Work/life balance
This is the big thing these days. All the job adverts tell me how much the prospective employers value their employees work/life balance & will assist in any way possible to achieve the correct one. The news keep telling me that if you get it right, you'll be happier, healthier, have better adjusted offspring, be less likely to have a variety of medical conditions etc etc etc.
Getting some balance into my life was the reason I gave up the career I loved, & took a part time job that I don't hate. I explained this at my interview. They specifically asked why I wanted a PT job & I offered them a full & detailed explanation of my personal circumstances. When my thoughtful & concerned employers refused point blank to give me a company car (despite plenty of proof that the legally have to under PT workers rights legislation), I pointed out that I would have to work very strict hours, and would not be flexible (as I had been previously) with my avaiolablilty. They said, in writing, that would be fine.
I am contracted to work 18.5 hours a week. They fall on Mondays, Wednesdays & occasional Tuesdays. so please explain to me why my employers feel they can send me an email on Thursday morning asking for 6 reports to be written up on new forms & returned to them by Friday morning at the latest. Then, they have the gall to phone me at 9pm to ask if I've done them yet!
And I'm still waiting for July's expences to be paid. And Augusts. And the new publications I was promised would definitely be ready by Jan 2005, well, April then, Ok, guarenteed by Septemver, are still not done. oh yes, & they can't set up their computer system to tell me any of the information I need to know daily to do my job - they've been trying for two years, and for the whole time I have been promised that it will definitely go live next week. But I have to write reports on my day off, so that when someone claims some money, they will have the details on their new form, not the old one I've already sent them, which has ONE LINE different!
I actually don't mind my job, but my employers make my life miserable, and do everything they possibly can to screw my work/life balance.
Getting some balance into my life was the reason I gave up the career I loved, & took a part time job that I don't hate. I explained this at my interview. They specifically asked why I wanted a PT job & I offered them a full & detailed explanation of my personal circumstances. When my thoughtful & concerned employers refused point blank to give me a company car (despite plenty of proof that the legally have to under PT workers rights legislation), I pointed out that I would have to work very strict hours, and would not be flexible (as I had been previously) with my avaiolablilty. They said, in writing, that would be fine.
I am contracted to work 18.5 hours a week. They fall on Mondays, Wednesdays & occasional Tuesdays. so please explain to me why my employers feel they can send me an email on Thursday morning asking for 6 reports to be written up on new forms & returned to them by Friday morning at the latest. Then, they have the gall to phone me at 9pm to ask if I've done them yet!
And I'm still waiting for July's expences to be paid. And Augusts. And the new publications I was promised would definitely be ready by Jan 2005, well, April then, Ok, guarenteed by Septemver, are still not done. oh yes, & they can't set up their computer system to tell me any of the information I need to know daily to do my job - they've been trying for two years, and for the whole time I have been promised that it will definitely go live next week. But I have to write reports on my day off, so that when someone claims some money, they will have the details on their new form, not the old one I've already sent them, which has ONE LINE different!
I actually don't mind my job, but my employers make my life miserable, and do everything they possibly can to screw my work/life balance.
posted by Juggling Mother @ 9:15 pm
3 Comments:
At Friday, October 14, 2005 11:52:00 am,
Paste said…
Seems to me that some serious job hunting may be in order? You really don't have to put up with all this these days.
At Friday, October 14, 2005 8:19:00 pm,
Kate B. said…
They sound awful! If you have the balls (and hate them enough to teach them a lesson) speak to a lawyer...
I had a similar situation once but it stemmed from my objection to my boss grabbing my butt and pestering me for a date. I just left in the end and I've always wished I took it further. I got my revenge though - I told the biggest gossip at head office all about his coke habit, chronic alcoholism, three-hour lunchbreaks and the fact that the ad agency he hired had to bribe him with gifts to keep their retainer - all true by the way.
Good luck!
At Monday, October 17, 2005 6:32:00 pm,
Juggling Mother said…
To be honest I am looking, but despite their idiocy & general bloody mindedness, this job suits me well right now, as I save a fortune on childcare by working from home & don't really put much effort into the whole thing.
Back when I was jst looking for career advancement, looking for jobs was easy - anything withing a 50 mile radius (or moveable to) that offered more money. Now I have to take commuting times, school holidays, & flexible working into consideration, plus the high wages required to cover childcare costs, so there are a lot less available.
I'll keep looking, & keep arguing with the current lot until I can send a fantastic resignation letter - which I'm seriously considering sending as an open letter to all 100,000 members:-)
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