Let your love light SHINE (Y)

[Mouseface]

Hi, I'm Mouseface.

Welcome one and all to our 100,000,001th thread on healthier eating, losing weight, cake and of course cock chat!

So, I'm 8lbs lighter (still) and just maintaining....

How about you?

Sorry, had to dash, major poo incident that required a bath and a scrubbing brush. I didn't even gag

Trills - Baby was right way up, just facing the wrong way. Most likely due to my terrible posture (i am one of those who curls up on the sofa) but spent an hour on the gym ball last night and this morning baby was in a different place. Maybe coincidence, but going to carry on with ball.

Going to pick my car up in a minute (yay!)

Ladies day tomorrow, may even take some pictures!

popping in to give you a quick tip (arf), never type 'tight vagina' into your work's laptop.

actually never type it full stop.

Fluffs!!!!!

Did it start beeping and flashing red lights DeFluff?

You have a big serious job like Crispy's job, don't you? Or is that in the past?

So he is no longer back to back then, Alice?
Fab.

Bella, have a lovely meal out. Your plan for DS1 sounds great. I have to say I am dreading the teen stage.

Fluffy, whatever made you type that in the first place???

trills - yes i do and no its not in the past unless IT look at my laptop just on maternity at the moment.

i also typed in 'honey pots' another one i wouldn't recommend. One of my two search terms is for a present for my mother, guess which one

the other i typed in because of my 'little' problem

What is your wisdom on late hours, last-minute meetings, etc?

how do you mean? as in, they're shit??

as in should you do them?

Do you have advice or general wisdom as to when to say yes and when to say no and how to make bosses think you are superamazing with/without working stupidly long hours?

(I do actually want everyone's advice if they have any but just randomly remembered that DeFluff does a scary job and I can't always really remember what everyone else does/did or even if they are currently doing it or not)

(I do remember that Alice is busy incubating)

its a nightmare with this job because by its nature it can be very unpredictable and we work to horrendous deadlines, so if something has to go to print by mon am and its not finished friday 5pm then we stay till it is (including saturday and sunday if necessary).

bringing forward the work, putting false deadlines in etc, none of it works.

have often been proofing at 11pm at night.

also often have meetings that start at say 8am in london. im at least 2.5 hours away, nursery doesn't open till 7.30 am its very difficult.

if you mean are you expected to? then yes in my industry, it is very frowned upon not to and people almost out do each other to be the one that can agree to stupid requests 'yes phone me anytime on my holiday in mauritius' no shit seriously. its very presenteeism here although nowhere near as bad as pwc was.

here we can often have time off if we've say done lots of extra time (we dont get paid for overtime or have proper toil obviously) but that doesnt help when you're a parent and cant work till 7pm because nursery has shut! And they all stare at you funny when you leave early even though you only get paid till 3 and you're leaving at 4.

Breathe.

i work from home a lot though which helps. although then im usually on my email till at least 10pm.

but short answer IF your question was do you is yes, you'd get shortshrift here if you didnt.

tbh if you can do it without it hurting then i'd always do it. even if it means they take you for granted. gives you much greater bargaining power in long term and makes you irreplaceable (to the extent that anyone can be)

but you have to make sure its noticed. you have to make sure that your boss's boss notices too.

basically once you've done it for about 12 months they'll think you're ace and then you dont have to do it so much. seriously its like never be off ill in your first year anyway, if you are they'll remember and you'll always be 'the one that was ill' if you're not they'll think of you as super reliable

well Fluffy, mebbe the two would combine nicely?

Trills, I can't help really, could you a/talk to boss and have an agreement.. you want to put in extra to support the team but are concerned that over commitment will actually have a negative impact and compromise your emotional and mental well being, there fore compromising said commitment? b/Have a 50/50 policy, c/go away a lot so you are nor available!

and i know how they talk about the ones who do say no in the HR meetings...

Alice

Sorry, how rude to ignore your news.

Well done wriggle bum (babes, not you) for getting into the right position!! xx

miitz, they certainly might combine

I always worked late when I was employed, Trills. I often found that people sat and waited to be the last ones there though so they'd look hardworking If I didn't need to be there then I'd go home.
I did use to get calls on my mobile all evening/weekend though from canddiates etc, I often had calls to make at that time too.
It was because of this that I couldn't go back to my old role once I had kids, I couldn't be getting home at gone 8pm/9pm, just wasn't what I wanted to do. I used to do presentations to colleges etc on evenings and conferences/exhibitions at weekends.
Now I work from home, I work in the evenings a lot, but at home, so it's OK.

I think a lot is about appearances to be honest, some people portray themselves as more hardworking because they are sat at their pc playing solitaire or whatever, but if they are not getting the results they'll not get very far but will delay the inevitable.
I've always worked in areas where you've worked extra hours, not necessarily 9-5pm, if you want to get on. But I've never just sat there until late to look good.

MOUSE Go and sit in the corner for ignoring Alice's News!!

Only kidding , you are soooooo lovely (( )) xx

Microsoft are idiots. And Mittz is a meany!

Seriously, I'm off to post in chat. Someone out there MUST be able to help me fix this bollockingwankstainingtwatflanging Netbook.

presenteeism lizzy, thats what pwc was like. I always thought it was stupid, surely you're supposed to be efficient enough to get your work done in time allocated, as you say stay if you need to do stuff but less facebook during day would mean no need to stay late (in some jobs).

at mine though it might be the technical content isnt ready till 3pm and then you have to write the sales messages / get it designed and typed and proofed and a new version out by 8am next morning Or you might just have loads to do so need to stay late for a while.

so presenteeism = crap BUT if thats the culture you need to do it too which is shit I know.

Alice - sorry poppet didnt see your news, excellent! They move all the time though so dontget disheartened if they move again the other way, they all generally settle as time goes on. (remembers being very upset when Mole turned NON breach as it was another reason for CS off the cards)

I must say in my old place people weren't there to 'be seen', but were just mega busy. I have regularly worked until 11pm, however I did it as i refused to work weekends. I do think London culture is different though with being 'seen'.

One colleague used to leave his pc on and his jacket on the back of the chair. He would then come in and out via the fire exit so people thought he worked really long hours

Mouse - sorry but I am SO non-technical it is untrue

I have spoken to the garage about my car 'issues' and they are getting back to me