Work/Life balance

[SandrasAnnoyingFriend]

After a conversation with a male colleague yesterday I've been ruminating on whether it is feasible to have a job with responsibility and also be able to have weekends/evenings/annual leave that aren't impinged upon by work.

Colleague seemed to suggest that at the level we are at (operational management) we just have to accept that we'll have to sacrifice more time.

Now I don't mind starting early and finishing late when required and I will answer urgent questions while on annual leave but I feel depressed at the idea that I can't expect any of 'my' time to be protected.

What do others think? Is there a point (seniority or salary wise) where you just suck it up? If I'm not happy to do more am I resigned to never progressing or perhaps even stepping down a level?

I guess everyone's too busy working

It depends on what you're aiming for.

At Board Leve in businessl, no, I'd say you have to do whatever it takes. I say this as someone who worked as PA for a long time.

I think the only way you can set your own agenda is to have your own business.

Depends on so many things but yes, these things are possible in senior positions.

I don't know what 'operational management' is but I'm a Finance Manager, work 3 days, am not bothered on days off, take my annual leave no prob, can manage workload easily. About 6 weeks a year when I'm really busy but I still don't have to add in days. I'm on about £48k pro-rata plus various benefits.

My manager starts early but leaves each day by 5.30, takes all holidays etc - she is on about £70k.

Our HM (we're a school but my manager and I work all through the year) is paid in excess of £120k and he has long holidays and works the usual teaching hours with extra committee meetings etc.

I suspect people earning more than him in the commercial sector would find it trickier.

I'm a financial controller, second most senior finance person in the organisation that has a payroll of £15m a year. I work an hour each evening and do hours at the weekend. I do get left alone while on annual leave though.
I do agree though, once you get to that seniority you do have to accept you sacrifice 'me' time.

I've handed my resignation in from running a unit for a large business. The work life balance was appalling and I even found my holiday wasn't a guarantee away from work. I take my hat off to anyone in management. The pay is better but my experience it wasn't worth the sacrifice

I've been a senior manager in a charity and I currently am one in public sector. I am part time and occasionally check messages when I am non working, but never when on actual holiday away. No-one would expect me to.

It is more than possible but I guess it depends on the sector.

In my work its give an take.

I am away on a long weekend from firat thing tomorrow. However, i have some stuff that i have to do tonight. Currently just having a coffee, then will crack on.

My director asked me to look at something at last minute and my direct report has taken it on. He will whats app me a high level over view so i have an idea whats going on. He will email me the report so i can read it on monday night.

However if i nees to go early or need sone time off, work support me completely and thats the freedom i have. Sometimes i sacrifice my time outside work. Sometimes they give me extra time.

On annual leave the only people who contact me are people i have asked to. On a couple of occassions some direct reports have contacted me asking me to do stuff i shouldnt be, like authorising holidays etc. I either respond they need to speak to my director or wait until i am back. When one person contacted me a lot, i called my director. Who had a word with them.

Tbh i have no issue ignoring people when i am on annual leave either.

Patriarchy at work!

Don't you think it's a bit of a sad indictment of working society today that it's just expected that people at a certain level should always be 'switched on'? Some people just take it in their stride I suppose, but I find at times that it really stresses me out.

I'm on OK money, not amazing. I officially work 3 full days and 2 half days. However if I don't check emails during my 2 half days off, I know I'll return to the office to a bulging inbox and I'll have to spend ages going through emails before I even start work. I then end up having to stay late/start earlier the next day.

So to answer the OP, yes I think that beyond a certain level you are expected to suck it up, and I agree it's depressing.

It seems to be quite an individual thing, not sure if it's individual attitude or sector. I know of one person who is ridiculously senior but manages her work/life balance well.

Others who are on £70-£100k jobs who are just constantly 'on'. I get emails from them at just gone midnight and then again just after 5am.

The trouble is some expect everyone at every level to be doing the same. They don't get a favourable response when they ask someone in my team, (on say £30k), at 9pm on a Sunday to have a piece of work on their desk by 9am on the Monday. Not going to happen.

I feel I've made the choice to have more life than work, I could intellectually go up a level but I'd probably need to double my hours, for a 10% pay increase, slightly better car and bonus, it's just not worth it.

I think it depends on the company and on you - if you start working around the clock then it can become expected - in my last company we all did it - on honeymoon I left my phone at home and it was commented on on my return. I'm in a more senior role now in another company and the culture is different - I get to work early where needed, but rarely before 8, work late where needed, but not everyday - most days I'm gone by 5.30, although if something is urgent I'll stay - Board papers for example or something needed for a regulatory deadline. I also travel internationally for work and those extra hours are the norm, but I don't mind as I never work at weekends or while out of the office on annual leave. I plan ahead, delegate and ensure I have strong support - if the place would fall apart without me then I'm not doing my job correctly.

This is a constant issue that I've come across that grinds my gears. It's partly down to the person and partly to the organisation.

Unless I'm working for the emergency services where I can be retained on shift to cover whatever is going on, and be called in at a moment's notice, then I'm going to work my contracted hours. If part of my contract is doing on-call work, then I'll do on-call work, but I'll be on-call only during my contracted on-call time.

Is that a jobsworth? Maybe. Why? Because I was once married to someone who took their job more seriously than their relationship and their entire family and it utterly destroyed our lives. I promised myself I would never become that person. They even went so far as to spend more of our honeymoon, 3000 miles away, working remotely than spending time with me. My time off work is my time off work and no-one can contact me.

My personal life away from work spending time doing what I want with my family is more important and I strive for my perfect work/life balance not what other people decide is an appropriate balance. I learned a long time ago how to say "no". It was a difficult thing to learn, but hell it was worth it.

I think this is a really tricky one. Very senior jobs mean significant responsibility that doesn't fit in to a normal day- though in my experience it does mean you have some control over my diary because you call shots around some meetings etc. My solution is to job share a very senior job so I have three days 'on' and then I am totally available