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...

Quite.

I could have written your post OP. After returning from maternity leave recently my part time request was declined, and it’s knocked the wind out of my sails a bit - I just don’t care about working hard.

I also do chores around the house while WFH. If I’m in the office, that time is taken up with chit chat, coffees etc. Same tasks are getting done, just different filler.

How is it piss-taking if you're getting the job done? Or are you one of these weirdo work-obsessives who tell people they should be asking for more work to do in these situations?

OP, as long as you're doing your job to an acceptable standard, keeping to deadlines etc, then carry on phoning it in as much as you can. Remember, they'd replace you in a heartbeat and forget about you within a week if you left.

No company ever failed because someone put a load of washing on between (pointless) Teams calls.

I am no longer paid for the hours I work, as far as I'm concerned. I'm paid for my expertise, experience and clients realtionships.

THIS. Except I have a new boss, so still figuring out if she feels the same as this or if I need to keep pretending I'm hard at work from 9-5.30 every day...

It's absolutely time to stop the unnecessary guilt. The pandemic has had one good outcome- shown us that presenteeism is a waste of time, you can and should work smartly, not be present for an 8 solid hours. When I need to go beyond I do, no complaint, that's why I have the salary I have. But I have been experimenting with putting in just enough effort at other times, and turns out that's fine. The output is valuable to my bosses, so why kill myself to do extra?

I think the sort of flexibility a lot of people have now has been a long time coming, it allows people to flex and look after their personal lives too. If that weren't an option I would be resentful and my employer would end up losing talent.

I saw a quote once which said something like:

”I’m either doing 8 days of work in 3 days or 3 days of work in 8 days. There is nothing in the middle.”

And that pretty much describes me. I’m capable of huge output in a very short period of time. Or I’m struggling to do anything at all.

And yes, agree 100% we cant be working flat out all the time. There needs to be a little slower time every now and then.

What does 'full capacity' mean? That every second of your day between 9-5 is filled with focused work and you don't step away from your desk at all? Who the hell works like that on a regular basis (apart from those poor fuckers doing telesales etc)?

As others have said, I get paid for my experience and expertise, not for the number of hours my arse is pinned to the chair. Some days, I'll be so busy that I barely have a chance to pee, let alone do stuff around the house. Other days there is time for chores, coffee and general pottering in between meetings/emails/etc

I get everything done that I need to do and I don't ever apologise for sometimes stepping away from the desk.

I am a manager, just looking at KPIs now for what is actually quite difficult to create KPIs for unless you’re doing measurable output. It’s very difficult to know how much people are actually doing when WFH in certain roles.

I’ve always worked in places with a bonus, and I know for a fact that the hard workers in our place get much larger bonuses than those that don’t.

Even in places without a bonus, the employer should be getting larger pay rises to those people who work harder. If they don’t they get what they deserve.

I often feel like this. I used to work in a very demanding environment and felt like I had to prove myself.

In retrospect, people senior to me got credit for work that I did, and I was a total mug.

Now I work a quite well-paying job that feels much easier. I do not work long hours typically, and I often have to step out for school-related things during the day (as the bloody PTA schedules all events during school hours), but somehow am excelling.

I think that workplace expectations are low because most people just don't work that hard.

Also, if you know what you are doing, you are far, far more efficient than people who are still learning.

I really identify with the "short, sharp bursts" of work comment above.

I also think for women productivity is linked to our cycle, so it's actually natural for us to feel really motivated and productive for a few weeks and less so for the next few and so on.

Yes because the pay is pittance.

As a manger of hybrid workers inc myself i tell them to go shove a laundry load in, nip to the shop for milk if you need it. Bob to the drs or dentist. As plenty of others have said we all get more done at home than in the office. Plus most of us log in early or dont finish until we have completed a task but when in the office it is 9-5 in and gone and i wouldnt log back on at home. I am lucky my team dont take the mick and the job gets done and i have loyal engaged colleagues who give a s*t because i give a s*t about them.

”I’m either doing 8 days of work in 3 days or 3 days of work in 8 days. There is nothing in the middle.”

This, absolutely. A couple of months ago I was doing 16-18 hour work days due to a specific project (not fun, not healthy). Currently things are much more manageable and there is time to meal-prep, potter in the garden even - shock horror! - meet friends for a coffee during the day or knock off early for a yoga class.

I discovered the magic formula when I was allowed to go to 4 days a week IF i agreed to have the same target. I did and I smashed it. So much so that I was asked to give a talk to colleagues about time management!

Then for a year I went to 3 days - same target, still achieved it.
Now I'm FT again. Same target.

