Frustrated Non Productive Worker

[MollyElise]

Hello! I have worked in my current company for approx 3.5 years. I was hired in our Texas office into the HR office where I was a rising star. I had a lot of pressure, not only from the daily duties and projects, but also from a relentless manager. During my tenure the company purchased another company in the DC area. The DC office had an operations manager with a very high salary, most of her responsibilities (contracts, accounts payable, invoicing) were taken over by the Texas office as it was larger and had a full staff. The ops mgr in DC was uncooperative and unhappy due to the fact that these duties had been reassigned and was unhelpful assisting with communication and processes out of the Texas office. I knew about all this, b/c I worked in HR.

 

In October I presented my boss (HR Director) with an idea that when the ops mgr left (and I knew it was only a matter of time b4 this would happen) that they move me up there into that role. It was a great idea and she stuck it in the back of her head, until January when the ops mgr did decide to leave the company. I was offered the position and subsequently moved from Texas to DC at the end of February, part of my contract is that if I leave the company within 1 year of the contract I will be responsible for repaying the relocation costs (approx $2,500).

 

So I have currently been here almost 6 weeks. I am enjoying living in the area and finding my way about town, I am really glad to be here. Problem is, my job is very unrewarding, boring, and slow. I typically come in a little late, leave a little early and spend over 50% of the time that I am here browsing the internet. This still leaves me with a very long day, and a feeling of unworthiness. I know I am not working to my potential. Why am I not?

 

Primarily b/c every project I have started here has been under minded or screwed up in some way that wasn't my fault!!! There are tons of office politics flying by me left and right and a lot of my tasks fall right in the middle of these arguments. thereforeeee, I am asked to get something accomplished (i.e. discern the office computer needs for new systems/servers and computer upgrades) so I start working on it, bouncing things back and forth, talking to employees, working with our vendor; I focus on one area and then find out that an employee in IT has been tasked to do this, and I shouldn't worry about it. Okay. So I start working on phase II only to find out the Execs have come up with a ridiculous plan (again I found this out days later) that makes no sense, yet I am now responsible for explaining why its been set up like that. Okay, so Ill work on the final phase am almost all ready to go forward, finally something I haven't had slid under/over me and I find out that due to budget cuts, we won't be able to go fwd. So now I have to explain to employees that even though I told you you were getting a new computer, now you aren't. I feel totally ineffective at the projects I do pursue.

 

Also, the red tape is driving me crazy!!! I started with this company with under 100 employees and 1 location, things worked simply and well, we've grown so much though that there is now a pain in the butt process for everything and every time I try to do something there seems to be a new gotcha or step that has to be made.

 

Finally, my managers are very unavailable and put almost all their energy into business development (which my mgr has tried to push me into, but I have no interest or desire in) and really don't want put any energy/focus on what I am/should be doing leaving me with little direction or insight from my superiors.

 

The company laid off 30 people on Friday, I so wish I was one of them. They are also cutting benefits left and right, such as less flexibility in vacation time, no more snacks. I know in the DC area I could find a job that would be much more enjoyable, and in all likelihood pay better too!!! Any advice for a frustrated, non productive worker??

[LostInMyThoughts]

I know what it's like to be in your situation, and I know it's not as easy as asking for more work.

 

If you are unsuccessful at getting more work by asking for it, try being candid with your supervisor. Let them know you feel bad about wasting time, and would really like more work. Tell them it's getting to the point that you would consider a new job elsewhere--but let them know its only because you are unsatisfied with being unproductive.

 

If you really find yourself unable to get more work; I guess it might be time to look for another job.

 

It's true that you will have to pay the relocation cost; but you may be able to swing getting your new employer to pick up the cost, for you, either directly, or by way of signing bonus.

[Blue Skittles]

Is there any way you can talk to your boss, tell them what is bothering you, what you are having problems with and ask what they would like to see happen from your end? Maybe clearing that all up will help big time.

 

Also, if its really stressing you out, how bout taking a stress leave? Its like a paid vacation. That might give u the necessary time away to rethink your thoughts and your goals about this job and maybe after some time away from it all you will have more clarity about what it is you need to do to make this job happen.

[AwdreeHpburn]

I guess I would try talking to my boss and if nothing is figued out....

 

..you're in a new town, why not get a new job and start a new life?!!

[renaissancewoman101]

I actually dont mind a job that is unrewarding, boring and slow. If there is job security I dont mind. Although, one has to be careful that one is not wasting their whole life there to the detriment of being able to find a job elsewhere should the time come.

 

When I was living in Wisconsin, I had a job like that. I worked in a small engineering firm (kind of mom and pop firm) in a very small dept. There was never really much happening and a lot of the stuff that we worked on was out of date. Sometimes, I felt as if our department was only there because of our boss's closeness with the people who owned the company. I got paid a decent wage and life wasnt stressful. Benefits were ok and I had a lot of flexibility in when I came in to work, when I left, doctors appointments, taking time off, etc. I would actually spent half the day goofing off with my coworkers or doing other things. The job was boring but after seeing in the local newspaper about the job market in the city, about layoffs, etc., I decided to stay because I didnt see any layoffs looming. There were two major layoffs during the time I was there (7 years) but my boss went to bat for everybody in our dept and nobody from our dept got laid off.

 

I ended up using my time there to go back to school and work on a masters degree in teaching (of which I am planning on finishing out here). I did eventually leave that company because my boss was planning on retiring this year and I didnt know what was going to happen to our dept after he left. Also, I ended up moving out to CA with my best friend.

 

Sometimes you can make the best of a bad situation and look for a new job, or else go back to school and enrich your degrees.

[Goodfun88]

I feel for you. I spend my entire day on internet at work with little spurts of work inbetween. Its terribly boring. The work that I do doesn't hold my attention and seems pointless. Its a temporary position that I've been at for 7months and the assignment just got extended another year. I have no motivation to work hard because no matter what I do once the project is completed, I get layed off. The money is whats holding me here. I spend about an hour every morning looking for a job. I feel kind of guilty, but at the same time, I feel like they are taking advantage of me by using me temporarily to complete a project. If your job is not fulfilling you, find something that does! Good luck, I hope things improve for you!

[MollyElise]

Thanks for all the good advice. Actually now that I think about it, I probably could get a company to repay the relo costs for me.

 

I wouldn't say the lack of work is stressing me out or anything... it makes me feel more guilty than anything.

 

I need to think about talking w/ my boss. On one hand you don't want to say "I don't do anything at work" on the other, I would like more of a challenge. At the same time I don't think he wants to put forth the energy or faith into me to give me a more responsibility.

 

I used to bust * * * so hard, and made so much less money, I see my friends still doing it.

 

I probably wouldn't mind so much if my computer screen wasn't setup where everyone in the office catches a glimpse of what Im doing on their way to and from the break area.