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Cottons
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Cottons »

27, been here almost 2 years. Happens about about once a month, sometimes more frequently. I'm an admin at a small tax office that sells annuities to old folks. The business operates in an ethical gray area 100% of the time, so I'm back in school to make out-roads very soon. :mrgreen:
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by vested1 »

Telecom Engineer retired from Mega-corp at 57, still working at a small company at 62.5. I plan to retire next year but have this exact thought on a daily basis. Some of this is probably due to the proximity of retirement. Some is due to mindless decisions that seem destined to guide the company I work for over the cliff to the rocks below.

It may also be that I am old school and refuse to compromise my standards. Severe lack of integrity as a policy may force me to step up my timeline.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by DidItMyWay »

UnclePennybags wrote:For many years I loved my job and virtually never had one of those days. The combination of being financially able to walk away if I wanted to do so and the mounting frustrations of dealing with incompetent...has changed my point of view quite a bit in recent years. Even when things are "normal" I'd say I contemplate retirement (or at least changing jobs) on a fleeting basis at least once a week. The main dilemma is that I'm overpaid and hesitant to give up the income stream and I have significant assets...one of these fine days I'm going to walk away. To be honest, knowing that I could laugh at the latest stupid idea and hand in my papers any time I want to has actually made it easier to deal with the madness. Contemplating that future is almost as much fun as executing it will be.
Same here!

I really like this thread. Lots of good insight and advice, plus it's nice to know that we are not alone.
Corporate drone here, and I have been with the same company for 23 years. In the next few years, I will be able to retire from here and will go work somewhere less stressful, maybe even part-time, thanks to being a bogglehead!

One piece if advice for those in the same boat:
Make sure you take your vacation time, whether it's going on a trip or even just staying home and watching Netflix! Sometimes when I have "had it", I know that it's time to take some time off. Knowing that I have that vacation time to look forward to makes it bearable to suck it up at work for a few more months.

One day at a time! :)
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by jh »

.....
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Retired in 2022 at the age of 46. Living off of dividends.
vested1
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by vested1 »

DidItMyWay wrote:
UnclePennybags wrote:For many years I loved my job and virtually never had one of those days. The combination of being financially able to walk away if I wanted to do so and the mounting frustrations of dealing with incompetent...has changed my point of view quite a bit in recent years. Even when things are "normal" I'd say I contemplate retirement (or at least changing jobs) on a fleeting basis at least once a week. The main dilemma is that I'm overpaid and hesitant to give up the income stream and I have significant assets...one of these fine days I'm going to walk away. To be honest, knowing that I could laugh at the latest stupid idea and hand in my papers any time I want to has actually made it easier to deal with the madness. Contemplating that future is almost as much fun as executing it will be.
Same here!

I really like this thread. Lots of good insight and advice, plus it's nice to know you are not alone.
Corporate drone here, and I have been with the same company for 23 years. In the next few years, I will be able to retire from here and will go work somewhere less stressful, maybe even part-time, thanks to being a bogglehead!

One piece if advice for those in the same boat. Make sure you take your vacation time, whether it's going on a trip or even just staying home and watching Netflix! Sometimes when I have "had it", I know that it's time to take some time off. Knowing that I have that vacation time to look forward to makes it bearable to suck it up at work for a few more months.

One day at a time! :)
That was the final straw for me. A bit of time to recharge is vital to job satisfaction. 1 week of vacation after 5 years. No raises, in fact a 25% reduction in pay after a 6 month layoff with an excuse from my employer that their profits were down and a still unfulfilled 2.5 year old promise of promotion and better pay. Just earned 2 weeks of vacation but not until next year in July, until then no time off, no sick pay. Getting another job in your 60's isn't the easiest thing to do. They tell me I'm their best but their actions make their words ring hollow.

