My work is sooooo getting in the way of my personal and play time. Its the end of the month (reports due) and we also have new employees needing training...

I'm working long hours but don't get paid overtime wages....normally this is part of the job (to a certain point) but I can't event take my full lunch hour or afternoon break! By the time the weekend rolls around, I'm beat.

I'm glad I have a job in this economy, but.....enough is enough!

What about you? is your employer taking advantage of the economy to get more than their share of work out of you?

Do you get make-up time for overtime hours worked?

When is too much, too much?

What are you doing to stay balanced (physically, emotionally, spiritually)?

You get a lunch break? And an afternoon break?

What happens if you simply insist on a full lunch and afternoon break? I'd assume they're in your contract.

And a full 1-hour lunch break AND an afternoon break is pretty darned generous, BTW.

For the most part, I plan so that those kinds of things never have to happen. I arrange my day so that I have time for the breaks I need. I prioritize my work well and if something new comes up I can show my manager or whoever what I’m working on, in what order and chat with them about how they feel this new project fits into the grand scheme of things so we can agree on a new prioritization. This helps us all understand that something new may mean something old gets re-prioritized. I’m also not afraid to say “no” if something comes up that I can’t take on, be it a meeting or whatever.

I also refuse to be logging in from home to check my email or complete work at 9pm at night or on weekends. But I make these expectations clear for every new position I’m in and would not take a position where that would be expected of me.

I’m in a salaried position and it is expected that I will have to work more than a 40 hour work week on occasion, but it’s also understood that if I do that from time to time when it’s not as busy, I may take a longer lunch or leave a little early on a Friday.

Lammastide said:

What happens if you simply insist on a full lunch and afternoon break? I'd assume they're in your contract.

And a full 1-hour lunch break AND an afternoon break is pretty darned generous, BTW.

If you're an hourly employee it's illegal not to pay overtime and breaks are legally manadated based on # of hours worked. It's different from state to state here, but each state has labor laws that apply.

If you're a salaried employee, it's a matter of having the right conversation with your manager, etc.

I'm self-employed, so fortunately, I don't have to worry about many of these items. But, being self-employed is definitely the hardest job I've ever had. I can take time off when I want (mostly), but the motivation to always keep work coming in has to be constant. To stay balanced, I work out 6 days a week and try to eat healthy foods.

I'm a teacher. Regardless of the snide crap people say, we work hard.

We bring home work every night and weekend because if you assign work, you have to grade it.

You don't know how many times I've said, "I can't I have to grade/do lesson plans."

Yes, a lot of us don't work in the summers, but we don't get paid, either. (I get my last paycheck on June 30th, and don't see another one until September 15th.) If we don't work Summer School or get part time jobs, we're screwed.

And now with BS like "WAiting for Superman", we have to jump through hoops to prove ourselves. Of course there are bad teaches, but not as many as the media makes it seem...

BUT I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything!

I dont take morning or afternoon breaks... I do take my lunch hour because I have to eat and the dogs have to pee...

Other than that, I mostly sit at my desk on the computer or the phone so If i need a snack or a drink I just do it there...

I dont ever bring any work home thank god!!

Im actually orging on my lunch break at home now! except its almost over... but I get off in 4.5 hours!

i'm salaried but there are times when my work hours leak into my play hours. when that happens, i try to reward myself for effort and keep in mind that's how the working world is..

XxAxX said:

i'm salaried but there are times when my work hours are so long i don't have time to take a leak. when that happens, i try to reward myself for effort and keep in mind that's how the working world is..

Where on earth do you work, Dear?????

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

i'm salaried but there are times when my work hours are so long i don't have time to take a leak. when that happens, i try to reward myself for effort and keep in mind that's how the working world is..

Where I work we have special chairs so we don't have to leave our desks for restroom breaks

how advantageous

BlackAdder7 said:

XxAxX said:

i'm salaried but there are times when my work hours are so long i don't have time to take a leak. when that happens, i try to reward myself for effort and keep in mind that's how the working world is..

Where on earth do you work, Dear?????

I'm guessing it's someplace with deadlines.

CarrieMpls said:

Lammastide said:

What happens if you simply insist on a full lunch and afternoon break? I'd assume they're in your contract.

And a full 1-hour lunch break AND an afternoon break is pretty darned generous, BTW.

If you're an hourly employee it's illegal not to pay overtime and breaks are legally manadated based on # of hours worked. It's different from state to state here, but each state has labor laws that apply.

If you're a salaried employee, it's a matter of having the right conversation with your manager, etc.

I work 9 hour days and have two breaks and a lunch I can take an hour lunch but choose to take 30 min lunch instead. I always thought this was what everyone who worked got?

and yes, we are super busy at work right now but I won't work OT unless I'm payed for it!