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 make double that and do the same. It's very common and you're not being paid to graft in lots of professional jobs. I'm paid to review and make strategic decisions. There are times when I'm up at all hours to get things done/take international phone calls accommodating timezones etc. You're not being paid by the hour to work. You're paid a salary to get a job done. So long as you delivery that job to a good standard no one gives a stuff how long it takes you.

I've consulted in multiple industries, with companies at all stages of growth and decline, for over 20 years. There has never once been a company I have come across that didn't have a raft of improvements that could be made to improve profitability. There is no such thing as "nothing to do", but lazy people can drive a company into the ground and are first in the firing line.

Wow, how do you get one of those jobs. As a teacher, I'm jealous!!

I’m in the same boat. Some days I’ve done all I need to do in a couple of hours. I’m doing everything that’s expected of me but it did feel weird when I first came into the job. I’m 51 now and worked all my life, in much more pressurised and stressful roles so this feels like heaven. Don’t worry about it and enjoy it while you can!

No wonder this country has a productivity problem. I don't blame you, OP, but your managers are obviously not allocating resources efficiently if you are mostly doing very little with brief bursts of over-activity and high stress. Although people are saying 'enjoy' and I see why, it also sounds as though this is making you feel guilty and insecure. It's not your fault, but it is poor management and sounds unfulfilling for you, particularly if you have ambitions to progress in your career. If so, I would be looking for a new job.

I think this is the key...
If the people you manage or lead are working relentlessly, then I would be worried too.
It shows that the company's sytem is not suited to purpose and a clever CEO or director will spot this and give people at your level more teams/ tasks to manage, which may mean less of you.
Things like this could very well be the reason why the NHS and other services are not coping well.
Having said that, enjoy what you have. You do have the skills to be able to carry out a job worth of that much and without much hassle.
If you are still feeling worried, maybe have a look around your organisation, a chat with your manager/ HR and ask for more responsibilities within your skills, or further training to get new ones?

This has been me for the last couple of years. £55k salary to sleep in, walk dog, bathe, do gardening and housework. Wondering if I’m wasting my life. Well it all came to an end last week because I was made redundant.

I'm in the same situation in a 50k role. I have repeatedly made people aware that I have "spare capacity" but they're all too busy to delegate anything. I showed initiative by asking to shadow an area of work that I would like to move into but after one meeting I was told that it was inappropriate for me to do it for a bureaucratic reason (that I can see some merit in but I think they're being over cautious) so I am back to very little to do.

I am waiting for sign off on two tasks for my project. One has been delayed by over a month due to the meeting being repeatedly postponed. The other is stuck in a bureaucratic system.

I feel guilty and insecure but I don't see what else I can do. I suspect that everyone assumes that I'm busy without really checking. I do worry that someone will suddenly realise but it's not as if I haven't told them.

Where do I find a job like this 😂

enjoy it!

It’s very common. Make the most of it, keep schtum and make hay while the sun shines.

I'm exactly the same, have been with the business 15 years so not worried about security as I'm too expensive to make redundant and have a very niche role that others could do but no-one is really interested in learning.
Constant asking for more work for a long period then I just gave up and now I wing it.
Every now and again I think that I should leave and start again somewhere I could increase my skills and contribute more but I have a 4 day week, wfh, 8 weeks leave, plenty of flexibility and largely left to my own devices.
The money is also very nice so am enjoying it for what it is. I think it depends on where you are career and life-wise as to how bothered you are!!!

How scared for the future you should be depends on your age. If you are in your fifties you will probably get away with it your in your thirties AI and automation will catch up with you. The problem we have is that we are a low productivity country that wants a high standard of living so unless we all want to work harder we will get the country we deserve.
I had to work very hard, DH on the other hand always said his easiest job was as a Chief Executive.

Are any of you our director of HR? I’ve been waiting for a response to a serious email for 2 working weeks - but hey….. as long as it’s not too stressful for you.

in all seriousness, it is so hard to not be jealous of these roles and feel like a failure at your own life when you e done the qualifications, the 30+ years in your field and are stressed with deadlines and targets and earn £35k in a prorrata position (so no I don’t earn £35k and my industry is not in a position to pay me the full time rate 🤣)
I actually feel sick at the idea I fucked up so badly and could be doing the garden, walking the dog and ‘w’ at home 😢

WOW just WOW!! How can people justify having jobs like this when many of the really crucial, hands on frontline jobs entail reaaaaly long hours and hard work.

Jobs that will keep you alive, jobs that deliver your babies, clean the streets, empty your bins & keep the country ticking over.

Is this why UK productivity is one of the lowest and our crucial Services dont function... Is this why the NHS is broken?

I'd be embarrassed to be contributing so little in time and effort. Shame on you!

I’m not paid as much as you (56k) but in a similar position. I WFH four days a week and often have very chilled days. It does make me wonder if someone actually swooped in and asked us to justify our existence in the company if I could.

@Greenwip shhhhush lol 😆

You should be embarrassed writing this, unless you’re “type baiting” for a Daily Mail article. You should be ashamed that you have a contract of employment like this - you’re a classic example of how I perceive people who WFH spend their days. And you’re fuelling the negativity. No wonder the country has gone down the pan - can no longer blame COVID, it’s just lazy greedy people allowed to capitalise on what was a bad situation.

Just enjoy it.....I dream on a WFH job but I'm stuck in my profession which is in person full time. I'd love a little post lunch lie down!

The thing to remember, and why some people are paid so much more, is how replaceable are you. If anyone can walk off the street and do it then it’s not going to pay big bucks.

What do you expect her to do, leave to please you? Are you saying you would turn down a big salary if offered because you don’t think you’d be working hard enough for it?

If someone offered me £80k a year to watch all the soaps I’d do it (I hate soaps and don’t watch any).

I’m wondering this too!

What jobs do you people do that pay so much for little effort?

Curious l might retrain :)

Not entirely sure which NHS management you are referring to but it's definitely not Primary Care Network management - We are working our backsides off!

I would say jobs where you’ve had many years in stem type industries, and you gone into management.

"AI" and automation aren't going to fill these kinds of roles where people are paid for their knowledge and experience in dealing with complex things. It's the low paid jobs that are going to be replaced.