Sulking because I'm not getting the day off

[NoMoreShit]

My love life has recently gone down the pan so emotions are raw & I'm feeling a bit 'woe is me'. As such, I'm perfectly prepared to be told I'm being U & it's just a case of me feeling like the world is against me at the moment. I know things will get better regarding the ex, time heals, just need to keep moving forwards & ride it out.

Current problem is work related.

I'm in a really demanding, professional job. However, life has always been really demanding: lone mum for 12 years, carer for my dad, no support, no child maintenance, always worked & spent 7 of the last 10 years back at uni on top of everything else. Over the last 3 years I finished the post grad, kids have got older & independent, needy parent died, mortgage ended & suddenly I have a life again. I cope really well with the demands of my job because, relatively speaking, it's a walk in the park compared to the juggling, chaos & slog of the previous 10 years. I get everything done within targets, my work is good quality, I help struggling colleagues & have an excellent reputation.

My problem is that work are moving to a 9 day fortnight because 'most' people work unpaid overtime to get through their workload. I won't be able to have the day off because I get my work done within my paid hours so I feel like I'm being punished for being efficient & good at organising my time. My workload is higher & more complex than most because I can manage it, so it not that others have more work to do. I'm also paid exactly the same as my colleagues so no recognition for my efforts there.

I just know that muggings here will be expected to pick up any slack & provide cover while my colleagues have their days off. It happens already with sickness & holidays. I'm already feeling resentful & the new working pattern hasn't even started yet.

Am I just being a miserable, self pitying twat? Or am I right to feel miffed.

It's nonsensical to suggest that you drop your productivity. If you're used to making the most of your time, deliberately being on a 'go slow' and coasting isn't going to make you content with your job, quite the opposite. You need a job where you feel challenged and rewarded for making good use of your time. I'd suggest looking for something which is task/project-based without the focus on hours.

I don’t read your post as you being the super efficient one, despite your claim.

You’re doing the role as intended, 9-5 5 days a week. No issues there.

It would seem others are doing 10 days work, in 9 days, by staying late or starting early. The company is recognising their efforts and saying, you’ve done the hours and the work, but in 9 days, so take the 10th off as an extra rest day.

If you can stay late or start early, then you too could probably move to that system.

If i was you, i would be carefull about picking up any slack of others, and be wary of agreeing to additional work on their days off, but otherwise, seems like a reasonable company. Most don’t offer this benefit to those who stay late or start early, they tend to permit a bit of lateness or knocking off a bit early.

What you’re describing isn’t a nine-day fortnight arrangement, really, is it? It’s a flexitime scheme. So you and your colleagues are doing the same number of hours - but they’re working compressed hours and you’re not. They’re doing longer hours than you on the nine days that they’re working. That doesn’t mean there’s any difference in their overall output in comparison to yours. It just means you’re working to different patterns. This happens a lot in my team - it’s not because some people are less efficient, it’s usually either because deadlines fall in a way that means they have more work on some days than others, or simply because that work pattern fits their lifestyle. That isn’t the case for you, from what you’ve said?

It sounds to me as if your employer has managed this badly or communicated it in a way that’s extremely unclear, so I think you need to seek clarification on exactly what’s being offered.

Surely at present most people are doing their workload in 10 long days.

If they go to 9 long days less will be done?

So it doesn't really make sense in terms of productivity.

Just because some employees cannot take advantage of flexitime doesn’t mean they are being penalised or treated unfairly though.
Should companies never have any perks in case it doesn’t work for 100% of staff?
OP can just care on as normal, she’s not being disadvantaged.
If you can’t/ don’t want to work longer then you can’t really complain about having the time off on a set day.

Your post sounds like your life is something that's done to you, rather than you being in charge of it.

If you deserve more pay or a promotion because you're more efficient, ask for it.

If you want the 10th day off, take it.

If you don't want to be a mug and pick up your colleagues' slack, don't.

If those things aren't possible, leave.

