MadMac

Right this is something that's causing me a BIG problem recently.

Some of you know I work on a specialist team for a bank, I am one of seven people who do this job and despite having a few different jobs within the industry, this one is by far the most difficult. Not because the work in necessarily tough, its just because there is so much work. (Who said banks weren't lending any money don't work on my team!)

I can work from 8am through to 7pm at night every night of the week and its still not enough to get through everything I need to do. Now I don't mind putting in the hours that's for sure.

But its the constant abuse from customers who expect everything to be done yesterday.
The fact that the team should be twice the size it is and we are not getting any more staff.

I go to bed and lie there thinking about what I have to do the next day until 2/3am and then I wake up in the middle of the night and the first thing in my head is a customers name. So I may get about 3 hours of broken sleep a night.

And now, its starting to do me in, and my Mrs is suffering for it too.

But there is nothing I can do about it except put in 55-60 hour weeks for no extra pay over my 35 hour week. We aint gonna get more people, I'm gonna continue to get abuse.

So I guess I am reaching out here, but does anyone have any hints and tip on how just to switch off? How I can stop thinking about work all the time

cossie4i+

iTrader: (15)

I go to work to get away from stress

Im sorry but i wouldn't work longer than my hours unless i was being paid.

Just try and leave your work head at work and chill when you get home.

Steve

JohnnyB

I used to do it mate, a guy at work I was talking to about just said "FUCK THEM", work you hours and thats it!!!!

work hard and show it, but at 5:30 walk away FUCK THEM.

Cossy Chris

I agree I would not work over what my working week is unless getting paid for it.

gaz4x4cos

as the man says , some things are more important than work don't let family life suffer!

DanRSturbo

I talk about work for a maximum of 5 mins when I get home, usually if my boss has pissed me off, of if something is very humerous. I've been through stress and anxiaty through work and in the end I thought, why am I getting stressed out about some other cunts business ? What don't get done at 5.30 don't get done, simple as that really.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

i feel for yu mate, i really do

i go to work for 6am and, if i'm lucky, i'll get home before the kids are asleep again, but soemtiems i'm at work til gone 9pm, and still got to be in for 6am the next morning, plus i have to work saturdays to catch up with everything that's gone wrong in the week

ANd my phones got to be n all the time, i'm on call so i can't drink, can't be too far away, etc, etc because there are normally Łx millions of worth of stuff that needs to be looked after

only the other week i told them to get fucked as i was only getting paid 48 hours for all this work and most weeks i was putting in 65+ hours and they shit themselves because no one can do the work i do because i've been there 9 years and if you've only got 1 minutes worth of experience it's going to take at least 18 months to get into the swing of things

so they are making some consesions and things may work out, but if they don't, i've got the option to walk away, if you haven't they you may be a bit more fucked

talk to the boss about it and look at your options

dazoriginal

by law you are only permitted to work 48 hrs maximum
unless you have agreed to do more
stress can damage your health therefore i would talk /speak this over
with who ever be in charge cause until you do this it will eat away at you
best luck mate

MadMac

Jesus, mine dont seem so bad now

Problem is, I take a lot of pride in my work, when my customers are happy, I'm happy, but there is so much work going on everything is taking ages to do, I try and concentrate on what I need to do and someone give me something else, its a never ending cycle.

I really dont want to leave the company, I have put the last 4 years of hard work building my career in that place and now this.

Just dunno what to do. I have a Mrs to look after, a mortgage and bills to pay, so quitting isn't an option.

dug112y

iTrader: (1)

hmmm get a new job time.....you come across at good at your job so get a new one.......... WORK TO LIVE MATE NOT LIVE TO WORK..........think about it.nothing stops you looking for a new job while doing your current one.

cfoster

Who is it you work for mate? Dont they have a procedure in place regarding hours worked etc?

