One hour out of three is enough

[darkemeralds]

On my second day back to work, I've left the office at midday to let the washing machine repair guy into my house. (A broken washer is not what you want after a three week trip.) It was a pleasantly cool and cloudy ride home, and I really don't want to go back.

An extra-long staff meeting this morning had as its main topic "How can we be more efficient?"

One way might be to have shorter staff meetings, but that's just glib. What troubled me was the mention of "our ten hour workdays." It's not an official job requirement, just an insidious and constantly reiterated norm, that each of us will offer 25% extra time to our employer, gratis. It's the stressor I was so eager to take a vacation from.

So, "How can we be more efficient?" feels like code for "How can we get you guys to push that rock up the hill faster and more often for free?"

Yes, times are hard. Yes, this is the American way. Yes, I'm damned lucky to have a job at all, let alone a good one. But I'm on the verge of taking a big step down just to get out from under the Gaze of Disapproval.

I can't help it: offering up precious personal waking hours on the altar of the enterprise business system feels toxic to me--and all the more so because I managed to get away from it for three whole weeks.

Comments

[mecurtin]

It's not an official job requirement, just an insidious and constantly reiterated norm, that each of us will offer 25% extra time to our employer, gratis.

How much money does the head of the company make? Unless you guys are being paid in *profit shares*, you're being underpaid. I might even say "stolen from".

The only *possible* meaning of "How can we be more efficient?" that isn't grossly insulting is, "we need to toss 20% of what we're trying to do, to get back to 40 hour weeks."

[darkemeralds]

It's public sector, so instead of stockholders and a board, we've got the press and elected officials. My immediate boss is, by most private sector measures, underpaid for the size of his budget--and that's pretty typical across the board for public sector senior management.

It's notable that in the long efficiency session this morning, I was the only person who dared to remark that the emperor was naked by suggesting the elimination of one large semi-annual task. And indeed, when my boss responded to my question, he used the expression "the man behind the curtain" so there was a certain resonance of metaphors.

It's possible that we'll arrive at that conclusion, but it was disheartening to see all my coworkers around the table, not one of them willing to cop to "too much work."

[tehomet]

I imagine it feels toxic to you because it is toxic. Unfortunately.

It does seem to me that there's a culture of 'presenteeism' for want of a better word in some American offices. Would you be fired if you just work the hours that you're getting paid for, the hours of your contract? Are you in an union?

[darkemeralds]

Heh. In London last week, one of my British friends inquired (very politely, of course) about the terms of my employment contract. I stared at him and said, "Contract?" and he stared back in shock.

I'm "management," which is to say, unrepresented by a union and ineligible to be paid overtime. There is a job description, but no contract. No one bargains for me (though I'm happy to say that I enjoy many of the benefits won for other workers here by their unions).

In recent years, the organization I work for replaced compensatory time with a ramshackle formula by which I was able to leave the office today to attend to my washing machine repair without writing down the hours. Edge over four hours' absence, however, and I have to use sick leave or vacation time. In other words, I'm either an hourly worker or a salaried staff member, whichever is handier for the organization in a given situation.

So yeah, it's a bit toxic, and I appreciate your validation of that. Sometimes it's hard to see when you're in the midst of it, and hard to smell when it's all you've been smelling for years.

[(Anonymous)]

1.No contract??!?!!! O_o

2. Hang on, you're saying that you do 20% overtime for free, but you have to 'pay' for any absence over 4 hours? That's...immoral! When I was employed we had a formal TOIL (time off in lieu) system with the option to convert to cash and, despite there being a shitty, money-grabbing, back-stabbing for personal gain culture, there was plenty of trust over time sheets and TOIL.
Mr L works more hours than he's paid for (though they do have TOIL), and there's no formal flexitime arrangement, but the informal and reasonable flexibility at his office increases loyalty and commitment. And there are benefits like, for eg, increased opening hours at the office because Mr L is an early riser and gets to work before 8am, while others prefer to start later and finish after Mr L is safely back home.

3. Are there not plenty of studies to show that working too many hours and having a rigid system is counter-productive. In other words the answer to the question 'how can we be more efficient' is 'work fewer hours and be more flexible'.

[lamentables]

Gah! That was me. Suddenly I'm logged out of ALL the things.

[darkemeralds]

It's odd: when you put it so baldly, I kind of cower back and say, "No! It's not that bad..." but then I realize that I do that with everything in the work world (and probably many other areas of life as well): make excuses for it and fail to see it in its stark outlines.

When I try to imagine proposing "work fewer hours and be more flexible" to my boss as a means of increasing efficiency, I just...imagination fails. Fewer hours and greater flexibility means admitting how grossly understaffed we are, and to do that, we'd have to confront our acceptance of the "lazy public servant" meme wherein there is always spare capacity.

Hm. Maybe I should propose it...

