Salary, need I say more.........

[visualuser]

I work in IT(Systems Adim.) for a Fortune 500 Company. I've been at this job for 4 years. If anyone out there is like me, you are always the last person leaving the office. It's like I work way more than anyone else. Ok, lets figure this up. When you work way more than 40 hours per week, how much are you really making?

When you are on salary, how do you figure this up? Do you take days for time spent at work over 40 hours. I know that any salary employee should know that he or she may have to work over 40 hrs and that's fine. We (IT people) know that it gets out of hand. My hours are out of control! It's not as bad for me since I'm single, but still. How does your company deal with this? I get really flustrated with this, not mad though. Most of the time noone knows what I'm doing anyway. They see me and ask "what are you still doing here". Gosh, they don't understand or maybe I just take my job too serious?

It's flustating because you know others in different departments aren't working as hard and as much as you. I won't name specific jobs ( hee hee.... )

Sometimes I think that I should just be thankful for my job and I am. I have a good job but sometimes I think I need to draw a line. My week-nights are pretty shot! It's like you leave way late then pretty much need to be there at 8 am in case there are problems and when you are not there, people say you are slacking or that they couldn't do their job because you weren't there to fix the situation. Let me stop...I'm trying to stay positive here.

I'm interested on what you guys experience? How do you work out your "comp" time or do you get it? Do you write down exaclty what hours you work? How do you work this out with your boss? Does your boss know exactly what hours you work? Do you let your boss know what you are doing there late?

Thanks in advances for any replies!

 

[dlscott]

I have been a Sys Admin for several companies, and often I was the whole department -- so the hours were looong. As an IT person you cannot get around the long hours but I would suggest that you document those times when you put in extremely long hours. Let's say you do a system update that turns into three 12-hour days then document it. Also, it almost next to impossible to perform most sys admin duties until almost everyone else has gone home -- document it.

A reasonable boss would allow you take comp time during slow periods. Sat down with your boss show him/her how you are spending your time. It is often harder to get a raise but you may be able to find some other benefits that company is willing to offer for your dedication.

 

[carp]

That is exactly what we do. I keep a spreadsheet that shows the hours I work and compares it to what would be worked during an 8-hour day. The difference is my CTO reservoir. When things are reasonably quiet, my boss lets me draw off of the reservoir so I don't eat up my vacation time but can still get in some fishing.

 

[KenCunningham]

Love the carp, reservoir, fishing analogy there Carp! Do you guys have flexi-time where you are?

 

[pthegreat]

Increase your knowledge, get certified, and get specialized in the new trends in technology such as convergence. Get your employer depend on you, then:
QUIT YOUR JOB, start a company (doesn't cost much) Have your previous employer hirer your company for consulting. Charge them by the hour.
Find some more customers, hirer employees, and threat them better as you were treated in the past.

Sounds to good to be thru?, think again. Been doing it for a couple of years and love it.
Peter

 

[jbourque]

I "feel your pain". I have been in the MIS environment in several different areas from Mainframe to Desktop Support, to System Administration for 18 years. The commn thread is always that MIS people always seem to work more hours than most every one. It may be that we have to either come in before everyone else, or stay after everyone leaves to do things we can't do when everyone's there. Each place has been different Some shops You were paid more, but you were basically 24/7. The flipside was that whever things were slow I could run out and take care of personal business without taking time off. In other shops we documented all excess time and took off compensatory time during slow periods. If you feel there is a problem, I'd suggest you re-visit with your boss on what hours you are expected to work as part of a normal day. then explore what can be done to compensate you for extra hours. The usual way is to do whawt the others have suggested. Educate and train yourself to a different level, and increase your value, THEN TRADE UP!!!!.......good luck. Its the kinda business you've gotta love to do.