Looking forward to the day when they call me and only hear crickets. I will likely take my two weeks vacation in July, draw the check, and leave the phone forwarded to a disconnected announcement. If not for this forum my retirement income would look less promising. As it is we will match our current spendable income at retirement next year and surpass it at age 70.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by bhsince87 »

I've been an engineer and a manager, back and forth, for the past 27 years or so. In my first job (10+ years) , I don't think I ever had that feeling once.

Then I changed companies, and felt it nearly every day!

Moved on to company number 3, and I've not felt it here in 14 years. Environment matters a lot.

But several times, I became so damned bored with my work that I decided to change jobs and look for a different challenge. That usually involved transfers within the same company or organization. After my experience with company number 2, I've tempered those urges a bit...
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

technovelist wrote:
UnclePennybags wrote:To be honest, knowing that I could laugh at the latest stupid idea and hand in my papers any time I want to has actually made it easier to deal with the madness. Contemplating that future is almost as much fun as executing it will be.
Yes, that is a big help in dealing with the usual nonsense!
People have an animal sense for insecurity and for confidence. Paradoxically, the worse you feel about your job, the worse it treats you, and vice versa.

When layoffs are likely, those dependent on the paycheck act insecurely, regardless of what they say. They are more nervous, sleep deprived, inclined towards confrontations and backstabbing.

When one can retire any day, he acts with self-assurance, regardless of what he says. He is calm, well rested, friendly, and avoids confrontations.

Thus, those who can't afford to resign are so miserable that they dream of resigning, and those who can resign are enjoying work.

Victoria
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by fposte »

VictoriaF wrote: Thus, those who can't afford to resign are so miserable that they dream of resigning, and those who can resign are enjoying work.
I agree with the psychology, but I suspect the data set gets skewed by those who hate work and do resign when they can, thus swiftly removing the non-enjoyers from the non-obligate workers.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by linenfort »

This thread reminds me that it's good to strive for early retirement.
Group hug!
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

linenfort wrote:This thread reminds me that it's good to strive for early retirement.
Group hug!
Any chance you can join the Class of 2014?

Victoria
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scylla
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by scylla »

Age 58. Creative Director in advertising.

Advertising has always been extremely stressful. It's a young man's (or woman's) game. Somehow I've survived it 'til my late 50's. But it doesn't help that the majority of my co-workers are in their 20s and 30s.

Short story: I really, really dislike it at this point. Years ago, the stresses were counterbalanced by the perks like the great trips and fancy meals at great restaurants. Those are all gone now — virtually all the agencies are now owned by big holding companies. We're numbers to our employers and commodities to our clients. And projects that used to be allotted ten days of work are now given three.

Interestingly, I always regretted having not gone into medicine. I find it fascinating. My brother is a doc and loves his job. But some of the replies here by doctors makes me think twice.

I wonder, by the way, if all this rampant job dissatisfaction is at least partly a function of our new email/texting environment, where we're ALWAYS expected to be available. There's little if any downtime any more.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by linenfort »

VictoriaF wrote:
linenfort wrote:This thread reminds me that it's good to strive for early retirement.
Group hug!
Any chance you can join the Class of 2014?
Not I, but thank you for putting that link in this thread. Little ray of sunshine / something to look forward to.

More on topic: when I was an English teacher (ESL overseas), I had "I've had it" moments all the time when working for a school but never when working on my own.
As an office drone, I didn't throw up my hands in frustration and think "I've had it", but I felt I was living a life of quiet desperation. Lasted six months.
(Presently, I mostly get by on my investments so I am quite content. Not exactly retired but not qualified to answer the OP question regarding current sitch).
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by LadyGeek »

For those looking to vent, redirect your stress into something productive: Pull-ups and Push-ups

You don't need any special equipment, make use of your available space. If you need creative ideas, post in the referenced thread.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by technovelist »

VictoriaF wrote:
technovelist wrote:
UnclePennybags wrote:To be honest, knowing that I could laugh at the latest stupid idea and hand in my papers any time I want to has actually made it easier to deal with the madness. Contemplating that future is almost as much fun as executing it will be.
Yes, that is a big help in dealing with the usual nonsense!
People have an animal sense for insecurity and for confidence. Paradoxically, the worse you feel about your job, the worse it treats you, and vice versa.

