:(

volvick

First of all can I say I am happy to have a job - but I will go insane with it - boss is taking me for granted. Piling work on that is impossible for one person to do. They are not trying to get rid of me - far from it, I am a good honest worker but I just seem to get more and more piled on and I raise the issue and it is ignored or I am asked what is taking up all my time. I can't take any of my holidays, I work weekends to cover the work - I am fit to walk at this stage. Anyone in the same boat? Any advice? I had a previous job that was the same, it ended up I handed in my notice and then they wanted to take some pressure off and give me a well deserved payrise - don't want the same to happen here but looks like it will (if/when I get another job)

SoupyNorman

Not a nice situation at all, I think this is becoming a quite prevalent now with companies having to scale back however I think it is outrageous to expect one person to do the work of 2 (or more). By all means I agree that you should be expected to work hard but when your work starts to spill over into your evenings and weekends you need to pull on the reins, it will drive you to the edge of insanity. I’m not sure what the communication channels are like in your place of work but you must be vocalize your feelings sharply, give tangible examples of how your workload has increased and the toll it is taking on you and your social life.

There are employers who will keep increasing the workload ever so slightly, at first you don’t mind taking on the extra bit of work as you want to do your bit to help in these tough times but then one day a while later you realize the workload hasn’t stop increasing, then when you raise it with the powers that be they act outraged at your attitude and ignorant to how much more work you have to do.

Not sure if mirrors your situation but I have seen it before.

I think you need to raise it with your superior, and ensure that whatever is discussed is recorded (i.e. if they agree to reduce the workload have it quantified by them).

They just don’t want to hire another person and as long as you keep doing the work things will stay like that.

looksee

It's a bit impossible for us to judge, but for it to have happened in two jobs does seem to suggest that you and your employers have a different ideas of what constitutes a reasonable amount of work. Why did you not take up the previous offer of less work and more money? Or if you did, what happened? Did your predecessor in the job you are doing now do the same amount of work as you are being asked to do?

chicken fingers

To be frank and honest:
Have you considered that you may be an honest and hardworking worker, but perhaps you are just not excellent at your job and you spend a lot of time doing tasks that another person could do more efficiently and quicker?

nyarlothothep

chicken fingers wrote: »

To be frank and honest:
Have you considered that you may be an honest and hardworking worker, but perhaps you are just not excellent at your job and you spend a lot of time doing tasks that another person could do more efficiently and quicker?

Thats not being frank and honest, thats called making assumptions.

volvick

Thanks - I have raised my concern, I did take the extra work for about 6 months then I started to raise my concerns about the extra work load - this has been for about 8 months now, I was told it would ease and told they would take someone else on but in the last few weeks I have been asked why I can't do it! It has turned. But I will continue to raise these - thanks for the support

volvick

looksee wrote: »

It's a bit impossible for us to judge, but for it to have happened in two jobs does seem to suggest that you and your employers have a different ideas of what constitutes a reasonable amount of work. Why did you not take up the previous offer of less work and more money? Or if you did, what happened? Did your predecessor in the job you are doing now do the same amount of work as you are being asked to do?

Both jobs I was "thrown in the deep end" I got very little training from the person I was taken over from but I was able to take it on and for both I worked longer hours to become comfortable with the job - then for a period of time I settle in get to know the job and I would cover every part of the job my predecessor did but then for both I get extra work put on. First job I took on over 4 times the amount of work (yes I did calculate it) and for this in the last year I have about 4 times as much as when I started. so for 3 years I done x amount of work and instead of taking people on they pile the work on.

volvick

chicken fingers wrote: »

To be frank and honest:
Have you considered that you may be an honest and hardworking worker, but perhaps you are just not excellent at your job and you spend a lot of time doing tasks that another person could do more efficiently and quicker?

To be frank and honest with you - my last job I was training in the person to take over and they walked out 4 hours into the training! They were qualified with many more years of experience than me and they said the work load was too much! It took 3 - 4 people to replace me, I know because my friend still works in the same organisation but in a different department. Also the reason my work load would have increase (I think) is because I am doing the role more efficiently and quicker then my predecessor, what took them a day to do I can get done in hours, so what used to take a week for my predecessor to do in a week I can get done in 1-2 days with better results - I also know this because one of my roles is to compare performance so I can go back years to compare my performance today to when I started! So judge for yourself

chicken fingers

I said "have you considered"
Because the truth is that in 90% of circumstances where somebody is complaining of a workload that is too high, its simply the fault of lazy or incompetent staff.

But you present an image of being a soft touch whom management can push past their limit rather than being incompetent or lazy.

BostonB

In my experience excessive workload, is usually down to poor management. Many places limp along for many years like that, or it all falls apart suddenly.

Either its in your power to change it or it isn't. So you either change it or you leave. Or you work yourself into the ground and have a breakdown. Or you do what your can, and cover your butt.

volvick

chicken fingers wrote: »

But you present an image of being a soft touch whom management can push past their limit rather than being incompetent or lazy.

There are a handful of us in the organisation who are pushed to our limits, more employees are on less hours OR some who are meant to work 39 come and go as they please, the rest of us pick up the slack! So unfair! But that is life!

volvick

BostonB wrote: »

cover your butt.

With all the hours I work its still all I can do, must get into the habit of just clocking out at 5! And let whatever hit the fan!