View Full Version : Just how much do you give?
When it comes to work and your approach to working late (officially unpaid, but perhaps getting those hours in lieu or other benefits) to get things done, how much do you give?
I aim for option 3, but all too often end up with option 6, so that's what I voted for.
Having said that, some weeks I'm sure I work under the stated hours, so it probably balances out somewhat.
I don't do overtime. It's not that I won't, I just never need to.
Chuckles
07-06-2009, 22:36
On normal days I'd do my regular hours, 9-5.30, perhaps even get in 20 mins late and leave 15 mins early.
During a project I'll do whatever is needed. Last month I was doing 30 hours a week overtime for 2 weeks - Without pay :(
Record to date is 7am - 1pm the next day!
I never do unpaid overtime but do a "moderate" amount of paid overtime each week and always do more as and when it is needed
Record to date is 7am - 1pm the next day!
I didn't think your work was legally allowed to let you do that sort of thing
Given my job as I was saying recently, you take the rough with the smooth. I've worked 80-90 hour weeks before now when the project has really needed it. I was in an impossible position though :( So I am very much:-
"Whatever it takes to get the job done, no matter how many hours"
Just finished doing 40mins work tonight. The reason? I am more productive when I don't have some PM droning on in my ear. Another reason is it is leverage when someone starts taking the proverbial with their demands (office politics) :)
I don't do overtime. It's not that I won't, I just never need to.
+1
I used to work late all the time. But now the powers that be are being bastards. So am in early and out on time, but only work the hours I am paid for.
The company (and my manager) have changed so much, I used to give it my all and now I realise that you just dont credit for it - so whats the point?
**** em!
BB x
We don't get paid overtime, we get time off in lieu but that's only ever claimed if we work weekends.
It goes both ways really, if I need to get in a couple of hours late because I've been to the doctors then I don't have to make the hours up, conversely if there's stuff that needs doing which means I have to stay late then that's fine as well.
Our shifts are set in stone, the only overtime we get is planned in advance to cover sickness and other people being on holiday.
I did 33 hours in 2 days last week which kinda prompted this thread - I started thinking about it and at this point in time I don't really mind working. I enjoy my job and I enjoy doing my job well and if that means more time there then I don't even think to grumble, it just gets done.
I cant think of a week in my working life where I haven't gone above and beyond without really realising it.
Davey_Pitch
07-06-2009, 23:17
I don't do overtime. It's not that I won't, I just never need to.
What he said.
The first weekend I worked for a security company, did something stupid like 70 hours in 4 days Sat-Mon. I slept for about 15 hours straight on the Tuesday.
Psymonkee
07-06-2009, 23:21
I don't do overtime as the management won't sign off on it :/
Chuckles
08-06-2009, 00:30
I didn't think your work was legally allowed to let you do that sort of thing
Probably not, it was an emergency rather than anything planned though.
Piggymon
08-06-2009, 07:24
I work on average an extra hour a day.. some days less, some days more ( without pay ) I take about 20 mins for lunch.
The workload is too much at the moment so I feel I have to stay later to try and get more work done so I'm not spending the first couple of hours of the next day trying to finish off from the day before and end up in a mess :/
It's really ******* me off :(
Kind of a "depends" answer for me now.
Obviously self employed at the moment, I would do absolutely any hours to get work sorted and done, although I try to draw the line and have a cut off point.
When working as a Teaching Assistant (one-to-one, "anger management" (I hate that expression), mentoring and group work with kiddies with behavioural difficulties), I would work however much overtime was required to ensure the kiddies had the best I could give them. I was paid next to nothing and wouldn't get time off in lieu. It was just... what I wanted to do. I wasn't going to give kiddies a half hearted session when to most of them it was one of their most important times in the week. They needed the best of me.
I think most of my previous positions I would always do overtime - generally whatever it takes to get things sorted... partially because I'm a perfectionist, mainly because most of my positions have been customer/public focused and therefore I'm relied on by lots of people who I don't want to let down. I guess progression in a position, pride and monies have played a factor too but not as much as the rest.
Equally, in my head, I don't want to let down my family/friends/other half down and therefore would try and keep a balance so I can find time to ensure I have fun and what not with them. Possibly at times meant burning the candle at both ends but I'm young and can still do that without proper keeling over!
As soon as I have dipped into any temp jobs to keep me going and what not, I rarely do overtime unless I'm paid. I'm not going to be there for long, it's generally not affected any public/people what I'm doing and the positions would have been mundane and non-challenging for me.
SidewinderINC
08-06-2009, 07:48
I never do unpaid overtime but do a "moderate" amount of paid overtime each week and always do more as and when it is needed
This.
I refuse to do overtime unless it's paid - I work to live, not live to work.
Last option. I don't get "overtime" I don't have contracted hours, I arrive when I want and leave when I want. Typically I do 11-12hrs a day though. I work to live, but sometimes you just need to get the job done and it' the industry I'm in, long hours is just part of it.
Justsomebloke
08-06-2009, 08:11
NEVER.
S'pose I'll have to do a bit to cover people on Holiday but it will be a Last resort.
