Unpaid overtime - to insist on time in lieu?

[MsLumpyBottom]

I have been in my current job for 5 months. Contract is 24 hours a week but it is so busy that I have been regularly working an hour to an hour a half a few times a week over my hours.

At first I didn’t mind so much. It’s a WFH job and I thought it was just that I was slow while learning (it’s quite complex) and it would resolve itself when I was able to work quicker.

I now see that it is the volume of work. There is one full time staff member and one part time (me). Really it needs to be two full time staff but I don’t want a full time job and didn’t accept the job offer as such!

My full time colleague is also what could be called a bit of a slacker and I am doing extra work that she should be doing as I’ve been able to pick it up quicker than her. She started 3 months before me and is also struggling with work load.

Work do not want to pay overtime and with me being part time it’s almost impossible to reduce my hours even further to take time off in lieu and get the work done!

Any ideas on how to handle this?

Do your hours, then stop!

I have been regularly working an hour to an hour a half a few times a week over my hours

Since they "don't want to pay overtime" I suggest you stop doing this immediately

Unfortunately some employers advertise P/T instead of F/T in the hope people will "just help out a bit" and they can save half a salary while still getting the same amount of work.
The staffing issues are their job, and yours is to show them this isn't going to work

Fuck that! Know your worth, don't dilute your hourly rate by working extra hours if they're not going to pay you.

I guess it depends, are you paid hourly or are you contracted for so many days but within that there is a level of flexibility in order to get the job done?

An extra hour a few times a week isn’t a massive amount compared to most people in a salary role. Might be worth keeping your eye out for another job if this company isn’t for you. Lots of places will be just like this one but there’s still a lot of places that have more of a work/life balance.

Thanks for replies. My biggest concern is some work is time sensitive (and quite important) and we are not meeting timescales.

A large element of work was done by a staff member in a different area who has now gone on long term sick leave so it has fallen on us (well me) and I just don’t have time to complete it all as well as not being fully experienced in it!

Unbelievably complaints from above have started due to this.

I have thought about jacking it in but it’s my first role after being a SAHM and I need the reference. Also the training has been quite lengthy and I don’t want to leave them in the shit with having to start over and train someone else which will take months.

I have been trying to give a good impression by doing it as well as I can but am starting dreading logging in in the morning. I literally can’t move from my desk for hours to try to keep up.

Not only that but my full time colleague is on leave for the next two weeks so I’m on my own (with assistance from someone who’s also overloaded in another position) trying to do the job of a part timer and a full timer!

Seriously just want to walk away but I can’t at the moment and worried about consequences of reference for next job. Feel very trapped. Can’t quite believe I walked into this mess.

You need to speak to your manager.

Your organisation is unlikely to do anything about it at all if you keep solving the problem for them by picking up extra work. Sometimes you need to let things fall over for change to actually happen.

In your shoes I would speak to your manager, tell them there aren't enough hours to complete all the work so you need guidance on what to prioritise.