to ask if anyone else is half-arsing their job?

[Spacemannn]

I work full time with two pre-schoolers (due to my part-time working request being declined). I get paid well (although not mumsnet well) for a mid-senior job, with no line management, but the bulk of my salary goes on childcare.

Since having my second child, I just cba anymore. I used to be such a perfectionist and always go above and beyond, but I just don't care as much anymore. I work hybrid, and on my WFH days I'm trying to squeeze in as many chores/life admin as poss in between tasks.

Is anyone else like this? Does it matter? I switch between feeling guilty, and then feeling like as long as I'm getting the work done and doing an ok job, that's fine? I still get paid the same whether I put in 70% effort or 100% effort. There are no promotion opportunities on the horizon, and I don't think I'd want the extra responsibility at the moment anyway.

Any tips for working smarter not harder? I'm organised, responsive and quick, so I don't think it's a case of me not adding value to the company...

You're doing just fine. The company would replace you pdq.

So when you're WFH you're actually doing other things.

And this is why we see so many posters complaining that their workplaces are insisting they go back to the office. Because of the pisstakers. It's nothing to do with having children. It's to do with not giving a toss about the job you're being paid to do.

You'll find soon enough that nobody is indispensable.

The thing is, I get just as much done at home. I work best in short, sharp bursts with regular breaks. I'd just rather spend those breaks doing laundry than idly sitting at my desk. I hate the presenteeism culture in the office, having to look busy all the time.

I don't disagree with the point that people not putting in the effort while WFH is what is driving quite a lot of employers to force people to return to the office but I also think that the majority of people are only putting in 70% effort most of the time. I used to work in a high performing, cut throat environment and it's been quite a shock to change workplaces and realise that most people are perfectly happy coasting - and doing a perfectly adequate job. It's changed my perspective for sure.

Yup absolutely half-arsing here. Work remotely, contracted X amount of hours but probably only enough work for half of that.

Do I keep taking the money each month and enjoy the flexibility that less work provides? You're damn right I do 🤷‍♀️

In the same way that companies pay you as little as they can get away with, I do as little as I can get away with. Is that not the lifelong dance of employment?

Sometimes you win, sometimes they win. Sometimes it's worth putting in a bit more effort, sometimes it's not. Sometimes I have to prioritise my life, sometimes work can take priority.

Working all the time at maximum effort? That is someone who is a mug.

Don't worry about it! I have a male staff member who doesn't have to look after kids, and is half arsing it because that's the way he is. I have several younger colleagues dialling it in because they feel like they should be CEO already, and don't like doing the mundane parts of their jobs.

But they're doing enough to get by.

I, on the other hand, had an amazing year last year and came in a 20% above my target while most colleagues didn't even reach theirs. I was working at about 70% but focus well on the big stuff.
I've just been told that none of my team are getting a payrise as we all 'met expectations'. No-one' exceeded. So there you go - colleagues missed their targets and I SMASHED mine and we're all the same.

Why on earth kill yourself working for corporations who actually care very little about performance ?

Yes I can relate to a lot of what you're saying. My work always gets done and I'm meeting targets/objectives etc, but I know I could achieve more if I pushed myself harder. This isn't happening though as I'm knackered juggling full-time work and motherhood with a husband that works awkward shifts and at the moment 70% is the best I can offer! I do often feel that perhaps when my children are older I will have a career resurgence - it used to be one of my very top priorities and a source of enjoyment/fulfilment, but I just don't feel like I have enough mental capacity at the moment. I agree with all of what @Speedweed says too, and I feel lucky I still have a relatively well paid job that allows me to be somewhat flexible while my kids are young.

That said, if something urgent is needed I do log on after they're in bed and make sure things are done, so I'm definitely not "taking the piss" and everything that needs to be covered always is.

I agree with this 100%. The people blathering on about "piss takers" are either weird workaholics or else they never noticed how much time people spend in workplaces but not working.

