Salary equalling less than minimum wage

[Auntieaunt]

I'm in my early to mid twenties - graduated uni not so long ago in a role that requires any degree - without too much detail it's entry level project management.

I started my job a few months ago and I work alongside others similar in age to myself in the same role. I enjoy my job as it's varied, my colleagues are great and does have rewarding aspects to it. However the Hours are just killing me.

Since Monday I've had 31 hours scheduled plus travelling/working in the evenings. I've had to quit all of my hobbies/volunteering as I'm never home and quite often I have to work weekends.

For my age my salary is fairly decent but after all the hours we're expected to put in I'm on minimum wage/sometimes less.

I've mentioned this to my line manager and he says that the experience/training we get is invaluable. Everyone around me works crazy long hours and after I had to have a day off last week during a family emergency as annual leave (worked 50 hours with that day off) I'm feeling seriously deflated.

Im not sure what to do. The responsibilities we get with this role will look really good on my CV so I'm worried to speak to management. I feel that I am good at my job and I don't mind pulling my weight but it's deflating that I earned more ph as a teen waitress.

Any advice?

Isn't there a law saying you can't work more than 48 hours per week unless you voluntarily opt out (The European Working Time Directive)?

Thanks ladies for your comments. I know this is a great opportunity for me and hopefully in a few years I should be able to have a financially stable future.

It's just annoying that I worked hard during 6th form/university so I thought those days would be behind me of finishing deadlines at midnight.

My boss has said this is a young person job- all the females in my office are all under 30 or childless divorcees.

I'm in entry level management without giving too much detail away. I'm getting skills/experiences that hopefully in a couple of years I'll be able to leave this place and be able to move into a better paid position. Right now it's just frustrating that I always eat in my car and that I don't have time for my family/friends/hobbies.

Good luck OP. Your choice is to work your arse of for a few years until you get higher. Or leave such a exploitive industry/company.

Once you get higher though, your higher salary and reduced hours will be paid for by people below you.

It is an accepted culture that companies can lower the wage bill by employing half the amount of staff and dangling a carrot of promotion. As many have shown on this thread that most people go along with it. It is a very sad and disgusting situation. Plus it is shit for society. And productivity - so it is actually counterproductive in the long term.

@LaurieFairyCake
You’ve missed the point that pension contributions are made by his employer too, on top of the salary he gets.
I also think it’s poor form to net off tax etc to work out an “hourly rate” when even those on much lower salaries get pension/student loan/ etc deductions.
fair enough to calculate hours done / salary, but it ought to be gross salary you use.

Also, I know plenty of teachers who manage to have a decent work- life balance. They mainly say that the ones putting in crazy hours are the ones who “make work for themselves”. It sounds more like he is a workaholic than anything else.

Definitely not a workaholic. Just the most challenging school in the country. Today they excluded 47 children. 20 were in his house so that was 20 phone calls to parents to make to talk them through it and get their agreement not to send the children in once they’re excluded (happens every week)

He’s just walked in the door.

I know plenty of other teachers that have a great work/life balance too. They mostly work in public schools though.

Although actually it was worse when my friend lived on site in a public secondary with loads of boarders - never off duty, total nightmare.

Carol, yes but that law does not apply to managers and secondly in most of these jobs people opt out of the maximum working hours. Like a few have said above it's tolerable if you will get loads of money later. Trainee lawyers on £40k who will soon be on £100k and ultimately over £200k even and some on £1m know it is part of the deal that you have awful hours to start with and that is just how it is, same with junior doctors or how it used to be for them, not so sure about now - awful hours and then all that higher pay later.

It is not okay however if you never get the promotions and your pay and hours will always be awful or if you just don't want to tolerate it in which case go and drive Ocado vans for £22k a year like my son which even though it may be shifts and the pay will be the same your whole career, at least you are paid for all the time you do.

I think you can balance “just leaving at 5” and “working all hours of the day and night”.

I have a stressful job, one where there’s a significant Sunday office contingent, and 10:30 finishes are not unusual. I have times when I have to do large numbers of hours, but I’m generally honest about what I think I can achieve (and under promise and over deliver). I work probably 45-50 hrs a week plus travel and lunch. But I have pushed to jobs wit less travel, and don’t work the 60+ hours my co-workers do. And actually yes I AM respected both for this and for my work. I can be relied upon to deliver what I say I will deliver (because I don’t over promise) and I can be relied upon to do a good job (because I’m not permanently exhausted).

I have taken up, rather than given up hobbies because it’s much easier to say “I’m leaving, I have plans at 6:30” than “I’m leaving because you don’t pay me enough.”

If you have a time sheet system, anonymous reporting could be the way to go.

Also the WTD Does apply to managers, and no one can be compelled to opt out, everyone must be allowed to opt back in, and you cannot be disciplined for opting back in (but it may impact your chances of promotion). It only applies over an average of 17 weeks, and has various other exclusions.