Work stress and quitting

[Anonymous]

My job switched entirely from remote/low contact/predictable hours to remote/very high contact across time zones. This means I wake up to messages from Europe at 6am, and sometimes I missed something in the night that was important. I am constantly distracted by messages/meetings and so I work until 6/7pm doing my actual main work. I asked my manager if I could be taken off of this new job, was told I would get replaced for some of it at least, but since then it's been on me still. I get paid overtime. I don't want overtime or a pay increase for this. I just want normal hours matching my pay, and somewhat matching original responsibilities. Would you just quit? It is summer and of course my kids (who are older, no need for supervision) are home more, so the absolute worse time to do this to me. I am truly angry and frustrated over this. I basically got punished for doing a good job with more responsibilities and stress and a longer work day.

[Anonymous]

If you are considering quitting over this it is worth having a very direct conversation with your manager about your level of unhappiness and exactly what you want. Maybe say you are unwilling to sustain it more than X months, since you’ve already been doing it for X months. You are a team player and you have taken one for the team but the scope of work, hours, etc. have changed drastically and without a conversation around if you wanted that professionally. If you need income don’t quit without another job. Also, can you take any vacation to reset a little in the meantime?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you are considering quitting over this it is worth having a very direct conversation with your manager about your level of unhappiness and exactly what you want. Maybe say you are unwilling to sustain it more than X months, since you’ve already been doing it for X months. You are a team player and you have taken one for the team but the scope of work, hours, etc. have changed drastically and without a conversation around if you wanted that professionally. If you need income don’t quit without another job. Also, can you take any vacation to reset a little in the meantime?

I have told her it was too much already. As of today I am still on this team. I asked again this am and she said we will discuss later, but during our larger meeting it sounded like I am an ongoing member. As for a vacation that is part of the issue: I have next week off and will not be able to be truly off if I have this specific job, which is devastating to me as I am visiting my parents and I want to focus 100% on them as it is the one time I see them yearly. I feel like they are treating me incredibly poorly. I do not need the income in the sense I am not well paid and dh makes a lot more.

[Anonymous]

Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

I would be let go pretty much immediately if I didn't do the work: it's tracked daily and the messages are all instant, I get called directly and I am supposed to be "on", so quiet quitting isn't really a possibility. I know this because they have let go people for not answering a message within two days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

I would be let go pretty much immediately if I didn't do the work: it's tracked daily and the messages are all instant, I get called directly and I am supposed to be "on", so quiet quitting isn't really a possibility. I know this because they have let go people for not answering a message within two days.

So then my plan should work (replying by end of first day). You need to push to the limit. If they expect replies in 48 hours you reply at 47 (vague replies). If you reply first thing in am with a detailed response, that becomes the new expectation.

Do they pay severance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

I would be let go pretty much immediately if I didn't do the work: it's tracked daily and the messages are all instant, I get called directly and I am supposed to be "on", so quiet quitting isn't really a possibility. I know this because they have let go people for not answering a message within two days.

So then my plan should work (replying by end of first day). You need to push to the limit. If they expect replies in 48 hours you reply at 47 (vague replies). If you reply first thing in am with a detailed response, that becomes the new expectation.

Do they pay severance?

They do not pay severance, I am at will and technically hourly, but with benefits. And I am going away at the end of this week so this is all the absolute worst timing possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

I would be let go pretty much immediately if I didn't do the work: it's tracked daily and the messages are all instant, I get called directly and I am supposed to be "on", so quiet quitting isn't really a possibility. I know this because they have let go people for not answering a message within two days.

So then my plan should work (replying by end of first day). You need to push to the limit. If they expect replies in 48 hours you reply at 47 (vague replies). If you reply first thing in am with a detailed response, that becomes the new expectation.

Do they pay severance?

They do not pay severance, I am at will and technically hourly, but with benefits. And I am going away at the end of this week so this is all the absolute worst timing possible.

OP the same happened to me. More responsibility but no pay increase. I don't get paid overtime nor would I get severance. Lip service has been ongoing about getting someone else. I am looking but it's going to take a while. Do what you can to get by, but get out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just ignore messages. Spend the first several hours of the day job searching. Long lunch. Respond to messages after lunch. If you have to do your own work do it after hours if you are so inclined to make overtime. Or it just doesn't get done. You already told the boss you were overwhelmed.

