work life balance

[Smallsteps]

The place i am currently temping at is a different dynamic then i am used to.

Early in my life i might have not given it a thought but now I want to put my foot down. Most I assume must be salary which a company owns you answer an email at 9pm come in early stay late skip lunch.....eat at your desk while working.

I am hourly i take my breaks and my 30 min lunch and they look at me as if i am practicing voodoo or something.
I worked in HR situations before i KNOW the labor laws of this State and i am following the law. They seem put off i do not take a laptop home and monitor email all evening as they often work to 10pm.
They pay generously do not get me wrong but playing i will answer this email and deduct that 15 minutes off tomorrow or whatever is not ok to me.
I take minutes and serve food at their lunch meetings and when i took my 30 minutes after, they seemed to question it, as they said i had food in the meeting.
I think many consider this meeting their lunchbreak if you are working in my mind that is not ok.
I know these new workspace and office attitude but i am hourly i put in my time and that is it other hourly people seem to stay late answer emails at night and work through lunch ( mostly because they are brown nosers looking for Kudos) Am I wrong is this the NEW standard? or just asking people to work off the clock.
Some people just fill in they did 40 even leaving early etc because they work through lunchs etc.

They feel it evens out. perhaps but I can see potential abuse both ways i would rather stay in the "old school" way of taking my breaks and lunch.
AM i wrong is this the new work attitude?

[disneysteve]

I can definitely see both sides of this, and electronic communication has greatly muddied the waters. We often have issues at my job. The non-professional staff doesn't have access to their work email remotely. The reason for that is that the company says they would have to pay workers for time spent reading emails at home. The problem, though, is that if someone is off for 2 or 3 or 4 days, they may not see a somewhat important message until they return to work.

The funny thing is that even though the company says they would have to pay employees to read email, when they have something that actually needs a prompt response, they just text everybody and see no issue with that. What's the difference between having you read texts and having you read emails?

As for breaks and stuff, our techs are expected to take theirs whenever possible. Docs and NPs officially get a break on paper but in reality we do not. If you work at a 2-provider site, you can usually sneak in a few minutes to grab a sandwich but you're not unplugging for 30 minutes. If you're at a 1-provider site like me, your "break" is any time you can capture in between patients. I learned early on to pack a lot of nutritious snacks that can be eaten while I'm working, stuff that doesn't need much if any prep time. I can't make a frozen dinner that needs to cook for 7 minutes and stand for another minute and then take 10 minutes to eat because I don't get that kind of time. It's protein bars, yogurts, PB&J sandwiches, fruit, nuts, and other stuff like that.

At my old practice, everybody pretty much ate at their desks and worked at the same time.

I think it depends a lot on the nature of the job also. I'm in the medical field. Patients keep coming from open to close and the phones never stop ringing. There's no break in the flow of work to be done. It can't be turned off at "lunch time". If you have the sort of job where you can control the workflow to take a break, you ought to take the break.

[Smallsteps]

I can definitely see both sides of this, and electronic communication has greatly muddied the waters. We often have issues at my job. The non-professional staff doesn't have access to their work email remotely. The reason for that is that the company says they would have to pay workers for time spent reading emails at home. The problem, though, is that if someone is off for 2 or 3 or 4 days, they may not see a somewhat important message until they return to work.

The funny thing is that even though the company says they would have to pay employees to read email, when they have something that actually needs a prompt response, they just text everybody and see no issue with that. What's the difference between having you read texts and having you read emails?

As for breaks and stuff, our techs are expected to take theirs whenever possible. Docs and NPs officially get a break on paper but in reality we do not. If you work at a 2-provider site, you can usually sneak in a few minutes to grab a sandwich but you're not unplugging for 30 minutes. If you're at a 1-provider site like me, your "break" is any time you can capture in between patients. I learned early on to pack a lot of nutritious snacks that can be eaten while I'm working, stuff that doesn't need much if any prep time. I can't make a frozen dinner that needs to cook for 7 minutes and stand for another minute and then take 10 minutes to eat because I don't get that kind of time. It's protein bars, yogurts, PB&J sandwiches, fruit, nuts, and other stuff like that.

At my old practice, everybody pretty much ate at their desks and worked at the same time.

I think it depends a lot on the nature of the job also. I'm in the medical field. Patients keep coming from open to close and the phones never stop ringing. There's no break in the flow of work to be done. It can't be turned off at "lunch time". If you have the sort of job where you can control the workflow to take a break, you ought to take the break.

