Today, I told a coworker that I’m proud to have averaged 6.7 work hours per day this year (47 hours per week, if I worked every day). I was happy it decreased from last year’s 7.9 hours per week (55 hours per week). I explained that it’s based on total hours worked divided by the number of days (365 days). So, yes, I worked 6.7 hours a day, every day, all year, but I wasn’t in the office for 53 days (including weekends). Over half of those days were two vacations and moving my son.
I was proud of improving my goal to return to a manageable work schedule. She said, “That’s modest bragging.” I felt terrible! I didn’t mean to brag. I was happy to reduce my working time, but I was still glad I took too much time off from the office. My goal is to reduce my work week hours to 42 or fewer per week. The average employee working Monday through Friday has 11 holidays and 10 vacation days, averaging 5.2 work hours per day, which totals 37 hours per week.
Our office staff consists of 8 professionals. At the peak of the economy in 2007, we had 11 staff members. During that period, we worked excessively to meet demand. Only the three non-union staff members, including me, receive overtime pay. The other five staff members work from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and pick up the slack. From 2005 to 2009, I exercised regularly and felt happier. Then the economy fell, and we were a staff of six. We built up to eight, but more are needed.
I wish I could say, “You have to wait a week or a month,” but that’s the reputation of government. I can’t do that to people. A maternity leave staff member recently declined to return, leaving us with only 7 employees instead of the 11 we needed to complete our workload in 2007. However, finding good employees is now possible. I take personal responsibility and care about our team’s success. I meet people on nights and weekends to help them gain access to City Hall during regular working hours.
Raised this way, I work hard to keep us functioning. I usually arrive at work at 6:30 AM and stay until 7:00 PM during the week to return voicemails and emails. In September, I attempted to leave at 5:00 PM, but I was over 110 emails behind and spent 14 hours catching up over the weekend.
I’m figuring out how to keep this up, as my health is impacted. Stress is high, and I’m exhausted, finding it hard to walk, let alone work out. I’m trying to maintain my high customer service standards, but I either struggle with my beliefs or continue to do what I’m doing.
I admit I’m getting close to failing. I hate to fail, but things need to change. I’m considering changing careers, but I can retire in six years. But if this continues, I wonder if I’ll have much of a retirement. In the past decade, two friends retired and died within four years. It should be an easy decision, but I’m too tired, fat, and unhappy to make it now.
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