Has anybody gotten any pushback for refusing to work more than 40 hours a week? I have been working 60+ hour weeks since the last layoffs and I can't do it anymore. Enough is enough. I'm planning to start doing my 40 hours starting next week, but I'd like to know what kind of reactions I'll be facing, to prepare.
8 replies (most recent on top)
I will never cheat the one who is paying me, not my style but it's a smart 40hr and i am out, on to doing "life" things.
Like my former boss used to say - "What's with all the mewling. Get back to work. You're lucky to have a job."
If you aren’t getting the job done in 40 hours then there is something going wrong somewhere
Reality is the machine will work you as many hours as possible with little to no upside for you. Promotion? Maybe, probably not. Bigger bonus? Doubtful. Accolades or recognition? Maybe a cheap coffee mug. Overtime pay? Laughable. Take care of yourself first. Work the 40 and go home. If manager insists, politely and professionally decline. Be firm. They prey on weakness. Most roles at the bank are dead-end jobs. There's no future here.
I'm not saying to never put in extra hours, sometimes things come up and there's an occasional need to work a little extra but it should not be the norm. The reality is, if everybody starts working 50 to 60 hour weeks to remain in the green, leadership will never have a reason to hire additional help. If you cut off at 40 hours and things start turning red (deadlines missed) it sends a signal to leadershop that you're understaffed and something needs to be done about it OR maybe there are certain tasks that don't add value (like putting together a report that nobody really looks at) that can be stopped.
I would have a friendly but firm conversation with your manager about setting work-life boundaries. Come to the table with facts and some solutions when you have the conversation. Think about things that you do in your work day that have lower value that you might be able to cut out to save time.
Depending on the relationship you have with your manager, you may want to document a high level list of your daily accomplishments and how long you worked. This documentation could be your friend if it ever came down to an HR situation. The reality is your manager will be better off with you working 40 hours than getting 0 from you (because of the hiring freeze they can't backfill if you leave).
It is good idea to work just 40 hours a week, spend 8 hour, then take rest and be ready for the next day. Actually you can achieve more by spending 40 every week instead of 60 hours . My mind refuses to work after 8 hour.
Nothing. Work your 40.