[writerscramp]

It is indeed immoral. It's also SOP in the American office, both public and private sector. It's pretty much SOP in most American workplaces, period. Especially for salaried workers. Hourly workers get a shitty deal, as well, but in different ways. (Ex. Most hourly workers are scheduled for 30 hours/week so they don't qualify as full-time, and thus don't qualify for benefits, vacation time, sick time, etc. Some will refuse bathroom breaks and lunch hours and require employees to work straight through for 8 to 16 hours (16 hours is the most you can legally work in a 24 hour period). Less reputable employers will have employees clock out at their appointed time, but then continue to work. These are often the same employers who will lock their employees in to ensure they can't leave the building during their work shift to take a break. Or, you know, escape a fire.)

Basically, American workplaces suck as a general rule because our culture has a totally fucked up sense of priorities. Also, we've beaten our unions into practical non-existence, demonized them to near-pariah status, and bad-mouthed every positive gain they've fought for on behalf of the American worker. All while cheerfully swallowing the self-serving lies propagated by corporations to turn the American worker into a serf.

Welcome to our hell.

[darkemeralds]

Well, compared to what you describe, I've got it made!

Which, of course, is part of the problem.

[writerscramp]

Right? Like, how fucked up is it that comparing work situations becomes a sport in the Oppression Olympics, and that we're all feeling bad because other workers have it so much worse? Instead of linking arms together in solidarity and demanding better for everyone, bottom to top. (But not the topmost, because those assholes are already enjoying the fruits of our labor quite enough, thankyouverymuch.) The most evil thing that Corporate America ever did was to convince us that we need them more than they need us.

(Srsly. The fear that the proles will Rise Up is just about the only thing that makes the wealthiest 0.1%* break into a cold sweat. From a recent Alternet.org article: "...people are so desperate to hold onto what they have that they are too busy looking down to look up: 'As psychologists will tell you, fear of loss is more powerful than the prospect of gain. The struggling middle classes look down more anxiously than they look up, particularly in recession and sluggish recovery.' ")



*The top 20% control 84% of the wealth in the country. The top 0.1% control the highest percentage of that 84%. The top 400 income earners in the country control the highest percentage of that highest percentage.

[darkemeralds]

I have long known that there are real advantages to being a bit poorer, having a more basic job and fewer resources than I've eventually grown to have: you have less to lose, and therefore more freedom. Not as much to look anxiously down at when making decisions for radical change in your life.

If I had any doubts that the US is rapidly becoming a sort of massive banana republic, leaving it and participating for three weeks in the lives of Britons put those doubts to rest. We are third-world-ready around here. Sadly, we still have enough influence and power to be infecting Europe with our strip-mining economic policies. The conservatives in power in the UK are just slavering at the prospect of dismantling the NHS.

[(Anonymous)]

I get all passive-aggressive to people trying to exploit me like this. Whereas I will go the extra mile/hour for a fair boss.

[darkemeralds]

I feel the same way. And I've gone the extra mile and hour lots of times here out of a genuine sense of commitment to the project and the organization. My recent long vacation has given me some perspective, however, on how far that loyalty has been stretched in the last couple of years of "hard times."

[branchandroot]

I start to say "oh my goodness, that's appalling!" and then I count up my own hours as a teacher. Compared to what I'm /theoretically supposed/ to be putting in. *shifty look* This is the bugger about feeling a calling to my work. They don't even have to lean on me to get me to do this.

But I have no hesitation to say that leaning on you for it, in the name of a business that doesn't seem to be giving equivalent loyalty back to you, is most definitely appalling!

[darkemeralds]

I willingly and humbly bow to the extraordinary devotion of schoolteachers everywhere. You guys accept a heavy yoke in order to pursue your calling, and society is a better place because of it.

[cookiemom6067]

I agree with you and support you, spiritually and emotionally in challenging a "status" that should not be "quo." I agree it has that "2 Bobs...TPS report...there's no 'I' in 'team'" quality of "Dance, monkeys, Dance!!!" that corporate America is all to prone to.

I recognize that it may not be practical or even desirable for you personally to challenge these unhealthy norms. But...uh...I agree with you? Does that help? Probably not, dang.

[darkemeralds]

It helps a lot! Thank you. Moral support means a lot.

And "Dance, monkeys, dance!" is hilarious. And true.

[lyr]

I think that's very toxic. No one should expect you to contribute your own time for free. More and more, it feels like employers are abusing workers on the belief that we should be grateful to work at all. I hate capitalism.

[darkemeralds]

I'm not its biggest fan either. It's great for quarterly profits and terrible for everything and everyone else in the whole wide world.

[writerscramp]

I am constantly fighting to maintain this boundary. I'm fortunate to have a lot of freedom and flexibility, and the culture of long workdays isn't quite as militant as what you're facing. It can get competitive at times -- as in, "I was working until midnight last night", "yeah, I feel you...I was still answer email at 2 AM" -- but we encourage each other to take days off, leave early when we get the chance, work from home, etc. Still, there are definitely times when it feels like the number of hours are judged as proof of your dedication to the organization, as if you have to justify that you're always giving everything you've got to the place.

