We all work when we’re on annual leave (evenings and weekends), don’t we?

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This new WFH/ managing childcare life has blurred the lines between work and home. I do the school runs during my work time, so then I make that time up later on. My work hours are all over the place. I’m on annual leave today with nothing to do/ nowhere to go and so I’m catching up on work. Are we all doing this?

YANBU we’re all working when we’re on annual leave, evenings and weekends.

YABU most people are sticking rigidly to their usual core hours.

We're both WFH full time, Mon-Fri, and homeschooling a 5 and 7 year old. I'm starting earlier and doing some work on an evening but only enough to make sure I'm getting my work done and to make up for the time in the day I'm with the kids. Always make sure I take an hour for lunch, as does DH so that's 2 hours we can spend with kids, and always stop at 5 to get there tea ready and then log back on later once they're in bed, only if needed. Never work on weekend or annual leave, my working days are elongated enough, I treasure my weekends and holidays for relaxation or at least less pressure.

Wow, I’m really surprised it is so split. I thought everyone would be finding work bleeding into every other time. I am, and had the impression it was similar for most of my group. Wish it wasn’t! I’m not wondering what the “core hours only” guys are doing right and where I’m going so wrong!

I do, but mainly because I enjoy my job. Colleague doesn't, and nobody holds it against her.

I have worked on annual leave and out of work hours when I needed to but not as habit.

Absolutely not. My manager would be livid if any of us did this.

We have to log all our time forensically (law) and if we go over our hours we have to book time off in lieu.

I don’t have enough work to full 37.5 hours a week let alone work outside working hours!

I did end up working at work during my A/L as others were off isolating. I also do training and occasionally check emails on my days off, but I can claim OT for the training and I only check emails because I want to. It isn't expected.
I'm a nurse though.

Im managing to do my set hours of 8-4. Any overtime is done once the kids are in bed. Im trying to keep that to 3 nights a week.

I rarely work weekends and never log in when on annual leave.

Yes, working loads of extra hours. Covid has increased the workload hugely.

Staff working holidays, weekends and evenings was certainly the case for every employer I've ever worked for (pre covid). Now I work for myself and actually get evenings off! :-)

Yes but I have no kids and like my job so not an issue for me

Depends on the job. In a professional or managerial job, I think it is par for the course.

My boss is one of those who has resorted to working every waking hour, cancelling her annual leave to work, working weekends, etc over the pandemic.

As her subordinate it's awful. She has completely lost sense of reality and that people have a life outside of work. She thinks that because we're all at home then we should be available and don't have anything else going on. Work has become her hobby.

OP if you manage anyone please don't let them know you are working on your days off as there is nothing more anxiety inducing than a boss who feels so busy that they have to work their holidays. It makes me feel like I'm not doing enough to help out and it's even worse when they start martyring themselves which is what she is doing - her managers now expect her to drop everything and always be available so she has made a rod for her own back.

In Germany and on the continent it is really frowned upon to work outside of your contracted hours. The culture there is that if you can't get your work done in that time then you aren't up to the job.

Absolutely not.

DH and I both WFH during the pandemic. DS is at nursery while we work. I work my hours and do not check emails etc during annual leave. I might do maybe once if a big thing I’m due to work on is happening then, but otherwise no.

If I was really senior and paid loads I would, but I’m a middle manager with no line management responsibility and I’m not on a huge salary- so I don’t work/check emails when on leave.

Not at all during annual leave. Only during evenings or a very rare weekend as part of a general give and take - my employer is flexible with me, so I'm willing to help out a little in return.

I’m a lecturer and working remotely means my classes are absolutely massive as there are no constraints on the number of students who can physically fit in the “room”. I am on my knees. Worked most of the Christmas holidays, marking, and the students see MS Teams as a 24/7 text helpline. I had people message me on New Year’s Day.

I usually work four days a week, and tbh would be better officially going full time again and getting the extra money. I dropped a day due to stress a few years ago.

Nope, I don't. My manager doesn't encourage it either. However, if something happens during the day and I have to sign off ie go for an appointment, I make the time up, but would do that anyway.

I think this is one of the worst things to come out of working from home - the home/work boundaries have become so blurred.

I don’t work on annual leave. Pre-COVid I would generally stay over half hour most nights and be there half hour early in the morning.

I’ve noticed people are spending the commuting time they’ve saved working instead - you stay on a bit later because you haven’t got to drive home and before you know it 7pm/8pm has rolled round.

Our head office is east coast US and they always used to be really good at booking meetings for their morning/our afternoon but I’ve noticed they’re slipping later and later - it’s almost like there’s a general feeling of “you’re at home, you might as well work”

I definitely feel like I’ve transitioned from working from home to living at work over the course of the last 12 months.

No.

I work in the kind of job where my to do list is never ending. If I kept working each day until it was all done, I'd work for at least 30 hours a day.

Fuck that!

The thing with all these people working so many extra hours and during their annual leave, etc is when things go back to normal their management will still expect it.

If you're doing the work of two people at the moment don't expect them to happily look to recruit someone else when things do return to the office or let you drop your workload off. Suddenly you actually have plans at the weekend or want to finish on time every night of the week.

They'll think you aren't performing and put you on a PIP.

Not everyone has a job where they can work from home. Many many people are still doing shift work in shops and such.

I clock out and go home. I don't think about work until I clock in for my next shift. If I do over time I get paid for it.

Pre covid yes. Now, not unless I get paid.

I wfh and ofh, working constantly is normal in my industry, I’ve even responded to queries on Xmas day before (not emergency services) my social media feeds are full of work related posts, literally full actually.
Usually I don’t mind, right now it’s doing my head in and I fear I am coming down with a severe case of the ‘fuck offs’

No. Create some boundaries and stick to them.

Many years ago an auditor observed that those unwilling to take leave or working during it could be hiding something, such as a fraud.