To not want to work long hours.

[Ninahaen]

Currently I work 32 hours over 4 days. I’m happy with this: while I want to do my job well, I am not overly ambitious. I’m early 40s with a young child, work is not my priority.

My job is fairly well paid by local standards (not by MN standards though).

Our company was taken over a few months ago. The original company allowed for a good work life balance. The new company seems to want its pound of flesh: all I see are colleagues working ridiculous hours: and honestly, it fills me with complete dread that this is the expectation going forwards.

I don’t mind working a few hours late when there is an urgent deadline: but that I would only expect occasionally. Just now it seems that work is eating up people’s lives: emails into the small hours etx.

I already have MH issues, so have to take care not to get too stressed as this triggers the issues.

Aibu to just want to work my contrasted hours (with the occasional exception)

I'm sure youl get people on here explaining how they work 100 hours a week for 30 hours pay whilst raising six kids and they are thankful every day they have a job etc but in most jobs I don't think it is ok to expect people to put in masses of free hours and be always contactable

YANBU to have preferences

it doesn't mean your current company will want to keep you if you stick with your basic hours, or that you will have a pleasant work environment if your colleagues end up having to take your work load.

It doesn't mean it's right, but if you don't want to follow the company's expectations, be prepared to look for another job.

Nothing wrong with wanting an easy life, it might just not go down very well with others.

YANBU about this.
Is it the company expecting/demanding the long hours, or is it people feeling vulnerable about the future so going over and above expectations in order to 'secure' their jobs? I've been through many a take over, which always ended up with changes to staff.

So what hours are they wanting you to do OP?? 32 hours over 4 days sounds pretty standard to be honest.

Yanbu...I wouldn't be answering emails into the small hours. Some Companies seem to behave like you're at their service 24/7, It's wrong imo.

Nothing wrong with wanting an easy life, it might just not go down very well with others.

I’ve no problem with my contracted hours. But I see colleagues constantly working ridiculous hours: well into the evening and early hours. No one has asked me to work extra, but it seems that many of my colleagues are working all of their waking hours.
@NoPainNoTartine. Yip, I think that’s probably my best option, as I just cannot face giving all my time to a job. I’ve done this in the past, and didn’t get any thanks or payment for it.

@Ninahaen maybe those people working all hours are working towards promotion etc so I would leave them to it. As long as you are doing your job I suppose, however I will say that for my company it is not acceptable to just plod along and stay stagnant. We have performance pathways and certain expectations/goals that we plan with team leaders/management etc

@user1745632169

Nothing wrong with wanting an easy life, it might just not go down very well with others.

care to elaborate or are you just indicating you fail to understand my post?

YANBU, unless you are management and/or in a professional salaried role, where overtime is not normally paid. If your employer wants you to be on call and/or work extra hours, they should be prepared to pay for it. Unfortunately, the combination of Covid and high unemployment is leading to some employers taking advantage.

I agree with others who say that your colleagues might be desperate to avoid the new owners making them redundant. Have you been there a few years? If so, it might be worth waiting for the redundancy axe to fall your way (knowing they will most likely get rid of people who aren't willing to roll over and take their s*t). Then they will have to pay you redundancy money, which might tide you over long enough to find something else. If they try to pressure you into giving your time fkr nothing, stand firm. If they make life too difficult by creating a hostile working environment you can leave, claim constructive unfair dismissal and take their sorry ares to an employment tribunal. I hate to hear about this kind of sharp practice.

I'm with you op. I choose to work reduced hours because I need that balance in life. And I strongly believe that people should not be expected to routinely work more.

Unfortunately people often see people who work fewer hours as slackers (despite us getting paid less). I've certainly had worse treatment because of this

It’s a professional role where overtime is not routinely paid. I don’t mind a few hours here and there (last year there were a number of times I popped into the office and worked Saturdays when there were urgent deadlines). But this seems to be constant with people working late (midnight etc) constantly. I can understand this being worth it to directors who take home hundreds of thousands / over a million in bonuses. But at my level you are lucky to see a few thousand in bonus (if at all)

Are you in the office? I am WFH and sometimes work late, but I am not working 24/7,I'm just a bit flexible with it.

I just left a job because the ethos with my co-workers was like this. It wasn't expected by management, but I was tired of being tutted at for coming in at 9.30am after taking my kids to school and then wanting to leave at 5.30pm.

