Why is overworking a flex?

@phillipsomerset Yeah, and maybe even schedule a hair appointment or something similar at that time if you know you’ll waffle if you don’t have a specific place to be. Or a doctors appointment, which is harder to argue with
 
@atlkate Just stop. We have a similar schedule at my work, but it's one full Friday every two weeks. When I was young and eager I'd work those Fridays. Now if I have to work them, I'm taking a day in lieu somewhere else. But mostly I just take the Friday, don't look at my phone till Monday and enjoy my kid being at daycare. I love compressed Fridays off.
 
@atlkate Well the thing is they get to go home and relax, so when they stop working they don’t have the second job of having a child, but also probably know promotions and moves are made during these ‘off-hour’ times. But if that’s a boundary for you then you express you’re unavailable or schedule meetings yourself to go over your ideas separately. Or send your notes and ideas ahead of time while working your later hours during the week.
 
@atlkate I thought the perk of being salaried was to be able to move your time around?

I wouldn’t consider Friday afternoons off a perk if I’m still working 40 hours, that’s just a flexible schedule, which is kind of a perk, but this sounds like a way to squeeze 45 hours out of 40.

A lot companies I hear of that do this actually reduce summer hours because their business cycle is slower in the summer.
 
@atlkate I have a similar problem! Our larger department is supposed to get out very slightly early on Fridays this summer. And we were supposed to get off several hours early before long weekends. But it’s similarly left up to supervisors. My supervisor was like let’s start work a little early on Fridays so we can get out as early as possible, work allowing. So I’ve been starting 30 minutes early and having my husband do daycare drop off, with the promise I’ll do early pick up.

So far two Fridays I’ve ended up working until my normal time or even later! So summer Fridays has just become a day I start early and work even more than normal, out of this illusory hope of getting out early.

I did get out early Memorial Day weekend, which was amazing. And in both cases I did see the importance of getting specific things done. So I’m not really mad, but it does make me feel like maybe I shouldn’t start early if I continue to have such a poor record of actually getting off early.

I do feel like being a mom just heightens everything. I love getting to pick up my baby early from daycare and getting to go to the park and just spend some 1-on-1 time with him! Or I also had the idea of getting a little time to myself on this Friday when I thought I might get out hours early. Working full time and having a baby is just SO MUCH and the idea of getting a little extra time is just so wonderful.
 
@atlkate Your co-workers sound nuts to me. I would simply set an OOO starting at 1 pm on Fridays that automatically declines meetings. If they want you to be there, they will schedule meetings during office hours.

That's the short-term solution.

The long-term solution is that you start looking for a job that values work-life balance. There's a ton of advice out there on how to scope out if a job or a team actually respects reasonable boundaries. Start looking, and keep that as a priority when seeking other employment.
 
@atlkate I work for an American company and they absolutely value overworking. I hate it so much and they keep offering a million and one other things instead of time off and it is so stupid. Like, I don’t want your $5 voucher for coffee. Just give me an early mark so I can get my kid from daycare on time. Ffs, I feel you. I hope you get to enjoy one Friday, at least!!!!
 
@atlkate My company does 1/2 day Fridays. We actually work 35 hrs that week (and get paid salary for 40) and get the Friday rotated between 8-12, 12-4 and 4-8. I book it in my work calendar as Out of Office and will decline every meeting that is scheduled outside of my working hours. My time is valuable and I will take every opportunity to only work my given hours. I work to live. I do not live to work.
 
@atlkate Fake carrots are just ways to get people to apply. My job also did a bait and switch.

If working moms did a general strike the economy would crumble faster than a government shut down- which at this point would mostly just impact lockheed Martin and raytheon
 
@atlkate It's not a flex to me. I work in non-profits where it is practically expected that you volunteer your time, outside of the normal forty hour work week. Only now, after 27 years of this nonsense (at varying organizations), I stood up and said no more.

To my organizations credit, specifically the new ED, we have a very generous leave package and a lot of "wellness days" where the office closes, along with regular federal holdiay closures.
 
@atlkate We had our salaries cut during covid, and employees were expected to cut their work time by an equal percentage of hours. Mine amounted to 4 hours so I took a half day every Tuesday (was getting my MBA with classes on Tuesdays at the time so kept it that day consistently).

It was AMAZING how many leaders just didn’t take their time. People whose salaries were cut by 20% and refused to take Fridays off, even when everything that wasn’t business critical had been discontinued. The same leaders who would ask me why I wasn’t in the all employee meeting on Tuesday when they knew that was my time. Who would ask me why I didn’t just “call in and listen” for an entire 1.5 hour meeting twice a month in my time off. (The meeting was not important, mostly metrics review and people arguing about covid policies they didn’t like lol)

Eventually it got to where I just made up an errand every Tuesday and said sorry it’s impossible for me to call in then. It sounds like that isn’t really an option for you, but just wanted you to know I understand your frustration! If something is offered and then the leaders refuse to accept people on their team taking advantage of the policy, it’s super annoying.
 
@atlkate Ugh! I feel you. I have winter Fridays. My whole office and 90% of our clients are Jewish, but me. Everyone leaves the office at noon and sends me bunch of emails to do stuff, then they call me literally like until 5 min before sundown to pile more. It's like, you leave at noon and I have to stay until sunset! On top clients will schedule important stuff for Fridays. You know it's a short day for you and for us, why!!??

Just put something on your calendar to block it. Could even be " Friday schedule, 1-5pm, away for the weekend".
 
@atlkate Why can’t meetings be booked in the 830-9 or 5-530 time slot M-Th instead? I’d simply not participate…working for T-Mobile from 2017-2022 taught me how to claim my work life balance on purpose and unapologetically. I had coworkers always complaining about things and instead of complaining I simply would just not participate. Never got fired, never got written up…and broke a lotttt of “rules” because they were unnecessary and invasive and I refused to take part in that culture. Companies and teams will take advantage of you if you let them.
 
@atlkate Block your calendar on another half day, put a subject like brainstorn, take it for your leisure!

Leisure is the seed of all creativity and to an overworked brain, leisure is a shaker like a brainstorm. So do that for your brain.
 
@atlkate I don’t think overworking is a flex at all. In my opinion, if you’re working 50+ hours a week, that tells me you can’t manage your time/priorities.

I know others wear their hours worked like a badge. But if you asked them what they accomplished this week they’ll probably have a hard time answering.

It also tells me you have a hard time with your identity. If you’re spending 50+ hours a work, that leaves little time for anything else? What do you do for fun?

When I hire someone for my company, one of the first things I ask them is what they enjoy doing outside of work. You’d be surprised how many people have a hard time answering that. And I think it’s really sad and an ode to the modern day workforce.
 
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