You will either find a new job or be let go. Both better than quitting with nothing.

I would be let go pretty much immediately if I didn't do the work: it's tracked daily and the messages are all instant, I get called directly and I am supposed to be "on", so quiet quitting isn't really a possibility. I know this because they have let go people for not answering a message within two days.

So then my plan should work (replying by end of first day). You need to push to the limit. If they expect replies in 48 hours you reply at 47 (vague replies). If you reply first thing in am with a detailed response, that becomes the new expectation.

Do they pay severance?

They do not pay severance, I am at will and technically hourly, but with benefits. And I am going away at the end of this week so this is all the absolute worst timing possible.

OP the same happened to me. More responsibility but no pay increase. I don't get paid overtime nor would I get severance. Lip service has been ongoing about getting someone else. I am looking but it's going to take a while. Do what you can to get by, but get out.

I am mentally really struggling. I feel exploited and disrespected, and I spend way too much time outside of work worrying about this, venting to dh about it...All for a job that pays very little and I now hate. I am a normally pretty anxious person who took this job because it was a way to make money working independently and quietly from home with low stress, and it's turned into the total opposite of what I was hired to do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are considering quitting over this it is worth having a very direct conversation with your manager about your level of unhappiness and exactly what you want. Maybe say you are unwilling to sustain it more than X months, since you’ve already been doing it for X months. You are a team player and you have taken one for the team but the scope of work, hours, etc. have changed drastically and without a conversation around if you wanted that professionally. If you need income don’t quit without another job. Also, can you take any vacation to reset a little in the meantime?

I have told her it was too much already. As of today I am still on this team. I asked again this am and she said we will discuss later, but during our larger meeting it sounded like I am an ongoing member. As for a vacation that is part of the issue: I have next week off and will not be able to be truly off if I have this specific job, which is devastating to me as I am visiting my parents and I want to focus 100% on them as it is the one time I see them yearly. I feel like they are treating me incredibly poorly. I do not need the income in the sense I am not well paid and dh makes a lot more.

Put in your two weeks notice and look for something else. This sentence tells me you have the luxury to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you are considering quitting over this it is worth having a very direct conversation with your manager about your level of unhappiness and exactly what you want. Maybe say you are unwilling to sustain it more than X months, since you’ve already been doing it for X months. You are a team player and you have taken one for the team but the scope of work, hours, etc. have changed drastically and without a conversation around if you wanted that professionally. If you need income don’t quit without another job. Also, can you take any vacation to reset a little in the meantime?

I have told her it was too much already. As of today I am still on this team. I asked again this am and she said we will discuss later, but during our larger meeting it sounded like I am an ongoing member. As for a vacation that is part of the issue: I have next week off and will not be able to be truly off if I have this specific job, which is devastating to me as I am visiting my parents and I want to focus 100% on them as it is the one time I see them yearly. I feel like they are treating me incredibly poorly. I do not need the income in the sense I am not well paid and dh makes a lot more.

Put in your two weeks notice and look for something else. This sentence tells me you have the luxury to do so.

Financially we'd be fine, in the sense that we save every month and would still without my income. Our health insurance would double in cost so that part is not ideal. I'm just really angry that my doing a good job led to the destruction of my work schedule and scope of responsibilities, and other people who do not work as hard have a predictable, easy job, getting paid exactly the same as I do. It seems completely backwards.

[Anonymous]

^^ Yes, it does seem unfair but that's the way it usually goes. The better you do, the more you have to do or pay.

[Anonymous]

Are you working at a call center or something? I’m sure there’s other options if it’s low paying so quit and job search.

[Anonymous]

Employees don't get to dictate their own job duties and requirements, employers do. Employees have the freedom to leave if they want to. You have tried unsuccessfully to shape the job to your requirements, so your only remaining choices are to either accept that the job is what it is, or leave. You appear to have no leverage in your current position with which to force the employer to adjust to you, so maybe you'd be an attractive candidate for vacancies elsewhere. It's not complicated, even though the choices are seemingly unpalatable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are you working at a call center or something? I’m sure there’s other options if it’s low paying so quit and job search.

No, my job is much more complex than this and if I told you how much I make and what I do you would not believe me. The discrepancy between salary and responsibilities is immense.