My job is a Balance between Lots of Free time & Minimal hours at work, If it wasn't I wouldn't do it.
I ensure I get paid for any overtime I do (never usually more than 3-4 hours a month on average) but I tend to work through lunch and not claim for it. When you can eat and drink at your desk and have the internet to hand you tend to catch breaks throughout the day anyway.
Varies week to week. I try not to do overtime, but accept that sometimes it's necessary. I refuse to let other people pressure me into it though, when I do overtime it's my decision, esp. as I'm not paid for it.
Over the past couple of weeks leading up to a product launch I put in an extra 12 hours, but don't see that I'm going to need to do extra for a while now.
At Claranet in NOC I had a policy of "No Freebies". I worked in a 24x7 department, tickets were handed over to night shift to work on, and there was (in theory) nothing I was doing that they couldn't. Once I got into Sysadmin, things changed a little. If I was working on a platform and identified a problem that needed out of hours work, I'd do it. Occasionally that lead to some stupid weeks (I remember once doing 20 hours extra in a week and not being paid for it, just because it was necessary.)
IMO if the job requires regular overtime, they're not employing enough people and I'd rather force their hand than work it.
If I was hourly paid, I'd do overtime - but that would be to help facilitate paying off debts and saving up for things I like to spend money on. Yes there's more to life than work, but I get a lot of holiday time, and I don't work weekends or bank holidays so I quite like having the ability ot have a little extra.
I don't give them a second longer than I have do. I now find myself doing the bare minimum to get by. I've not gone as far as cutting corners or doing a half arsed job but I've lost any pride in my professional self. Guess that's what happens after slogging your guts out for over 10 years - you finally realise that they're a bunch of blood sucking leaches.
That's why I changed jobs. Ok so I'm still working hard, but I have more prospects here at least for my efforts.
I work it if I get time off in lieu or paid. Even then I don't do it really. I work as few days as possible. I'd rather configure my life to a basic wage than so many of the people I know that rely on it.
151 days at work a year is more than enough for me :)
Mine varies lots, often none, occasionally 20+ hours a week
If they didn't pay me though I wouldn't do it
Sometimes I leave on time even though there is still quite a lot that I could be doing. I don't get paid enough to bother and even if I did no one would notice - not had a 1-2-1 or appraisal in over a year!
semi-pro waster
08-06-2009, 13:28
I'm not quite in any of the categories above, I'll do overtime if it is needed and I can see a reason for it, generally I'd like to be paid for it since it is eating into my free time but depending on the reason I might not bother claiming. However if the overtime is consistently to make up for a lack of staff i.e. they haven't hired enough people to do the job properly then I'm highly unlikely to do it for more than a week or two because I don't want to get to the point where it is expected I will do overtime - the clue is in the name, it's over and above what I should be expected or am employed to do.
I'll answer emails from home, and have my work phone on. I have a sense of duty and I guess it makes my life easier when I go back to the office on Monday.
Flibster
08-06-2009, 13:53
I don't work for free.
If they pay me, I will work for however long they pay me for.
I don't answer emails from home and my work blackberry is set to automatically turn itself off in the evening. It isn't that I don't have a sense of duty but they don't pay me to work 24/7 so I don't.
I do it for myself rather than the company. Saves me a lot of crap. :)
I do bits and pieces most weekends (answer e-mails, catch up on invoices etc) and regularly work over. I have the habit of working until I've wrapped up a certain task enough, rather than when the clock hits 5. I don't get paid for it, but I do find it easier the next day to carry on if I've left it in a decent state.
I work for a small company, and I want us to succeed, so I pour everything I have into my job.
Kell_ee001
08-06-2009, 17:05
Since I have to make up any time I miss (not that I'm ever late, but if I have appointments etc) I don't work any unpaid overtime. I used to do regular 60+ hour weeks at my last 2 places though, although it was paid (at normal rate mind) but if a job needs doing and all that :)
6. Court deadlines and tight resourcing means that sometimes a job just needs doing, if it means, although rarely, working through the night and/or weekends then that's what has to be done. That said, although not paid overtime, we operate on a target/salary structure so if you exceed your target you get more money come review time - last couple of years have been a hard slog but can't complain, they pay us well and are very flexible with needing time off whenever necessary.
Day job - we get time back in lieu so I normally work 40 hours a week, but some days might be 10 hours, others 6. Previously I have just stayed at work til the job is done but other commitments mean I can't do that any more.
Teaching - I only get paid for the hours I teach, so lesson planning and marking are sone in my own time. I usually spend twice as much time as I get paid on my teaching work, but I get such a high hourly rate for it that I feel it is justified.
Pumpkinstew
08-06-2009, 22:29
In theory every hour I work has to be booked to a job at the end of the week. The site gets locked up at 5.30, so generally I'll put in the odd free half hour here and there.
Approved overtime is sometimes available and also has to get booked to ensure it contributes to the business metrics and, of course, my wage packet. ;)
It's not really possible to take my work home with me and there are regulations about lone working in the lab so that restricts how much I can do outside of my regular 37 working hours.
