Aibu to look for a new job?

[Om83]

I am 2 months into a new job after a 12 month career break.

New job is part time- hybrid, pays comparatively well, company has a good ethos that it actually follows through on, few extra perks like Xmas closure days and people are all nice. The sector is related to my previous experience but a slightly different side to what I have done before. On paper all is good… I get to work from home and have plenty of time on my non- working days to sort out the house etc/life admin and my 2 teens.

However, in reality I have very little to do at work. I keep getting told it will get busier (not yet happened!) and I am a proactive person so keep asking what they’d like me to do each day, any projects I can get involved in, other teams that need some support, and get very little back so wonder if I am now annoying my manager- they know I am not busy as they physically haven’t given me anything to do! I have tried to joke about there’s only so many times I can re read documents to ‘get me up to speed’… Last week the total of my work efforts was to send about 3 emails. I am shocked at how this is sustainable for any company??!

I feel bored, unmotivated and unstimulated - I want to have a sense of purpose and satisfaction, that my contribution has value and tbh feel the job was advertised wrongly. I’m looking at what else is out there and have an application ready to send to another company for a full time role I’ve seen, that I know would be a faster pace and would likely suit me better in my previous sector.

but…

-DH says it would be his and many other dream jobs to get paid a reasonable salary without having to actually do much (anything!) for it,
-other family say give it more time, and think working part-time is good as previously I was overworked and stressed, so it will ‘save me from myself’.
-Friends say use the free time to upskill and get other qualifications/find other interests to keep me fulfilled.

No one else actually thinks I should look for/leave for another job. This is making me doubt my judgement and that I should stick it out and wait for it to get better.

I feel there must be a happy medium between being overworked/ stressed and whatever this is. I am capable of so much more!

AIBU to look for another job?

I would stay and read around the area you work in. Do online training etc.

It is a bit hard to advise without knowing what you do. I mean if you are a receptionist.... then it could be boring if noone comes in.

What kind of work is it?

You are not being unreasonable. It is a really odd thing when a company does not seemingly want you to as much work as you expected. There is a honeymoon period where you cannot expect to be trusted with stuff, but this is weeks, not months. It might ramp up, and keep asking for work. But I would be moving on, of course it is nice in some respects to have a job that asks little of you, but is it ? And it isn't sustainable. Work isn't all about the money, it is about your contribution, and your sense of purpose. You might have been caught in a bad time for them while they are working out what they are doing, but when they work that out, then there will be potentially be a different outcome. If you can weather this financially, and can move to somewhere else easily, cool. If not move on before your are tarred with their brush would be my advice. Every good role in every good company has you working hard, if it is not, it is not, and there is a reason. Good luck xxx

I would apply for the other job anyway and also ask for a 121 with my manager where I’d have a frank discussion about what the likely future of this role is going to be.

There’s nothing worse than having not enough to do at work - I’d rather be overworked!