Going PT does affect your over all career though, I was essentially ignored for all promotions for years. BUT I was able to be with my kids, have a good balance and work for a decent salary which was worth it to me.

And now I have tons of 'free' time because the things I learned working a FT job in PT hours have meant that I am beyond efficient.

I totally echo @MagpiePi this is my philosophy too. If works quiet then i definitely get something else out of the way. I guess its a case of making sure you are reachable though should anything urgent need taking care of. But i know several people who are in the office on a regular basis, yet never at their desks, leisurely lunches, nipping to the shops, coffee breaks etc. but as they are in the office they appear to be far more work-efficient than those that choose to keep working from home.

I appreciate WFH is a luxury and some days are more life admin/chores focused than work-work but thats just how some days seem to play out. As long as your team are fine and content with your efforts, i would work around your set up.

This sums it up perfectly, it took me a long time to realize it, and was hung up over work ethic and guilt, but now I wholeheartedly agree- my value is in the perspective I add to decision making and getting things through to completion. I don't need to sit at my desk at quieter times- like today! I have blocked out my morning to be available for candidates I have interviewed. I'd rather not get pulled into anything else, so will address other stuff this afternoon rather than trying to juggle it all

If you are getting the work done and doing an ok job, then I wouldn’t feel guilty at all. You are doing what you are paid for. If your manager raises performance concerns that’s a different story.

Performance - exactly! i have pulled my WFH assistant up, because he's not doing what I have asked him to do well, or quickly as needed.

All he has to do is complete the tasks I give him within a time frame, but I have clients chasing ME for info he was asked to handle. He's now drawn attention to himself, not for the first time.

I have explained this to him! Does he want me on his back, to be made to go into the office where someone can keep an eye on him or does he want to WFH?? Not rocket science.

I've been doing this since my second kid too. I absolutely slogged my guts out for this company throughout my 20s and 30s, though, and feel that in the grand scheme of things taking my foot off the pedal slightly during these years when the kids are small is understandable and forgivable. I'm sure that in time I'll get back to working with more focus, if not perhaps at my sharp-elbowed, youthful levels. But maybe my boss wouldn't see it that way!

I have worked so hard this last year- not sure it’s got me anything but tired though. However I like my employers and respect them and that is reflected in how hard I work so I am top performer. I remember years ago working in an unsafe, bitchy place where they set people up to fail and in that situation I definitely mirrored their attitude back to them.

Agree, lose the guilt. If you are delivering a fair amount of value to your employer for a fair day's pay, you don't need to feel guilty about work taking its place alongside other priorities in your life, and not being your be all and end all.

I work p/t, hybrid, and I am senior and experienced and efficient. I achieve significantly more in terms of outputs, and value added for my employer and clients, than my single male colleague doing the same job f/t mostly from the office who puts in twice my hours but is less efficient. Forget presenteeism and focus on your achievements and the fact you're getting a decent job done.

Also remember that flexibility goes both ways, so as long as you are willing to go the extra mile when needed (picking stuff up late after bedtime when backs are to the wall etc) you get to cut yourself slack and lose the guilt for doing the laundry between teams calls on WFH days and taking the dog out for a decent walk at lunchtime. That isn't taking the piss, it's what flexibility is about.

Coast on! I've been in work 10 years, at three different major companies, and at every one has had a brutal round of redundancies while I've been there (I've avoided, purely because I'm not at a senior enough level). Each has had a total gutting of management, no regard for how loyal they have been, how much effort they put in, early mornings, working through lunch hours... Just slash and burn.

Made me realise there is no point going above and beyond, the company don't give a solitary shit about you and will drop you whenever they like. Why kill yourself to make more money for someone else at the expense of the things you really care about, like family? I'm lucky that I've super efficient and good at focusing on the bits that matter, so hopefully I can coast along happily for a few more years

@whodawhodaeho yes, beyond efficient is the way to go. I got so pissed off with senior colleagues wasting time in endless meetings that produced nothing, taking credit for other people's work and generally thinking sitting at a desk justified big pay packets. Then along came wfh. Did what was required as and when required and left them to hour long discussions and over complicating simple tasks. Never been more productive and never had as much time to do non work things. No guilt here what so ever.

I'm paid for 40hours and do around 20-25 (wfh). I still produce more work than my colleagues, I make sure of that, so not sure what they're all doing! Although it's a very small team. I could produce more work but I wouldn't get more pay, no bonuses in this job. I know my manager is more than happy with what I get done. I'm not looking for promotion. So I carry on as I am!

As others have said, a lot more time can be wasted in the office. I know because I've done it. The hours I do work, I work hard and I produce quality work. I wouldn't get any more done in an office. I'd just be faffing around more.