To tell work I’m struggling

[PinkPlantCase]

The last few weeks have been really hard. We have deadlines coming out of our ears. I’ve had one evening off in the last few weeks. For all of the other evenings I have stopped to make dinner/ eat but that is it. I regularly work 5 hours extra per day over my contracted hours. I’ve also put in about another 5 hours on a Sunday. We do not get paid overtime.

I manage junior staff and have been told to push them harder too. To tell them they need to put in more hours to get the work done.

My boss works the same hours as me if not more.

I’m on the verge of going to the lady above my boss and saying that I can’t work like this anymore. We’re being told that the work we do is too rushed but we are not given extra resource to do a better job. We just have to sleep less to get the job done. 😩😩

I’m very type A and the idea of admitting defeat really hurts. Though I also hate that they don’t think our output is good enough when we are all trying so so hard.

FYI long hours are fairly standard in my industry. It varies but I know my boss’s boss thinks we should only work overtime as an exception not the rule. That why I’m tempted to go to her and point out how ridiculous this situation is. I need more support/resource or it’s all going to fall apart.

How much like career suicide does this sound?

Anyone?

Yes you absolutely need to tell someone at work.
If your immediate line manager is not approachable, go straight to HR with it.

As for the amount of unpaid overtime you are doing, I would stop that immediately until there is an agreement for the overtime to be paid or the deadlines extended to accommodate your actual working hours.

Personally I would approach your immediate boss first. If they dismiss your concerns as sounds likely they can have no complaint about you raising it higher up.

No job is worth running yourself into the ground. Absolutely tell your boss this is too much.

Add up all of the extra hours you have done and tell them you are not willing to continue like this without overtime pay.

Out of interest does your manager get a bonus when her team hits targets? Just wondering what her motivation is to work you like dogs

@Poptart4 I hadn’t considered that he might get a bonus 🤔

Thanks for the pointers re going to my immediate boss first.

Frankley I wouldn’t work these hours even if they did pay me 😂

Yes plesde tell someone

Hi, fellow type A here 😂

I agree, tell your immediate boss. But phrase it as ‘what can we do to change/address/make this more efficient’ rather than ‘I am overworked’. Go with solutions in hand if you can.

My boss was absolutely brilliant about this recently - I think they’re are often so busy themselves that they need you to state your case yourself. Don’t wait to be asked or it my never happen

I guess just prepare yourself for what will happen if nothing changes as a result. Because that could be an outcome. Then you decide what you do next!