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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To not work over my contracted hours

148 replies

ILovePud · 15/09/2014 20:34

I posted similar in a response to another thread but I was probably going off at a bit of a tangent so I'm starting a new thread as I'm interested in other's opinions. I don't work over the hours I am paid for, I hate the culture of expectation that people work over their hours. I think working longer hours perpetuates the myths that the amount of work expected to be done can be done within the hours allocated for it (by some employers at least) and I think it disadvantages those with caring commitments. I also think working longer hours than I am contracted to do would put those whom I manage under pressure to do the same. I genuinely work as hard as I can when I am in work and think that's enough. If there is a real emergency then I will stay late but I claim the time back. What do others think?

OP posts:

TeenAndTween · 17/02/2017 08:33

My DH and I both used to work for a large multi-national with a flexible working policy. I regularly did over my 37 hours - averaging around 42 hours per week, and my DH did similarly. We were both salaried.

However , when my MIL passed away very unexpectedly, they gave DH and myself paid leave to sort things (over and above their standard 1 or 2 days). When we adopted, they were flexible regarding time off to do the home study meetings with social workers. etc.

So for us it was win-win. We put in extra time when needed, but they were flexible and good employers back to us.

This was pre children, and over 10 years ago. Don't know if such companies still exist now. I get the feeling that companies that just take take take are more the norm.

wheatchief · 17/02/2017 08:38

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RedHelenB · 17/02/2017 08:43

Fairyliz - safeguarding in all schools I work in fallsto the head/deputy not the office staff, so yes you could leave on time as there would be plenty of other staff about.

70ontheinside · 17/02/2017 09:03

I am a teacher and I am going part time from September, so that I can spend my day off working. This will hopefully mean that I will get my weekends back.

I am full time at the moment and work 50-60 hours a week. If I am lucky I get 2 lunch breaks a week, the others are taken up by detentions and the running of voluntary (my arse) lunch clubs.

I had to complain as "it was noted" that I leave early (at 4.30, 1.5 hours after my contracted hours end) every day to pick up dcs and then work some more from home. Luckily my line manager took my side - not a given. Presenteeism creeping into schools as well.

SEsofty · 17/02/2017 09:20

This is why I really wish that jobs had a actual realistic contracted hours and adjusted the hourly rate accordingly.

Eg if you are a teacher you are frequently contracted to work six and a half hours a day but are realistically expected to do ten.

The same with city law, eg contract eight hours expectations twelve hours plus.
So actually the job should be honest about hours.

I've never worked in a job where contracted hours are honest.

Eg even shops and pubs where hours are to close but have to spend half an hour or so tidying up

SomewhereNow · 17/02/2017 09:21

Sore subject for me! I'm in a job I enjoy and my employers are pretty decent - few nice perks, flexible when needed. However for the past couple of weeks I (and some of my colleagues) have been doing roughly 10 hour days i.e. 2 hours unpaid overtime due to deadlines, while others waltz out of the door on the dot of their finishing time.

It pisses me off massively - I agree it shouldn't be like that and the 'long hours' culture is not great but as far as I know we are all on a similar salary and our contracts state 'x hours plus overtime as required' (unpaid as 'this has been taken into account when determining your salary' - what a great get-out clause ). They are happy to enjoy the perks of the job but will equally happily leave their colleagues to get the job done.

I just don't think it's fair - if we were on minimum wage in a factory I could see their point but clock-watching to that degree - stopping work for lunch at a specified time every day or clocking off at exactly xpm - just doesn't fit with a professional role.

I just hope my hard work is noticed and will be worth it at some stage - despite what PP have said I'm neither a brown-noser or a martyr, just trying to do a decent job and be a good team member.

witsender · 17/02/2017 09:29

I work for a charity for pittance and regularly do more hours for nowt. If you care about what you do you do what needs doing, if you don't...Then don't! I think the best employers recognise give and take. Stay the odd hour when needed and you're more likely to be allowed to leave early etc.

OrangeSquashTallGlass · 17/02/2017 09:34

I, like some PP, am a teacher. I'm contracted to work 32.5 hours but actually do more like 60+

'I am a teacher and I am going part time from September, so that I can spend my day off working. This will hopefully mean that I will get my weekends back.'
This is the ridiculous world that teachers live in. I am looking at this statement and thinking "what a good idea" - madness!

peggyundercrackers · 17/02/2017 09:36

i cant believe so many people say you are letting your colleagues down, you are letting customer down etc. etc. they aren't the ones letting people down - the organisation you work for are the ones letting people down, letting colleagues down because they wont take on the correct number of resource in order to get the job done in their expectations. its NOT YOUR responsibility - it is theirs!

echt · 17/02/2017 09:37

I am full time at the moment and work 50-60 hours a week. If I am lucky I get 2 lunch breaks a week, the others are taken up by detentions and the running of voluntary (my arse) lunch clubs.

Yes, don't complain about what you volunteer for. I've been "invited" to do, etc.etc and declined it. No comeback.

