Super light workload worries

[Bellasorella1]

I started a one year contract a couple of months ago. The vacancy arose due to someone being seconded elsewhere in the company (a temporary promotion).

It is a more junior role than I would usually accept but I prefer to keep working and there are very limited other options out there at the moment. The problem is the workload is exceptionally light, when particularly quiet an hour can go past without an email coming through, it drives me crazy as clearly I need to be at my desk ready to respond. Crunch time is coming as I've been working from home, but it's all back in the office shortly and there is no way I can fake being fully occupied in a very open plan environment.

What would you do?
I don't want to lose employment and it is quite difficult to raise the issue (who with HR or direct with my managers?) as someone else is coming back to this job and clearly, has been happy skimming along for some time previously.

I'll bet the person whose shoes you are filling is crapping their pants that you might expose how quiet the workload is

Is there any admin type stuff you can do? Sort and delete old emails/tidy up shared folders etc

How many months of the contract left?

Doesn't your line manager talk to you regularly even to say how is x, have you dealt with y, did you know x is coming up?

@bonfireheart

How many months of the contract left?

10 months!

I had this once and then I sent an email asking if anyone had any work to do and even my line manager was like "pretend you have lots of work to do" but I was so bored!

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I'll bet the person whose shoes you are filling is crapping their pants that you might expose how quiet the workload is

Is there any admin type stuff you can do? Sort and delete old emails/tidy up shared folders etc

They have already indicated they don't fancy coming back.

I've done all the admin type stuff, believe me.

I know the company did a big rejig in the first lockdown and got rid of a number of people, so this may be why the role is so quiet. I am sure they'd like the option to save a bit more money but I don't want to cut my nose off to spite my face.

Write a novel?

Open University have lots of free courses online.

It might be easier in the office because then you will be able to see who else is too busy and offer to help them? But I think you need to raise it with your manager, ask for more to do etc. You could also do some professional development? We have access to some online courses and if I am not busy I do a bit of training in something which will be useful later.

Similar problem with me but I'm actually worried it means I'll be made redundant - ie because there's no work for me to do :( Actually there's plenty of work for me to do but someone would have to take time to show me how to do it and they don't have time to do that (apparently). So 80% of the work is done by 20% of the staff and they're run off their feet. Sometimes I think they don't want to show anyone else how to do their work in case it puts them in a redundant position. So frustrating.

@bonfireheart

Doesn't your line manager talk to you regularly even to say how is x, have you dealt with y, did you know x is coming up?

No. I have 5 managers and they are all super busy themselves. I have done contracts at this company before, so am not a stranger to them. We mainly keep in touch over a messenger system and frankly as soon as they ask for something I do it and then message them to let them know it is done.

I reckon they all think the other is giving me loads of work.

Maybe just add on the bottom of all your emails to them "Please let me know if you have any other tasks I can help you with today"

@RedBonnet

Similar problem with me but I'm actually worried it means I'll be made redundant - ie because there's no work for me to do :( Actually there's plenty of work for me to do but someone would have to take time to show me how to do it and they don't have time to do that (apparently). So 80% of the work is done by 20% of the staff and they're run off their feet. Sometimes I think they don't want to show anyone else how to do their work in case it puts them in a redundant position. So frustrating.

I know, people think it would be great to have little to do. Frankly, I'd prefer to be busy and in demand, not least because I've got too much time to think whilst tethered to the dining room table.