When layoffs are likely, those dependent on the paycheck act insecurely, regardless of what they say. They are more nervous, sleep deprived, inclined towards confrontations and backstabbing.

When one can retire any day, he acts with self-assurance, regardless of what he says. He is calm, well rested, friendly, and avoids confrontations.

Thus, those who can't afford to resign are so miserable that they dream of resigning, and those who can resign are enjoying work.

Victoria
This is probably true sometimes. In my case, the fact that I wasn't worried about losing my job may have contributed to my getting hosed, since my manager was forced to pick someone to get the "black spot" and I was the only one in the group that he knew wouldn't have been in financial trouble without a job. At least, that was my wife's perception; I don't know for certain that that was his motivation.
In theory, theory and practice are identical. In practice, they often differ.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by UnclePennybags »

VictoriaF wrote:
technovelist wrote:
UnclePennybags wrote:To be honest, knowing that I could laugh at the latest stupid idea and hand in my papers any time I want to has actually made it easier to deal with the madness. Contemplating that future is almost as much fun as executing it will be.
Yes, that is a big help in dealing with the usual nonsense!
Thus, those who can't afford to resign are so miserable that they dream of resigning, and those who can resign are enjoying work.

Victoria
I'm not sure I'm enjoying so much as tolerating it, but I think your point is well-made. In my case, I'm imagining a future where I still do some productive work, but it would be back to the actual engineering side that I always loved probably with a focus on assistive devices for the handicapped. I'd make probably 10% of what I do now, but I'd like it a whole lot better. The problem I have with pulling the trigger is that you can always change your assumptions and play with firecalc to convince yourself that you really should maintain the present savings rate for one more year (but that logic might hold up for a decade).
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Artsdoctor »

This is what I love about this forum: there is such a huge variety of personalities and life experiences out there.

I'm 55 and I enjoy my job as a doctor. However, there are several things that happened this year.

1. My dad became ill with lung cancer in May and died in August.

2. I started working only 3 days a week so I could spend more time with him.

3. I've discovered that working part-time at 55 is the best of all worlds and have no intention of ramping back up.

4. The Bogleheads have made me such a good investor that I now no longer have to worry about a paycheck. I've secured a reasonable "floor" for retirement so anything extra right now is just icing on the cake.

5. I'm actually starting to go to friends' and family's anniversary parties, birthday parties, graduations, and all the other things I missed out on over the past 30 years of practicing medicine.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Philliefan33 »

Almost daily now.

But I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I turn 50 in February 2015 and will be eligible for early retirement from my drudgery at MegaCorp. At that time I will ask to drop my schedule to 20 hrs/week, working from home (the commute is a major factor in my unhappiness). If management says no, I will join the ranks of the happy retired people.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Ganacel »

How many of you who have "had it at work" think burnout/working too many hours is a major contributor to your unhappiness?

In my case, working too many hours is definitely a major factor. There isn't any activity I love so much that I want to do it for 60+ hours/week. I mean, I love brownies, but if I had to eat them for three meals a day five or six days per week, I'd probably get sick of eating them within a week or less too, right?

I just started a new job a few months ago. It's ok. I like it better than my old job, which isn't saying much. One of the reasons why is that it's a better work environment, but another major reason IMO is that I work about 2/3 as many hours. But I want to cut back further still. Working half as much as I do right now sounds about perfect.

Financially, I should be able to afford it, although I think I'd end up losing my benefits if I stayed with the same employer. What did those of you who took early retirement or went part-time do about things like health insurance?

