Quiet quitting

[Floofydawg]

I've had enough of my job. Am 54, tired, burnt out and sick of the corporate bullshit. My workplace is becoming toxic in terms of the expectation on people. I want out, but with 20+ years service I want a payout. I'm quiet quitting - has anyone ever been successful in getting redundancy by doing that? I've even considered getting signed off with stress. I'm not sleeping, and it's not good for my health.

@Fannyfiggs & @pickledandpuzzled some good suggestions, thanks. I can take some pension at 55 (later this year) but obviously need to balance that with later income. Also considering downsizing to pay off mortgage. I'd be happy to keep working a lot longer if the expectation on people wasn't so high. Workplace culture is that people work as long as is needed to get the work done. People leave and don't get replaced. I work with people lots younger who just feel they have to do it and don't have the confidence to challenge, so I'm seen as an outlier. Currently on a train to London having left home at 6.30am, and I won't be home til 8pm at best. It's knackering.

This is the problem with PT. My PT professional job was a nightmare, practically FT in 3 days really. It’s much easier to work FT tbh.

Maybe review your finances and see what options you have.

I would say, unless redundancies are on offer, allowing you to leave of your own accord is a much cheaper option for your employers.

Do you think you might be able to find part time work, nearer to where you live, knowing that finding a job at 54 is not that easy.

How is your work structured? Are there junior colleagues who can take some of the role on? Is there a possibility to leave but stay on as a consultant 2 days per week - easier to clock off and go home.

What is your relationship with your boss like? Are there other positions within the organisation that are more suited to part time or where you work your contracted hours only - think outside of your current role - training and development, compliance, something else.. Are there any other part time employees / maternity returners that you could job share with?

Could you go back full time with 2 or 3 days from home - removes the commute and you could more easily work your contracted hours..

Currently on a train to London having left home at 6.30am, and I won't be home til 8pm at best. It's knackering.

That's tough. Can you/do you work from home or do a compressed shift over 3 days?

They won’t make you redundant - they could put you on a performance plan if you under perform

if you don’t enjoy it, reduce your hours or leave

Lol
I do feel a bit peaky tbh

I've seen others paid off in the past when their face no longer fits. Very rare for someone to be managed out where I work unless they practically burn the office down.

Hey ho. Will keep my fingers crossed.

(Boss is a bit of a nob who thinks I should aspire to his job and doesn't understand why I don't).

Of course you can work 4 days if you want or need to. Lots of women (and men) have caring commitments or hobbies or training or illness to balance in addition to their job.

in your shoes I’d look for a new job while strictly working well but only in the hours your paid for. Some employers expect blood and your soul for nothing.

Another alternative is to go down to three days a week to have more balance

I know exactly what you mean.

On the PT front - make it clear how much can be done in 4 days and stick to it. If they complaint, file a grievance as they are failing to respect your PT working and this can be seen as sex discrimination as it’s women who work PT in the main. Also possible age discrimination. Make sure you have evidence of them taking the Michael.

Stick to your guns. If they try to say you’re not performing (when in fact you are fulfilling your contract terms - make sure you do), you file another grievance. You also go off sick as they are causing you workplace stress. Note the recent reports that the city/FS is endemic with poor treatment of women.

They will have a protected conversation with you any which you tell them you’re tired of being treated this way and want to leave. They will make an offer.

And you can't get redundancy unless your job is redundant. It's a settlement agreement you need to

Quiet quitting / working to contract won't result in redundancy pay out IME. If you can afford to, maybe look at doing a less stressful job part time. If you can't then I think you need to stick it out. Don't work over your hours though. I stopped doing that this year and I'm only 40. It isn't out of petulance or anything. I just cannot work over my hours due to school run! Nobody seems to care tbf. It isn't the radical idea people seem to imply

quiet quitting you said yourself, means no extra
it doesnt mean leaving surely

That response is where my head was going - thankyou. It's been implied already that I shouldn't be doing this job part time (even though it was agreed) and that I should consider going down a grade. I obviously don't want to do that.

I work in a similar industry - the vast majority of our employees are sub 30. Anyone above 40 sticks out as an exception. It's a young person's game. Huge amounts of regular unpaid overtime are expected - it's a competitive thing - who can be seen to work the most hours. 80 hour weeks are not uncommon.
I work part time but the expectation is I will still do a lot of unpaid overtime - so perhaps the equivalent of 6 working days a week as opposed to 7.
However, my bosses do understand that I don't aspire to their jobs (the odd one doesn't) - but they get paid astronomically well and have sold their souls (think working all through all your annual leave just from a hotel, regularly working past midnight, no slack whatsoever).
I do get backstabbed regularly by youngsters trying to climb the ladder who will take down anyone they perceive as a threat. It's exhausting.
I do think you must have transferrable skills so there must be another opening for your somewhere.
I know it shouldn't surprise me, but my work place is one of the best examples of active ageism and age discrimination and yet it is seen as perfectly acceptable

You don’t like your job anymore but you don’t want to find another job because you want a payout??? That’s not how it works!

Quiet quitting doesn’t mean just doing what you’re contracted for, no extra. It means doing the very minimum you can get away with. Eg turning up to the office, logging on, but basically doing nothing.

Which is completely wrong.

Rude response

OP has worked there for 20 years. That means something to a lot of people

Why would you not want to go down a grade?

Money of course.. but if
current job = stress, resentment, extra hours, pressure to go full time
Lower grade = agreed 4 days, no extra hours, negotiated pay freeze rather than reduction in salary
Alternative is leave.. no money!!

Maybe a negotiated lower grade role is the best?

@Validus I like this advice. Working only to your contracted hours might also make things more bearable while you're still there.

Take some holiday, or even better some sick leave. Start making a plan, or several different plans based on the possible scenarios. Start dreaming about how life could be better.

That isn't what I was suggesting I do, so I used the wrong terminology.

Because I don't really believe it would be less stress. I think it would be a lose lose opportunity option.

DS has just left a job like this at the grand old age of early 20s. He was on the fast track and doing really well, but the rates of nervous breakdown and alcoholism above him weren’t attractive. He’s scored another excellent job, but with better work life balance. I’m proud of him for spotting the issue and getting off the treadmill.

How often do they do redundancy rounds / restructures? If fairly regularly, I'd work my contracted hours and do a reasonable job whilst being a little bit difficult for management. That should ensure that you're paid out in the next re-org or if not, you can approach them and request a pay out at the next re-org. Alternatively, if you think its wise, have a conversation with management to suggest to them that you're open to leaving with a payout. You have to be careful as a certain type of manager will freak out at the suggestion. I'd frame it as, I'm heading towards retirement, I'm not looking to climb the ladder, I'm considering my options, sometimes I wonder about winding down work but I'm a couple of years off affording it HINT HINT HINT. You never know, they might sort something out for you. Especially if they could replace you cheaper.