Well I work for myself so although overtime isn't official, it is certainly often the case.
As I charge hourly rates to clientele it is always paid, but further benefits me e.g. If I wish to undertake something outside of work all Thursday, then I can work through until midnight Wednesday in order to get things done etc.
The same goes for tying up jobs/undertaking work with more pressing timescales, without losing out financially. :)
I'm generally of the opinion that I would be happy to work overtime if it was to greatly benefit the situation/have substantial impact. However, if I worked on a low hourly rate/minimum wage for a company that didn't really 'give back', then I would probably not go too far out of my way.
There has to be a give/take situation. :)
Piggymon
09-06-2009, 18:07
Oh what a surprise.. I was meant to finish an hour ago but I'm still here .. will probably be here for another hour yet :/
Piggymon
09-06-2009, 19:34
*sigh* .. still here
SidewinderINC
09-06-2009, 19:52
I worked an hour and a half over tonght, just so that I didn't have to go home.
My boss knows this as I spent a good half hour talking to him about it, he's told me to claim it :s
LeperousDust
09-06-2009, 20:01
There isn't an option for i work any overtime i can get generally; but i most certainly work to be paid, since that's the kind of job i work, if i gave away free hours at revs i'd be a bit of a doormat...
Stan_Lite
09-06-2009, 20:33
When I'm on the rig, I'm technically contracted to work 12 hour shifts. The nature of my work, however, requires me to be available at any time in case of emergencies (I'm the head honcho for my team on the rig and if anything goes wrong, it's ultimately my responsibility to ensure the job runs smoothly).
Thankfully, I have a good team working for me and I rarely get turfed out of my bed to deal with problems - although it has happened on occasion.
I am rarely available for less than 14 hours per day due to meetings etc. but, at the end of the day, I get paid quite a good wage for the amount of work I actually do so it would be extremely short-sighted of me to complain about doing a few extra hours now and then.
I have heard a lot of people in the oilfield (I'm sure it's not isolated to my industry) complain about "not being paid enough because x gets paid £2k a year more than me" when, in reality, they are paid handsomely for doing very little work.
It's all relative.
I have to work 14 hour shifts every day for 28 days at a time when I'm on the rig and I occasionally get dragged out of my bed to sort out problems but, if I'm honest, I only actually work, on average, about 3 hours a day when I'm there and the other 165 days are mine to do as I please (I do check my e-mails every day I'm home in case my back-to-back needs some help). My conscience would not allow me to attempt to claim extra pay for working extra hours when I spend so many hours of my day idly.
If I spent every hour at work being productive and busy, I wouldn't hesitate to claim extra but I don't - not by a long way - so I won't ;)
I realise my position is somewhat different from others, in that, I'm basically captive whilst on the rig and it doesn't really matter how many hours I work, I'm there anyway and working extra hours in no way impacts on my free time. I do think, however, that there are far too many people who show a high level of intractability and easily forget about the two, three or four hours they skived off earlier when asked to do a bit extra to help out.
Piggymon
09-06-2009, 20:36
Aaaaand I'm home .. finally :/
Stan_Lite
09-06-2009, 20:40
Aaaaand I'm home .. finally :/
:woot:
................and chill, let Jamie pour you a glass of wine and put your pretty little feet up ;)
Piggymon
09-06-2009, 20:53
Don't really drink wine but he made me din dins :D
Going to have a chat with my managers tomorrow.. had enough of constantly working over my hours :(
Are you being paid at least? If not then definitely something to stop - if they've noticed and expect it that's out of order. If they haven't noticed, it's out of order. If they've noticed and want to help you reduce your hours, then that's a good sign.
I have an over inflated sense of duty and ergo a bit of mug and work too hard with nothing in return - sounds like you're similar, but you're not a mug, you just work hard :p
Piggymon
09-06-2009, 21:04
It's noticed, I get the odd thank you but absolutely no pay and no effort from them to help stop it... That's why I need to talk to them about it tomorrow, I've had enough of it.
Meant to go to Muay Thai tonight, class started at 7pm and I'm still in work, fedup of it messing up my personal plans .. I'm an order processer ffs... if I was a manger I could understand it.
I am a mug to let it carry on :/
i know the feeling Sinead. I *hate* cancelling personal plans. I've become a bit more defiant. I don't get to work earlier than 630-700 anymore, and never leave much after 1730. However if you're not getting paid, then after speaking to your bosses I reckon some lieu time should be offered, or at least some form of PRP to reflect your dedication and hours.
I mean the odd bit of extra work to make your life easier is understandable, but constant excesses is OTT.
Good luck. Not that I'm an expert, but if you want to run through it with me give me a call - I have to deal with sort of thing daily, and I have a powerful union to deal with too :/
Well, I am still in work...
Got to love deadlines for EXTREMELY important clients, especially when things that are piss easy and should just work absolutely wont. Good times, its a good thing I am young!
EDIT: I didnt even leave the office complex for lunch, which means that I wont have left the building for 32+ hours when I come to go home \o/
Weirdo. :p
I'm still here...32 hours and counting!
vBulletin® v3.7.4, Copyright ©2000-2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.