To not do unpaid overtime?

[RoyKentsTieDyeTop]

I am the only salaried person at work (general manager).

In my last job I was constantly doing unpaid overtime; working 60-70 hour weeks while being paid for 48. It’s not a highly paid role so this took me under minimum wage and was terrible for my mental health generally. So I accepted my current job with a clear understanding on both sides that I wouldn’t do overtime at all.

So what happens in practise is that when I inevitably work outside my normal hours (covering sickness or staying late for contractors or meetings, whatever, it usually happens at least once a week) I will leave early or start late to claim the time back. This is all agreed with my bosses and they and I are happy with this arrangement.

However, I’ve now found out two members of my team (the supervisors) are bitching about me being lazy. I found out yesterday that I had to cover today, so I managed to leave early yesterday and start late today. This isn’t leaving anyone short or working extra (and actually I am technically working over as I’m doing a few bits from home this morning). I would have been sending one of them home early to save wages if I wasn’t leaving early so that’s the only thing they are missing out on, but they are both always comping they don’t have ENOUGH hours.

The person I’m covering (AM) has just let me know that they are all complaining to him that they think I’m out of order taking half days, especially at the weekend, and they are going to complain to my boss about me leaving early yesterday.

I mean, they can crack on as they are making themselves look stupid, but honestly I have patiently explained the concept of unpaid overtime so many times to them (as they have made sly comments to me previously) and I am baffled as to why they don’t understand this. AM has also tried to explain it.

They are paid for every minute they work (we all clock in and out). I always explain that I’ve worked 48hrs already this week so I’m leaving at 3 today etc. But they can’t seem to get their heads around the concept.

Also I am actually only paid £1 more an hour than them…so it’s not like I’m on some mega bucks salary where overtime is expected.

It feels like my choices are to be seen as workshy by my team or to suck up the unpaid hours.

AIBU? If I was your manager would you feel like this?

You are 100% right
Let them complain, I do the same now, no unpaid overtime at all, it's a problem for management to sort out

And it’s ridiculous because instead of spending today with my family as planned (today is my rota-ed day off) I’m working this afternoon and wasting the morning stressing about them all bitching about me for not being there this morning. So it’s the worst of all worlds and I feel like I should have just done the whole shift.

YANBU. They’re not thinking about you being salaried, even though they know about that, they’re just seeing you (justifiably) leaving early/coming in late and being pissy about it.

Why are you changing your plans @RoyKentsTieDyeTop , just be unavailable, that's ridiculous
You are sending out mixed messages

I think that they have found something to unify them which is complain about you. That is your first social problem.

Second, if they were in your position- they would be moaning about any minute over but in reality they would never take on the extra responsibility.

So you have the classic victim moaning mood hoovers. I think your manager needs to speak to them about it.

We get double time for overtime and I still don't do it so no you're not being unreasonable.

Why do you care so much what they think? You know they're wrong.

I am a people pleaser by nature, I’m trying really hard not to be. Which is why I ended up working so many hours at my last job because I didn’t want to let people down. It nearly broke me.

I could have declined the time off request from AM today but I wouldn’t do that, and I can cover it. But because my normal shift would be all day it’s glaringly obvious to the other two that I’m doing a half day and apparently they are aggrieved that they have to do the full day and maybe work a bit harder this morning without me or AM there to pick up their slack. If either of us were in the building this morning we would be doing admin until lunchtime (the bulk of which I am doing at home) but they are terrible for calling me out from the office to ‘help’. Me not being there means they just have to get on with it.

If they call you out of the office to “help” and they genuinely don’t need help, don’t help. Because all they’ll do is keep taking the piss.

Help them when they need it, not when they’re jealous because they’re not in the office and think you’re being lazy when you’re not.

There's a reason why you're a salaried manager and they are not... let's just say they're not the brightest

You don't need to explain yourself to them constantly. If they are this dim, they are not worth your brain space!

Get reading about being a people pleaser and try to unlearn these habits, they will seriously limit you professionally. You can't be liked by everyone all of the time, and if you try, you'll never progress.

You need to learn to be comfortable with being disliked occasionally - only worry about the opinions of people you see as equal to or better than you

Read this 'Please Yourself' by Emma Reed Turrell https://www.amazon.co.uk/Please-Yourself-Stop-People-Pleasing-Transform/dp/0008409374

I’m assuming you are their manager?

You need to stop people pleasing and start acting like the boss you are.

I bet if you think you have more examples of them not behaving the way they should.

Write a list. You already have two points on it from what I can see.

on Monday call your boss. Ask him/her to come in for a couple of formal meetings with these supervisors. You lead but your manager supports. Meet each person individually. Give them a chance to complain about your working hours if they want to. Explicitly raise it. ‘I understand you’re unhappy about my working pattern and have complained routinely to others that I am lazy. Now is your chance to discuss that’

And once they do or don’t complain make it very clear that is the end of the discussion. If you catch wind of any further bitching or moaning about your working pattern you will start a formal improvement plan for them about their attitude in work.

Then raise the issue of them needing help. Is it because they need to go back around the training process? Do they think they’d be happier stepping back from the supervisor role if they’re struggling with it? You have things to do in the office and cannot keep dropping the admin that is your job to assist them with their job. How do they think this can best be resolved?

Minute it all. Email it to them. Make sure they understand this is the final warning to step up and be professional or you will start managing them out.