LHD220Turbo

iTrader: (4)

coming from a similar industry, i know what its like

best way i find to switch off is as follows (it might seem a little cheesey):

before you leave work at night right down what you need to do the next day in priority order

when you get home have dinner with the Mrs and try not to talk about anything work related.

stay away from the PC & TV about an hour before bed and read a book or mag instead

best to try and get into a routine; but ultimatley you need to do less hours

fuzzy

im responsible for a large squad of joiners and labourers building a Ł16million 102 flat development.
i find punching cyclists helps enormously with the stress.

dojj

iTrader: (3)

thing is, if i leave, the guys who work under me are going to get mega fucked, and all the agency staff that i sign off are going to be without jobs, the whole place will suffer, with me throwing my proverbial toy sout the pram for 3 days it cost them around a milloin quids worth of undelivered stuff, so if someone dies it's going to be on my consience

but i pride myself in the ability to be able to solve every problem that they drop into my lap, what i told them was that i was being taken for granted and everything changed

take some tiem off with stress and see what they do

andy escos

iTrader: (1)

i do not do a minutes over time cos they expect me to do it at flat rate so at 4pm im out the door whether the jobs done or not then i get home & have a few beers then cut some thing off my car ,i find working on the car is very relaxing maybe you should take up a hobby to get your mind off it

fuzzy

i also like to get my tools out and do some proper joinery work when everyones gone home. its relaxing on a empty site.

Jessica.

i work in banking aswell and found it difficult to switch off after work thinking about arsehole customers. as other people have said... do your contracted hours then get the fook out. your bosses will soon realise how little theyve appreciated what youve done for them and hopefully try n hire more people to ease the workload.

either that or get a doctors note for 6 weeks off due to stress n see how they cope without ya!

fuzzy

things is if they cope well without you you'll have made yourself dispensable.

St3V3_C

Masturbate.

HTH

Ellie

You have to draw a line somewhere, and if the situation isnt going to change ( lack of staff/amount of work) then you just have to try to accept that and stop taking it all onto your shoulders. Stop caring so much.
For some people thats easy, but if you cant actually change anything then you will only end up making yourself stressed and ill. And, in the great scheme of things, is it really worth it?
Can understand where you're coming from though, but do your bit to the best of your ability and then leave it at the door. At 5.30.

fordsportjay

iTrader: (6)

im self employed,have a largish mortgage,the usual loans etc,mrs works part time,my business premises cost a fortune,.....
i have to make a lot just to cover my outgoings,let alone my wages.i just never seem to be able to switch off-constantly scouring the net at night for cars to buy as well as during the day stuff-selling cars,collecting cars,preparing cars for sale.
at the moment things are quiet,things not selling like they did so i feel under constant pressure-constant headaches,short tempers with family etc.
its not like i could walk into a job and keep selling cars on the side as there are no jobs,(especially as im almost 40) so i HAVE to keep working to pay the bills.
my mrs is on about going back to full time employment but again,nothing available at mo..........
i so wish i could just walk in at night and switch off-ive tried-but for some reason i just cannot seem to do it.

cfoster

If its a high street bank you work for it may be worth considering a move to an Investment Bank, or the Investment Bank sector of a high street bank. Would be a lot less stress, no customer facing stuff etc and you can pretty much do your own hours so long as you dont take the piss!!

392B.H.P.SAFF

Been there done that and if push comes to shove mate they wont think twice about getting rid of you,

I worked for a huge company responsible for over 22 men on the floor our hours were stupid start at 6am still be in work at 9pm.
Used to bring work home with me which is bad as it starts to affect your life at home.

Cut a long story short company took on a new director, spent most of the company's money on a local football team which in turn made all us out of a job, i didn't get a thankyou or nothing after all the blood and sweat i put in to achieve targets.

Learned a very valuable lesson from it do your hours and leave unless they are willing to pay you for the overtime, if you have a contract check it regarding overtime if it does not mention then do your hours and leave, i know its harsh but they cant do nothing as you are abiding your contract of employment.

MadMac

I would love too except all my experience in front line business and commercial banking. I wouldn't even know where to start getting into that area of banking.

