Do you finish your office based desk job on time?

SauvignonGrower · 29/12/2021 00:55

Yes. On time and often early. Why not? I just switch off my notifications so work won't bother me unless it's an enormous emergency.

Danikm151 · 29/12/2021 01:31

Find that work life balance. If there are deadlines you aren’t going to meet then speak up. Usually management will realise and delegate. They can get in trouble if you are overworked and not using your leave,
I log off at 5 and happily get on with my evening with the laptop shut away.
Annual leave is leave.

nearlytweeny · 29/12/2021 01:46

I'm the same but just changed role as things were becoming ridiculous in terms of covering other staff absences and total lack of oversight and basically "couldn't care less attitude" from leadership. I think my own attitude didn't help either as I could have let things go with no real consequence but have a stupidly over conscientious attitude which I need to balance out. My role didn't exactly have deadlines but there were reports to write and things to be followed up, so ended up working crazy hours to keep on top while others just didn't and have huge backlogs which nobody seems to care about... Got to be a happy medium I guess?

whattodo2019 · 29/12/2021 02:40

I work ridiculous hours but i have noticed that many colleagues just do their contractual hours and make it very clear they can't take in extra work/ complete work in the allocated time.
My NY resolution is to start doing the same!!

PurpleMauve · 29/12/2021 02:56

No. I’m on AL until the DC go back to school next week, but need to log on to send figures for a colleague who decided that they need to work on them today and only asked for them just before I went on AL. Small team. If I don’t do it, it won’t get done and targets won’t be met. Referral service. People’s lives are affected if I don’t keep up with my impossible workload. Arrrggghh. I’ve been procrastinating for hours. I had plans to rest, update my CV and finally start job hunting this week, not to bloody work.

PGSTesting123 · 29/12/2021 03:00

Don't do it.
You won't be valued.
State you are on your holidays.

SkiRun0077 · 29/12/2021 07:05

You have a role here in managing yourself and others expectations, but it also depends on the industry. My DH got like this in a previous role took nearly a breakdown for him to leave got another job and first 5years he’s managed it brilliantly but in the last year with talk of redundancy & takeovers he’s back to up at 5am and I can see it happening again as he’s a people pleaser. I also learnt the hard way and now put firm boundaries in place but also work where I can do this. You can find a balance but have to move roles to reestablish it. Don’t leave it too late or stress will consume you. Good luck. People respect you more I find if your clearer about what you take on but deliver well.

Tableto · 29/12/2021 07:06

Get a desk job in the public sector.

Agadorsparticus · 29/12/2021 07:08

I do. Home Life balance is very important to me. I don't get paid overtime and even though I'm happy to work my socks off during work hours, once I'm off the clock that's it.
Your company needs to step up and manage its staff and workload correctly.

userisi2 · 29/12/2021 17:51

Yes. Senior management in the civil service. I get flexi time so if I do work extra hours I claim them back, I don't need to work evenings or weekends but will work some extra time in the evenings to build up flex, tbh it's very rarely that I've needed to it to meet a deadline etc.

PurpleMauve · 29/12/2021 21:21

@Tableto
‘Get a desk job in the public sector.’

It’s not as black and white as that. Some of us are working in a public sector desk job!

Tableto · 29/12/2021 21:23

[quote PurpleMauve]@Tableto
‘Get a desk job in the public sector.’

It’s not as black and white as that. Some of us are working in a public sector desk job![/quote]
I've worked in many and always got flexi back, even when really busy found hardly anyone stays late, which isn't a bad thing.

DelurkingAJ · 29/12/2021 21:27

More or less. Finance team in financial services but a specialist bit so not directly involved in month end. Occasional evenings when something urgent crops up but that’s a few times a year. Complete autonomy so if I need to run errands I do but make up time (not sure if my Boss would notice but my conscience would!).

CHEM20 · 29/12/2021 21:28

@Tableto

Get a desk job in the public sector.

HAHAHAHAHA!