I can see in some cases / industries where you have one person / nothing I am doing is that urgent.
I just feel that salaried people do not understand they have a different deal then hourly.
It has nothing to do (for me) about snacks or eating .....but a real walk away (ON my time) to perhaps do personal phone call or answer texts etc.
So many feel free to, they can do their personal business / shop online or whatever on the clock so they do not bother with breaks.
I hate when the next cubicle is making plans or appt and sharing TMI.

This overlap creep into fine lines of what is work, has happened before at other places i worked.
If someone ever leaves on bad terms they could easily turn this in to the state labor board. Then everyone suffers as they may start a strict sign in and out thing. I just have lived through it before and it causes a lot of issues for EVERYONE. electronics need to be set into policy again not a problem for salaried but hourly people answering emails on vacation even is expected here.
This state says if they expect me to answer emails/ texts it is like being called in which they are to pay for the minimum of four hours.

[disneysteve]

So many feel free to, they can do their personal business / shop online or whatever on the clock

This has become a huge problem with the presence of smartphones and internet access. We've only been at work for an hour and one of my coworkers (not a regular at my location) has already been talking about the special sales today at Old Navy, been working on paperwork to contest some things on her credit report, called another location to get info about a turkey giveaway the company is doing, and rambled on about a few other things. I'm about ready to strangle her and I'm stuck with her for 12 hours. Thankfully, she doesn't work here regularly.

Our job does have a filter on the computer so some sites can't be accessed but that's a minor inconvenience because you can always pull out your phone and look up whatever you want on there.

[Smallsteps]

There needs to be a balance. I feel for you so many times i want to just ask someone like that if they have NOTHING work related to do.
12 hours huh, we will understand if you snap and strangle her. LOL.

I am not saying no one should be able to take care of an emergency or something urgent but frankly the amount of personal issues is out of hand many places.

I just feel too many people think we are all tied to our electronics and therefore can work all the time. I have zero idea what to do with these people , i had a medical appt i put it on the calendar but boss still tried to schedule meetings and seems put out that I declined his meetings because i had to get to my medical appt.

My LIFE does not evolve around that place i am a TEMP but this constant assuming i can drop everything for them needs to stop.

[disneysteve]

There needs to be a balance. I feel for you so many times i want to just ask someone like that if they have NOTHING work related to do.

Our job is kind of unusual in that if there aren't any patients here and the rooms are cleaned and stocked, there really isn't anything work-related for everyone to be doing. I totally understand people using that time, when it happens, to take care of personal stuff or read a book or watch Netflix or whatever. I do it myself. But you need to do it while still being respectful of everyone around you. Use headphones if you're listening to music or watching a video. Step away from the workstation if you need to make a personal phone call.

[Butterscotch]

Smallsteps - with all your observations and frustrations with this, and other jobs you have posted about, I am surprised they have you serving sandwiches instead of directing change from a management position.

[bjl584]

Work life balance at my job is out the window at the moment. We had a huge spike in sales. Up 38% from the year before. A good problem to have, but now we are experiencing growing pains. Endless overtime. No breaks. No lunch. Barely a bathroom. Everyone is frustrated and on edge. I've thought of taking my ball and going home. I can only take so much of that environment. Upper management seems content to count their money and not worry too much about hiring more help. All this going on and there are still people in the company who have jobs that I can't define. Seem to come and go as they please. And receive a lot of personal items from Amazon on our loading locks. Frustrating.......

[Smallsteps]

Smallsteps - with all your observations and frustrations with this, and other jobs you have posted about, I am surprised they have you serving sandwiches instead of directing change from a management position.

Well we found one of the office suck ups sleeping in one of the huddle rooms today .I always wondered what he did as he often disappears into a private huddle rooms to the side of the cubicles. The ladies room has people sitting there on their phones for 10-30 minutes. Who does that? , with all the flushing.
The Staff had a 15 minute discussion over what candy bar was best. If I was manager i would have let the whole group go today. I feel each day is like the old fable" the Emperors New Clothes" and i am the only one that knows they are naked. It is not pretty.
What makes me crazy is the products ( drugs) made or being developed there will cost a ton to pay for this BS. I need to just cut my losses and tell agency i am leaving.

[jenn_jenn]

Hmm, this sounds pretty typical of most companies now days.

