Do you know anyone who works but barely works?

[thea123]

So my friend's husband works in sales, I believe he earns fairly good money, but he seems to spend a huge amount of time during the week not working, but working. So he'll answer phone calls here and there and emails but he'll be out doing non-work activities like out with his friends or having meals. He also seems to be able to claim meals on his expenses that weren't meals with clients. My friend laughs it off and obviously likes the help with the kids when he's home.

In my job I can't be seen to be 'away' from my screen for too long or people would start noticing, I spend my working day working. I really wouldn't get away with the stuff and nor would my husband.

Anyone else know someone who gets away with this? And how!?

You’d probably think this of me. But my phone is on 24/7 and I’ll pull a 14-hour day (or more) when it’s required.

No offence but that sounds like a really unhealthy dynamic

I know quite a few people who are on essentially consultancy contracts.

So they are (for example) a semi-retired shipping lawyer who a company pays a retainer to so that they can ring him up and ask questions that he will just know (and about old cases and the history of the firm that he will also just know)

Various people I know are also non-executive directors of various companies and involved with venture capital funding which isn't many hours but does require you to be super-rich.

A lot of sales roles are essentially based on building relationships and once you've got those as long as you are hitting your targets you don't have to put in lots and lots of hours.

There's also the programmers who hold down two or more full-time jobs because they can get the jobs done in way less than full-time (obviously this depends on being pretty good at coding).

I do. I was very fortunate to fall into a fairly niche role in banking sales. Things are quiet now for various reasons but I probably am in the office 10-4 and don't do a great deal when I'm here. Seeing clients for lunch the rest of the time.
When I started working in banking I had to absolutely be at my desk and working all the time. I remember once getting a bollocking for having a 1 hr 15 minute lunch once as a friend of mine was leaving, which royally annoyed me given most days I was in early and stayed later.
Fridays are generally very quiet and a sunny Friday... Forget it. Everything is a Monday problem.

I am in sales,the targets are high and if I don't deliver I will be questioned .
As I have got older and more experienced ,I don't waste time on anything that won't deliver the results I need .I know what to do to deliver far more than the business requires so if I want to get my nails done ,have a coffee with friends ,do a bit of cooking ,I deserve it !
When my children were young I was run ragged ,juggling it all ,screeching into childminder with minutes to spare ...worrying about how I could deliver what the business needed ..

My ex is like this. He's v senior so runs things as is fit. Sometimes he's stressed as hell & working all hours, other times he seems as though he lives the life of bloody riley.

It swings and roundabouts at that level.

I work alongside someone who is off sick for the maximum possible in each 12 month period. But when he is in the office he seriously delivers, achieving more in the 6 months he works than many staff who are there throughout the year.

No offence but that sounds like a really unhealthy dynamic

Yes and no. I start at 5 because I have a team in Asia, and a team in the US. I'm always on call because we have a 24/7 business and the buck stops with me (C-level). But I'm good at my job, and so (touch wood) emergencies are rare.

What this lack of boundaries/balance means is that I don't have to put my kids in childcare, that I can make time for friends when I need to, or if I just need a lazy day I can take it. I can just attend any required meetings and do nothing else unless anyone needs to talk to me.

It wouldn't work for everyone - lots of people would find it stressful and hate it, but it works well for me, due to the massive flexibility that I need to have to look after my kids. My idea of hell would be a boring 9-5 where I was rushing back to get the kids from afterschool club in traffic.

Some of the IT team at exjob. Spent all day chatting to each other (and disturbing everyone else). I don't think that in the time I was there any of them did a full day's work, and it was noticeable that soon after they had a new director the three of them were split up so they weren't yakking all day.

Me! I do 1-2 hours a day, 4-5 days a week. Earn £50k a year for the pleasure 😇

Can I ask what you do for a living 👀

I have a bit of this. In my 35 hour week this week I've probably done 6-7 hours of actual work, the rest has just been being on hand for calls/messages (and doing my gardening). It ebbs and flows, though - some weeks it can be a lot, lot busier and I won't even get a break, but generally I have a lot of free time in my week. I deliver the results I need to and am good at my job, so it's not a problem. I'm in the role for my experience and knowledge, not the hours I'll sit at a desk, and I'm grateful to be in a role where that's a possibility.

Me. I’m experienced and very efficient at my job and so get the work done in half the time. I’m paid for 24 hours a week and usually work between 12 and 15. Once a year in my appraisal I tell my boss that I don’t have enough work to do and she rolls her eyes at me 🤷‍♀️

I know a few people like this, but sadly not me or DH!

I do work pretty efficiently though and when I wfh I have time to meet a friend for lunch or finish early for the kids a couple of times a week. there's no core hours or online presence expected as long as the job gets done, and I've always had good feedback. So I am pretty happy with that - if there was v little to do, I would worry about my job security ( redundancies on the horizon).

I work for a university in a writing role.

Epitomises the unfairness of WFH and the complete diversity in workforce it creates

Bloody hell, this thread confirms what I already knew about the sheer unfairness and inequality of WFH

OP: I think it very much depends on the job and the culture of the company. I WFH as many days as I like, no requirement to go in unless I want or have a specific meeting set up. Usually this translates to 2-3 days a month. I can fit in groceries, schedule doctor appointments, hair appointments, lunches with friends etc. during work hours so my weekends are rarely spent running errands and more on my hobbies or spending time with family. I usually do breakfast with DC every day, never miss plays, take them for after school activities etc. If our childcare falls through I can usually easily pick up the slack. For a long time my neighbors and DC teachers assumed I was a SAHM. In contrast, DH also works full time but is strictly required in office 0800-1730 M-F and has a 45 min commute each way. Presenteeism is a big thing and unless he is off sick the culture dictates he should be seen at his desk. The organization I work for is much more relaxed.

However I am now pretty senior in my role and essentially get paid for my specialist niche advice. Unless there’s a crisis or specific issue I am generally not involved in the day to day operations of the business that might require constant face time or presence in the office. I’m the only person doing my role for the entire continent. I don’t have anyone reporting to me, and all my equivalent department team members are on different continents so there’s no one to compare my working style/hours to or monitor my comings and goings. I also report to a Director in another time zone so only check in with him once a week for an hour unless there’s a specific issue. It took about 15 years of very long days and all-nighters, lots of further study, living in many different cities and countries, and almost no personal time in my 20s to get to this level of autonomy though. This makes me appreciate how fortunate I am now even more.

This is my life too.

I never miss a kids assembly or sports day. Drop off everyday and do 2-3 pick ups a week. I can meet friends for coffee and am active on PTA.

I also work at 5am and 10pm. I sometimes travel to a random city and am out of the house for 16 hours. Or I might stay over for 1 or 2 nights.

Swings & roundabouts. I like it.

Sales here. I couldn’t be on it 8 hours a day even if I wanted to. The job and associated market is too specialist and slow moving. I answer my phone if it rings even when I’m in supermarkets - nobody cares as long as I offer the advice they need. If I’m in a school run and my boss calls, he can wait until im home. The reality is he does the same.

At times I’ve moved mountains for our business - and at times it supports me and my family so the emotional contract remains strong.