To ask how much work you actually and honestly do if you’re highly paid? I am worrying!

[workworkbaby]

I’m on 58k. I know it’s not huuuge money, but it’s decent. Honestly, I do very little. I worry all the time about job security and have mentioned to managers I have capacity to do more etc. Sometimes more will land and other times not. As I work largely from home I often find myself just hanging around. I wonder if this is common? I have a toddler in nursery so I can collect them early sometimes which I love so I’m not complaining but I do worry… anyone else?

This is completely true. I earn a huge amount more than I did pre covid. Don't work anywhere near as hard. I've noticed that many lower paid staff have a lot more work and stress than higher paid.

a few years ago I decided just to act like a man at work and coast

Is it really good business to work your employees to the bone? Surely they are just keeping it all for profit if they don’t hire enough staff and you end up working until burn out. Isn’t it a good sign of less greed to pay more people to share the load? I don’t see it the same way as others. It’s greedy to make massive profits off your employees struggling. You will keep them longer if you look after them

@DeepestDarkestRiver my advice would be to seek out the opportunities to develop your role and build relationships. Once you move from technical delivery roles into management/ leadership roles, no one will be handing you tasks to do at your level- you’ll have objectives set but it’s usually part of a senior’s job to identify projects/ deliverables which will make an impact and help the organisation reach its objectives.

With the exception of senior technical experts (who are less common) and basically paid to be on a retainer for when they are needed, those of you who are underworking in well paid positions, probably aren’t operating at the level you need to be. Sure you can get away with it, but will you be noticed and promoted?

If you sit back and wait to be allocated work, you won’t build your reputation and personal impact- others will identify the opportunities and leapfrog you if you’re not careful. I would suggest leadership coaching if you haven’t had this already. It’s important to spend time managing your career, promoting your work and your team, developing others, networking, developing your skills and knowledge … there is plenty to fill the lull. These are important activities in senior roles.

I would recommend two books: “What got you here won’t get you there” and “How Women Rise”. Once you are in senior roles, you need a mindset shift because what you think you knew about work kind of goes out the window when you climb the ladder.

I worry about this too. I'm on about three times the money, definitely busy but I can get through my day pretty much 9-5 and spend most of my time just directing proceedings. Which always feels a bit like nothing to me, as it's so obvious what needs to be done - which is why I do what I do!

Surely it depends what that business is making a lot of money from, and how? Who are their clients/customers? If your customers are ordinary people really struggling to afford what you're offering, but what you're offering is an essential service, and the price you charge those ordinary people results in huge profits for the company, how ethical is that?

There are lots of laws around how things can be priced, avoidance of monopolies and similar already. Ultimately though, there needs to be a motive for private companies to exist in the first place - providing employment and revenue for the exchequer in that process - and allowing them to make money is fundamental to that.

Captialism isn't perfect, by any means, but it seems to be as workable a solution as we have found for modern economies.

This with this salary.

Can I ask what you do / what sector you work in, @TravellingT ?

That sounds like a brilliant package for working parents.

H works 14hrs a day mon-fri

flexible at w/end 125k, large pension contributions has own business, could get paid more but reinvests in company to employ more people and increase value of company through r&d

I work for company and have flexibility at £25p/h (also shareholder)

Hi OP,
If you are not very busy at all and are worried about job security you could study alongside your job. Prioritise your work of course but if there is nothing to do then study.

You could look for qualifications relevant to what you do now, technology/coding/social media content development, accountancy, Open University - anything you fancy really. There will be a cost associated with most courses of course.

Right?! Teacher here too and I’d love to hear about these high paid jobs where you can do very little and
pick your kids up from school!

I can't believe you think you don't earn a huge amount 😂 I wasn't even earning half that working full time as a nurse (just over 10 years ago but still)

Well at least it's refreshing (and honest) to hear high earners saying they don't work too hard. I get sick to death of lie that rich people work for every penny and the only reason poor people are poor is because they don't work hard enough.

c. 100k for a part time role and i work my ass off for it. Senior role but a small start up co so altho i am paid for my experience at this stage i also do a lot of the work. The nature of the role (finance/regs) means I cannot coast and the work must get done. Others at similar levels get paid same or more and do a lot less (yes, all men).

Why don't you be proactive and ask for projects (actively, not just mention you have capacity). I might be slightly worried if I thought no one thought I was capable of doing extra work and your job may be at risk, but otherwise you may as well make the most of it, especially if you are home if you are able to do other things. Personally I would go insane if I was just sitting there watching the clock

44K in the arts. Have peaks and troughs but I rarely break a sweat. Like you I often just go pick up DD early. Normally I’m never in before 10. But again, I consider this
1: being paid for my experience
2: I often forget that I am much better at my job than I realise and that’s why I’m faster and more efficient
3: I work for a good company who doesn’t believe in working its staff like dogs

makes you realise why we pay so much for everything in this country ! We are paying for people to be paid astronomical.wages for doing v little by the sounds of it!

I work between 30-45 hours a week. I'm getting better at working less. Most weeks come in around my paid time of 37 hours. I'm very glad my work pays well but doesn't need long hours. I worked much harder in low paid roles.

local authority £36k

I thought it was a good salary :) till I read this thread - but I have a good pension, job security and have 36 days annual leave. I WFH and can wear what I want and am pretty happy, I work hard, but it's rewarding and have no plans to leave

Are you fully qualified or still in training?

What are these amazing well paid jobs where you get to do naff all? I'm a SEN TA at a Secondary School. I earn around £15k. The holidays off are amazing, but I am paid peanuts. I also have a cleaning job and work in a pub too.

I absolutely love my job, but wow it is hard work. The system is completely broken.

I can't imagine earning that much money. I always assumed there would be bucket loads of stress that came with it, but actually I'm paid bollock all and stressed.
Tell me your jobs!

@IamSallyBowles what do you do? That's probably my aim in life ! So many council roles are pitched at 20-23 or 23-27.

Workers work, managers manage, and directors direct....

The more senior I get, the less work I do. In large part, I think because I am paid for my experience, training and taking responsibility when shit goes wrong. However, the role still needs to challenge you otherwise you start to lose confidence and ability. Could you try and go to the office. I've had to WFH a few times for a few weeks at a time and I found myself a bit cut off from new work, and a bit...uninspired.

~60K for the NHS, completely slammed, not enough hours in the day etc, but I still find it rewarding.

Min wage and don't stop
Did about 130 phone calls today and around 70 emails. Think the longest gap I got between calls was about 2 minutes
Fell asleep on the sofa when I finished as my brain was mush