Working late/long hours when your colleagues don't - how is this fair?

[TwentyOneGuns]

It's really starting to get to me that some of my colleagues are complete clock watchers and only ever work their exact hours, always finishing at exactly the same time regardless of how busy they or anyone else are. In contrast, other members of the team, me included, put the hours in when needed, often working late or coming in early.

Why should I work longer than them when we're all of the same level and I assume are paid roughly the same? To rub it in I was even given someone else's project to take over the other week because she 'didn't have time' whereas I obviously have because I'm often in the office 2 hours after I should have finished.

Nobody's ever told me specifically that I have to work late but I often need to as do other colleagues, and my contract does state that working late will be expected now and then. It doesn't seem to apply to everyone though. I wouldn't mind so much if I could carry the extra hours over and take the odd half day off but it doesn't work like that.

What's the best way round this? Do I just have to accept it and hope it gets noticed favourably by the bosses? Or should I say sod it and knock off on the dot like other people do?

You don't seem like your taking anybody's advice or opinions on board. You are an office preener wanting everyone to think you are working so hard but if management are aware that you stay an extra 2 hours per day to get your work done while others go on time then they have you down as somebody with time management issues and less likely to be promotion material.

Thanks for that, not at all how I was meaning to come across.

Having discussed this with an equally fed up colleague I know that taking the time in lieu is not an option, they have already requested it after working 12 hour days during a particularly busy period and it was refused.

To be honest management here are nice people but not brilliant managers. They are very hands on in the business which I used to see as a good thing but I'm starting to realise that it means they are less efficient at dealing with staff management etc. It's a small company with no HR dept and I've never been offered any sort of appraisal so not really sure how/when I could raise this.

Ok you need to manage your manAger - book a 30 min 1-1 slot every week - start with 4 agenda items
1 - go through your book of work with them and if you think there is too much to do in your allotted working hours, tell them and get them to prioritise which must be done and which would be nice to have done.

2- discuss the process on how work is received in, make it clear that from now on, you'll be asking for when the deadline is, if that collides with existing work then you will be looking to them to reprioritise your book of work
3 - ask them how success will look for you - what do you need to meet and exceed expectations
4 - based on that, get feedback on how they currently rate you. Be ready to ask for examples from them if you feel their rating falls below what you were expecting

After that, summarise in an email and send to them

It's all been said but you maybe need to think more about your colleagues lives and how they feel about your workplace. I used to be like you in my 20s in a high powered stressed job working all hours. But 10 years later, a banking crisis and a toddler and quite frankly I see now that some things are more important. I work in the same industry but different role and leave sharp at 5pm

I really dislike this idea you have to work long hours to get ahead. I also think it is wrong.

About 6 months ago I made the decision to stop working extra hours. I got no recognition for it and it just stressed me out. I focused on managing my time and priorities and working with managers on better project and deadline planning. I made it clear that I wasn't going to pick up the slack anymore. Today I just had a promotion confirmed.

I actually think working extra hours makes you look like you can't manage your work well enough and aren't prepared to challenge processes or expectations.

I can see how the leaving bang on 5 every single day would be annoying if for instance there is something to finish that would only take a few more minutes. However, i do think it's important to maintain work/life balance and finishing on time is part of that.

I work with lots of people who feel embarrassed, or not like team players for wanting to only work the 8hours they get paid for. That is a more damaging office culture than the one you have at the moment, which allows the worker to value their own time just as highly as company time imo.

Finish when you choose to, but aim to not go more than say, 20 mins (early or late) If a task is going to take longer than that then it will have to wait until tomorrow. Don't let people put extra on you. Managers will have to reassess the situation if the work they need doing is not getting done by the labour they employ.

No. You get ahead if you are good an your job. Get work done and can manage a case load.

My contract states no overtime will be paid. But on a rare occasion when it has been necessary in my job I've done it. Note rare.

I get to work at about 830 every day. Start work at 9. Break for lunch at 1. Back at 2 and leave at 5 or no later than half past.

Today I drafted 17 sets of minutes checked and made 30 payments sent 100+ emails. Took various phone calls. I am flat out busy. But am able to mange my time. I don't faff. I don't take ages getting tea/coffee. I "get shit done" so I don't have to work overtime.

There are people I work with who stay late. Unpaid. But it's because they aren't working efficiently. They take smoke breaks, gossip in the toilet, spend ages "thinking" instead of doing. They're noticed because they aren't good at what they do. Are seen as inefficient and our bosses are hoping they leave.

I think that's very true actually. As I said it's a small company but it's grown lately and people don't seem to realise what that means in terms of working in a different way.

I just couldn't see myself requesting a one on one with my boss and setting out a list as had been suggested but I can see that if I want anything to change it will have to come from me and not them.

