To Do Unpaid Overtime And Maybe Feel Taken Advantage Of Or Get Stressed Because I'm Falling Behind With My Work.

[K9Fran]

If you look back over other threads, there has been some 'issues' between my boss and I over the fact that I often work 10/20 or even 30 mins + at the end of a day to get a job finished most days a week. Sometimes this is due to being requested to do the job late in the day, sometimes it's for my own personal satisfaction - I prefer to finish a job once I start it and feel stressed if I can't. My stress levels earlier this year led to depression (for which I am still being treated) and 2 weeks sick leave, from which I've only just caught up (by working overtime, which has totalled nearly a full working week)

 

My boss has now said no more overtime unless it's authorised.

 

Would it be reasonable to offer to do unpaid overtime for my own satisfaction and stress levels, so long as it's appreciated and recognised in some way. Part of me doesn't want to feel taken advantage of and the other part of me wants to be able to do a good job.

 

Additionally, we have recently moved offices, which has greatly reduced my travel time - giving me an extra 20 mins a day, and my computer has been up graded from being the oldest machine in the office as well as being the server, so tasks should take me less time anyway....

 

Thanks

Edited August 22, 2010 by K9Fran

[merledogs]

TBH I think anybody who gets paid overtime these days is lucky. People (myself included) often do overtime these days without it being paid, even if it's only working through lunch (would that be an option for you, to take half hour instead of an hour?)

[Fee]

It's a difficult one, I've always tended in all my jobs to stay on if I need to meet a deadline or finish something important or if there's some sort of crisis - eg someone else off sick who's work has to be covered. On the other hand I would nowadays resist getting into the habit of staying late every night just to get my basic job done, it very quickly becomes expected and is rarely (imo) appreciated.

 

If your day to day workload is too much to fit into your paid hours, and if you are confident that you are working efficiently and managing your time well, then your job is under resourced. You shouldn't, for instance, be working late because you have a crappy slow computer that wastes an hour of your day every single day - but companies being what they are that will probably never be fixed so long as you are masking the problem by doing unpaid overtime to compensate..

 

 

I'd also expect that if I'm going to be flexible about working extra hours if needed, then the company should reciprocate within reason if I ever need to take an hour out to go to the dentist or a school parent's meeting or whatever.

 

 

[blackmagic]

It's a difficult one, I've always tended in all my jobs to stay on if I need to meet a deadline or finish something important or if there's some sort of crisis - eg someone else off sick who's work has to be covered. On the other hand I would nowadays resist getting into the habit of staying late every night just to get my basic job done, it very quickly becomes expected and is rarely (imo) appreciated.

 

If your day to day workload is too much to fit into your paid hours, and if you are confident that you are working efficiently and managing your time well, then your job is under resourced. You shouldn't, for instance, be working late because you have a crappy slow computer that wastes an hour of your day every single day - but companies being what they are that will probably never be fixed so long as you are masking the problem by doing unpaid overtime to compensate..

 

 

I'd also expect that if I'm going to be flexible about working extra hours if needed, then the company should reciprocate within reason if I ever need to take an hour out to go to the dentist or a school parent's meeting or whatever.

 

 

wot she said.

[K9Fran]

wot she said.

 

Thanks Peeps. hubby is an IT guy and says that trying to do my job on a machine which is also working as a server is going to be like trying to run through treacle,so I'm hoping this change will give me the time back I need to be able to work more effectively.

 

I forgot to add, a 3rd member of staff was taken on just over a year ago, and turnover has doubled, but I'm still the only person doing post sales support and accounts.

Edited August 22, 2010 by K9Fran

[safneo]

I voted for number 1 but with 'being appreciated-but not expected as the norm'!

 

I work over sometimes as necessary for my own workload as I am the only one left doing everything. The same as I book my holidays for when it suits wy workload not when it suits me. Having said that, it is appreciated when I stay behind, well by my direct boss anyway. I wouldnt like it to be expected to be the norm though which effectively means they are paying you less by the hour than your thought you were getting. Not to mention that fact that you took part-time hours for a reason! I suppose it might be a case of 'if you do it, they will let you?'

[kats n greys]

If it's anything like where I work, the more you do the more the expect, when people collapse they then treat them like sh1t and don't learn.

 

Unfortunately people give and the respect which should be a two way event is not there.

 

The ones who earn the respect where I work are those that won't put themselves out or those who have obvious brown noses.

[chickentikka]

Not to mention that fact that you took part-time hours for a reason!

 

Where I work those who are part time can do their exact hours and nothing is said.............but those who are full time are expected to put in that bit more to get the job done if needed. Sometimes I know I have had a 'slow day' when things have taken me longer than they should and so I'll just stay late/get in early cos it's not my employers fault that I'm only firing on half a cylinder however equally I can slope off a bit early on the odd day and not feel guilty at all. It's just give and take.

[jacqui d]

Is there a way you can mark your extra time as toil then take it as paid time off when you can, that what i do at work ad it often builds up to a day or two off when i need it most.

[ranirottie]

I have never minded doing overtime if it was not taken for granted and appreciated but if it is causing stress or you are being walked over then the answer is "I can't do overtime as I have an appointment" every third time you are asked Good luck x

[K9Fran]

Is there a way you can mark your extra time as toil then take it as paid time off when you can, that what i do at work ad it often builds up to a day or two off when i need it most.

 

Yes, that was what I was doing, but the opportunity to actually take the TOIL was never there - there was always something which needed doing, or somebody else in the office off/sick, so when my boss asked how much I was owed, it was nearly a whole working week......

 

I'm taking a few days annual leave now, but I've left on time (well, within 10 mins) both days this week.

[ranirottie]

its always hard to know when to stick up for yourself or when to just sigh and take it on the chin. You may be worse off out of work x

[Laurel n Hardy]

I used to do longer hours as the work was piling up around us, but we got paid overtime, both during the week, and on saturday and sunday. This meant i was working 7 days a week and earning quite a bit on o/t.

 

As soon as they stopped it and only authorised the occasional saturday or sunday i stopped it all together.

 

I get paid for the hours I am contracted to work, and thats that as far as i am concerned. I work hard enough while I am there, as soon as they stop paying me I head out the door and go home.

 

Loyalty works both ways, your manager could give you the odd day off in leu, as a show off appreciation for all the extra work you do, and have they ?