MadMac

At the same time mate, I bet when the time comes and its good I bet you make a reasonable living off of it. But yeah I dont envy you people who are self employed.

MadMac

I really wish I could, but thats the thing, they wouldn't cope without me, we have a person on holiday at the moment and its crazy.

People depend on me to do my job for their businesses. Quite literally, if I fuck up, business can go bust.

MadMac

I know what you mean, 124 property purchase have passed under my nose in the last week, total value Ł30,000,000 and about half a million in fees and yeah, sometimes I really do feel they dont care.

Problem is, I have 4 years of my career, my money in bank shares (worth fuck all now ) and my pension, everything in my financial life is tied up with this company.

I don't know.

Mk1-stu

If that's the case then your boss should be made aware that you're getting stressed about it - after all, you don't want to be the one responsible for someone else's company going tits up do you ! do your contracted hours and then leave, have a pint or whatever you like to do to chill out (if you can remember what it's like to chill out of course) and don't talk about work at home !

Either that, or work out how many extra hours in the last month you've worked and slap an invoice on your bosses desk - telling him that you've worked those hours, so you want paying for them. They'll either stump up the cash or you'll get your social life back !

fordsportjay

iTrader: (6)

i dont honestly think it will ever come good now and i havent been in the game long enough to reap the rewards.
my problem was that i love cars,so half my stuff was always cars I wanted to drive with the excuse i was selling them anyway.but because they were bought for me ina round about way there was never much money,if any in them!
ive always said it-im a car enthusiast-not a businessman(unfortunately!).maybe if i had a business brain i would have cash in the bank,house paid off etc and maybe then no stress!

Psycho Warren

iTrader: (5)

Your situation is unsustainable, you have limits and you will continue to get stressed, relationships will suffer, things get worse until you actually become mentally ill and then it will all go horribly pear shaped!!!

you dont want that!! Take it from someone whos been there!! Sure i have other things contributing to me going nuts but it was ultimately work stress that "broke me".

you may not even notice the transition from being well but stressed to being unwell, but it will eventually happen. Some people drink, some people do drugs, some people get angry, some withdraw, some do self harm, so go as far as suicide, or a combination of things.

Ultimately its in your companys interests if your a valued employee that you dont go nuts with stress as not only will your productivity decrease but if your off sick your productivity will be zero!

Id think you need to be talking with your bosses about this kind of stuff. At the very least then you are informing your boss things arent well and then for them to do nothing means that if it goes pete tong you can at least stand a good chance of getting them under health and safety

If they are a company that doesnt give a shit about you because you are expendable and easily replaceable then sadly you have little choice but to cut the overtime and hope you dont get sacked while trying to look for alternative work.
6 weeks is a bit much maybe a week should do it. But dont leave it until your broken because once you go, you wont want to come back

GTi-R23

I'm a bit stressed at the mo, always getting hassled to achieve silly targets, never ending cycle of work and problems to sort out, wake up in the night thinking about a project, it's hard going and not a nice situation.

Your statement above is not strictly true though, you work for a company and it is them that carry the risk of a business going bust, not you personally. I try to distance myself from the end client and never let any emotion or empathy get in the way, it sounds to me like you actually care too much, which isn't normally a bad thing, but if it's stressing you out and affecting family life, then you need to be a bit more cold hearted and look after number one. That's been my approach the last few weeks, I've been working hard but not doing stupid overtime to get everything finish, if jobs get left, then that isn't my fault, but my company understaffing.

Sounds like you need to have a one on one with your manager and explain that even with all your best efforts, there is simply too much work for you to do.

In terms of trying to wind down, I recommend getting a couple of hobbies, read some books, anything for a bit of escapism really, dark nights don't help otherwise I'd say go for a long walk with the mrs too.

Just gotta try to remember that you're only here once, and life's too short to give a shit

cossimc

iam a self employed mechanic i have to be a partsman,mechanic,receptionist,cleaner i also have a damanding customer base they too want everything done last week and when ur working on the cosworth range that is very stressfull especially when i have car ocd takes longer to do my job coz i like it better than right lol that aside i no exactly how you feel its hard for me as reputation is everything in this game 0151 424 4488 c & t garage

Iain Mac

Warrenpanalver is right - if you let this situation go on it will only get worse.

