Doing very little for this salary? Panic

[Greenwip]

I’m earning close to 70k. I do have times where I am worked to the bone and very stressed (maybe 7 days since start of the year so averaging one day a month). The rest of the time I work 90% of the time from home and have naps, a bath, food shop etc in between a few emails and remote meetings. It sounds great and sometimes it is but I am constantly worried about job security. I wonder if this is more common than I think?

I think it’s quite common, those wages are usually paid because you have the skills and experience to keep everything working and deal with the challenging things that do crop up. Don’t feel badly about it- women have been underpaid and overworked forever and 70k might sound loads but doesn’t go far in this economy. I’m on 50k and don’t think it’s great for 15 years in my industry though it’s not a challenging job at least.

It depends.

What sector do you work in?

What kind of shape is your sector in generally?

Do you directly report to anyone?

In other words, does anyone check on your daily, weekly or monthly outputs?
Are you meeting these outputs - are you doing the things you're expected to be, and paid to be, doing?

Do you have quarterly or annual appraisals?

What's the output of your work like - do you work on long-term projects at your own pace, or do you have sets of tasks to complete in a certain time frame?

Do you work alone or in a team?

As long as you're getting done what you need to, who cares how flexibly you're doing it and that its not necessarily taking you your full working hours. Enjoy it. I'm in a similar situation myself.

To add I know loads of people on about 70k who make sure they make the most of flexible working, who don’t work themselves to the bone.

£70k for a few emails and meetings doesn't sound very secure. I wouldnt say it's common.

Omg!! I feel exactly the same. I earn £80k and work maybe an hour or so a day. Couple of very busy days, maybe 1 a month. I’ve been here 11 years though, for a few years I was slammed but now not so much. I do worry about redundancy though.

It can be quite common. Salaries at that range are often for people prepared to do thinking and make decisions, which depending on how you work, doesn’t always take that much of your day.

As far as I can see there are plenty of people on here doing the same. Presumably they manage to satisfy their employers.

Chose the wrong career. 11 years of study and post grad for health care job when you end up working flat out 10 hours a day with a 15minute break if lucky!! I would just make the most of it

As long as your manager is happy I wouldn't worry.

I'm in a similar situation after a job change. I don't work from home, but I'm a lot less 'busy' than I was in my last job and feel like I don't have a lot to do. I can't quite understand why I'm being decently paid to potter along in a nice, no pressure way when my last job was constant hassle, stress and busy, busy, busy for less money.

I'm just enjoying it, tbh.

Enjoy it I say.

They wouldn't care if you were working yourself to the bone every day or give you more bonuses. You'd still be dispensable.

Thank you this has made me feel a LOT better!

If you're meeting or exceeding the expectations of your management / clients, I wouldn't worry too much.

But if you're not meeting them, that's a different story.

Yep, I am pretty much the same. There are a few times a year when I am absolutely flat out, but in the main, its pretty relaxed. Everything I need to do I get down in around an hour a day. I can pick up the pace when required though, so its all good.

Similar for me. I have people in my team to do the 'work' and I get paid a decent salary to bring that work in, manage the people doing the work, face the clients and fire fight as needed. Sometimes that means I am quiet and can get some house work done, other times I am full on dealing with a nightmare for a few hours/whole day. The former is much more common.

Sounds like my job. I am paid for my years of experience, not the hours I put in each day.

My job is rock solid secure, and I’m a few years off retiring now. My advice is to keep quiet and just enjoy it.

Where can I get one of these jobs?!

As long as you're doing what you're meant to do then I'd enjoy it and not worry about it.

I'm having a quiet spell like this and it feels very odd. I'm not the only one then!

I'd say enjoy it. I get paid under half that and I tolerate an absolute bellend of a manager. I used some very light sarcasm to make someone see that something wasn't remotely possible and I was forced to apologise. I apologised sincerely, of course, smiling sweetly and whatnot, but I felt like a clown for doing so. Maybe I just happen to work with bellends, because the job itself is okay.

but I am constantly worried about job security.

if it makes you feel better, EVERYONE is at risk of losing their job really, it doesn't take much.

You are paid for your skills and experience, and your availability. If you did not lie on your CV, then you are fine.

I do have times where I am worked to the bone and very stressed read all the threads where posters clock out on the dot at 5pm and refuse to work one minute more. There's a reason why you are paid more...

If you’re worried about job security I’d probably take a look at one area of your role which could improve, and put some work into making it work better/more efficiently and make a big fuss about that change management etc. In a couple of months do another area.

Or pick something which is really modern and visible - like AI for example- and offer to be the business lead on it.

My job was like this for the first few months (although I only earn £29k), but it's slowly ramped up to more like an averagely stressful job and standard workload. I'm a project manager so projects take time to get going to fill throttle

It'll probably be the same for you if you've only recently started.

I'm I'm a similar position, I manage a team of nearly 100 people, it's been a team I've grown over the last 10 years with smaller well run teams inside the larger team.

People are happy, we exceed targets, we have a great reward and recognition system, lots of opportunities for people to stretch themselves, try new roles, get recognised for their efforts and as a result It runs very well.

I'm paid £115k and don't feel like I do a lot for that. What I do though is have full responsibility and accountability for the performance of these 100 people and have a responsibility to maintain and develop the culture that's taken a long time to establish.

Well this is interesting. I'm on half this and when I tell my senior colleagues I'm stressed due to workload they do absolutely nothing about it. They seem to have lots of time free to do courses and health and wellbeing stuff. And yes, I do notice, we all do and we are not happy. I want to leave my role now and am actively looking.

If you aren't busy and have people in your team sending you work that have high workloads, maybe offer to take some of the load? Employees have much more respect for senior staff who chip in, rather than thinking they are too important for teamwork. Maybe this is why you feel guilty or worried for your job?

Same as you OP! I am measured in revenue targets which I exceed every time and get paid more for exceeding so earn your salary and more.
I have tons of free time and have times where I’m busy but mostly I am not. I am paid for my relationship mgr and expertise, and the fact that when the proverbial hits the fan occasionally I am the coolheaded problem solver who fixes whatever it is!
I have 2 voluntary roles, 2 kids, and another hobby on top of my job, and a great work-life balance.
It’s far more common than you think.

Must be civil service, council or NHS management. Lucky you !