Working with a workaholic?

um7y1h83ge06nx

Hi guys,

I need some advice on a situation.

I work in a small team and one of the members works crazy hours. I'm concerned that we could all get pressurized into following her lead so to speak.

Our contract states that we work 0900-1630 Mon-Fri with a half an hour break during that time. I normally come in around 0830 and leave around 1645 (handy to come in early to avoid the traffic).

It's very rare that I will be in the office before her in the morning despite the fact I'm in early as it is. Maybe once every 2 weeks I could be in before her. When it comes to leaving in the evening she might leave before me once a month. Even when she does come home she works a little sometimes from home and even does "a couple of hours" at the weekend. You could easily see emails from her being sent at 9 or 10 at night and Saturdays or Sundays. She even avoids heading outside the office for lunch with us, preferring to eat at her desk. One day she was on holiday as she had some things to take care at home. Even then she was attending meetings and sending emails!!

Now, if that floats her boat that's grand, although I don't think it's sustainable or healthy myself.

What I'm concerned about is how to deal with any pressure (real or perceived) to "put in the hours" like she does. The only saving grace is that we are in different positions. Thankfully that avoids any direct comparisons (Why did I get x and y done in a day while she got a, b, c, x and y done).

When I'm in the office I do good work but I value my personal life and I think you have to separate work and personal life in order to keep your sanity and work effectively at a sustainable level.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Mrs OBumble

What type of pressure have you been receiving?

um7y1h83ge06nx

None yet but I just want to be prepared in case.

I did get an email on a Sunday afternoon though from a customer asking me to do something (nothing too major). I didn't see the email as I was in the pub, the Managing Director texted me asking if I could take a look at the email and see if I could get it done.

In fairness the MD was very apologetic and said there was no panic if I couldn't do it. From reading the customer email the customer seemed to assume I was available to do it, mainly because my work colleague appeared to be working and sending out emails to him. That just annoyed me really.

I didn't get it done in about 15 mins but it was the attitude by the customer that I was available because my colleague was sending/receiving emails was annoying.

The Big Red Button

Noah Cuddly Tendinitis wrote: »

None yet but I just want to be prepared in case.

I did get an email on a Sunday afternoon though from a customer asking me to do something (nothing too major). I didn't see the email as I was in the pub, the Managing Director texted me asking if I could take a look at the email and see if I could get it done.

In fairness the MD was very apologetic and said there was no panic if I couldn't do it. From reading the customer email the customer seemed to assume I was available to do it, mainly because my work colleague appeared to be working and sending out emails to him. That just annoyed me really.

I didn't get it done in about 15 mins but it was the attitude by the customer that I was available because my colleague was sending/receiving emails was annoying.

But there was no pressure on you - as you said yourself, your manager seemed apologetic, which would imply that he sees this as a once-off request.

It's quite possible that the customer in question was a friend of his, and he was accelerating his request as a favour.

If you wanted to make a big point of it, you could've ignored the text and addressed the issue first thing Monday morning. Don't really see the point in that myself, if you were doing nothing else and if it was something simple that could be done within a few minutes (assuming that it was a once-off, and not a regular occurence.)

Randy Shafter

OP, I wouldn't worry about being told to follow your co-workers example. I cant see it happening. You have your contracted hours to work and maybe on the odd occasion work over time. Thats as much as you need to work. Just because the co-worker brings work home etc, doesn't mean you have to follow their example.

Work to live not live to work.

Irish_Elect_Eng

As a manager, I am frankly more impressed with those people that get their assigned work done during normal work hours than those assigned the same amount of work that work long hours.

Working extra on side projects to develop skills for personal development is a little different or to go out of the way to delight a customer under your own steam can be impressive, but not if it is a constant, then it just stops being noticed.

But having said that "some" flexibility in putting in a little extra time is always appreciated when the sh1t hits the fan :-)

um7y1h83ge06nx

Thanks for the replies.

As you said Irish_Elect_Eng flexibility when something critical happens is fine, I have never had a problem with that and have always pulled out the finger and stayed back in any company when that happens, I just don't want to be in critical mode like my colleague the majority of the time.

I guess the pressure really is mostly perceived pressure in my mind. I just have to re-assure myself that I do my full week, get my tasks done and still get more done on top of this.

ArthurG

I've seen this kind of behaviour myself, and wouldn't jump to conclusions that your colleague is actually doing any more that you are. For me, seeing people working all the hours, leaving with armloads of files, working over the weekend etc raises questions more about how efficient they are at their job, not how much are they doing. I'd like to say the days of managers being impressed with people who never seem to switch off are long gone, but there probably still are people who are impressed with this kind of thing.

Remember - quality not quantity is what is important!

L.Jenkins

On the flip side, I work with someone who wouldn't work to warm themselves. I'm not blowing my own horn, but they would have to work longer hours to keep pace with me from 9 - 5.

Mrs OBumble

It also depends on the industry, and whether people work there as a job or as almost a vocation.

I spent some time working in a special-education agency. Many of the professional staff there were passionately committed to making a difference for children with disabilities, and some worked mad hours. Not for the sake of their boss or the agency or whatever - but for the children. These are folks who genuinely would like more hours in the day, just so they could work more, and then do indeed "live to work" - and love it.

Now I didn't even try to match them - but I can understand why they did things this way.

Wanderer2010

The workplace culture also plays a hand. If its the kind of place where slackers and poor performers are routinely tolerated and its usually one or two people who pick up the slack then it isnt a problem and maybe your workmate is that person in your situation. If thats the case then dont worry about it, any perceived pressure to keep up is probably in your head. People like that get no thanks for their efforts and are usually a source of teasing from the management until something twigs with them and they decide to just go back to 9-5 like everyone else. I dont think theres an issue here, OP.