Also, while I could just go part-time at the end of my contract, I was calculating that if I stuck it out working full-time for five years, I should basically be done funding my retirement (and have enough in a taxable account) for me to be able to afford to work part-time without a problem. So even though I'd rather not continue to work full-time for another five years, I'm thinking it's probably the smartest thing to do since then I won't have to work full-time any more for the rest of my life. Whereas, if I went straight to part-time and then lost the job or had some other kind of unexpected catastrophe, I wouldn't have had enough time to build up a cushion for myself yet, especially since I'm nowhere near retirement age. Does anyone disagree that staying full-time for five years makes sense even though I should be able to go part-time now (and would like to go part-time ASAP)?
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by scrabbler1 »

Ganacel wrote:How many of you who have "had it at work" think burnout/working too many hours is a major contributor to your unhappiness?

In my case, working too many hours is definitely a major factor. There isn't any activity I love so much that I want to do it for 60+ hours/week. I mean, I love brownies, but if I had to eat them for three meals a day five or six days per week, I'd probably get sick of eating them within a week or less too, right?

I just started a new job a few months ago. It's ok. I like it better than my old job, which isn't saying much. One of the reasons why is that it's a better work environment, but another major reason IMO is that I work about 2/3 as many hours. But I want to cut back further still. Working half as much as I do right now sounds about perfect.

Financially, I should be able to afford it, although I think I'd end up losing my benefits if I stayed with the same employer. What did those of you who took early retirement or went part-time do about things like health insurance?

Also, while I could just go part-time at the end of my contract, I was calculating that if I stuck it out working full-time for five years, I should basically be done funding my retirement (and have enough in a taxable account) for me to be able to afford to work part-time without a problem. So even though I'd rather not continue to work full-time for another five years, I'm thinking it's probably the smartest thing to do since then I won't have to work full-time any more for the rest of my life. Whereas, if I went straight to part-time and then lost the job or had some other kind of unexpected catastrophe, I wouldn't have had enough time to build up a cushion for myself yet, especially since I'm nowhere near retirement age. Does anyone disagree that staying full-time for five years makes sense even though I should be able to go part-time now (and would like to go part-time ASAP)?
I worked part-time for 7 years before I retired in 2008 at age 45. In those 7 years, I had 3 different part-time work arrangements (with the same employer). One PT arrangement was working mostly from home and going to the office one day a week, with 20 hours per week total. That lasted for about 2 years. Then, the work-from-home part got taken away so I had to go to the office 3 days a week to fulfill my 20 hours a week. That was lousy because I so much despised the commute. That lasted for 3 1/2 years. Then, I worked 12 hours a week in 2 days. I did that for 17 months before I stopped working altogether. That last deal had fewer hours than the first one, but because it required going to the office 2 days a week instead of 1, it was an inferior deal on that basis alone. By the time I left the company, I told the HR rep in my exit interview that I would easily reject my old telecommute deal if it were offered becaue I had become so burnt out from the commute.

I was able to retain most of my benefits when I worked 20 hours per week such as health insurance (I had to pay 50% of the premiums instead of 25% for FT employees). But that was using pretax money and the reduction in commutation expenses offset part of that. I lost some of my PTO (Paid Time Off) days with the 20-hour week deal and lost all of it with the 12-hour week deal. The main benefit I kept was keeping my company stock even though I added nearly no new shares. That stock's value exploded in my 7 PT years which was a key element to my early retirement.

There was no ACA in 2008 so I was on my own after COBRA expired after 18 months. The ACA has been very helpful in my being able to continue to easily afford health insurance on my own.

I think you should go PT if you can afford it, especiall if you can retain your health insurance. But with the ACA, you might not need even that to stay with your job, PT or FT.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by brxn »

33 years old, have worked in software development for 12 years, 5 years with current employer. I have never had the feeling of being "over it" or fed up with work, thus far.

I am fortunate to have worked in settings with reasonable bosses and no unrealistic demands for hours. Fortunately I work in a field with widespread opportunities, and this affords me the luxury of being choosy about a comfortable and non-competitive workplace where I can be productive with no stress.

