I hate overtime

Some days I hear stories from friends about the internal mess that is the business they work for. In some cases it’s small trivial things but others make you question why such a company should be allowed to be managed by such money grabbing morons that often put the long term success of their business at risk, and by extension the financial stability of their employees, for short term profit.

I could rant about all the stupid things I’ve heard different companies do that as an employee I’d really hate to see in my working day but one of my big bugbears is overtime.

I was recently asked the question if I’d ever had to work a full day. My answer was never. In almost 7 years I’ve stayed at most an extra hour, twice, and on one occasion had to go to work for a couple of hours in the middle of the Christmas holidays. I think my friends were a little shocked by that answer.

Maybe I’ve had a privileged working life but I really don’t see the need for anyone to be doing overtime. We all have lives outside work that are far more interesting than remaining at our desk making money for other people. Blunt but true. (Freelancers or company owners doing overtime is a little less black and white).

In my opinion there are only two reasons overtime occurs:

1. The employee is too lazy and can’t do a full days work in the time he’s contracted to do
2. A company has taken on too much work, or set unrealistic deadlines

If the first applies to you then it’s your own fault and you only have yourself to blame. But I think the second happens in the majority of cases and it takes me back to the morons running a company.

Clearly those running a business in this situation have no concept of how long a job will take, won’t listen to employees that say it’s not feasible or are just too money hungry that none of this matters and they take on any work that comes their way.

From the moment my clock turns to 5.30 the rest of the day is mine to do with as I wish, and that’s the way I want it to stay. Better that than being so stressed with extra work that I work myself into an early grave. I enjoy my job and I’m lucky that I do but in reality we all work to earn cash to live and enjoy life, whats the point in doing that if you spend all your time at work?

Sure some get extra money for overtime or time in lieu, but that’s no good if you spend days on end either working or sleeping and miss the world moving around you. For me unless not doing overtime means someone might die, think Heart Surgeon or Firefighter, then overtime is an unnecessary part of working life and needs to be abolished.

#rantover