Work Work Work Work Work

[Grays_1890]

Sounds like that perception game to me.

Let them see you in the pub with a coffee or OJ a few times and see how things change...

Not that Im saying you should - but I bet if you do then it would!

But thats interesting, because sometimes I would and have been in the pub having a coffee and just conversing with people I enjoy the company of. Does not always have to be drink related. But I have never been and never will be one to go "Ohhh I was in the pub today and had a coffee" or self publicise.

Its funny how people view things, really funny.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

And annoying!

 

[Moby]

Possible Mid life crisis alert.....

I quit a 6 figure salary job in January for a role elsewhere on 25% less basic but on the premise it would me happier and more fulfilled.

It didn’t. It was brick. I resigned last week.

I don’t have a job to go to.

Oh well, you need to take a risk every so often I guess. I’m only bothered about spending time with my little boy and little girl who is 1 next week. Wow, time flies. It’s quality time with them though and that’s what counts. Especially as I’m an older dad.

May have to move this to the mental health thread later but thought I’d start here anyway.

:-/

 

[Daisuk]

Possible Mid life crisis alert.....

I quit a 6 figure salary job in January for a role elsewhere on 25% less basic but on the premise it would me happier and more fulfilled.

It didn’t. It was brick. I resigned last week.

I don’t have a job to go to.

Oh well, you need to take a risk every so often I guess. I’m only bothered about spending time with my little boy and little girl who is 1 next week. Wow, time flies. It’s quality time with them though and that’s what counts. Especially as I’m an older dad.

May have to move this to the mental health thread later but thought I’d start here anyway.

:-/

Find another job. You'll find something you like eventually. I finally quit my job of six years last month, started a new job, and while it's not perfect (what job is?), it's a different world to my old job.

 

[Moby]

Find another job. You'll find something you like eventually. I finally quit my job of six years last month, started a new job, and while it's not perfect (what job is?), it's a different world to my old job.

Cheers bro. That’s kinda my ‘plan’ really.

I’m in no rush and want to find the right thing (being in sales means you have to accept a certain amount of clamery with the territory sadly). The hard bit is zoning out the stress of the little voice telling me I need to take a job quickly. I don’t! Shut up and let me do diy, go to the gym and play with my kids!

 

[Glenda's Legs]

Cheers bro. That’s kinda my ‘plan’ really.

I’m in no rush and want to find the right thing (being in sales means you have to accept a certain amount of clamery with the territory sadly). The hard bit is zoning out the stress of the little voice telling me I need to take a job quickly. I don’t! Shut up and let me do diy, go to the gym and play with my kids!

Yes, take your time if it’s an option. I was made redundant at the end of last year. I deliberately gave myself 4 months off before I’d even let myself think about looking for a new job. It was the first time I hadn’t been in work for 30 years and it has just been wonderful being away from all the stress and politics etc. So much so that the 4 months extended to 6 months. Unfortunately the bank balance won’t sustain it much longer and I’ve just started applying. Much to Mr GL’s relief who was getting worried I was becoming far too comfortable in my ‘temporary’ role as a lady of leisure.

But seriously, life is so fast and hectic and full of pressures from all angles that if you can manage some time out, take it, tell that little voice where to go* and don’t feel guilty about it.

*assuming that “little voice” isn’t your wife I don’t want to be encouraging discord!

 

[Daisuk]

Cheers bro. That’s kinda my ‘plan’ really.

I’m in no rush and want to find the right thing (being in sales means you have to accept a certain amount of clamery with the territory sadly). The hard bit is zoning out the stress of the little voice telling me I need to take a job quickly. I don’t! Shut up and let me do diy, go to the gym and play with my kids!

Oh, absolutely! Check out Tom hodgkinson's excellent book "how to be free" to feel good about that decision! It's a lovely read, I've probably read it 6 or 7 times whenever I feel the modern day pressure getting to me.