 

[ukjane]

We work flexi-time here. I generally don't mind doing any long hours, although I tend to come in early and leave early. But we get the thours back, or at least some of them anyway. As for working late into the evenin our office closes at about 7.30pm, so I couldn't work later than this even if I wanted to. Although in other areas the company I work for is pretty bad they are reasonable about hours that you work, they prefer the life\balance and don't want to see employee's working late all the time, it doesn't do your moral any good and if you are working these long hours then there must be a staffing issue or other areas that need to be addressed to reduce your workload. I seriously think that you need to record your time in a spreadsheet over a period of say a month maybe more then have a meeting with your line manager and ask if they would be willing to give you time back as extra holiday time or if they would consider assesing your workload and finding someway of automating or redistributing some of your work. They can only say no...in which case you find another job.!!!

 

[butchrecon]

It seems pretty much expected in the IT industry to be apd Salary and work 60hrs or more a week. I am a field engineer with the company I work for, we have customers in a 7 state area. Neddless to say I do a lot of traveling. It is not uncommon for me to work late nearly every night. I figured it up a month ago. For the ammount of hours I put in I get paid about $6.50/hour. My "Salary" is SEVERAL times that. I am supposed to get "Comp" time, but never get to use it. It is very frustrating, but it is my job. (My wife wants me to quit.) With the job matket the way the way it is right now, it makes it difficult to look for something comporable. Oh well. James Collins
Field Service Engineer
A+, MCP

email: butchrecon@skyenet.net

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[johnny99]

Where I work (I am manager of Operations, support and infrastructure) all my people have flex time.
Since our company runs 24/7/365 we are on call all the time (one supporter and one operations/infrastructure)
We get a fixed amount of money every month to be an call and extra pay per phonecall (per 1/2 hour)

Expecting people to work 60 hours every week is not good. Not for the people and also not for the company. Quality drops when people work that much

/johnny

 

[kwh71]

First you have to realise your own limits. If you enjoy the challenge fo the job, and actually enjoy doing the hours, then let nothing get in your way. But remember that as soon as you change your mind (and you will) and you want to slow down a bit, you managers will notice your reduced performance and you'll wind up being squeezed out.

Then again, It really depends on the culture of the organisation. If the culture dictates that you work those hours, then that's what you do. Until you find another job with a different work ethic that iks more suited to your lifestyle.

Think about it this way, if you get hit by a truck tomorrow, your friends will mourn you for weeks, your loans will default and a ny assets will be eaten up to cover the debts. Your family will remeber your death every year with a special ceremony and also celebrate your birthday. They will probably undergo some counselling too. Your company will re-evaluate your job and employ two people to replace you.

What's important to you?

 

[JuanDelegator]

1) Stop working more than 40 hours.

2) Stop thinking managers or anyone else cares about your "dedication".

3) Start to think of the morons on your "team" who do the bare minimum, kiss a$$ and get the good raises.

4) Remember to think about what you have "influence" on. If you can change it, then do. If you cannot then don't.

I too work a lot of extra hours. We have flex time. I have a team of workers comprised of a few who do a lot and a lot who do nothing. Managers are not holding people accountable for their mistakes. It's a joke. I tried to help those with little talent, but it fell on deaf ears. I talked to management about these people with no initiative, and what happens? NOTHING. Then they have the audacity to throw you a little bit of a raise, and expect that to appease you. Don't fall for it. Do what you feel you need to do, but don't do so much that you sacrafice personal time and family needs...it will destroy you and believe me the company will care less.

Juan Delegator

 

[Albion]

It's too bad that this world has come to the point where conformity gets more attention then dedication. Sure there's a lot of "overtime" and "on call time" in the IT industry, but you are the one who chose that field. You should have known about the stress and hours before you got into it.

The problem I see are the kids who are jumping into the field thinking it's all cash and glory. I teach an intro to computers class for IT students at one of the local tech colleges and the first thing I always tell them is; if they can't handle stress and long hours they shouldn't get into the field. Sure the money is good but what good is money if you can't have fun spending it.

Personally I found an employer who pays me salary+overtime. It doesn't happen very often but if you are good at what you do and in demand then you can write your own ticket.

-al