Worried - bored at work

[OrnithCheeseatron]

Not sure what I'm after from this .. for what it's worth I do feel guilt, and my mental health is definitely negatively affected.

I work from home full time, no requirement to go into the office, ever. Big building prior to COVID, closing at the end of 2024 with residual workers moving to a much smaller leased office. I never have to go there, in fact I'm a burden if I did.

I'm employed in my job 37.5hrs a week, in a non profit healthcare role. I don't contribute much. This week I have two meetings on Friday which total 1.5 hours of actual 'work' (Teams meetings).

I've been moved sideways in the last few years to give my previous team leader job up to a man (not relevant probs) and my made up job just doesn't require me 37.5 hours a week.

I'm not going to quit as I'm very well paid for doing f all, all week, I'm asking if I'm alone here? I'm so sorry for other professionals that put the hours in and it's not enough, but this is my reality and I'm sick of wasting my days.

What do management think you're doing all day?

I don't think they care. I've been with the company for 15 years so I don't think they know how little I do.

Don't get me wrong I'd love my old team lead job back, I'm just bored & unfulfilled.

My point is I'm asking if I'm alone in this? If I am, I need a way out that pays the same 😟

Being bored at work can be as stressful (in a different way) as being overloaded.

Is there any online training you can do, be it technical skills, project management, presentation skills, whatever?

Are there any areas you can see where you could change things to save money, or improve processes, increase efficiency? Could you draw up a proposal and offer to work on it?

Have you told your manager that you have capacity for more work?

This is actually useful in that I can tell my manager I've little to do.
I sorry y'all, I'm telling you there's folks earning more than you that don't deserve it xx

Also, we have a chororaded dog thing xx

I would stick to what I know and find other things to fill my day, go to the gym, go swimming, go to a cafe with my laptop.

I feel the same! I have work and tasks to do but only one project has a wider team, and that's only a couple more people. I do hybrid but it depends who you're sitting next to in the office if there's any social or even work related chat. I haven't got any meetings this week until Friday. Yesterday no one called me, Teams messaged me or sent an email directly to me (there were general comms type emails). It concerns me but I think I'd dropped off the radar somewhere.

I had a job like this in my 20s and it was soul destroying. That was pre-internet and so I think I'd find a few more things to fill my time with now but there is only so much stuff on the internet that I'm interested in.
Do you need the money? An obvious solution would be to reduce your hours and take the commensurate pay cut. At least if you knew you always had a particular day a week off or similar, you could do voluntary work or something. Alternatively, would they let you work compressed hours?
Otherwise, I think I'd start job hunting. One of the problems with a job like this is that you're not actually building up your skill set or doing anything to add to your CV.

I had a job like this once. I worked hard to try to generate more work for myself, but in the end I went back to my previous job for my own sanity.
Is there anything you could do to develop either your current role, or your personal skill set for future jobs?

But...why are you wasting your days? Just stop!

You're getting paid to do nothing, and if you're working from home you could theoretically be doing anything - so do something! Something that you enjoy or means something to do - learn something, make something, volunteer to walk old ladies' dogs, anything.

Why would you feel less like you were wasting time if you were forced to work 9-6, going 100 miles an hour sending pointless emails or filling in spreadsheets or something else to make profit for a company?

I would hate to be in this position if I had to work in an office "looking busy" but I would LOVE it from home.

Plenty of people work from our gym, would that be an option a couple of times a week. Then you would have a bit of company and get to know people and you could go to the gym when you're free (which is good for your mental health too).

Then when you're at home, take up a couple of hobbies - like soughdough making?

I would also apply for other roles within the company and other jobs too.