similar money

So, I keep quiet....? It doesn't seem quite ethical, but neither does volunteering one of our jobs!

Agreed. Sounds awful and I wonder if she is silently resenting you

I think lots of management jobs can be like this, when you have the experience and confidence to know what needs doing and what is just unnecessary fluff, and to leave your team to get on with it without micro managing.

As I've got older I've learned to step right back with a lot of things. I retain absolute responsibility and my team know that, which means they are confident to take more on, knowing that I have their backs.

Perhaps your job is easy when the organisation is doing well but you are being paid well so that you are there should problems occur. Maybe your job is easy to you because of your experience but others would find it challenging.

I've been on both sides of this. As the one developing and then the high salary, niche area, with little work. I appreciated both.

Keep quiet, but understand someone will be aware. Eventually companies look to cut costs & unless you're ridiculously skilled, you'll be out & your protegee in.

Now I'm in a much lower paying role with a groaning workload. Tbh I was offered a lower admin role instead of redundancy (paid at old salary for 12 months) but redundancy money was more attractive.

I'm now in a lower admin role elsewhere & paid half what I was, with twice the workload.

So enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't forever.

I'd worry one day I would be made redundant if I wasn't doing much and therefore not really needed once you have developed your number 2 into someone that is as good or better than you and that can show what work they do. Someone doing a review of the staff costs of your firm might see an easy way to make efficiency savings.

I'm always grateful to the people who gave me development opportunities, and who supervised me while I did the work. Because of them, I'm now very experienced in my field with a whole range of skills. It is important to train up the next generation.

I have a job like this!

And by the sound of things, like me, this didn't just fall into your lap. I worked my absolute arse off and went massively over and above in previous jobs and education, even in school. So I'm going to enjoy it and not feel guilty. You should too.

Tbh I'm of an age where redundancy/early retirement might be good news. I'd be happy to know I was handing over to someone well trained. I've always taken the view that I'm training my replacement in any job.

Yes, that's exactly what my careers been like.

I read your post as you are one person short.

Everyone is happy with your work?
The most senior person works 0.6 time and gets jobe done?
And you would complain there is too much people on your team?

No. No. No.
You are an amazing manager.
They could never find anyone as efficient even if they go FT.
Your team is delivering way over what is normally expected.

And I cannot stress this enough, push for another person asap so they all understand how much you struggle keeping it afloat.

From someone in a nice paid job doing max 5-10h a week unless it is an emergency.

What area is this in lol! Also what is well paid these days? I've been a registered nurse for over 30 years, love to hear what other jobs are out there!

Making a difference is what matters. Making others lives better or making the world a better place.

I hear you. I'd already worked all my hours for the week by the time I came home yesterday. So I've basically worked today for free and will do tomorrow. For not much more than minimum wage. School office role. It's a very busy time of year and there is simply no money to provide extra cover at busy periods. So I just have to carry on working through lunches, staying an hour late every day till the building gets locked up and then carrying on at home.

It's really upsetting reading of people on MN who get paid lots more than me for doing waaaaayy less. Some even brag about it, the way they are "getting away with it." I just hope if those people are parents they realise the work put in by low-paid dedicated people who stay in these jobs in schools, not for the money, because the money is completely shit, but because the alternative is basically a school that falls apart.

I wouldn't get too comfortable. You may be asked one day what you do from day to day, and then what will you say? Mangers like yourself seem like they're the first to go in redundancies. Maybe it won't happen at your company though.

@SingingRobin Yes we'd all love to know!

Well the OP clearly is.....by developing a sub-ordinate to do her job in her place...so kind. 😂

It really isn't. I worked as a school business manager in three different schools. It doesn't need to be that way and if it is, your school is badly run.

My staff worked hard, but no one did hours for free and I sent home those who tried!

Curious what your pay is OP!!!

I can't keep up with the posts, should full thread before reading. Just read that you've been a school business manager, OP. You know what their workload is like. I'm guessing that if you go to almost any other job it will feel like a holiday to you. 😆So you might find it hard to gauge what a normal workload is, maybe? Maybe you're doing more than you think?

Thrilley I've never been in a school where most teaching staff are not doing hours for free...

Id love to be trained up for a high paying role. I'm hebuinley job hunting and looking at cviil service. It's hard to know how to leap to fall into one of the roles that will train you!

This.

Why do you assume it's you kind of slacking off when another take could be that you're super efficient and delegate well? That's what every man would be telling himself.

Make hay whilst the sun shines, OP!

I didn't manage the teachers 😉

I think most managers will give you opportunities if you ask for them. Some people here would resent that though!

Ditto tbh
I am a nurse, just got a band 7 job leading a very small specialist team.
I wouldn’t say I get paid “a lot” but I get paid fine and I do less than ever.
I am very efficient which almost doesn’t help. I started the job with a new screening process to create and get through governance, a website to overhaul and rewrite, a new PGD process to implement, had to rewrite every patient leaflet and get it though comms, and various other bits to overhaul and refine. I’ve done all that now and the team runs itself. I sort of drift around dealing with the odd complex patient and doing the rota.
Being healthcare though there’s no flex - if there’s two of us it’s one too many, but if one on and they call in sick or have annual leave it completely fucks everything up. Our patients need seeing immediately, they can’t be put off a week.
I am not sure what to do really. Sometimes I am bored. Thinking about doing some training next year. The hours are lovely and I don’t want to move roles as it all fits so well with my home life. I do feel guilty tho. I’ve been a nurse for 17 years and this is the first time it’s not been controlled (or even uncontrolled) chaos all the time.

As a manager I always saw my enhanced pay as them paying for 3 things.

Firstly, when the shit hits the fan, its my job to deal with it, explain why and how the shit hit the fan and how I am going to make sure it doesnt happen again.

Secondly, identifying, training, mentoring and developing more junior members of staff in order for them to move on within the business. Its expected that future managers will start as glass collectors or pot washers.

Thirdly the experience to do the above. My actual day to day work was far less onerous than theirs.

Interested to know what you do - because my managers trusting me to take on some of their work at their level is exactly how I have developed myself and given me the evidence I need to get on and promoted each time.

Was that a primary?