I WFH in a senior role and get everything and more done plus chores/stroll round the garden breaks. In the office people stop and chat, there are constant interruptions etc. I don't think those in the office are actually any more productive that me- sometimes I think the opposite can be true. But equally I'm paid to do a role, I meet and exceed my plan each year so why do I need to be chained to a desk pretending to work like so many "busy" types do?? It's an outdated attitude. Companies would replace you in a heartbeat if you dropped down dead- treat them with the same attitude!

Would you feel the same if you were in the office but spent 50% of the time talking to colleagues?

I go into the office about half of the week and find that so much time is wasted making coffee and talking to other people about their work. It's sort of productive in that it's collective problem solving, but it isn't getting my work done!

At home, I'll do a couple of hours solidly bashing out reports that would take me 4 times the time in the office due to distractions.

If you were sitting at your desk staring at a screen and not actually doing anything, would you feel as bad as now you are using that lull time to put on a load of laundry? I'm guessing not - because being in the office feels like 'being at work' even when you're not actually working.

Minimum wage minimum effort . Quiet Quitting. That's why employers are bringing in target focussed up selling . There are and always will be people who look busy by are actually doing nothing . People who are great at their job , put the effort in and are thought nothing off . People who do fuck all but because their faces fit are thought more off . Just do no more or less than you have to .

Feel like it. Minimum wage in a nursery 40 hours a week. Horrible management and stressful. Can’t half arse it though as some of those kids are there all day 5 days a week and we are their world pretty much. If we didn’t care they would have a shit life basically.

You are right. I visit nurseries regularly in my job and it is the most back-breaking, full on work that you can't half arse AT ALL. You are woefully undervalued and I appreciate you so much. I couldn't do it. I'd last a week.

I'm still getting achieves/exceeds in my reviews whilst not working as hard as I could. If the company think I'm doing fine, why would I busy a gut to do more?

Your company were seemingly naive for not letting you go part time. Sounds like they could have paid you less and still be getting the same work out of you!

On my office days I get very little done! I get dragged into random meetings that don't really need my involvement, and the amount of time that people waste chatting, going to lunch, fag breaks, having meetings just because they an is astonishing.
It was always like that though - the amount of 'work' being done versus socialising and chatting.

Take out the commute, and take out the interruptions and unnecessary meetings an you actually have plenty of time WFH to be as productive and do the laundry/walk dog/do school run

Also if you’re being properly managed your manager should pick up that you’re not working to full capacity

Goodness how dispiriting !!

How many hours get wasted in meetings that could have been an email because a bunch of (invariably) men use most of the time to chat about non-work stuff? At least if you are at home on a virtual meeting you can get on with something productive if you need to.

I'm happy to put in a long shift wfh if there are things that are urgent, but if there is a lull in work then I won't sit at my desk doing nothing.

I was worried about being a bit half arsed about my job at times but then I found Self Help Singh on you tube and now I don't worry.

100%. My kids are at nursery and I appreciate the staff and everything they do so much.

The reality is - 20 years ago my job involved a lot of travel and meetings in person. I then did my own admin and paperwork. I had to write endless reports, and spent days producing sales numbers.

Now - Teams, Zoom, email. Now - software that keeps up to date on all of our sales numbers all of the time and produces reports at the click of a few buttons.
Now - CRMs that hold all customer info and correspondance.

I don't need to work flat out anymore to get the same results, so long as I prioritise, look after my clients, and focus I could honestly do my job in 3 days rather than 5.

I believe that no one gets to their deathbed and wishes they had done more work, or worked longer hours or half killed themselves for a company that doesn't give a shit about them!

I work to live, not the other way round. My job has targets, which I easily meet and I get involved in some projects and working groups that interest me. I am definitely not going to do more and make myself anxious and stressed for some big Corp. I meet my targets, am relatively stress free and have a good work life balance

WFH or office makes no difference to my productivity. Both have their own distractions.

I guess that's a question I have too. Who says employees always need to be working at capacity? We're not on a production line, a lot of jobs these days you're paid for your experience, expertise and the value you add to the business. It's not always the case of the more hours you work the better.

If I was working 40 hours a week flat out, the quality of my work would nosedive.