Part of it is also my personality, I hold myself to high standards of work quality but I don't go above and beyond for the job, I ignore any office politics, and I am emotionally detached. One side effect is that I make a decent salary but nothing great ... it's fine for me but it's not fine for everyone.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

Ganacel wrote:How many of you who have "had it at work" think burnout/working too many hours is a major contributor to your unhappiness?
Working too many hours is definitely a contributor. But there are other factors related to time, for example:
- If everybody in the office works long hours, most people in the office become stressed and act it out. The stress level escalates further, and it becomes a self-perpetuating process.
- A long commute is a major contributor to stress. People who buy houses far away from their workplace have all kinds of justification for this decision (e.g., price, size, schools, spouse's employment), but the end result is that their well-being suffers and it affects the well-being of those around them.
- Productive life is not as much about time management as about energy management. When one is lethargic or sleepy he is not productive; frequently he resorts to junk activities such as checking email or browsing the web. The work that MUST be completed stretches for many more hours than it objectively requires. Most workplaces do not accommodate one's need for energy management. For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.

Victoria
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Lynette »

VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.

Victoria
If one works for a company that has global operations, meetings have to be in the morning. Its almost time for them to go to bed when we get up.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

Lynette wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.

Victoria
If one works for a company that has global operations, meetings have to be in the morning. Its almost time for them to go to bed when we get up.
A common practice does not make it right.

Meetings are not a productive time, meetings are an overhead on the productive time. Most meetings are poorly managed; most teleconferences are less productive than face-to-face meetings, and teleconferences in which some participants are barely awake are less productive than teleconferences in the same or close time zones.

The ineffectiveness of meetings leads to scheduling more meetings, and after awhile, meetings take over the working lives of all involved.

Victoria
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Philliefan33 »

A long commute is a major contributor to stress. People who buy houses far away from their workplace have all kinds of justification for this decision (e.g., price, size, schools, spouse's employment), but the end result is that their well-being suffers and it affects the well-being of those around them.
I agree. But in my case, my employer moved the labs. I went from an easy 8 mile, 10-15 minute commute each way to a 24 mile, hour long drive. I didn't choose to have a long commute, it was forced upon me. So I have three choices: 1) sell the house and move closer (not happening; we like where we live and the house is paid for) 2) make the long commute, or 3) Choose not to work here any longer.

If I were younger I would move closer or find a different job. Instead, I'll suffer until I retire or switch to telecommuting in 2015. I know I have lost some fitness over the year I have been doing the long commute (time that used to be spent exercising is now spent sitting in the car). I will have to work to gain back that fitness level next year when one way or another, I won't be commuting.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

Philliefan33 wrote:
A long commute is a major contributor to stress. People who buy houses far away from their workplace have all kinds of justification for this decision (e.g., price, size, schools, spouse's employment), but the end result is that their well-being suffers and it affects the well-being of those around them.
I agree. But in my case, my employer moved the labs. I went from an easy 8 mile, 10-15 minute commute each way to a 24 mile, hour long drive. I didn't choose to have a long commute, it was forced upon me. So I have three choices: 1) sell the house and move closer (not happening; we like where we live and the house is paid for) 2) make the long commute, or 3) Choose not to work here any longer.

If I were younger I would move closer or find a different job. Instead, I'll suffer until I retire or switch to telecommuting in 2015. I know I have lost some fitness over the year I have been doing the long commute (time that used to be spent exercising is now spent sitting in the car). I will have to work to gain back that fitness level next year when one way or another, I won't be commuting.
My employer moved in 2011. Before 2011, I had an easy 5.5-mile commute. If I stayed in my old apartment, my new commute would have become 35 miles each way, in heavy traffic, possibly taking up to two hours each way. I considered changing the job, commuting from my old apartment, and moving closer to work. After thinking about it, I decided to move very close, even though I did not like that area as a place to live. For three years, I had a 20-minute walk to work. While my social life suffered, a short commute has enabled me to get a second Master's Degree, publish two peer-reviewed papers, and develop new interests and ideas. I kept my sanity and was more productive than many of my colleagues. Some of my best ideas came during my walks to work. As soon as I retired, I moved back to a metropolitan area and my life is getting richer by day.