What are the detentions about?

user1486735472 · 17/02/2017 09:42

This is a pet hate of the director of the company I work for. He is very pro work/life balance and want people to leave at a reasonable time. (And obviously to give 100% whilst at work.)

I love it.

FeliciaJollygoodfellow · 17/02/2017 10:39

My personal view is that if I'm regularly working above and beyond my paid hours, it gives the seniors an unrealistic idea of what can be done, and I've shot myself in the foot because they'll assume that I'm coping and won't hire anyone else. I've seen this first hand with a colleague a grade below me - she was working 35 hours a week when she was only contracted for 25. In the end she left and the company was up shit creek.

I do work outside my hours when something is time critical, but I work in banking project management so no one's going to die if my paperwork is filed a day later than expected.

Iggi999 · 17/02/2017 10:49

A couple of posters have said if you love your job, you'll put in whatever hours are necessary to do a good job. Funnily enough, if you have kids standing at the side of a road somewhere or a childminder tapping their feet you quickly snap out of "I love my job" mode and back into "I have other responsibilities" mode.
This is where the child-free, other caring responsibility-free, or those with a partner or granny on tap can really shine at work, as they never have to check their watch in a meeting, or say something can't be done by tomorrow.

Trainspotting1984 · 17/02/2017 12:36

This is timely as I am considering whether to accept a job now where I am
Concerned about hours. I am senior and earn a high salary but even so, I have childcare responsibilities. I have to be out the door at 5. I'm increasingly finding it hard to
Understand why that is such a problem for employers. I had an honest chat with an old manager who was a bit of a task master and said but Mike, it wasn't actually that important was it? The company treated us like crap towards the end which put it into perspective.

HidingFromDD · 17/02/2017 13:05

I'm a senior manager and work significantly in excess of contracted hours for 2 reasons. 1 - I genuinely enjoy what I do, have a lot of autonomy and a 'shaping' role and 2 - it's a tough industry and the work I'm doing means I'm continually adding to my CV. There are times when I also need some or all of the team to work over and above in order to meet a deadline. In that case, I'll ask them whether they can and there's no problem if they can't (I'm close to the team and know that there are always other commitments).

I think there's a difference in attitude between 'clock watchers' who refuse to do anything over and above contracted hours because they're not paid to, and people who are just juggling life, work and other commitments. If I had to choose between 2 people for promotion, the actual hours worked could be the same, but I'd pick the one who was willing to put in the extra effort if they were able to.

I should point out that the whole team are in a professional job, and I'm very, very conscious about what's a reasonable ask dependant on what someone is actually paid for (eg more senior members are paid higher on the basis that they will do some extra hours if necessary, junior members aren't)

paxillin · 17/02/2017 13:17

I used to work bonkers hours until I realised it doesn't help my career at all. I stopped, no detrimental effect.

Sometimes the 60 hour worker thinks a great big promotion comes their way if people see how dedicated s/he is. It is just as likely they become known as the one to dump the shit others didn't finish on because "they won't mind, they are always here and have no other life". And then the overworker looks like an ineffective ditherer: they apparently only do the normal amount of work (plus random shit others dumped).

Trainspotting1984 · 17/02/2017 14:17

"2 - it's a tough industry and the work I'm doing means I'm continually adding to my CV. "

I don't really understand this. Surely when you're working over time you're just doing things that the company had asked you to do in excess what can be achieved in 38 hours. This can't all be adding to your CV? It sounds like you're mentally over egging it a bit to justify it. Maybe occasionally people are working on exciting career changing projects but the majority of overtime is just creep and drudge

IWantAnotherBaby · 17/02/2017 14:54

zombie thread...

StealthPolarBear · 17/02/2017 15:50

Trainspotting it depends on how much autonomy you have. Depending on how busy I am, I can fairly regularly do additional projects not specifically handed down by my manager but things I identify that need doing and enhance my own skills.

Trainspotting1984 · 17/02/2017 15:55

I completely agree but that's not regular every day going over standard hours work surely? I mean most people have continuous improvement as part of their role

RestlessTraveller · 17/02/2017 17:53

As a Social Worker I work over my contracted hours every week. On average it's about 15 hours over my 37.5 per week. Theoretically we can claim our hours back but the reality is there's just too much work to do.

There isn't any way around it. Do I clock off at 5 and leave a child in an abusive home or not complete the court report to get the care order? Yes it's a matter of conscience but our managers and the public expect us to do it. I really have no desire to be the next Social Worker ripped to shreds in the Daily Mail.

EllaCl · 20/02/2017 00:39

thanks all for your thoughts and experiences...btw I revived this old thread because when I tried to create a new one no one answered. But here I got many answers back very quickly.

Grilledaubergines · 20/02/2017 01:06

I'm contracted to do 35 hours a week, office in the private sector. I do about 15-20 additional hours unpaid per week because I couldn't do the job with 35 hours. I enjoy my job but not the lack of additional pay.

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