 

[Trixster]

Yes, take your time if it’s an option. I was made redundant at the end of last year. I deliberately gave myself 4 months off before I’d even let myself think about looking for a new job. It was the first time I hadn’t been in work for 30 years and it has just been wonderful being away from all the stress and politics etc. So much so that the 4 months extended to 6 months. Unfortunately the bank balance won’t sustain it much longer and I’ve just started applying. Much to Mr GL’s relief who was getting worried I was becoming far too comfortable in my ‘temporary’ role as a lady of leisure.

But seriously, life is so fast and hectic and full of pressures from all angles that if you can manage some time out, take it, tell that little voice where to go* and don’t feel guilty about it.

*assuming that “little voice” isn’t your wife I don’t want to be encouraging discord!

Exactly this.
I quit my old job of 18yrs in June 2010 and gave myself four months off because I deserved it to relax and chill out. Was the first time I have ever been able to watch a world cup in full Moved to Prague at the start of August and had two months to just explore properly and get drunk (ish, was with future misses) before getting a job sorted out.

Was it strange not being in work, hell yes but I would take a break again if I was in the same situation.
Thankfully Czech Republic is a lot less hassle free and a more steadier way of life than the UK and being in Central Europe is a boon for the extended weekend breaks away.

@Jon - Spend time with the family and enjoy yourself, don't feel guilty for one second. When you want to get back into the rat-race you'll be able to do so, just at your own leisure.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Cheers bro. That’s kinda my ‘plan’ really.

I’m in no rush and want to find the right thing (being in sales means you have to accept a certain amount of clamery with the territory sadly). The hard bit is zoning out the stress of the little voice telling me I need to take a job quickly. I don’t! Shut up and let me do diy, go to the gym and play with my kids!

 

[Grays_1890]

Good luck on the move, I took a risk by telling my boss I wanted out without handing in my resignation. Set a marker down on it all and lets them know and I have a beer tonight with a potential new job.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

I never saw my grandfathers and neither did my kids see theirs and I was positive that wasn't going to happen again in my family so I planned to retire early, I'm lucky that I had a reasonably well paid job and was able to agree a package when I retired at 55. It's been a great 20 years being able to do what I want to do when I want to do it and sobering to see 3 of my closest friends and peers at work passing away within 5 years of me leaving.

 

[Jurgen the German]

My manager, many jobs ago, made a point of everything being about perception.

A lesson I learned the hard way through him.

Take the scenario.
I work hard and efficiently, get an absolute tonne done, but have a casual attitude and am generally a very happy go lucky chap.

The girl next to me, utter sourpuss, is as slow as a wet weekend. She dithers and dallies and does everything the long way. As a result she ends up coming in early and staying late. Literally because she just isnt very good.

I get twice as much done as her in a day, turn up and go home on time.

She was the star pupil, bonuses, promotions, employee of the month type stuff.

I was permanently "You're doing well but..." "I need more from you" "Im worried about your attitude"

All because of perception.

I believe he was fundamentally wrong, and should have had the insight to see the amount of work I got through and the quality of it. Especially by comparison to her.

However, ultimately that didnt matter - he was the boss and impressions was all he was worried about.

I moved on from there and worked with a guy who was an absolute legend and saw things how they were. I love him to bits to this day and have had two jobs since! He told me the old boss actually warned him about me and my attitude when he offered me the job, can you believe it?

My manager at my last job was at the same level as me, then she got promoted. To be fair, she worked her arse off and absolutely deserved it. But she was only young (24) and had no clue about how to talk to and actually manage people which is what being a manager is partly about. I would come in to do overtime and she would grill me saying “you started at 8:00 but didn’t send an email till 8:15”. Sorry I didnt realise sending emails is the only way to work.

Amazes me how many managers and organisations in general put little or no emphasis on managing people and treating them right. I’ve had managers who got results but tinkled people off and most of them left because of it. The point is you can get the same/if not better results if you actually treated people well. I’ve only been at my current company for 4 months but so far I’m really enjoying it and my manager is a really nice guy but he’s on top of everything as well despite currently being in the middle of a divorce.