I value and try to cultivate my mind and I strive to use my time efficiently. I am frustrated when I am wasting time on useless activities such as commute or intellectually inferior activities such as meetings. Thus, my choice was right for me.

Victoria
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by TheTimeLord »

jh wrote:It has happened, although less now than in the past. What has made it easier for me is having more money...

I literally keep a year or more of living expenses in cash at all times.
I have also found having a large emergency fund of living expenses to help. Knowing you could walk out if you want has always made it easier to stay for me because I don't feel like they own me.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Lynette »

......
Last edited by Lynette on Sat Jan 12, 2019 3:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Enkidu »

I started working part time at about 15 and retired this year at age 62. Longest time in any one job was 8 years and longest time at any employer was 20 years at the large government agency that I retired from. Plenty of senseless meetings. Most of the time working for the government I felt like I was trapped in a Kafka novel. Actually, working for the government was better than many of the private sector jobs I had, just need a high tolerance for administrative mumbo-jumbo.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

Lynette wrote:Video/web and teleconferencing are the way of the future.
...
Because of our global operations, Its not an option, its the way of the future.
Calling teleconferences "the way of the future" does not make them less harmful or universally accepted. In the work environments where meetings are unavoidable, they are an environmental hazard.

Victoria
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Lynette
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Lynette »

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Last edited by Lynette on Sat Jan 12, 2019 3:04 am, edited 2 times in total.
placeholder
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by placeholder »

Nobody can force you to work 60 hours a week so if that's a major source of unhappiness and you're thinking of leaving anyway just start working 40 and tell them that's the way it is and see how it goes.
dgdevil
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by dgdevil »

Lynette wrote:
I run meetings we have twice a week. We have colleagues in Asia who join us.
I hope you're not making the Asian folks wait up until 10 p.m. or get up at 4 a.m. for your benefit.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Crow Hunter »

placeholder wrote:Nobody can force you to work 60 hours a week so if that's a major source of unhappiness and you're thinking of leaving anyway just start working 40 and tell them that's the way it is and see how it goes.
I have been doing this from the time I started working at my new company. It works.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Lynette »

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munemaker
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by munemaker »

placeholder wrote:Nobody can force you to work 60 hours a week so if that's a major source of unhappiness and you're thinking of leaving anyway just start working 40 and tell them that's the way it is and see how it goes.
Nobody can force you to work overtime but they can fire you if you do not.
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HomerJ
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by HomerJ »

scrabbler1 wrote:[I worked part-time for 7 years before I retired in 2008 at age 45. In those 7 years, I had 3 different part-time work arrangements (with the same employer). One PT arrangement was working mostly from home and going to the office one day a week, with 20 hours per week total. That lasted for about 2 years. Then, the work-from-home part got taken away so I had to go to the office 3 days a week to fulfill my 20 hours a week. That was lousy because I so much despised the commute. That lasted for 3 1/2 years. Then, I worked 12 hours a week in 2 days. I did that for 17 months before I stopped working altogether. That last deal had fewer hours than the first one, but because it required going to the office 2 days a week instead of 1, it was an inferior deal on that basis alone. By the time I left the company, I told the HR rep in my exit interview that I would easily reject my old telecommute deal if it were offered becaue I had become so burnt out from the commute.
How come you never moved closer to work? You were single and didn't have any kids, right?
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by vv19 »

OT but, I am sure there's a lot of us who'll stay in the job we hate just to ensure that we're covered by the employer's health plan. That says a lot about how pathetic the healthcare system in this country is.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by munemaker »

anonforthis wrote:I've never had a job that I hate. It sounds corny but I am just happy to have a job. And I don't even make that much compare to a lot of people here. Maybe that how my parents trained me. I'm early 30s.
I am older but feel the same way. I never really thought about it much until I was out with a group one evening, and one of the younger people there said "Today a job is a very valuable thing to have." His casual statement really got me thinking...how true it is.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by placeholder »

munemaker wrote:
placeholder wrote:Nobody can force you to work 60 hours a week so if that's a major source of unhappiness and you're thinking of leaving anyway just start working 40 and tell them that's the way it is and see how it goes.
Nobody can force you to work overtime but they can fire you if you do not.
Yes but will they (at many companies firing an existing employee can be a complicated process) and if you're thinking of quitting then so what?
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auntJovie
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by auntJovie »

Early 30s, software engineer at a large corporation.

