Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

I am looking for some impartial advice regarding work

34 replies

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 08:25

The background is I have never been furloughed and have worked through lockdown, often doing other jobs just to help my boss out (small firm). I did have Covid symptoms and was diagnosed with suspected Covid by at least 3 different doctors. I felt really ill at times but worked as much as I could from home, taking breaks when I was really tired. Anyway, been back at work since June. Over the past few weeks I have had some really bad migraines - to the point of almost fainting. I was given a sick note by the Doctor for a week but only used two days of it. I went back to work for a day and a half and was violently ill again. To cut a long story short I have been working my lunches and working late almost every day since I came back. I don't have a break at all - I sit at my desk all day (at work) and pretty much only move to go to the toilet. I have been putting in overtime for these hours which goes to the accountant. I do a lot of hours that I don't put in - especially if I have been ill. Anyway I had put down about 4 1/2 hours over time each week on average. None of this was as a result me being ill because I made a point of trying to make those hours up. I even did pretty much a full day on the Saturday after being off to try and make up. Anyway my boss has now questioned the overtime and he's pretty hurt by it for some reason. He said I had been off a few times (I agreed) because of migraines (which doctor diagnosed as stress induced). He thinks I have been taking the piss. He sees me working these hours by he way. I also often take work home or start e-mailing at 8 in the morning before I leave for work (don't put these hours down). We are extremely busy at he moment and I told him weeks ago I was feeling overwhelmed - he couldn't really see the issue. I have worked there for many many years and I am hurt that he would think I would try and screw him for money - I just couldn''t do it. AIBU for putting in the extra time?

OP posts:

Lazysundayafternoons · 12/09/2020 08:38

Are you submitting time sheets with your daily hours and has he seen these? Or has he just heard you put in 4 hours of overtime?
Did he question you directly or did you hear it from someone else?

Original poster

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 08:43

I have always given a note of the exact overtime to the accountant. Obviously with lock down and everything he has asked to look at everyone's overtime (first time this has happened). He had it out with me directly because we work so closely together - basically if I am off he has to pick up the slack and vice versa. That was why I had done the extra hours to make up the time - and also because I knew I would come back to a mountain of work. I will give you an example. I can be off for a fortnight on holiday and no one checks my e-mails (his are) and I spend about half a day going through them all and trying to figure out what's happened. This year I spent part of my last day of holiday looking at the e-mails and familiarising myself with what had happened because I couldn't face going into a mountain - didn't claim for that.

OP posts:

ShandlersWig · 12/09/2020 08:47

Is he querying every week of overtime or just the week you were off sick and claimed for overtime?

Hadjab · 12/09/2020 08:49

Stop doing the overtime. If you’re sick, you’re sick, sometimes there comes a point where you can’t catch up so there’s no point in killing yourself to get it done. And you must have a break during the day.

Galaxycat · 12/09/2020 08:52

YANBU for putting in the time BUT you have w serious work/life balance problem which you are partially responsible for so YABU not to set clear boundaries. You are responsible for your health and should have taken the time off to recover and heal as per your drs orders.

You need to take control and take a step back, set clear boundaries and keep your manager in the loop of the level of work you are doing. Do you have weekly or fortnightly catch ups??

Lazysundayafternoons · 12/09/2020 08:52

I understand completely, and I think he is being really unreasonable. What was your response when he approached you directly? Did you tell him you've been working back any hours you missed?

Do you keep a note of your exact hours? We have always been advised to do this. My hours have never been questioned but if they were I could go back through the whole year and note the exact hours I started, finished and took breaks at each day. It's useful for days eg where you have a migraine and your work hours are staggered or broken. Still I'm sure he is quite aware that you are doing lot of unpaid hours even checking mails and is choosing to ignore this part.

killerofmen · 12/09/2020 08:54

You clearly need to do your contracted hours and take your breaks. See if that improves your health and prevents burnout.

ZiggeryZaggy · 12/09/2020 08:55

It sounds like you are being a bit of a martyr here.

Never mind the hours he is querying - start clocking for all the hours you actually work and having respect for yourself and your time. Take breaks when you need to and don’t work overtime when you are already feeling unwell and overwhelmed.

If there is work that doesn’t get picked up because of this then your boss will see that he needs to employ someone else or distribute those hours elsewhere. He is running the business not you, and it is his job to budget for the staff hours needed.

Original poster

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 08:59

Thank you for your responses - I have been really struggling recently and think I might be menopausal or a bit depressed. I have been doing the job for years and am can do double the work most others can do (he did confirm this when I mentioned it). I have told him to put a blanket ban on overtime - I'm not looking for the money. I've told him repeatedly I don't want to do overtime. I had actually asked to reduce my hours slightly but was told that was not going to be possible. I'm in an impossible situation. To be fair though I won't be a mug and work for nothing. My family are telling me to do my contracted hours and let it pile up but it's just not in my nature. I'm quite hurt by the whole thing actually - I thought he knew me better than that.

OP posts:

Bluntness100 · 12/09/2020 09:00

Is the issue here that you’ve been off so much and then use over time to catch up, resulting in him having to pay you for both the time off sick and then the over time, to effectively do the day job?