It sounds like you’re in an ideal place to make the most of this - children a bit older, no longer caring fir elderly relative. Stay an hour later at work and take that day a fortnight for yourself - go on a long hike or visit a coffee shop with a book, garden, yoga, whatever.
it’s actually perfect timing for you.

I have Covid so please don’t get ver-analyze my maths here because I’m not sure it’s right, but gives an illustration.

OP:
Works standard 9 - 5.30 five days a week and gets all her work done.

Colleagues:
Work 9 - 5.30 and still don’t get their work done so work until 6.20.

Over the course of 9 days, all of those extra 50 mins a day add up to them be day which they’re given in lieu. As OP doesn’t work overtime, she doesn’t get a day in lieu. She works the same hours as her colleagues, she just doesn’t need to work outside her core hours.

OP, I think you need to speak to your ex player here to see what flexibility they can give you. Would you be happier doing extra hours on the 9 days to get the 10th off?

I’m actually amazed that your employers are doing this. Most “demanding, professional” jobs are salaried and overtime is unpaid. The fact that your company pays as time-in-lieu suggests to me that they’re a reasonable employer so you should speak to them.

No, you are being reasonable. A 9 day fortnight is a reasonable working pattern, it’s being made available to others and should be available to you.

If it's the case that OP can't take advantage of flexi-time, that's not the company's fault, though. It shouldn't be a case of "all colleagues have to benefit from it or no-one can".

Lots of people can't start early or work late for a whole variety of reasons - childcare, caring responsibilities, having to rely on public transport etc - that's just life.

OP isn't being penalised for doing her job as described. Everyone is doing the same amount of work/hours, they're just being spread out differently.

She hasn't even asked if it's available to her, though - she's just got into a huff over nothing!

Can you not do overtime anyway throughout the 9 days to make up enough hours owed and then have the 10th day off?
You will still be working the same amount of hours as everyone else but it’s unfair for everyone to be allowed to do it over 9 days and you have to do it over 10.

This

Why not? She just needs to use her superior organisational skills to rearrange her working days and non-working commitments. She chooses to work her daily contracted hours and no extra time. If that suits her lifestyle then great - her choice. But she's complaining that others are getting a day off when they aren't - they are simply working that day back over the rest of the working week.

If it's the case that OP can't take advantage of flexi-time, that's not the company's fault, though. It shouldn't be a case of "all colleagues have to benefit from it or no-one can".
Quite. My employer has always had a degree of flexible working (we can accumulate up to 2 days flexi leave in a 4 weeks period). Some people do that, others don't. We all choose. My employer has always had some form of hybrid working but doesn't generally allow predominantly home based working. But I work from home 95% of the time because I am disabled and it's a reasonable adjustment. It's perfectly reasonable and fair that such policies are varied / flexible for peoples circumstances. I'd happily spend 100% of my time in the office if I could get my mobility back.

As difficult as it will be for you.....go slow.
you have every right to be pissed off.
I'm actually pissed off on your behalf.😡

Did you get paid full time wage? Or do the same work for 0.6 pay?

My boyfriend works 9/14's and he gets 5 days off in every fortnight.... is that not what the name means anyway?

yes but then how do colleagues do their work on day 10?

it would still be there, as other colleagues only do days work 1-9 in those days (taking longer)

So day 10, the work just piles up? meaning everyone needs to do MORE overtime than the revised "long day" to catch up with the not done day 10 stuff. Which means day 9 given in lieu?

it really doesn't make sense?

"Should companies never have any perks in case it doesn’t work for 100% of staff?"

No, but ideally, equivalent persk could be offered eg worker 1 gets his petrol paid, worker 2 doesn't drive so should get their bus pass paid. Covering costs just for the drivers wouldn't be fair.

I'm not sure it's exactly the same here, because the company isn't to blame for OP not being able to take advantage of the flexitime.

"She hasn't even asked if it's available to her, though - she's just got into a huff over nothing!"

She says she can't/doesn't want to work after hours, which means it's not available to her. I accept that this is not the employer's fault.