Added new job responsibilities that include staying up until 3am

[Anonymous]

Currently I’m a project manager for a large F10 company. I work remotely and I’ve worked here on various teams since 2013. Currently, I love the team I’m on and really enjoy the job.

Today I was informed that I am taking over IT release responsibilities from another coworker who is getting transferred to another area. I had no issues with this - it basically adds additional paperwork but it’s fairly straightforward and not a lot of additional time to my day.

I have no technical background in what we do - I manage the work.

Was all fine and dandy until I was told that I am expected on IT release days to stay up online until the release is finished and successful.

Our releases happen at 8pm and typically wrap up at 3am. The team members who are doing this work are in India so these hours are regular working hours. My role on this day is to start the zoom call and send an email when the deployment is finished at about 3am. That’s it. I cannot answer their questions if they have any.

This is exactly what the other person did. Except he does have a tech background and he is in India.

I can’t see how I am adding any value whatsoever to this process. Plus, we have an entire team of people in India who are performing this work and it’s within their normal working hours.

I am the only person on this team in the USA.

We also have a stand up at 8am the next day that I run.

I’ve already pushed back on this and my manager said we will chat later (but he does understand where I’m coming from at least).

This process happens twice a month.

Any thoughts? Would you be upset at this? Would you push back?

[Anonymous]

They don’t have anyone local to India that can do this? Perhaps you could simply be “on-call” and reachable in case there’s a problem, without having to be awake and babysitting the zoom call?

[Anonymous]

I would try to make it so someone in India has the responsibility to do those things and call you if they’re not done.

[Anonymous]

That is shockingly unreasonable, and I would push back politely, but firmly. There is no way you should agree to do this overnight job, unless you are compensated with overnight pay on those days (and suggest something really expensive, given it's ridiculous they're asking anyone in the US to do this).

[Anonymous]

How much do you make?

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you need overtime for this.

[Anonymous]

If they paid me some kind of night differential, I’d be ok with the 3 am email twice a month IF someone could cover the 8 am meeting the next morning. Sounds like you could sleep until you have to send the email?

I would not be ok with being expected to stay awake from 8-3 and then be in an 8 am meeting. That’s unreasonable.

[Anonymous]

My DH and brother, both worked with teams in different time zones, had to get up at 4.30 am to attends meetings. They moved to different roles within 1-2 years. This way they didn't have to be unemployed, take pay cuts for other roles or leave the companies they liked working with. If you can switch to a different role in a tear or two, it can be done.

[Anonymous]

*year or two

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is shockingly unreasonable, and I would push back politely, but firmly. There is no way you should agree to do this overnight job, unless you are compensated with overnight pay on those days (and suggest something really expensive, given it's ridiculous they're asking anyone in the US to do this).

Do you do IT work?

[Anonymous]

Nope - they need someone in India or close enough to IST to take on this role. (I assume since you are at a F10 company that there are people in a closer time zones)

[Anonymous]

Presumably you can start the zoom and be camera off and go to bed. Wake up at 3 and send a pre-written email and go back to sleep? Not ideal and I’d ask for more money to do it. If you can pre write the emails you could also set it to auto send at 3am. And just have someone call you if things have gone haywire.

[Anonymous]

Op here -

I am salary so as far as I know, there is no shift differential I could get.

I’m talking with my manager about this on Monday. My first go at this is March 4 (thankfully I’m off the hook for it this month)

It’s a very large company but for the area I’m in, we only have people in EST (me) and IST.

I wouldn’t mind starting the call at 8pm (but my question is, why do they need ME to start a call lol???) but to hang out on it all night long, when I have nothing to offer (again, I am a PM with no knowledge of the tech duties they are doing) - just…why???!

This just seems so unnecessary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is shockingly unreasonable, and I would push back politely, but firmly. There is no way you should agree to do this overnight job, unless you are compensated with overnight pay on those days (and suggest something really expensive, given it's ridiculous they're asking anyone in the US to do this).

Do you do IT work?

No, but I know several people who have worked in IT, my husband included, and they were never asked to work nights.
Particularly in this case when OP's company actually has an entire group available in the right time zone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here -

I am salary so as far as I know, there is no shift differential I could get.

I’m talking with my manager about this on Monday. My first go at this is March 4 (thankfully I’m off the hook for it this month)

It’s a very large company but for the area I’m in, we only have people in EST (me) and IST.

I wouldn’t mind starting the call at 8pm (but my question is, why do they need ME to start a call lol???) but to hang out on it all night long, when I have nothing to offer (again, I am a PM with no knowledge of the tech duties they are doing) - just…why???!

This just seems so unnecessary.

Are they telling you you have to be awake and online until 3? And then present in the office at 8 am the next morning? If your manager is human, he will obviously know that’s unreasonable.