Overworked and missing my life!!

LegacyUser

Hi guys,
I don't usually post here, but could do with some advice on this one.
I have a busy job and work extremely long hours in my position - basically a 9 to 5 would often turn into a 9 to 9, and at least once a fortnight due to a specific project I end up in the office from 9am til midnight.
This has been the case for more than a year - and I have always put it down to "getting a foot on the ladder." It's that type of industry and without the hard work, the job would go to someone else.
Needless to say, the pay is crap, but it's not as much as an issue for me as the overtime. This is having a seriously detrimental effect on my social life. Or should I say my life in general...
I can't plan anything, and on the occasions where I have tried to make arrangements for dinner, drinks with friends etc, they often fall through due to work and I've ended up p*ssing off more than one close friend with this. Understandly enough - I abhor the same unreliability in others.
My love life is pretty non existant and I've recently joined a gym as the lack of exercise has been getting to me, but my efforts to get to the gym before it closes at 10pm have since failed every time.
This is really, really getting to me at this point and I am beginning to feel run down, undervalued in the work place and just not myself.
I know all the advice will probably be to quit the job and reclaim my life, but obviously in the current climate it's not that simple.
Anyone been through the same and could offer some advice?

Thanks in advance

Marksie

in a somewhat similar position, thuogh i ahve more time in the evennigs... i am upskilling and then changing paths.
Look for another job while in this one is quitting isn't an option.

AngryBadger

Do you wind up working late because of someone elses decision? In other words could you change your approach/time management in work so that you would be spending less time there, or is it someone elses decisions/work that result sin you staying late? I ask this because I've seen people making this complaint who were working late as a result of their own poor work ethic in general, and I'm routinely in the situation where I have to work late because of someone elses incompetence. If you can identify where the problem lies it might be a step to having more control over your time/life.

Are you at least being paid for this overtime?

If someone is asking you to stay late, can you not just refuse? I had this problem initially in my current position where I would often find myself stuck working late. Like yourself initially I didn't bat an eyelid figuring I needed to get myself settled and it was best to do the work and make a good impression. A year on and if it doesn't disrupt my plans I have no problem working late/weekends, but if I've made plans I simply refuse, or I may offer to come in early instead. My point is that if you constantly volunteer to work extra time, then people will constantly ask you to work extra time.

Are you commuting to/from work? If you can't put a stop to all these extra hours, then maybe you can re-claim some of the time you're losing commuting? Again I was commuting up to 3 hours most days, very recently I moved to a location within 5 minutes of my job. The time I save by not having to commute is phenomenal, plus I have less stress, more time to relax, and get better sleep since I'm not getting up at ridiculously early hours.

The best advice i can give is to determine why you wind up working so many late shifts, and whether there are any steps you could take to head off all this overtime. If you know there's a monthly "project" coming up, could you have any prep work done ahead of time? Is it at all possible for you to anticipate delays and be somewhat prepared for them so that maybe instead of being stuck in work until 9pm you manage to be out by half 7 or 8?

In the overall scheme, you can decide to be anal and "work to rule", but generally all this will do is piss off co-workers, so I'd recommend some other means of eliminating all these overtime commitments.

I am pie

If you feel the industry is for you and you want to get on you should explain to someone you can talk to that you like the job but that you are considering leaving for a competitor as you cannot manage you're workload and your personal life is suffering as a result. If they value you, there will be efforts made to accomodate you.

If not, leave.

LegacyUser

Thanks for the advice guys.
As far as the reasons for being in so late go, if I'm really honest, I would say it is 50/50.
My time management can be quite bad and I often underestimate how long things will take, but I have tried to address this and even so overtime is a daily reality.
I'm finding that I'm often in late because I'm waiting for client info to come through, or there's a cancellation late in the day and I'm left to cover, or even - to give you an example of how crap the situation is - I take a full hour for lunch and am in longer because of my workload.
As I said, it is the nature of the industry I'm in, and (I've been desperately trying to avoid using this word, but...) the recession and budget adjustments etc means that understaffing is a major issue.
I have never been asked to work late - it doesn't work that way - I am just expected to stay as late as is needed to get my work done. I wouldn't have a problem coming in earlier if it meant I'd get out at a decent hour, but the way things work for me I often don't know what I'll be doing until we have our daily meeting at 10am.
I like the idea of pre-planning though with my 2-weekly project, and I'm definitely going to try to do this more.
Thanks again guys

starlight07

Im in the same boat and can relate to what youre going through, I feel like every other aspect of my life is falling apart, simple things like paying bills or catching up on paperwork/ housework are an ordeal because Im so busy with work. I'm only 23 and when I am off work its usually spent catching up with friends till all hours then Im wrecked tired and back to work the next day, its a vicious cycle at the mo!!

