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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is anyone else finding works changed and no one does anything anymore?

166 replies

JKDcot · 14/08/2023 14:37

I am a hard worker. I really care about what I do and try to deliver for my team. I work in an office job but WFH since the pandemic, I don’t think it’s due to being remote. I’ve noticed people just don’t care as much? They don’t reply? I get a lot of “I’m busy sorry I can’t help”. It’s so frustrating and I can’t figure out why everyone seems to have lost their care factor? Anyone else?

OP posts:
TheDogAndDuck · 24/08/2023 11:45

4 days a week works for me... definately helps to get over the work bullshit and frustrations.

userxx · 24/08/2023 12:41

Flipflipmania · 24/08/2023 05:37

@userxx

you have post a MIN of 10,000 posts. Is mumsnetting your job?

It's all getting a bit single white female for me now. Freaky. Maybe try a podcast or something.

LakieLady · 24/08/2023 12:56

DewinDwl · 14/08/2023 14:49

Agree with DannyLaRuesBestFrock

I am public sector, it has always been busy but during covid it went to unmanageable and it hasn't improved. I notice more people refuse to log on during holidays or work unpaid overtime. And that's not a bad thing IMO.

And why should they, really? Public sector wages have fallen, in real terms, and if things have also got a lot busier, it's understandable that people are sticking to working the hours they're paid for. They're already delivering more for less if things are busier.

I work in the 3rd sector. We're a tiny team, 5 people but most part-time so we add up to slightly less than 4 FTE. We are all doing far more than we were pre-Covid, referrals have gone through the roof and caseloads are now 1.5-2 times the size (2.5 in my case) they used to be. We're actually declining some referrals now and signposting them to other agencies.

I'd love to be doing less.

fetchacloth · 24/08/2023 13:32

TheDogAndDuck · 24/08/2023 11:45

4 days a week works for me... definately helps to get over the work bullshit and frustrations.

I would really love that 🙂

MariaVT65 · 24/08/2023 13:59

Yes I seem to have had a very similar experience to many here.

10 years at a company, became an expert in many areas, went a 6 year period with no sick days. Was bullied by managers while pregnant, then made redundant 6 months after coming back from mat leave.

I’m now in a different company, lack of recognition, no pay rise. I literally do not give a shit about putting in extra effort as it doesn’t benefit me in any way, and I regret doing so at my old company.

WFH isn’t the issue. Personally I also saw lots of time wasted in the office as well.

Lucyboat · 25/08/2023 16:01

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Lucyboat · 25/08/2023 16:02

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Saysoe · 25/08/2023 16:04

Certainly the case where I work. You get members of staff always on their phones, older ones taking time off here and there. People getting in late. Boss is that worried about not being able to replace them currently, he just rolls with it.

Lucyboat · 25/08/2023 16:08

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PinkCherryBlossoms · 25/08/2023 17:02

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I've some sympathy for managers in that position. If he's right about not being able to replace staff, there's a limit to how much he can actually do. It might actually be that these are the best quality workers available for this job at this wage.

Badbadbunny · 25/08/2023 19:19

Just about to move my son into his first flat. Literally everything has been a nightmare to organise. People not doing what they say they will, some firms impossible to contact to speak to anyone, mistakes galore. Not a single thing has actually gone right. That's the local council, new GP surgery, registering for water rates, signing up for utility supplier, telephone and broadband connections, contents insurance, changing address for motor insurance, changing address for mobile phone contract, letting agent who has disappeared from the face of the Earth (or so it seems), bank transfer for rent and deposit disappeared into the ether. Literally no staff care anymore, so many were clearly WFH due to dogs barking and kids screaming in the background. The worst was the local council, as there was lots of background noise, chatting etc., and then you could clearly hear "cashier number 4 please" so she was out shopping and pretending to work from home - hardly a surprise she didn't do what I asked her to as she was clearly had her mobile in one hand and shopping in the other! Firms and their managers really need to start getting a grip.

90sbab8 · 26/08/2023 14:17

willWillSmithsmith · 14/08/2023 16:00

Are you a shareholder?

Show quote history

I was going to say exactly this! Probably a shareholder/owner who bangs on about "hard work" and people being lazy whilst they sit on their arse in their cushy office doing bugger all, oh and they only got the job because their uncle owns the company....

90sbab8 · 26/08/2023 15:01

Badbadbunny · 14/08/2023 16:39

No, but plenty lie on their deathbed wishing they'd had more/better holidays, had a bigger house, had a bigger family, etc., but didn't achieve it because they were in low paid jobs, worked fewer hours than they could have, and didn't take extra training, qualifications & promotions that could have given them a higher wage to pay for more holidays, a bigger house or a bigger family!!

Show quote history

You need to open your eyes! Not all, but the majority of people who have nice, large houses, nice cars and nice holidays etc have NOT worked for it: it's from family money/privellaged background, and/or they've been incredibly lucky. Success has very little to do with hard work or study/qualificatioms alone- it's 95% pure dumb LUCK

Personal experience: I know very hard working people who worked all hours all their lives, yet have nothing to show for it apart from stress or physical health conditions. Yet, I know an idler and a compete charlatan who's won the lottery twice 😂

90sbab8 · 26/08/2023 15:16

Eudaimonia5 · 14/08/2023 17:08

We've been lied to with the whole "if you work hard, you'll be rewarded" thing and we've woke up and smelled the coffee.

In every workplace, there's that one employee who runs herself ragged (yes, usually a woman aged 40-50 in my experience in various different jobs, it may be different elsewhere). We've all seen Janet with the high blood pressure telling us all about how she's "had" to stay in work 2 hours beyond her contracted hours each day "because there's so much work to do". We've seen her martyr herself for years, we've seen her having to take time off each year for stress. We've seen her allow herself to be walked all over by our employers and never get a sniff of a pay rise beyond the basic amount everyone gets each year. Janet gets glowing appraisals but no financial recompense or promotion.

We refuse to be like Janet. We do our job to a reasonably good standard during contracted hours only. We help colleagues when we can but we don't sacrifice lunch breaks or getting our own work done. We have boundaries.

The difference now is there is a cost of living crisis, house prices have gone up, everything has gone up except wages. We can barely afford to live and we're angry. We feel angry and unmotivated because we know we won't be rewarded even if we work extra hard - just look at Janet 10 years down the line earning the same as our inexperienced new hire. Our quality of life is continuing to reduce and it's affecting our mental health as we worry about how we'll manage.

We see the big bosses talking about their new house or their recent holiday abroad and we're bloody pissed off. We significantly reduce the work we do and now just do the bare minimum. What's the point?

👏 👏 THIS!

And despite all her hard work, Janet will still be the first to be let go when the company gets into difficulties and will thus lose the nice house that shes still paying a massive mortgage for- she "worked so hard" for it!

Lucyboat · 26/08/2023 15:27

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90sbab8 · 26/08/2023 15:43

Speedweed · 14/08/2023 19:41

@Eudaimonia5 and @spitefulandbadgrammar 👏👏👏👏

I'd also add that as a previous Janet, I've seen all the mediocre white men soar, as all the women of any age - equally or more capable- get pushed aside, out or marginalised. The old equation of effort = reward doesn't work anymore, and it's like the emperor's new clothes, once you've seen it, you can't unsee what happens.

Yep. And average white men succeed because average people like to be around other average people. Their faces fit. You can be very talented, hard working and very competant, but If your face and persona dont fit then forget it- standing out in any way is a huge detriment

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