How much unpaid overtime is acceptable

[Lemonwoe]

Just curious. At a salary of £40k, how much unpaid overtime would you expect to do?

None in my profession - we'd be paid overtime.

@Vegasbaby2019

No, but if I don't do it, it doesn't get done, and then it gets worse so...

How is that your problem? (In the nicest way)

Am on a pretty high salary. No concept of 'required hours' or 'overtime'. I do what needs to be done whatever time of day and work globally - so that sometimes means a 10-11pm meeting (as today) to do something in the US and sometimes a 5.30am one in Japan. Sometimes 14 hour work days...

It can lead to crazy hours but it also means it's nobody's business if I am going to my daughters sports day on a Tuesday morning. And some days are pretty leisurely but still paid - kind of 'on call'. Only question is 'am I needed'.

Makes it very hard but important to lay down personal boundaries and say no sometimes.

@Neonprint

All the people saying the refuse to do any extra. I'm interested to know how this was viewed in the workplace and if you have still been able to progress your career?

By trying to actively stick to my hours it accelerated my earnings, rather than stagnating it. More disciplined, more focused on getting the important bits done and not doing less valuable work.

I made sure the fact I was effective was recognized, by demonstrating the results. No one bats an eyelid at me sticking to hours. It’s about what you produce/do, not hours.

Of course, there are times when I work a longer day or two, but only when there is a genuine need and I shorten other days to compensate where possible when that happens.

All the people saying the refuse to do any extra. I'm interested to know how this was viewed in the workplace and if you have still been able to progress your career?

I've never refused to do any overtime at all, I'll always stay to deal with a real crisis or to close a deal, but I have refused to be in a habit of routinely working overtime. It hasn't done me any harm at all, my results are no different to anyone else's. I do think there is a limit to the amount of hours you can work effectively in a day. Colleagues may have muttered about it but managers have always known the work was done.

I am pretty rubbish at it, but I admire the people in my job who say no, or 'not then - I'm doing x.' I think it actually increases their perceived status.

I'm a middle manager in the public sector on about that salary. Now I have a young DD I am strict with my hours so some weeks I don't do any overtime, if we are busy it might be 2 or 3 on a weekends/evening over the week. If I do say so myself, I work hard and am very productive in my hours and overtime is not particularly expected so I don't think it'll impact my career.

@Lemonwoe

Just curious. At a salary of £40k, how much unpaid overtime would you expect to do?

I earn £35,000. I'm paid to do my job not really by the hour. Strictly speaking full time is 37 hours. 40-45 hrs per week is perfectly normal for me and in really busy periods 50, even 60 hours. In school hols though I will usually do 35/37 so its not every week.

I have barriers of steel.

My lunchbreak is non negotiable. I have taken it at the end of the day when other staff have pissed off when mine is due, which has also pissed off the other staff (not management).

Still doesn't stop them saying 'well none of us ever expect or want a lunchbreak, why are you so special?' Because it's the fucking law, that's why. And no, if my lunchbreak does not start until 15 minutes before the end of my day, I am not sitting with my arms folded for 45 completely unpaid, I am going home.

'But the teachers do it all the time'. Not my problem. They're paid more than I am. Pay me as much as a teacher and give me as good a contract, then we can talk again.

I would say that, as a rule of thumb, the more senior you are, the more you are paid, the more you want to move up the ladder, the more unpaid overtime you have to do.

I’m not senior, nor junior. Mid career / middle age in a low earning part of the the country. Absolutely not interested in promotion but still want to do a decent job. But don’t want to knock my pan in to the detriment of my own mental health or family life just to make more money for senior management/ shareholders

NHS - work 30 hours paid, do minimum 15 unpaid per week. That time is spent doing documentation that can't be fit into the working day, as seeing clients and attending meetings is the greater priority.

None. I don't work for free.

I think it entirely depends what you do.

For example. Within the past couple of hours, something has happened regarding a case hearing I’m on the panel of. We need to review some points of law and then rebrief. I could refuse to do my part of this, because it’s after 5pm. But if I do, we have to postpone the second part of an enforcement hearing with two multi billion pound companies and their counsel. We would potentially have to withdraw undertakings. A lot of people, including our Board and the Cabinet Office, would be very unhappy.

Which is why I don’t buy this argument that if you’re efficient, have good boundaries and manage your time and responsibilities well, you never have to work more hours than you’re contracted to. Unless you have nothing and nobody relying on the work you do and no time or financial pressures, there are going to be times when, regardless of how efficient you are or how firm you are with your boundaries, you’ll need to work beyond 5pm.

My first job, a long time ago, 1972, was a trainee manager with Sainsburys. Regularly worked a 60 hour week, rarely got paid for more than 50, but it was

Expected, and good for my future prospects. A few years later, I was promoted from dept manager to deputy store manager, a reasonable pay rise, a free suit, but no overtime paid, which meant my take home pay was lower. I left 4 weeks later

@comtesseDeSpair - I think you're spot on!