Selling souls for companies

[LG101]

To think that a job shouldn’t include working so many hours with only a 4/5 weeks holiday a year.

Honestly I didn’t think I would be working 8-5 every day, coming home bath / bedtime and working more hours and then doing weekends too when it gets even busier!

The stress levels in our business are crazy and yes we get paid an alright salary it isn’t amazing (it’s not over 40k)

I only get 4/5 weeks holiday a year which I still spend checking emails.

OH thinks all companies / jobs are like this. I said there must be some people who work their hours and go home / actually enjoy their work life balance?

Hmmm. DH and I are both middle management level in a CS department and we have a pretty decent work/life balance - I did a few hours work over the weekend this weekend but that’s quite unusual. However, thinking around my circle of friends and family, we are probably in the minority. A lot of industries expect more than their pound of flesh nowadays and, for the time being at least, it looks set to be an employer’s market.

WhTs stopping you from starting your own business?

4/5 weeks holiday. How many fucking weeks fo you think people get? Have you only just left school/uni?

It's called life. You try to enjoy the work bits and carve out some time after work during the week and have fun on the weekends. That's just how it goes. And if you're young no you won't have the big salary - because you are not making anyone enough money to justify it.

Stop checking emails on annual leave.

@MarriedtoDaveGrohl ok so just checking you think it’s acceptable to be mid 30s with 15 years experience earning an alright salary and work probably 50-60hours a week for months on end? We have people right left and centre burning out and having mental health issue.

I get it that most people might in this boat (hence the actual question you didn’t answer....does everyone else do this / how is everyone else’s work life balance?

@AnneLovesGilbert I would love too however it is very much expected and you even get a work phone which they can call you on for emergencies 😳

@ButtWormHole

WhTs stopping you from starting your own business?

😂😂😂 That certainly wouldn't solve a work life balance. But at least the sole and health goes into yours

Soul! Not sole🙄

I would love too however it is very much expected and you even get a work phone which they can call you on for emergencies

Just put your "out of office" on! They can't fire you for it.
What do you think would happen if you go abroad or on tech detox?

In my experience, yes, generally speaking, once you get into what could be called careers rather than 'just jobs', yes,working over and above your set hours is expected which is why these jobs tend to be salaried rather than on an hourly rate.

I work in middle management for the NHS and actually find this offers a better work life balance than being a patient facing practitioner. Technically it's more responsibility so it pays on a higher band but I found my previous role far more stressful than this one and I was forever working well over my hours where as now, although it does happen, certainly not as often by any stretch. But my colleagues will disagree and say they find it more stressful and go over their hours so maybe it has a lot to do with your personality and how you deal with different types of pressure.

I think a lot of employers have started wanting more and more from people.

One of my DD's applied for 12 hour a week job in a care home as it was advertised as being weekends so she assumed Saturday and Sunday. It's 4 hours Saturday, 4 hours Sunday and 4 "weekday" hours. They could be any days and any shifts with 24 hours notice. So basically they want someone to be available all week for 4 hours pay.

I think a lot of companies expect extra hours for no pay. Even in jobs that traditionally wouldn't have had that expectation.

4/5 weeks holiday. How many fucking weeks fo you think people get? Have you only just left school/uni

Well actually the legal minimum is 5.6 weeks

@fuckfuckingcovid19

4/5 weeks holiday. How many fucking weeks fo you think people get? Have you only just left school/uni

Well actually the legal minimum is 5.6 weeks

I like the first one more because that's what is actually is in a calendar week, not working days only. 😁 More realistic

This is what life has been like in the public sector for as long as I’ve worked in it. I’m a postgrad with 13 years service and still not up to £40K yet.

Not all jobs are like that op. I work part time in the 3rd sector and very much just do my hours I'm not well paid though, probably just the national average.
My dh is a very well paid IT professional and only works 8-4 Monday to Friday and takes an hour for lunch. We're early/mid 30s.

DH earns 50k and only works beyond his hours occasionally. I earn 27k and same. Would never work a weekend. We are both 27.

I don't care about getting promoted though, so earn less than a lot of people my age and younger at my company, but I'd rather have my freedom than more money.

I would change jobs if I were you. Life is for living, not being stuck at work all the time (unless you choose that, of course).

In Germany it's illegal for people to work beyond their contracted hours without getting paid for overtime. The UK needs to learn from them!

Yes this is standard if you want to progress in your career. Is there the opportunity to earn more? Do you enjoy your job?

Four or five weeks holiday is standard, indeed the law.

Stop checking emails when on holiday. Set boundaries and others will soon realise you have them.

I work probably between 40 - 45 hours a week (meant to be 35) occasionally up to
50 but rarely more. Couple of hours extra a day mostly through starting half an hour early, having a short lunch break and an extra hour or so most nights. I probably work a longer day than a decent number of my peers. I get paid well but not 6 figures.

I do work the odd weekend but it's not expected at all and many of my grade or above wouldn't dream of it.

A lot do check email whilst on holiday but I do refuse or else I don't get a proper break. I am probably in the minority at my grade on this (juniors don't) and nothing bad has happened. If it's an emergency people can text me but that rarely happens.

I am higher end of mid management in a very large private business with a reputation for working people into the ground. The reality isn't the same as the reputation but also no one looks after you if you do work silly hours and some people sometimes do (and I have in the past).

I do my 37.5 hours and log off. Yes sometimes it's tempting to check my emails when I'm on leave but I don't. my manager is very adamant that we do not work any more than hours scheduled hours if we can help it. If we are on the phone to a supplier and it takes longer than we thought and we log off 20 mins later than normal but that is fine but we are very strictly told not to do any more than that.
My direct manager is quite good at doing the same, whereas the other manager (who I report to when mine is off) is sending emails at 9pm at night, doing work when he's meant to be off sick etc. So at least we have one good role model. Then again, I am not a high earner and doubt I ever will be