Dh leaves on time. After years of working extra for years and never getting anywhere he won't now we have 3dds. I also leave work on time as I have to pick dds up and if I'm late I don't think school would be impressed. Dh has a colleague who works ridiculous hours so their boss kept giving dh his work but still he worked over time. Basically their boss looked at workloads and realised my dh is very quick at his job so I guess if you worked with my dh you'd be annoyed that he leaves on time but he's doing his job and some of his colleagues but manages to do it in his set hours. Occasionally he can't so he does it at home.

My immediate manager is even more of a clock watcher than I am. I always turn up to work early but generally work until my end time. Then my new manager started and if she gets to work ten mins early she leaves 10 mins early and encourages me to do the same. Sometimes she leaves even earlier than that.

It hasn't stopped her getting ahead. She used to work with a really senior manager in our organisation and got head hunted to come to us. The big cheese must have known what she's like. But she's well thought of.

You are right I'm afraid Twenty. If you don't sort it for yourself nobody is going to stop you doing the extra time (free staff are awesome). They quite possibly don't even notice I'm sorry to say.

It took me a long time, a lot of upset and a very difficult bereavement for me to realise that it just wasn't worth it and make the decision to change. I wish I had done it earlier!

I would recommend you start by taking a real look at your work. Is it that you could change some processes to manage things more efficiently and quicker? Is there stuff you are doing that actually isn't really that important or necessary (if so stop doing it)? Are you covering for other people not putting the work in (again, if so stop doing it even if it will upset some people). Be clear on what your job is and what is not your problem.

If after that you still have more work than you can realistically do in the time available take it to your manager and ask them to prioritise. Make it clear what you can and can't deliver in what time scales and ask them if they want you to push back deadlines, not bother doing it at all, or hand it over to someone else.

I know that at first it seems really hard to stop doing some things and to have these conversations with your manager, but it really is worth the hard bit to make the change :)

I think this is a hard one because it's different for different careers and without knowing what you do it's hard to get a feel for what the norm and expectations might be.

I work in finance, in a profession. My hours are 9-5. I mainly do about 9-5:30, sometimes less, occasionally more. When things are quieter I run out at 5 no problem, when busy I doubt I've done more than 9 or 10 hours and that's rare. It is recognised that I have a lot on, and that I'm efficient. It's similar for the other members of my team who are at my level.

I have two junior colleagues with different approaches. One leaves at 5 on the dot everyday, regardless of what's going on. The other stays late all the time but still gets through about half of what he should. Neither is seen as good at their job. The first shows no interest and isn't flexible, which is galling considering his generous salary and the considerable amount being spent on his professional training. The second is viewed as not really being up to the job.

I think if you're working occasional extra hours and producing good quality work in efficient timescales, your managers should notice and reward that.

OP, it's your choice to stay and be a martyr.

Other people don't care, they're there to make the job work for them, not the other way around.

I don't know how many people like you I've known over three years who end up miserable, bitter office slaves, raising too late management just see them as chumps not the 'next big thing'.

You only get one life, don't squander it toiling meaninglessly for someone else's profit.

Over *the years.

Twenty - as a professional who at times has managed a small team, I have usually expected my team members to tell me if they have too much on, can't meet deadlines etc - otherwise I will keep giving them more work.
If your managers are professionals/specialists rather than primarily people managers, they may not be thinking about team workload, as long as the work is being done, and problems such as yours will have to be pointed out to them.

In my current role I was working long hours at first. After a year I worked out it wasn't just me learning a new role, the workload had kept increasing as new demands were made on the department. I raised this with my manager - demonstrating all the new work I was picking up, and suggesting a solution (someone else in our department who was bored and underworked in his role as assistant to another colleague). Eventually we rearranged the work and I got my assistant - I'm happy and he's happy

Work to live. Don't live to work.

Having discussed this with an equally fed up colleague I know that taking the time in lieu is not an option, they have already requested it after working 12 hour days during a particularly busy period and it was refused.

For me, that would mean staying extra is not an option, either. I have worked in places that allowed flexibility, I stayed very late when needed and left early when not so urgent. I also worked in places that expected me there 9am sharp and until 5pm at least, no exceptions. So I stayed 9am-5pm exactly. Often companies under-staff, there might be no slack by your colleagues, just an expectation you'll split an extra employee's load between you. Don't do it, they won't thank you.

I used to do the stay-all-hours then realised nobody sees the 5pm leavers in a worse light. My cleaner doesn't stay extra, she leaves after her time is up. The taxi doesn't give me an extra 2 miles for free. Why should my time be free, so worthless? It's not worthless to me. Take up an evening job for extra money if you have more energy than they pay for.

I work with somebody like you OP. She's always staying late, seems to think it will show her in a good light. We all just consider her rather a needy character who has to suck up to the bosses!

The rest of the staff have a life to go to after work and sometimes get in early or stay late very, very occasionally.

Don't be a mug - you have one life; LIVE it.