Unfortunately people often see people who work fewer hours as slackers (despite us getting paid less). I've certainly had worse treatment because of this

I was talking to DH about this exact thing this morning! I'm a teacher and work 2 days a week and I know it irritates people. Even though I do everything that is asked of me (and more!) There are always sly remarks and being made to feel bad for doing what I'm paid for.

I think it comes down to jealousy. Most people in senior roles working all the hours under the sun, don't do it for the love of the job, they do it because they need the money!

Just work your contracted hours, do your job and leave it at that! Deal with it if it comes up or your boss says anything about it tbh!

I’ve worked places people do this - I never do - I do not have work emails on my phone - so once I turn my laptop off at half 5 or 6 in the evening I don’t see any emails that arrive.

Nobody has ever said anything to me - I get all my work done - if I have something to finish I will stay on a bit late (it’s rare)

Other people seem to be logged in at all hours sending emails etc but doesn’t bother me

Are you getting your work done each week??

Sadly there are a lot of people who think that spending a lot of discretionary time at the office is a good thing. My view is that if you are working a lot of unpaid hours it is either because you are out of your depth or you are being shitted on by whomever is expecting you to manage an unrealistic workload. So jobs are that the latter is what is happening but you get a salary and perks that justifies it (banking for example). Most jobs however to don't pay the big bucks and deserve no such commitment of your time.

If the new owners are slave drivers, probably worth getting out. All the other good people will be.

This is happening in our work at the minute. I've deliberately not gone for the next level of responsibility or full time ( I'm 4 days a week) as I struggle if I work consistently long hours and it really impacts my mental health and my ability to do a good job.

I ended up having a frank discussion with my line manager on Tuesday and things seemed to be getting a bit better, but she's not my task manager so I think I need to just try to get a job in a different department next year as the long hours thing now seems so ingrained. I'm talking people routinely replying to emails at 9 or 10 at night then 6 the next morning. The other day I got messaged by someone at midnight (not urgent).

The work I’m working on was overdue before I started on it, (It’s project work, so not a set amount of work that can be easily measured)

Unfortunately that's the way a lot of companies are.
I was doing 60+ hours and getting paid for 40 with TOIL promised and never delivered and holidays cancelled. It was in hospitality, and unfortunately I was told I should just be grateful to have a job - that works me into the ground, grateful to be bollocked for not managing to get the workload of 2 people done, grateful to not have a day off for 2 months because 'the needs of the business', grateful to work 20 hours a week for free. I was barely above min wage too, definitely below when I went over 40 hours. I didn't mind even half an hour on each shift, 45-8 hours and only paid for 40, what I did mind was not even having time to sleep, the same demands being made of me that were on the senior managers on three times my pay.
Well you know what, they don't pay me not to work, so why should I work for free?
There's a competitive martyrism when it comes to this, an expectation that you should just do it, and if like me, it swallowed your whole life, then it's time to change. If you're in that kind of environment then it's likely it won't change, you'll have to either change or move jobs.
I did, I'm lucky that I had other experience that I could fall back on. It's technically a wage drop, compared to what I took home each month, but hour for hour it's an increase. I still do overtime, I still work full time, but I'm not tearfully exhausted every day, not jumping every time my phone goes off, my house no longer looks like a squat and I know what my family looks like.

I have never understood people who are willing to work for free unless a genuine volunteer role obviously. Baffles me!

I think work - life balance is hugely important, and have always worked for companies whose ethos matches my own in this regard. It's a choice you make, that comes with downsides, but one that I feel is worth making. If your company culture is changing and no longer suits you then it's time to move on to one that does. You will be happier for it.

If your work is getting done in your contracted hours and your performance is not affected then carry on as you are.

If others are working into small hours maybe they are not working smart or have too much to do who knows but so long as what you have to do isn't falling behind i wouldn't worry.

I've got colleagues who work all hours. They seem to be not especially more productive than me - tired people tend to take longer over stuff so it can be a vicious cycle.

I'm in a well paid job (even by mn standards).I do similar hours to you and can't often work outside my hours as I have young kids. I occasionally pick up a bit of slack for an hour of an evening (perhaps once a fortnight), but I would have concerns if I was expected to constantly work overtime.

Do your job, do it well and no one will be comparing the number of hours you work. If they are - vote with your feet and walk away.

Yanbu! You’ll never see “She was a good worker” on someone’s tombstone. But you will see “She was a good wife, friend and loving mother”