I work shift work and although I know my roster a few weeks in advance, more often than not shifts dont go as planned and I can be held back or called in- the longest shift to date being 23hrs, although in the field Im in this isnt uncommon!!

I love my job but I dont see much promotion possibility so I think you are quite lucky to have that option available to you. Im just going to ride it out for a couple yrs and then reevaluate my career path. I would advise that perhaps you do the same for a year or so, just explain to friends about your situation and try your best to keep in contact on the days you do have off. Also If you know you have an important event that you need time off for inform your boss previous to the event, if you really are working as hard as you are Im sure your boss will be understanding as long as its not a regular occurance. My family advised me to speak to my boss about feeling the strain of the long hours but I didnt because I dont want my boss to think I am not up to the job, Im sure you feel the same. Basically its all about trying to find a balance, which Im still trying to do.


Best of luck what ever you do.

LegacyUser

OP, a person needs a life outside of work, otherwise there would be no point in working at all. Is the industry you're in the Funds Industry by any chance?

AngryBadger

I understand the difficulty of not knowing what work there is until after meetings and whatnot OP.

Definitely look at planning ahead as much as possible, from my own perspective I know that once you get used to a job it becomes easier to predict to some extent how long thigns will take and so on which makes it easier to at least try and plan ahead.

Not having a go at you OP, but the time management thing is massive when it comes to work. I work with a guy who is completely hopeless at this and consequently causes delays of several hours because he's too lazy to think about what he's doing before he goes and does.

One last thing, the hour for lunch, would you consider taking a shorter lunch to get off a little earlier? I often wind up skipping lunch altogether because I'd prefer to get my work done and be out at half past as against taking my hour and being stuck in work until maybe 7.

the drifter

you could spend your whole life making a living yet never have lived...there is more to life than work OP...sort it out..

mikemac

Seriously, do we work in the same company OP?

Eventually it gets to the stage when 09:00-21:00 is considered normal. And you leave at 21:00 and everyone gets their smart comments in: "oh, working a half-day I see". And your manager is usually the first to do it.

And then you start 7:30 to 22:00 (sorry, I always use 24 hour clock) because the workload is so big and management won't hire new staff and you forget in your contract that standard hours are 9-5:30. Oh, I remember my interview and the "work life balance " lol commitment I was told about.
But I'm raking in the overtime But Minister Lenihan takes 41% :mad:

Ultimatly it depends what industry you're in.
I can sit at my desk for 8 hours straight without a tea/coffee/toilet/ smoke break nay bother. No leaving it once ever!
Because I see my teammates and management doing it.
But if I see management fecking off on a half day to play golf while I'm working, hell yeah I get pissed off.

Two questions OP:
Do your teammates and management do the same hours?
Are you just slower (no shame ) and less efficent at time management. There are courses you can do and things you can learn you know

mikemac

AngryBadger wrote: »

Not having a go at you OP, but the time management thing is massive when it comes to work. I work with a guy who is completely hopeless at this and consequently causes delays of several hours because he's too lazy to think about what he's doing before he goes and does.

Not having a go either but some people are not good at time management. Before you call someone lazy look at what they do. Maybe they are working realy long hours and it's not laziness but they don't have an aptitude for it and struggle and afraid of losing their job and highlighting problems.

If you reckon someone is "lazy" then help them or ask their training officer/HR to help them. Maybe they are the world's best trier but don't have the aptitude for it.

But if they are capable but don't give a ****, then report them to management.
Ultimatly, at lower levels, let your superiours sort this out, if they want you to manage people, ask for a management/supervisor salary.

LegacyUser

micmclo wrote: »

Seriously, do we work in the same company OP?

