For staying in easy, low stress job and not working the hours I’m paid for

[BleedinEck]

I’ve been with my company 5 years. I can do my job with my eyes closed and although I’m paid for a 40 hour week, I reckon I’m genuinely fully. productive for 25 max 30 hours each week. I’ll always take on extra projects or work that’s offered, but the role is what it is and when I’m focused, I work quickly and efficiently. I’m usually logged on for most of the day bar a slightly extended lunch or earlier finish occasionally, just not always working and rarely flat out. No concerns about my performance.

Is it really bad that I continue like this? I Absolutely love the flexibility I’m afforded- I can walk the dog when I want, keep on top of the house, meet a friend for a coffee, flex my hours to suit and have zero stress. It can be boring stretching out the work so I’m doing a PT course and have added a side hustle recently to supplement my income as pay isn’t great. And there’s my dilemma - shit pay and no chance of career progression. I’m 52 so feel I'm at crossroads and need to decide.

YABU: move on. you’re stagnating & taking the piss.
YANBU: you are doing the job asked of you and are lucky to have so much flexibility. You’d be mad to give it up.

Oh don't be such a bootlicker.

I'm exactly the same as you - I'm very focused when i do work, and can do the work far quicker than colleagues in the same job. It's not about the hours, it's about doing what's needed. I have no desire to change anything, there's an opportunity for secondment in my team at the moment, but it involves managing people which I CBA with right now, especially as barely any pay rise. I have a 1 year old and would rather focus on her for now.

I have a cushty job and I'm not giving it up for the world. I will be here until A) I get made redundant or B) I retire.

I have been working here for 20yrs now. I 'work' 9-5. I leave the office at 2pm every day and go home with the work mobile phone, but I can count on one hand the times I have had to jump on the work laptop at home to actually do anything. Occasionally the phone rings, but often it doesn't. I generally spend the rest of the day with the dogs on the sofa watching trashy TV.

I get to work from home whenever I want. I get plenty of holiday and I get paid very very well for the job that I do. My commute is a blissful 30 mins through the countryside.

My boss is similar and gets into the office around 10am and leaves about 3pm. He is very much into work/life balance. He knows I often go home and walk the dogs in the afternoon while it's quiet and due to that, I often miss a phone call .... and he cares not a jot.

Honestly, anyone who has a problem with this needs to take a long, hard look at themselves. Why on earth should we work ourselves into the ground for a pittance?

I’d love a wfh job like this! Unfortunately, the only area I’m trained in, is impossible to wfh. Pah!

I work full time but am exceptionally good at my job and can do it much quicker than other people of my level (NHS senior manager) as I’ve been doing it for years. There’s no option for promotion at the moment due to yet another restructure but if there was I’d be going for it as I’ve still got a lot to give. I spend a lot of time doing work around my actual work - like researching better ways of doing things and the latest medical evidence so I’m not wasting time or slacking, just doing the things that need to be done quickly so I can concentrate on the things I enjoy. I’m 51 and not planning to retire at all - and can’t as I have little pension! So enjoying work is paramount to me.