Lack of appreciation

onezy

I am working in London just after finishing a graduate program and I got a job 9 months ago with the same company when I finished. I work hard, until 8pm most nights and travel 2.5 hours to work in a different location about 3 days a week.

I have been told I am working every third weekend. I have now worked 21 days straight. I never got so much as a thank you from my boss. Other people in my team are very appreciative of me and show it. I am not on a high salary, £28k which doesn't go very far in london.

I really feel like I am been taken advantage of and with no appreciation for the work and hours I put in. I emailed my boss and asked him if I would be paid overtime for any of the weekends I was being told to work and received an email back saying "in a word no". My contract is for Monday to Friday 9 to 5.30.

Just looking for advice in how to speak to my boss in relation to this? Both in relation to the lack of support and appriciation and additional payment for hours worked. I am highly motivated and always put everything into my work however this is really affecting the effort I want to put into work! Thanks

Stheno

Have you read your contract carefully?

Are there any clauses that say "from time to time you may be required to work additional hours which will be unpaid" or some such?

And in relation to travel, is there a similiar clause requiring you to work in other locations from time to time?

If there are, you're bang out of luck, and those clauses are the norm in lots of contracts.

Two other things I'd wonder about is why you are working until 8pm every night, and if there are "better" ways you could be working to complete your tasks.

As for appreciation from your boss, some bosses are like that, and aren't overly effusive in thanks, if your performance is good it will be reflected in your annual review.

tatli_lokma

To be quite blunt OP, why in gods name are you putting in those hours and travelling that distance? Is it the type of industry where everyone does this? If not and you are the only one staying til 8pm then you are responsible for your own situation. There is no obligation on you to do these hours under the law. I appreciate what Stheno is saying re: contracts, but there are still laws in place regarding the maximum working week, rest periods and Sunday working.

This might be a good place to start researching:
https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/contract-working-hours

In the UK, if you don't get paid for Overtime, then when all your hours are taken into account you cannot be earning less than the national minimum wage. Also if you are working 21 days straight you are not getting your legal rest breaks

‘Weekly rest’
Workers have the right to an uninterrupted 24 hours without any work each week or 48 hours each fortnight.

So regardless of your contract stating if additional hours may be required, they cannot ignore their legal obligations.

However, if you wany anything to be done you will need to address this at work and speak with your boss. If it is a case that you are opting to work these crazy hours then you have no one to blame but yourself and need to learn to work smarter. If it is a case that you feel pressurised to work like this then you need to stand your ground and deal with it - if you let yourself be a doormat everyone will walk on you.

nlgbbbblth

It's bad enough working late on a weekday and not getting paid for the privilege. However sometimes it's necessary and can often work to your advantage [take the pressure off the next day etc]. On a long term basis it's something that you need to re-assess as it shouldn't become the norm. Can you perform more efficiently? Or "work better" as the other poster suggests.

However it's a totally different thing to give up your Saturday and work for nothing. What are other people in your office doing?

Fridge

Sometimes you can fall into a trap of working overtime on a regular basis while not managing your manager's expectations. If you don't say "It's not possible to undertake this work within the timeframe given and within working hours" then they accept that you're fine with it. It's not ideal that you should have to manage upwards, but then managers can see asking everyone if they're ok with everything as "babying" their employees.

He should be appreciative, but let's face it, many people don't think about others that much because they have enough on their plate. You have to look out for yourself. Say you can do the work, but for time off in lieu, if not overtime pay. Normally you get one or the other.