Two questions OP:
Do your teammates and management do the same hours?
Are you just slower (no shame ) and less efficent at time management. There are courses you can do and things you can learn you know

Hi Micmclo, thanks for the advice.

I would say that about half the team I work with put in the same hours that I'm clocking, and the other half - because they are at a higher level - have fewer tasks to complete during the working day and more of the admin stuff to do.
I guess this is the nature of promotion, really - you take the title and get to half your workload. It often gives me a grim outlook on the company in general, and it's not that my manager would be unsupportive - it's just that my job is an entry level position, the 'foot in the door' so to speak, so everything and anything is my remit.
Any time the long-hours issue gets raised during meetings, the like-it-or-lump it sentiment always seems to surface...'this is the job, we'll try to ease the burden but it's not going to change fundamentally' etc etc and it just adds to the under-appreciation feeling and is grossly disempowering.
I definitely don't think I'm slower than any of my colleagues. When I first started and was learning the ropes I did spend a lot of extra time mulling over my work, checking for errors - as is the norm in a new job I'd imagine - but I know the game now and I feel like the sheer workload and lack of staff are the factors keeping me in so late.

I don't work in Funds as someone suggested, I work in the media (don't judge too harshly, I'm lovely really..!) I knew that long hours and sacrifice were the name of the game when I started, but I can't ignore the feeling that having an 'exciting' job that I enjoy (a lot of the time, at least) shouldn't mean being short-changed when it comes to having a life.

AngryBadger

micmclo wrote: »

Not having a go either but some people are not good at time management. Before you call someone lazy look at what they do. Maybe they are working realy long hours and it's not laziness but they don't have an aptitude for it and struggle and afraid of losing their job and highlighting problems.
If you reckon someone is "lazy" then help them or ask their training officer/HR to help them. Maybe they are the world's best trier but don't have the aptitude for it.

1) I'm not employed to train other people, I have no problem giving helpful advice or helping with jobs when someone is obviously struggling, but if someone can't do their job in spite of any proffered help then they need to sort themselves out.

2) I wasn't calling the OP lazy, I was using an example from my own workplace. And for the record the person in question IS[/] lazy, which is why they can't seem to get their work together, which results in a lot of extra pressure for me.

the glass woman

Unregistered wrote: »

I work in the media (don't judge too harshly, I'm lovely really..!) I knew that long hours and sacrifice were the name of the game when I started, but I can't ignore the feeling that having an 'exciting' job that I enjoy (a lot of the time, at least) shouldn't mean being short-changed when it comes to having a life.

Hi Op, i actually guessed you worked in Media straight away. I've just left that industry, having had a baby last year, as i soon realised that it is an industry that is definitly not suited to motherhood for the reasons you've outlined. I've actually just started back at college this week to retrain in teaching, which will be hard going but worth it in the end. My husband however works in advertising and is finding the same problem as you. He's in a senior position though, and i suppose He's afraid of losing the accounts he's worked so hard for if he complains about it. Also i'm feeling the strain of his working hrs too, so i understand what you're saying about it having a knock on effect with your friends, plans, and personal life. And, i'm sure its the same for you, there isn't any overtime or time in lieu thrown in. I try to keep reminding myself that thank god he's still employed and the company is extremely busy in this climate, but its still tough going. I'm afraid i don't really have any advice to offer you, as we're still trying to find a balance ourselves, but i just wanted to emphatise somewhat. Best of luck OP

punchestown

ksdfc wrote: »

OP, a person needs a life outside of work, otherwise there would be no point in working at all. Is the industry you're in the Funds Industry by any chance?

Worst offenders in the world for forcing extra hours every evening on staff without any recompense whatsoever.

Oniontops

OP, have you discussed this with the manager you report to?

Approach it from the perspective that better forward planning, however short term, will make you more productive. Maintain your enthusiasm for your job and do not give off the perception that you are complaining about it. Offer suggestions as to how you think you can improve your time management and performance. Forward planning is not the easiest thing to do but it can be acheived somewhat.

It is often the case as well that higher management are not aware of these issues until they are informed. It may be the case that work is not being delegated sufficiently.

Situations like this are not just unique to the Media...it happens in alot of industries.

Good luck with it OP and don't lose faith!! :-)

Keep focused on your long term goal.

Keep us updated! :-)