I roll my eyes and sigh every week or so due to office politics, but it isn't terribly demanding, and pays well, so I get on with it. I would rather have the time back, but I am limiting my hours to 40 and everyone else seems okay with that, and I can do it for another ten years (current FI prediction).

That said, I am still young, so I have time for my relationship with my employer to flower into true dislike.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by technovelist »

auntJovie wrote:Early 30s, software engineer at a large corporation.

I roll my eyes and sigh every week or so due to office politics, but it isn't terribly demanding, and pays well, so I get on with it. I would rather have the time back, but I am limiting my hours to 40 and everyone else seems okay with that, and I can do it for another ten years (current FI prediction).

That said, I am still young, so I have time for my relationship with my employer to flower into true dislike.
Why limit yourself so? Sometimes it is possible for that relationship to blossom into hatred!
In theory, theory and practice are identical. In practice, they often differ.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Meg77 »

I think your manager, company culture, and team dynamics can have a much bigger impact that actual occupation or even hours worked. Also I've seen studies that indicate commute has a large impact on work satisfaction - more than even pay to some degree.

I've never really had that "I've had it" feeling for real, though the corporate BS has gotten to me to the point that I've taken a personal day or left early for a mid week cocktail. I don't really care about climbing the corporate ladder though so I don't put as much pressure on myself to be the #1 producer or network exhaustively like I used to (luckily my boss doesn't either). Sometimes contemplate trying to find a "better" job that's more challenging or that I'd be more engaged in, but then I focus on all the good things about my job and get over it. I'm paid well, my commute is short, and my hours are fairly flexible so I can't really complain. I also rarely work more than 40 hours a week and actually enjoy what I do when I'm able to help clients instead of fight internal operations and deal with endless regulatory paperwork. I'm a private banker.

My husband is a commercial banker, and although we have similar job descriptions and earn similar amounts, his experience varies from mine rather dramatically. His boss is a micromanager with an ego, he commutes 15-25 minutes in bad traffic each way, he faces relentless pressure no matter what he gets accomplished at work, and he works much longer hours. He has more upside potential at his job financially and for promotions, but he's paying for it. I think the biggest problem he has is his boss being a jerk (even though his boss also actually likes him and has facilitated getting him in front of important clients and senior management on a regular basis). I'm worried he'll get burned out before reaping the rewards of all this misery.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by bloom2708 »

For the past 13 years I've worked on a financial/accounting software package. After 13 years, the work is still as hard or harder than the day I started.

There is hardly any learning curve. Customers heavily customize the software. They bend it to attempt to fit their needs. It breaks and data gets damaged. We provide solutions that customers often do not want to implement. Customers are not satisfied and are often upset over things they did.
.
You'd think after 13 years you would start to see similar things over and over. But it just doesn't happen. There are very few procedural questions asked with actual answers. It is either broken data or requests for further customization to fix their previous issues.

Life is too short. I stayed too long. I put in my notice and will quit this job on Nov. 14th and "do something else".

It is pretty fun to think of the door closing. A career "reset" is needed even if it means less pay. Which I'm sure it will.

Anyone else have it where their actual work just is terrible? I'm not talking about dirty jobs type stuff. I can put up with co-workers, office politics, jerk bosses, etc.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by SGM »

I retrained for new careers twice. Each career paid better than the first and was more exciting. I also made job changes without career changes. Unfortunately I found some managers who were complete disasters. I happened to be correct in my assessment as the managers were either fired or reassigned to a corporate location analogous to Siberia not long after I left the companies or institutions.