You’ve got to be kidding? 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Echobelly · 29/12/2021 21:30

Yup, I work editing a professional journal. Been through a few editing jobs and never worked anywhere where there was pressure to work long hours. My job takes up the day but there's really no reason for me to work if I'm not being paid to do it - it annoys me when people seem to brag about how what long hours they work. It would sound pretty different if they said 'I worked 15 hours unpaid this week!' I can switch if off when I'm finished as honestly it's not like anyone's going to die if I do my job wrong and I can fit my work into the time allotted. I honestly think that most desk jobs do not require super long hours (different matter for people like Drs, nurses and teachers, for example, or people running their own business/doing a start-up) and some people are convincing themselves they 'should' be there all hours. Obviously there are some exceptions and some unhealthy work cultures that do push it though.

Never had the slightest suggestion anyone even noticed that I always clock off on time - TBH my 'work brain' goes off not long after 5 and I can't do anything productive in the evening.

Pea1985 · 30/12/2021 09:46

I mostly finish on time, im a HR Manager and work part time 9-2pm mon-fri. However I sometimes need to log on in the evenings at home to finish things off, usually 2 days per week on average for 1-2 hours.

I've worked in much busier roles earlier in my career and now work for a charity which offers a better work life balance (including getting school hours which is rare!). Salary is lower tham average though but I've accepted that as its less priority for me at the moment.

HandsOffMyRights · 30/12/2021 09:56

No I don't. I work in the piblic sector.
It's a mixture of nobody else in my direct 'team' to pass work to, an expanding portfolio and work piling it on, a reactive, deadlines driven role, expectations from managers who work all hours in my wider team and are on at least double my average salary, and me - I'm a completer finisher. I have a 'can do' attitude, to my own detriment. I raise the work load and get fobbed off. I accept this and do not challenge enough.i care too much as well. Consequently, I am annoyed at myself.

I desperately need to move and learn to care less, drop a few balls, maybe make mistakes.

In the summer, I was on holiday, working on the beach. Thst says it all. I'm average UK salary and I am also my own worst enemy.

JohnSmithDrive · 30/12/2021 10:04

I've had office based jobs in two completely different industries, where there was/is a culture of very long hours. I just never did it.

IMO the first was perpetuated by men who didn't want to go home and the second by women who need to feel indispensable.

Except in very usual emergency circumstances, I finished when my time was up. In both industries I got good results, excellent appraisals and strong career progression.

I honestly think there is a limit to how many hours a day you can be effective and people "working" long hours are nowhere near as productive for most of the day as they think they are/should be.

The hardest part is being the person who walks out "early", but the work expands to fill the time available. If you know you have to leave at 5, you focus and prioritise and get it done.

I also have a "what's the worst that can happen" attitude to deadlines. If they're regularly unrealistic something needs to change. Working bank holidays isn't the answer

Enko · 30/12/2021 10:54

I leave on time and can flex if I need. I am also a lone worker so it is a matter of my ensuring I organise my work load and get it done as needed.

Stuckandinamess · 30/12/2021 10:58

@Tableto

Get a desk job in the public sector.

Hilarious aren't you....

Dontgetyerknicksinatwist · 03/01/2022 10:08

@Tableto

Get a desk job in the public sector.

I work in the public sector and every week I work more than my contracted hours. I bet you read the DM…

Herecomesthesun70 · 03/01/2022 12:09

I have a desk job. I have work that is time sensitive but prioritise it so it's not left until 5. Anything else can wait until the next day.

hayley037 · 03/01/2022 20:33

If you are working more than your contracted hours you are giving senior management no motivation to hire additional help or look for a way to take the load off.

Why would there be any incentive for them to if they have a worker who is prepared to work for the organisation for free which is what you're essentially doing.

Roominmyhouse · 03/01/2022 20:38

Yep I log out on time or maybe 15 mins late if I am trying to finish something. I never look at my work emails when I’m on leave.

As a previous poster said, working all hours to get things done means the management will never recruit enough people to actually do the job. You have to stand up for yourself and make it clear if deadlines are impossible without you working all hours.

NameChangeCity123 · 03/01/2022 20:53

@mommydragonn

Are you able to log off on time and get to 'Not work' on bank holidays and weekends? If yes, what do you do?

I have come to the end of my thether with my work. I get annual leave plus bank holidays. But the work is very much driven by deadlines... so I end up working on days off. Feeling particularly bitter at the moment because I had to work both Bank holidays because of additional work as a result of 2 people not doing what they should be and fucking off on holidays.

Absolutely and I encourage my team to do the same and also to take back any time they're owed. Life is too short to be all work, need some balance with work and home life. My manager had a stress induced heart attack at 55 and that's lesson enough for me