I've been vocal and stringent about keeping my boundaries where I want them. I may choose to work more, but I make it clear that it's something I will do on my terms and will retract at will. You're in a tougher situation due to the pressures from without as well as within the organization, so I recognize that it's a lot harder to set that boundary and keep it there. If you possibly can, though (in whatever way would make the most sense or have the best likelihood of success), I can attest that it makes a significant difference.

"I can't help it: offering up precious personal waking hours on the altar of the enterprise business system feels toxic to me"

Because it is. They're effectively stealing from you, and stealing your most precious resource, at that. Your time and mental energy are your most valuable assets. Your employment is not a favor, it's a business arrangement. They wouldn't feel entitled to 25% extra from any other vendor; there's no reason they should feel entitled to expect it from you (or their other workers). Again, I recognize that I'm simplifying here (BELIEVE me, I totally understand the dynamics), but there's a reason you're feeling what you're feeling. Trust your instincts.

[darkemeralds]

Thank you for that. I try to minimize my use of Dreamwidth as a place to complain--about anything, and particularly about my job--but I'm so glad I made this post, because the responses have been very validating and empowering.

I have to acknowledge that it takes two to play this toxic game, and that my own internal conflict about the nature of work and worthiness plays right into the hands of management. It behooves me to examine those semi-conscious beliefs ("they're right, I really don't work hard enough," and "what if they find out what a fraud I am?" and "I can't possibly be worth this salary," and so on, right?), and people's responses here, yours especially, help me triangulate on a more accurate concept.

I'm looking at some internal transfer opportunities that would take me away from my current part of the organization, and I'm having some increasingly serious conversations about early retirement. I imagine change is in the offing.

Thanks again.

[ruric]

You know my position as a Brit. 40 hour weeks are pretty much standard here - and yeah at my old place I often did a 50 or 60 hour week but that was MY choice (and no one would have batted an eyelid if I cut back) and we did get TOIL and flexi to compensate.

I'm amazed that the US functions at all - your entire workforce must be operating in a permanent state of mental and physical exhaustion!

I'm all for pitching to your boss that you drop extra tasks or go with the working less hours but do the work more efficiently because you wont be so damn tired. 25% extra for free is just not on.

I know redundancy is something you guys don't get but that was my position last year. Do I want to work for an employer who expects the same or more from me but is going to down grade my job and expect me to take a 20% salary cut? Uh huh. Luckily taking the money and running was an option but I'd've been looking for other opportunties if not,

Your life is worth more than killing yourself during the week just to have a few hours R&R at the weekend.

Good luck!

[darkemeralds]

I'm amazed that the US functions at all

Yeah, well you see us rapidly descending to the level of banana republic. I hardly know how to view my homeland anymore.

I do see signs of people rebelling--taking whatever personal and private options they can to opt out of this killing system. Unfortunately, these options almost always involve significant scaling-back in quality of life, and frequently also include giving up all but emergency healthcare coverage. Like most things in life, this is easier for the young than for someone like me.

I miss the middle class. I really do.

[cat63]

An extra-long staff meeting this morning had as its main topic "How can we be more efficient?"

Sounds uncannily like the thinking where Rob works...

It's not an official job requirement, just an insidious and constantly reiterated norm, that each of us will offer 25% extra time to our employer, gratis.

Bugger that. Vigorously. With a pineapple.
A few minutes here and there if it's really needed perhaps, but if they seriously expect that from you they're a pack of crooks.

[darkemeralds]

Heh. With a pineapple. LOL! And ouch!

Yeah, they ARE a pack of crooks, by definition: they're elected officials. I work in the public sector.

[cat63]

Yeah, they ARE a pack of crooks, by definition: they're elected officials

Heh :-) I did a temp job for my local council once though and even they don't expect that sort of thing from their people. In an emergency perhaps, but not otherwise.

The guys who work the bins are on what's called "Task and Finish" which means they work until they've finished their assigned round for the day and then they go home, but even they get paid overtime sometimes if they're held up by things beyond their control.

[darkemeralds]

I would LOVE to be in a "task and finish" situation.

Well, I AM in one. But the task is never, ever finished. Hence the expectation of loads of hours.

[cat63]

Nil desperandum!

They've nearly finished painting the Forth bridge</a., so all things are possible!

[darkemeralds]

What a great story! Thanks for passing it along. It's taken them longer to paint the bridge than it took them to build it! And I can't help noticing that the turning point--the thing that allows them to stop painting it for a while--is a new type of paint. New technology, an actual improvement in the tools and materials, new approaches--that is how we gain efficiency, not by overexploiting the limits of human endurance. Geez.

[cat63]

Also, here, "painting the Forth bridge" is an automatic comparison to any neverending task - sorry, I should have realised it wouldn't have the same instant recognition and resonance outside the UK!

So since they've found a way to finish that neverending task, it gives hope that others can also be finished one day...

[darkemeralds]

The article you linked to included a great little history of the phrase and all--very educational. I love the history of language! "Painting the Forth Bridge" will probably remain in common usage for generations.