Being overworked

Anthony M

Hi everyone, I'm really struggling here and not sure what to do.

Every day I find myself pilling as much work in as I can to try getting over the jobs I am behind on with every day urgent jobs come in and I have to deal with them priority. I get a phonecalls everyday asking where I am with the jobs im behind on and can't catch up. As I'm the only one which can do my job, I hate taking days off because I know il have to catch up.
I have two main people I answer to and occasionally an engineering manager.

One of my jobs is heat losses which take on average 2.5 hours and I have 10 this week with 6 behind schedule.

I'm on site two days a week and find myself rushing constantly and am mentally exhausted daily. Some days I don't even take lunch as I'm under pressure to get jobs in as other Jobs took longer as expected.

I feel my main boss thinks I'm not doing much and is constantly putting extra jobs on me

Has anyone been in this situation before?

enricoh

Tell the boss you need an extra pair of hands n get hiring pronto. I hope you are getting well paid , if not I'd be mentioning that too!
You are in the building industry so don't be shy about asking for extra, if you don't ask you don't get.

Calahonda52

If you are in the heat loss business then plenty work out there elsewhere: are you an energy engineer? by PM if needed

jackboy

Aaron Moat wrote: »

. As I'm the only one which can do my job, I hate taking days off because I know il have to catch up.

Are you really the only person who can do your job? If yes you are in the position of power and can demand a pay increase and reduction in work load. That’s only if your assertion is true of course.

And by the way, it is normal in workplaces to give jobs to the busiest people as they generally will have your attitude and kill themselves to get the job done.

Anthony M

I'm actually a renewable engineer. Well, there's two people that can do heat losses but they don't. I think ill prepare a list of what I'm doing in a week and the jobs due that week and have a talk to my manager. I'll see if I can get more help hired. As the business is growing, we need more help.

Thanks everyone for your input.

Jim2007

Aaron Moat wrote: »

I feel my main boss thinks I'm not doing much and is constantly putting extra jobs on me

Has anyone been in this situation before?

You need to change your perspective and this not an easy thing to do. First of all you need to realize that you work to live not the other way around and secondly that contrary to what you think, you are just not that important to the company, they’d find a way to move on if you were not around.

Start by making a list of the jobs you need to complete and an estimate of the time you need to complete them (well padded, ‘cause everyone under estimates). Then ask your boss to prioritize the jobs he wants done first and when he comes with the next job ask him where he’d like to put it on the list. And when the rush job comes, suggest you could do it tomorrow in place of another job or he could authorize overtime to get it done earlier.

In other words return the responsibility for staffing the jobs to where it belongs - your boss. It’s not going to be easy to retrain your boss, but the only realistic alternative is to find a new job.

Anthony M

Jim2007 wrote: »

You need to change your perspective and this not an easy thing to do. First of all you need to realize that you work to live not the other way around and secondly that contrary to what you think, you are just not that important to the company, they’d find a way to move on if you were not around.

Start by making a list of the jobs you need to complete and an estimate of the time you need to complete them (well padded, ‘cause everyone under estimates). Then ask your boss to prioritize the jobs he wants done first and when he comes with the next job ask him where he’d like to put it on the list. And when the rush job comes, suggest you could do it tomorrow in place of another job or he could authorize overtime to get it done earlier.

In other words return the responsibility for staffing the jobs to where it belongs - your boss. It’s not going to be easy to retrain your boss, but the only realistic alternative is to find a new job.

I have tried this and it has not worked. He wasn't interested and just wanted them done how ever I choose fit.

I priorities on what I feel is quick or most essential while doing ones which are most over due.
For instance, I have 6 heat losses to finish by this week, 10 being sent to me Friday(2.5 houses each, a hand over tomorrow, another commissioning tomorrow, paperwork to complete, probable 5 customer calls/technical calls, prepare handover documents for tomorrow and what ever jobs come in Friday. Monday will probably have another 5-6 jobs to do. When I do a heat loss, I need to ensure all paperwork matches, finalize paperwork, cylinder registration, heat emmiter outputs are greater etc. I'm also sorting out warranty issues. I'm probably going to work Saturday just to make next week not as bad and daunting.

The problem is it's only getting more busy as time goes on.

jackboy

Aaron Moat wrote: »

I'm probably going to work Saturday just to make next week not as bad and daunting.

The problem is it's only getting more busy as time goes on.

Can you see the link.

The more you get done the more you will be given.

Don’t work Saturday, that would be a small first step.

Anthony M

Thanks, appreciate it

manonboard

I'm very productive in my job, so more is given to me.
Thats a rule for work. If you are productive, you will always be given more. I like it but i also have no problems telling me No and accepting the consequences of that action

It sounds like you aren't ok with accepting the consequences that regardless of how hard you work, you are operating in an unsustainable fashion. You will burn out or quit in time if it doesn't stop. The work wont get done then. The work seems important now, but compared to your happiness, the well being, and sustainable production for your company.. it sounds like you are making the wrong decision.
Nobody will remember you a year from now if you leave that company, its just not important.

You need to reduce your expectations of what you need to get done per week. You need to do that and inform your superiors about it so they can calibrate their plans.
Then you end up as a productive employee that is well, and the company has consistency.