I’m salary and typically work 45-60 hours a week. I don’t typically check email at night unless I know there’s something time sensitive but most people check it regularly. I work a couple hours a weekend more often than not and I don’t remember the last time I took an actual lunch break.

On the flip side, I have decent flexibility in terms of time off. When I go on a real vacation, I don’t check my email and I don’t bring my work computer with me. If it’s Friday at 3pm and there’s a lull, I’ll leave. If I wake up with a migraine and I don’t have any meetings, I take my time coming into work.

I honestly don’t love it but it is what it is. I’ve had a job where it was a butt in seat kind of thing and I MUCH prefer my current set up than having to sit in an office and stay in my chair until 5pm on the dot and look busy even if you’re not every single day of the work week.

Quitting over this seems a little drastic to me unless you don’t need the money or have another job lined up.

[Smallsteps]

Hmm, this sounds pretty typical of most companies now days.

I’m salary and typically work 45-60 hours a week. I don’t typically check email at night unless I know there’s something time sensitive but most people check it regularly. I work a couple hours a weekend more often than not and I don’t remember the last time I took an actual lunch break.

On the flip side, I have decent flexibility in terms of time off. When I go on a real vacation, I don’t check my email and I don’t bring my work computer with me. If it’s Friday at 3pm and there’s a lull, I’ll leave. If I wake up with a migraine and I don’t have any meetings, I take my time coming into work.

I honestly don’t love it but it is what it is. I’ve had a job where it was a butt in seat kind of thing and I MUCH prefer my current set up than having to sit in an office and stay in my chair until 5pm on the dot and look busy even if you’re not every single day of the work week.

Quitting over this seems a little drastic to me unless you don’t need the money or have another job lined up.

I do not need the job. I only Temp for extra money for our retirement and to prepay our other home and keeps me busy when DH is working.
I have temped in many places and in my experience it is NOT all like that some places actually still expect some work out of people and are careful as to what the ask temps to do as most will report any item like this back to agency. It is a bit sad IMO to assume all places are like this.

I just find places that are super lax about employment things eventually find a need to fix things( if they get reported on) then go overboard in trying to correct things which causes issues too. It is often places who are in industries that waste money because they can.

If people are Salary IMO i could care less if they work 24/7, if they want to or agree to that. ...... but respect that i am not on the same deal and things like lunch breaks and even breaks are part of the employment deal.
i am holding up my part of the employment contract i just expected these people to hold up theirs as well.
I find it ironic since i work in a department that is suppose to make sure we are complying with regulations and liability etc LOL

I think that they have gotten used to treating hourly temps like this as some of the other Temp / interns need the job so bad they will do things like work off the clock and skip lunch, run to the store or pick up manager lunch etc . hoping to be hired permanently. I do not need to kiss a$$ and i am not going to.

[kork13]

I'll first admit that I've never been an hourly worker, always either salaried or on a "per job" basis. But you're right -- I don't really get or appreciate the idea of scheduled breaks (don't get me started on "smoke breaks"), and my "lunch break" is when I sit at my desk eating my packed lunch while I think through the current issue-du-jour. Right now I'm scheduled for 40 hrs/week on shift, but it's a rare day that I don't end up staying at least an extra hour (or 4) cleaning up whatever issues came up during the day. Heck, it's Thanksgiving, and I just got home from 12 hours at work! (though admittedly, some of that time was just chatting with my folks who were on shift) I'm also on call 24/7, in both my current and previous jobs. I get at least 1-2 calls after-hours every week, often while I'm asleep. But that's the job, and especially right now, I very specifically volunteered for this, and knew going in that it would require some long, stressful, odd hours. I'm also paid reasonably well, and this job is also opening up very promising options for a future career. And in the end, in spite of all of those seeming negatives... I LOVE the work. It's interesting, I am constantly problem solving, helping other people fix problems, and when we do the job well, everything simply works as designed/planned. That's alot of fun for me, which is probably a part of why I have a hard time leaving work on time.

All that I'm really concerned with is that a person works while they're at work. Know your job, and do it well. I'm fine with someone taking a break to stand up & chat with folks at the coffee machine for a few minutes, or go outside for a walk in the sun/fresh air, or briefly check your phone. But take your break, and get back to work. Don't sit at your computer (or on your phone) surfing the web, or roaming the office chatting with everyone along the way, or whatever else. Be productive & earn your wage. When those folks get poor reviews, assigned undesirable projects, or just get fired... It's their own fault.