I walked away froma very well paid job because I wanted my life back, had a few months off and got the job I'm in now - it's about half the money but (sadly) it is becoming just as full-on and I don't have any savings left to let me walk away now.

You need to tell your boss that you are struggling and want to talk to someone in HR about the situation. In a team of 7 it could be worth finding out how many others feel the same and are willing to speak up. If the loss of one body is bad, three or more threatening to walk could be disastrous! Unfortunately, bringing new staff in could lead to a temporary increase in work while you train the newbies but longer-term it could be worthwhile.

When speaking to HR, you might ask if they run an Employee Assistance Programme. My wife works for an EAP provider and their clients pay them to provide counselling to those employees who need help on personal and business related problems, like drink/drug addiction, marital problems, stress, bereavement etc. (She's in admin, she doesn't do the counselling!)

Talking to someone who isn't part of your firm means you can be very open because what yoy say won't be reported back without your permission, and the advise can be personal and relevant to you - not someone singing the company song.

focusrrx87

Mary Jane

nealo

I think your a bit fucking mad in the head if your working a 55-60 hour week and getting paid 35 hours pay?????

I work 43.5 hours a week, i do 7.30-5 monday-thursday and at 445 each day the tools go down thats pack up time and fuck off home. on friday i work 7.30-3 and at 245 the tools go down and its pack up time and fuck off for the weekend.

dont get tangled up with work, you work to live, not live to work.

Jimbo.

Its just about getting that balance right, easier said than done though!

I've recently graduated and have been fortunate enough to land myself a job as CAD Engineer at company 3 miles from my place. We are quite understaffed though in our team and a few times now i've been there working through the night to make sure the work is done in time. Already i am finding myself thinking about what im going to be doing the next day, it seems my days of being a student have long gone

skypeller

i havent read this entire post but i agree with the 'FUCK EM' approach im only 23 years old but i frequently use such a phrase because i became quite heavily effect (depressed if you like) due to work pressure and i didnt think i would be able ot shake off the horrible feeling of not sleeping or worrying and getting ill or being spaced out for weeks... i cant even explain how bad it was, not even slightly, but i kid you not it just went overnight... i suddnely fealt fine like my brain let it go and i had started from square one like nothing had gone wrong at all and now i still work at the same place as happy as ever 2 years on from then

recently graduated as a HNC mechanical maintenance engineer

cfoster

Unfortunately if you say 'FUCK EM' in the kind of trade he is in they will quite happily tell you to 'FUCK OFF' so it swings roundabouts. We have some people at my company (investment bank) who work silly hours (not in my team), they dont get paid overtime but are very career driven, want results etc. For me though 8-4 / 9-5 all the way!!

stuboy

i get paid for 4x12 hrs and unless requested at 7am7pm im outta there

Coldo

I work in sales, which = targets, commission, stress, pressure etc...

I fucking hate it now to be honest. I can't plan for the future as i dont know how long i'll have a job, sales are down, bosses want more, feel like i cant win. So when i go home at night, i think about work/get stressed out, which all affects my motivation, which in turn, means i can't be fucked at work, miss sales etc...! Never ending circle.

However, over the last month or so, i've adopted the "fuck it" attitude. Go to work, mon-fri 9-5, try my best, if its not good enough then who cares. Work to live, not live to work. I'm sure your missus is more important than your job?

Work is now last priority. 1st is being happy and doing stuff i like - lifting weights, shagging burds, socialising, family, playing COD, browsing the internet etc etc....!!!

If i lose my job then i'll get another one, always worked something out in the past so i will when the time comes again!

Just chill and do your 35hours, if anyone asks, just say you have other commitments outside work that take up your time. Doing overtime when asked (and paid!) is fine though, if thats what you want.