When my children were 4 and 5 years old, it seemed like a good time to go back to work. Surprisingly, the job of my dreams was in the newspaper. It was only going to be a part time job, 4-hours, 3-days per week, while the children were in school. This perfect job would help our family have a bit more income and advance my career.
After applying, it was thrilling to receive the invitation to an interview. At the meeting, with who would become my boss, it was nice to discover that he was not only intelligent, but also quite charming. Someone you would love to work with while doing the work you enjoy.
The first few weeks went very well. A few times my work was not finished and it was necessary to work a few extra hours. Slowly, I was often staying extra hours. It became necessary to hire a sitter for the children after school. This seemed okay because I needed the extra money. However, the hours kept getting longer and there was so much work not finished.
Then I understood the problem, my boss is a workaholic. That was not going to change; only I could change. While I loved the work I was doing, I knew there were some hard choices to make. Yes, the work was good, but I was also a Mom who was missing being at home with her children.
× Stay or Go
First, decide what you can give and what want in your job. The experts stated, “If you work for a boss who makes life hard, you have three options. You can suffer in misery, bail out, or take action”. I decided to try to negotiate to keep my job with limits.
× Be Fair
Work intensely all day long.
Prepare the facts; know what you do and how long it takes.
Offer suggestions how re-distributing workload could help, if possible.
× Make Priorities
It is important to do a good job and give an honest day’s work.
Know how much time it takes to complete each job.
Keep on top of the most crucial jobs.
× Be Professional
Set the work itself as the priority, keeps things professional.
Let your boss know getting the work done is also your priority.
Be willing to work longer when crucial jobs need to meet their deadlines.
References
Professional Pointers. (2013). Teller Vision, (1426), 5.