I see both sides, in reality if you’re off sick you shouldn’t have to work different hours to catch Up, and if he’s not happy for you to do so, then it needs to stop, you both need to find a different solution.

Bottom line is if you’re not able to do the job reliably due to ill health then potentially he can look to terminate due to capability. Unless he can afford a second employee as back up. Or he can do it. But you both need to work together here to find a solution.

Usergroundzero · 12/09/2020 09:03

Start looking for another job. He doesn’t value you. Make sure you push through with your over time. That’s your money.

I did similar for a company I worked for years ago. Some employers don’t give a shit.

My dh office really values members of staff that pulled them out of the shit during the past few months. They were given extra pay and the company paid for meals out with their wives/husbands at fancy restaurants. This is how you value staff

Thesuzle · 12/09/2020 09:04

Hears a thought, do you think boss could have secretly claimed furlough payments for you, and thus cant put your overtime hours through. ?
Do you actually hand over your overtime hours to the accountant, or do you email them through, via the boss
Someone compiles the wages bill, in my small firm its the other partner, We have an accountant but he does the quarterly tax bills etc, not day to day HR type stuff and wages

LilyLongJohn · 12/09/2020 09:05

I think you need to sit down and have a very serious conversation with your boss. If he's not happy with the amount of overtime you're putting through, then he can't expect to get the same volume of work from you going forward. You need to find out what he wants from you.

If he wants XYZ done by the end of the week, you need to manage his expectations. If XYZ means overtime then he needs to know that he either pays it, or he only gets X done.

You could just do your contracted hours, but this may come across as being passive aggressive and won't help your working relationship with your boss

30under · 12/09/2020 09:05

Just as an aside - if you have been signed off sick from work you really shouldn't come back earlier than certified. In some lines of work you wouldn't be insured.

SouthernComforts · 12/09/2020 09:09

Do you get paid for sick days? Is he annoyed he is effectively paying you twice? Or have you taken e.g 16 hours unpaid sick, but done 20 hours overtime to make it 4 hours overtime?

Either way the place sounds understaffed if you need to do regular overtime just to get by.

Purplewithred · 12/09/2020 09:09

You're being taken for granted, which is really hurtful given the extra you've put into someone else's business for free, but it does sound a bit like "familiarity breeds contempt".

Maybe time to start looking round for a new job?

Original poster

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 09:11

Bluntness100 no the overtime was before I was off sick. I have worked countless hours unpaid overtime to try and make this up as I feel guilty. I have done maybe another 15 hours or more hours since my last pay which I was not going to put in to make up the time. No one else does this I know but he just goes on about how it impacts on him and how busy he is. I can't win.

OP posts:

Tomatoesneedtoripen · 12/09/2020 09:12

you need to make a stand,
refuse over time.
get your work life balance sorted.
let them know you wont do over time if that is what they want

Codexdivinchi · 12/09/2020 09:12

@Bluntness100

Yeah not sure what post you’ve just read to get that handle Bluntness

The OP has had a few days of sick since June probably due to working through her lunch/ over time and extra work so to come on and say if she can’t do her work effectively he can terminate her employment

He is taking the piss

OP put in for you overtime and look for work else where. Working for some one else is just not worth your physical and mental health. My friends in a similar situation she has misplaced loyalty and I keep telling her to leave.

BabyLlamaZen · 12/09/2020 09:13

If you work when you're sick work will assume you're not sick. I'm sorry op but they're taking the piss. You need to put this in writing and look after yourself from now on.

Tomatoesneedtoripen · 12/09/2020 09:13

can you delegate some of your work op?

Original poster

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 09:14

Thank you all for your replies - I started off saying to just take the money back off me and was very upset. I feel bad enough - had to get a covid test this week and take yet another day off, although it wasn't a day off because I did at least 60 emails and various phone calls from him. Got the negative result and went straight back to work the next day. Also got into bother for being off with that. I had a change in taste which had started the night before and my symptoms were very similar to when I previously thought I had had Covid but thought it was better to be safe than sorry.

OP posts:

Original poster

fancyginglass · 12/09/2020 09:16

Tomatoesneedtoripen there is someone I can delegate to but she is still working from home with Covid related symptoms - has been for months. She works for someone else but is very helpful and does what she can but I can only use her for a few hours a week.

OP posts:

ReefTeeth · 12/09/2020 09:23

I have started a 'new' role that I was doing earlier this year. I was working 30 hours previously, now I've been contracted 24 hours per week.

And I'm doing at least 4 hours overtime a week.

So after 6 weeks, this week I'm starting to timesheet my extra hours.

Except a colleague told me that as I have both DC at home they'll expect those hours for free.

I can categorically say my DC are not the reason for those hours, it's the workload. I barely leave my desk and watch the clock for my 30 minute lunch break.

It's shit OP when you've gone above and beyond and when you ask for those hours to be acknowledged, you become the one taking the piss

gurglebelly · 12/09/2020 09:24

I would sit down with your boss and explain how you feel and what you've said to us. He has every right to query the overtime, but it has made you feel untrusted and undervalued.

Explain that you do many more hours overtime than you claim for and ask him if he'd prefer you put everything through (so he gets a sense of how much you are actually doing doing) or stopped doing overtime altogether. Put the ball into his court

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread