Work Life Balance?

[mr brightside]

I was thinking, is there anyone on here who is at a senior management level and is willing to have me email them my CV to check there aren't any elephants in the corner? I've applied for a few choice positions that are on maintenance and in the right industry sector but i never hear anything, even when i email to ask if my CV was recieved i still get ignored.

[Leeds Rhino]

Some would say "when you are living to work, rather than working to live".
The converse of that is that "living to work" implies that you are enthralled with the job; whereas "working to live" is a "must do drudgery, just to survive".

All very deep & complex. I guess it has to be worked through on an individual basis. One size does not fit all.

I'm definately a ' working to live' type. I doubt anyone would say on their deathbed' I wish I had spent more time at work '

Had a major disappointment this week though, Voluntary redundancy or early retirement is being offered , but not in this region yet

[TheHeathens]

..... they're asking for ... interrogation skills

Do it like this...

[hat]

interesting thread. until 18 months ago I lived in London - kids, job (very london-centric job), general drudgery, getting my hit of the outdoors in Richmond Park. Then we resigned our jobs, went freelance and moved to the Peaks (where I grew up) as an experiment. We're not going back. I was training for the 2009 London marathon and got sucked into fell running. can't imagine pounding suburban pavements now. The work thing is difficult though. My husband has to go down to London 2 days a week and I live in fear of freelance work drying up and/or going nuts from spending too much time with myself. Wondering whether to retrain/career change but would be hard. Sometimes I wonder whether we should go back but then I go for a run over one of the edges and know I can't. Richmond Park was ok but I never stopped, mid-run, to admire the view and tell it I loved it.

[Behind You]

I'm definately a ' working to live' type. I doubt anyone would say on their deathbed' I wish I had spent more time at work '

Had a major disappointment this week though, Voluntary redundancy or early retirement is being offered , but not in this region yet

Not sure where you work Rhino but in our bit of Leeds (I have colleagues on here!) the decision has been made for us to some extent as our public sector organisation is being abolished (we've been Pickled! Cheers Eric) but we won't know until October what options are open to us - scary as risk aversion runs through civil servants like Blackpool rock but quite exciting too as it will force change. Given that most of us are of a certain vintage with lots of years of service we're quite expensive to shed so cheaper options will no doubt prevail. Seeing how little I can live on this month as an experiment and it is surprising how little that is.

[Leeds Rhino]

Not sure where you work Rhino but in our bit of Leeds (I have colleagues on here!) the decision has been made for us to some extent as our public sector organisation is being abolished (we've been Pickled! Cheers Eric) but we won't know until October what options are open to us - scary as risk aversion runs through civil servants like Blackpool rock but quite exciting too as it will force change. Given that most of us are of a certain vintage with lots of years of service we're quite expensive to shed so cheaper options will no doubt prevail. Seeing how little I can live on this month as an experiment and it is surprising how little that is.

Uk Border Agency ( immigration service ) we too will probably find out a bit more come October. I think a fair few would jump at the chance of leaving !!

[mr brightside]

I've been on my arse with no work-life balance now for 6 months and i can't see how i'm going to get it back. The Tendonitis in my knees won't get better because my job is too physical, in 6 months i've got nowhere with it dispite lots of physio and as much rest as i can give. I've had to completely abandon my recovery exercises and my short walks because the loading on top of what i get up to at work pushes me into deficit, if i just go to work i hover around neutral with bad episodes whenever it gets busy and we're knocking about like blue arsed flies.

I've asked work for help and requested a 6 month transfer off the shop floor to a desk somewhere, but i was advised that it would put me in a bad position and to think again. They were very suggestive and non-specific, but the gist was that it would put my job at risk as the company is old fashioned and would see me as a problem. My physio was willing to send a report to the company nurse, but again, it was suggested that this would put me in a bad position as the company might see itself as being at risk of legal action in view of medical testimony. Long story short- if i can't do my job i should consider another career. My supervisor was a bit more understanding and let me drop my hours down to 37 from 44, but it's like farting at a hurricane. I asked to book off every wednesday for 8wks out of my hols to break up the week, but management refused point blank.

If i approach the NHS they'll more than likely refuse treatment and tell me to rest it more, i'm resting at 100% capacity as it is at the moment, so long term sick would be the only option. I reckon i'd have to be off for a minimum of 8-10wks, as the company would not tolerate me coming back half healed and causing further problems. The issue with that is that being on long term sick on top of my requests for assistance would make me first in the queue for the door, and redundancies are getting more and more likely of late. It's a very uncertain time for us as the new board management are money men and the hours/cost overruns are out of control. They wouldn't give my skills a second look, only what risk i pose and how cheap it would be to send me down the road.

As far as i can see the only option i have for getting a life back is to look for another job within the same company, that way i keep my final salary pension. I'm about to take out a mortgage so any option that involves more requests at work is too risky. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[that_fjell_guy]

Really sorry to hear your troubles Mr B. Unfortunately I've no suggestions but am just counting my blessings! Hope you sort it all out in the near future though.

[Wheeze]

That's a heart rending story Mr B. Such are the shackles that can bind you.
All I can offer is a bit of home spun philosophy which involves the usual platitudes of standing back, taking an overview, assessing priorities etc etc.
I mean, you have some pretty hefty issues there. Pension consideration, job security, home security, personal health and wellbeing. Problem is, the only person who can stand back and prioritise is you. We can all suggest what we would do, but we ain't you.

Only other thing I can say is that, in my 54 years of experience, being brave enough to take a risk, step into the unknown or do the unusual often works so well, you wonder why you did not do it before!

[mr brightside]

That's a heart rending story Mr B. Such are the shackles that can bind you.
All I can offer is a bit of home spun philosophy which involves the usual platitudes of standing back, taking an overview, assessing priorities etc etc.
I mean, you have some pretty hefty issues there. Pension consideration, job security, home security, personal health and wellbeing. Problem is, the only person who can stand back and prioritise is you. We can all suggest what we would do, but we ain't you.

Only other thing I can say is that, in my 54 years of experience, being brave enough to take a risk, step into the unknown or do the unusual often works so well, you wonder why you did not do it before!

It's a tricky situation Wheeze, and one that must be handled with careful decisions and not with kneejerk reactions i think. My job security and my pension has to take priority i think, a few years ago i'd have thrown caution to the four winds but your life changes. Thanks for posting.