I always earned and saved what Humphrey Bogart called FU money. It helps it if you feel free to leave when the notion strikes you.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by Ganacel »

placeholder wrote:
munemaker wrote:
placeholder wrote:Nobody can force you to work 60 hours a week so if that's a major source of unhappiness and you're thinking of leaving anyway just start working 40 and tell them that's the way it is and see how it goes.
Nobody can force you to work overtime but they can fire you if you do not.
Yes but will they (at many companies firing an existing employee can be a complicated process) and if you're thinking of quitting then so what?
I'm not majorly unhappy, and I'm not really worried about being fired. They wouldn't have the easiest time finding someone to replace me on short notice, and logistically it would be a lot easier for them to simply not renew my contract than to fire me. Likewise, it would be a lot easier for me to simply not sign a new contract rather than to go through the hassle of quitting mid-contract. My current contract ends in ten months, so things will almost certainly remain status quo during that time. I'm just thinking ahead a bit since they will likely ask me to sign another contract at some point.

Based on my work experience up to this point, I have come to the conclusion that I will probably not ever be really excited about any job. If my current employer fired me, I would not care except insomuch as I am not yet ready to manage without an income, and I'd have to go through the hassle of finding another job that I could at least tolerate. That's basically how I feel about this job: it's tolerable, with good pay and benefits. Since this job is good enough, I don't really want to leave it just to take another one. The goal is to leave my job period, or at least cut back my work hours severely.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by madbrain »

VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.
Indeed - I reserve morning hours for sleep, and that is a very challenging task.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by VictoriaF »

madbrain wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.
Indeed - I reserve morning hours for sleep, and that is a very challenging task.
You could sleep during a meeting. Many people do, especially if it's a teleconference.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
madbrain
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by madbrain »

Lynette wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.

Victoria
If one works for a company that has global operations, meetings have to be in the morning. Its almost time for them to go to bed when we get up.
I work in Cali with many coworkers in India. There is a 12.5 hour time difference (who knew there were half hour time zone).
I can either wake up very early and make the people in India stay late on the conf calls, or do the conf calls late Pacific time, and make the people in India wake up early. Most everyone else in the company chooses the former - I choose the later.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by madbrain »

VictoriaF wrote:
madbrain wrote:
VictoriaF wrote:For example, meetings are usually scheduled in the morning, during the very hours when one could be working on his most challenging projects.
Indeed - I reserve morning hours for sleep, and that is a very challenging task.
You could sleep during a meeting. Many people do, especially if it's a teleconference.

Victoria
Waking up in the morning to dial in is an impossibility. People know better than expect me to dial in to some useless morning conference call.
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Re: "I've had it" at work - how often

Post by scrabbler1 »

HomerJ wrote:
scrabbler1 wrote:[I worked part-time for 7 years before I retired in 2008 at age 45. In those 7 years, I had 3 different part-time work arrangements (with the same employer). One PT arrangement was working mostly from home and going to the office one day a week, with 20 hours per week total. That lasted for about 2 years. Then, the work-from-home part got taken away so I had to go to the office 3 days a week to fulfill my 20 hours a week. That was lousy because I so much despised the commute. That lasted for 3 1/2 years. Then, I worked 12 hours a week in 2 days. I did that for 17 months before I stopped working altogether. That last deal had fewer hours than the first one, but because it required going to the office 2 days a week instead of 1, it was an inferior deal on that basis alone. By the time I left the company, I told the HR rep in my exit interview that I would easily reject my old telecommute deal if it were offered because I had become so burnt out from the commute.
How come you never moved closer to work? You were single and didn't have any kids, right?
I did not want to go through the process of selling my co-op apartment and uproot my life to move from Long Island back to NYC or to Jersey City NJ (where my company moved to from lower Manhattan in 2001). I had built up a decent personal life here on LI (friends and family live here). Just because I am single and childfree doesn't mean I can or want to just pack up and move to live closer to where I work.
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