Managing ever increasing workload

Acc72

Hello All,

I have a problem at work that is becoming increasingly common - my workload is increasing, and resources are decreasing (ie. leavers are not replaced).

My bosses attitude is to work harder and for longer (I am paid a salary and not paid any overtime). My boss is happy to do this and expects the same from me.

Although I have been doing this, we are approaching a particularly busy time and my boss has already indicated that I will be expected to do more work.

As I do not just want to continually work more and more hours, how have others handled this situation ?

My worry is that if I work 10 hours per day this will grow into 11, 12, 13 hours etc. where / how will this end ?

Southend1

What does your contract say about working hours?

LiveOnce

Check your contract.

Search for another job where a company has more resources.

getmore4less

one way is to push back slowly to start with
have things you have to do, talk about TOIL.

we cant get all this done we need to prioritize or get help, make sure you are not doing other peoples stuff or stuff that has no real value.

the other issue that will creep up is no time to take holidays.

is the boss a real "boss" or just next up a chain?

Acc72

getmore4less wrote: »

one way is to push back slowly to start with
have things you have to do, talk about TOIL.

we cant get all this done we need to prioritize or get help, make sure you are not doing other peoples stuff or stuff that has no real value.

the other issue that will creep up is no time to take holidays.

is the boss a real "boss" or just next up a chain?

This is what I am trying to do - it is the "pushing back" that I am having difficulty with.

I know that his answer will be to work later or to work weekend, which I do not want to do.


Ps - my contract is regular office hours Monday to Friday, with the usual "additional as and when required" type clause ....

[Deleted User]

I had exactly the same issue, as you say this is increasingly common. Mine got so bad it ended up 14- 16 hours a day, mainly down to people leaving and not being replaced. My boss kept saying give it another month/ we're looking to hire etc...and never materialised. Only realised the hugely detrimental effect on my health, friendships, sanity when I resigned. A weight was lifted knowing an end was in sight. Boss only started hiring after several more people left. Sad thing was, bosses could see how stressed and unhappy everyone was but just wouldn't (couldn't?) make the changes to help people out. My new job is totally opposite, caring managers who understand work life balance!

Jinx

I would ask the next time you get a task is 'when do you need it by, as I have x, y, z already to do, is this more important?'

I do this with my boss - it allows her to know exactly what I have outstanding (she knows my job but sometimes things are pressing)and if she reprioritises with me she then knows all the timelines are adjusted in line.

Re the weekend working response I would just say I have plans and not elaborate. I can live with the odd early start or late finish but will not work weekends it would have to be exceptional and a one-off. Work/life balance def comes into play here.

claret_mike

I probably respond to about 5 -10 emails per day. I try and do this first thing in the morning - will check again at lunch and then around 60 mins before the end of the day.

I find that 90% of emails received are there because someone else is sending you information which requires no action by me or has given the sender satisfaction of passing a task on, which creates a chain of people passing requests on.

I know what my priorities are and i get on with those. I will wait for someone to pick up the phone to me to see if I have managed to deal with that query/piece of work they emailed me if its not been on my priority list. Once I get that, I will do it but I tend to find that its very rare that follow up call ever comes.

I know it won't be the same in every job but I get very anti-email at times because where the person is in the office, we have better communication methods available, like phone, IM or face to face.

Only once I have got what I want to get done, will I start looking at the other emails.

In the last 12 months of taking this approach, I was worried that I would get pulled up for this and I have not, in fact, I have been praised for my hard work, productivity and trusted to get on with things without the need for micro management.

Don't work longer. Don't work harder. Work smarter. Set your working hours. Take a break - even if it's 20 mins. The time away from the desk will actually help give you clarity of thought as you get time to take a step back.

Use your diary to create your work lists and If you get to the point of your manager stating they are concerned with level of work, then you have evidence of what you have been doing and it should open up productive discussions. I am quite confident that until things start to not work do people pay attention. If you are simply covering up these issues, no action will ever get taken until you are ill or at a point of leaving.

Acc72

Thanks All - some good points.