I would go to the end of the earth for managers who I like and respect. Those I don’t respect won’t get any more out of me than the standard. Treating people like crap doesn’t make me work faster to prove a point. If anything it makes me work slower.

 

[Jurgen the German]

So today I was on my lunch eating at my desk, one of the directors called me and I didn’t answer the phone, he then saw I was eating and said give me a shout when you’re done or words to that effect. Another few mins goes by, I put my phone on DND, he then summons me into one of the meeting rooms and says “I expect you to call me back when I call you”. Bear in mind I was still on lunch. He’d also emailed me and asked me to call him “immediately” but I didn’t see the email as I had locked my screen. I apologised for not calling him back as I’ve only been there 4 months and still on probation and thought I don’t wanna make any waves with one of the directors. But now I’m thinking I should have stood up for myself and reiterated I was on lunch. I was dealing with a situation that escalated to him just to provide some background.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

So today I was on my lunch eating at my desk, one of the directors called me and I didn’t answer the phone, he then saw I was eating and said give me a shout when you’re done or words to that effect. Another few mins goes by, I put my phone on DND, he then summons me into one of the meeting rooms and says “I expect you to call me back when I call you”. Bear in mind I was still on lunch. He’d also emailed me and asked me to call him “immediately” but I didn’t see the email as I had locked my screen. I apologised for not calling him back as I’ve only been there 4 months and still on probation and thought I don’t wanna make any waves with one of the directors. But now I’m thinking I should have stood up for myself and reiterated I was on lunch. I was dealing with a situation that escalated to him just to provide some background.

Offer the hand.....and then.....in wiv thee heed.

 

[scaramanga]

So today I was on my lunch eating at my desk, one of the directors called me and I didn’t answer the phone, he then saw I was eating and said give me a shout when you’re done or words to that effect. Another few mins goes by, I put my phone on DND, he then summons me into one of the meeting rooms and says “I expect you to call me back when I call you”. Bear in mind I was still on lunch. He’d also emailed me and asked me to call him “immediately” but I didn’t see the email as I had locked my screen. I apologised for not calling him back as I’ve only been there 4 months and still on probation and thought I don’t wanna make any waves with one of the directors. But now I’m thinking I should have stood up for myself and reiterated I was on lunch. I was dealing with a situation that escalated to him just to provide some background.

Maybe what he needed was important.

I don't expect my senior staff to work through lunch breaks, but I expect them to be available when needed.

 

[ShipOfTheseus]

Is lunch still a thing? I mean, people eat, but that has to fit in around meetings and any other demands of the job. If anyone who wasn’t actually pushing sandwiches into a facehole refused to work because they were “on their lunch” I’d assume they’d either gone mad or were joking.

 

[scaramanga]

Is lunch still a thing? I mean, people eat, but that has to fit in around meetings and any other demands of the job. If anyone who wasn’t actually pushing sandwiches into a facehole refused to work because they were “on their lunch” I’d assume they’d either gone mad or were joking.

Or a civil servant/NHS grazepig

 

[Jurgen the German]

Maybe what he needed was important.

I don't expect my senior staff to work through lunch breaks, but I expect them to be available when needed.

It wasn't something that couldn't have waited half an hour.

As far as I'm concerned my lunch hour is my time to do with as I please. I also use the hour to get things done that need to be done, like personal stuff for my mum, she's just been diagnosed with alzheimers so she is going to rely on me and my sister heavily as time goes by. That's the kind of thing they wouldn't want you to do during work time (the owner sent out a long email having a go at people doing personal stuff on their PC's during work time and he was tinkled off. And tbh, rightly so) so I use the hour for personal time.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Is lunch still a thing? I mean, people eat, but that has to fit in around meetings and any other demands of the job. If anyone who wasn’t actually pushing sandwiches into a facehole refused to work because they were “on their lunch” I’d assume they’d either gone mad or were joking.

I'll answer questions if people ask me on my lunch break but I don't expect to be pulled into the office by a director who's not even my line manager because he couldn't wait a few more minutes for me to come off lunch.

 

[Rorschach]

I have a 2 hour lunch break every day.