Attorney Moms-I need your help to see if I'm underpaid-from another JD Mom

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are working 72 hours per week? BS. Work smarter and set standard working hours: 9-5. You can be made available after-hours on an emergency/as needed basis. 72 hours a week is insane for a government, non-attorney position. You are self imposing those hours and making yourself feel underpaid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

If you're working at thePTO, then I would say to quit now andwp work at a firm. But that might be even harder (more hours and stress) and after 5 years of " not practicing law," it's going to be tough tofind a job. You might be stuck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP-- I just noticed that you are not even in an attorney position but you have a JD. Then you really have a sweet deal. After 5 years post JD without practicing law, I doubt you could land in a firm unless the work you have been doing is highly specialized.

I saw that earlier too and was wondering why no one mentioned it.

I didn't notice it. But yeah, if you haven't been practicing law for five years, you are not going to get a job as an attorney easily, especially one commanding twice your current salary.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

No, it means being available during your established hours. You decide what those will be (with your manager's approval) and then you are available during those hours; you don't have to be more available as a telecommuter than someone in the office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

Does management frown on 12 hour/day time entries?

[Anonymous]

if you're working 70 hours a week you are underpaid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

Does management frown on 12 hour/day time entries?

I can't enter 12 hours on my fed job time sheet. Only my regular 8 and up to 3 credit hours on a workday or 8 credit hours on a non workday. We use an online time sheet and it won't accept additional hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

Does management frown on 12 hour/day time entries?

I can't enter 12 hours on my fed job time sheet. Only my regular 8 and up to 3 credit hours on a workday or 8 credit hours on a non workday. We use an online time sheet and it won't accept additional hours.

Are you on a work plan that limits your hours in that way? What is the difference between entering 8 hours with 3 credit hours vs 11 hours (if your online time sheet allowed it)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

Does management frown on 12 hour/day time entries?

I can't enter 12 hours on my fed job time sheet. Only my regular 8 and up to 3 credit hours on a workday or 8 credit hours on a non workday. We use an online time sheet and it won't accept additional hours.

Are you on a work plan that limits your hours in that way? What is the difference between entering 8 hours with 3 credit hours vs 11 hours (if your online time sheet allowed it)?

I can't enter 11 regular hours. It would reject the time sheet with errors. Not a particular work plan...just a standard 8.5 hour tour of duty and procedures at my agency say you can't earn more than 3 credit hours on a workday. If I tried to enter more the system would reject my time sheet. You are not technically allowed to work additional hours because that would be uncompensated work time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always amazed at how much attorneys feel they should be paid.

AMEN!

Why? Do you feel that way about investment bankers and professional athletes, too, or do they contribute more to society than attorneys do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always amazed at how much attorneys feel they should be paid.

AMEN!

Why? Do you feel that way about investment bankers and professional athletes, too, or do they contribute more to society than attorneys do?

I've never heard these groups claim (as a group) they are owed more. JDs think they are owed six figures by passing the bar. Attorneys who are truly contributing to the betterment society are not making 160k out of law school, nor do they expect it. They do it because they love the job, not because they were sold on a dream of making money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always amazed at how much attorneys feel they should be paid.

AMEN!

Why? Do you feel that way about investment bankers and professional athletes, too, or do they contribute more to society than attorneys do?

I've never heard these groups claim (as a group) they are owed more. JDs think they are owed six figures by passing the bar. Attorneys who are truly contributing to the betterment society are not making 160k out of law school, nor do they expect it. They do it because they love the job, not because they were sold on a dream of making money.

You've never heard investment bankers or pro athletes ask for more money? You have got to be kidding me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Yes I work full time. Work about 60 hours a week from home and about 12 from the office. I work so much more at home than at the office that in a way I want to go back to an office setting but my commute is long and would have added expenses. The government is taking advantage of technology and trying to avoid high cost leases. Also, people are more likely to stay at these jobs and low turnover means a lot of savings in training. Now that they have a hiring freeze they need to keep the good people happy. However, working from home means always being available in order to avoid anyone questioning your work hours. To me this means working very long hours.... yet I have never missed a deadline.

You are doing this wrong.

No one expects you to work this much (are you working a 12 hour day one day a week in the office??) regardless of where you are doing the work.

Your hours are 8-4:30. Or 9-5:30. Pick your TOD and that's it. You can only earn 3 credit hours a workday, so I'm not even sure how you are reporting this time.

Does management frown on 12 hour/day time entries?

I can't enter 12 hours on my fed job time sheet. Only my regular 8 and up to 3 credit hours on a workday or 8 credit hours on a non workday. We use an online time sheet and it won't accept additional hours.

Are you on a work plan that limits your hours in that way? What is the difference between entering 8 hours with 3 credit hours vs 11 hours (if your online time sheet allowed it)?

I can't enter 11 regular hours. It would reject the time sheet with errors. Not a particular work plan...just a standard 8.5 hour tour of duty and procedures at my agency say you can't earn more than 3 credit hours on a workday. If I tried to enter more the system would reject my time sheet. You are not technically allowed to work additional hours because that would be uncompensated work time.

Are you the op? Are you saying you are uncompensated for some of the time you work? And I presume you work those extra uncompensated hours to maintain your quota?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am always amazed at how much attorneys feel they should be paid.

AMEN!

Why? Do you feel that way about investment bankers and professional athletes, too, or do they contribute more to society than attorneys do?

I've never heard these groups claim (as a group) they are owed more. JDs think they are owed six figures by passing the bar. Attorneys who are truly contributing to the betterment society are not making 160k out of law school, nor do they expect it. They do it because they love the job, not because they were sold on a dream of making money.

Yes, I feel that way about investment bankers and professional athletes too...and attorneys...