There is no such thing as a manager 'Not being interested' in an employee telling them its not working. There is only managers who don't believe the employee, and that is the same as any other relationship dynamic. You verbally inform them, they dont listen, so you provide consequences so they listen to themselves. When you start turning in the work at a reasonable rate, and they see things falling behind, remind them of your requests for extra help and how you informed them it was going to happen. They will then piss and moan, and then take action.

I hope you take my meaning from all that, i'd like you to be happy and well.

Outkast_IRE

Building Services Engineer here so been there done that so to speak . Heat loss calcs, system design, tendering, site engineer etc. etc. 6 Years under by belt now , plus a full apprenticeship in plumbing so know the industry well enough at this stage.

Its just a job there are plenty more out there. Once you have a few years under your belt you could work anywhere in the world some of my younger colleagues have done stints in Oz , Canada, Dubai etc. dont be taken for a ride and accept more work piled on.

Give your boss a realistic timeline of when it will be done by if he tries to pile on more. If it will take a week tell him a week, if he says thats too long tell him take some of the other work off your hands so.

I cannot stress this enough in construction and engineering roles . Do your contracted hours 95% of the time and no more. Fair enough the odd week if we have something big going out or a deadline put a short burst of more in but leave it at that. They will absolutely ride you in construction and engineering jobs if you dont set realistic boundaries.
Always take your breaks and try and come back at it fresh after the break you will be more productive. Try and exercise a few times a week , you will feel alot better in yourself and mentally sharper.

Take time away from emails each day to concentrate on tasks. If you are responding to emails all day you are helping others but not yourself.

With the type of job your doing i would imagine ye are doing what selling heat pumps, PV or similar other solutions and doing all the heat loss calcs for them as part of the job.

Also in my experience the small companies can often absolutely ride you as the boss is the owner so to speak so he feels like he is paying you out of his own pocket. Get in with a bigger crowd who are more professional in their dealings.

Anthony M

I think I need to have a serious talk to my boss. Going home and worrying about something I forgot to do is not healthy. I'll also have to learn to say No. Thanks for your advice. Already had a burnout last Christmas. Thanks

grassylawn

Look for another job.
The only thing that changes this sort of situation is staff handing in their notice.
Burnout is a real thing.

Outkast_IRE

Aaron Moat wrote: »

I think I need to have a serious talk to my boss. Going home and worrying about something I forgot to do is not healthy. I'll also have to learn to say No. Thanks for your advice. Already had a burnout last Christmas. Thanks

Don't even bother talking to the boss if he can't see the signs by now he is not worth his salt. Get your CV updated this weekend and research any company before sending in your CV.

You already had a burnout , stop doing extra work and when things come off the rails they might get the message but don't stress yourself.

human 19

A manager is supposed to manage. It seems like your manager is the Sergeant-major type of boss "I don't care how you get it done-just get it done". I am constantly behind in work and when I am given something extra to do I point out what I already have on my plate. In fairness, event though I don't have cover, he doesn't expect me to be able to do what is more than humanely possible.

So if there are a number of things that have to be done , but cant be done within the timeframe, I give him a list of the things to be done and ask him which I am to prioritise.

the wort thing I could do would be to try to do them all when not possible, and then when then there is a major problem because something wasnt done, then tell him afterwards that I hadn't time. He could right say to me "why didn't you tell me there was a problem."

If you have an idea of how long each job would take, keep a spreadsheet of all jobs, and the time you think you need to complete each. It would help keep it straight in your head also, and you could use it to keep the boss up to date


Some managers(maybe most, I dont know) are not interested in helping staff with overwork issues. They just keep piling on the work and while you keep doing it, they wont do anything to change. Then when you leave for hopefully a better boss, they will just get someone else in and put them in exactly the same position

So either the boss is prepared to be realistic, or you move on and let the next inmate take over.

derb12

One of the best pieces of advice I got when I was at my busiest in work was to decide who I was going to disappoint today. Rather than ending up inevitably not getting my to-do list completed, I planned realistically with contingency and let the people who would have to wait know long in advance. The number one person you have to disappoint is your boss.
Definitely don’t work at the weekend. If you’ve been burned out before, you know that what you’re doing now is not sustainable.

Jim2007

Aaron Moat wrote: »

The problem is it's only getting more busy as time goes on.

Then you make the priority list for him and send it to him. "These are jobs I plan to compete this week, if you don't respond I assume you are in agreement" and you could also comment the growth of the list: "The list of outstanding jobs has grown by 4 this week".

JCJCJC

They are treating you as a contractor, not as an employee. They are dumping a whole task on you - get it done, however long it takes. They are blackguarding you, don’t plan to stay on that job. Go see your doctor, take a month off on job stress, see how they cope without you, and look around for a better job. I had the same experience and I just left them with minimum notice, no regrets.

Strumms

jackboy wrote: »

Can you see the link.

The more you get done the more you will be given.

Don’t work Saturday, that would be a small first step.

This, the more you do, the more you are given...

The more flexibility you show the more will be asked of you...

Work to rule - come in on time, leave on time, take 100% of your breaks and do the work you need to do only...

If that means some work doesn’t get done, that’s on them, you are there.. on time, every time, ready, willing and able to do the job as agreed...not as exists in their heads.