Timing

[cjsmith]

Guess which weekend I've been asked to work. Y'know, as in work the whole weekend.

If I were positive I had never mentioned the name of my employer in this journal, I'd also tell you why "everybody is going to be in" this weekend. I'd mention how recently we all heard about that, and I'd also explain why I suddenly, as of 3:30pm today, "should" be among those people. When I mentally take a step back it's almost funny. I've gone beyond being stressed; intellectually I realize that caring is counterproductive and I've really got to stop. (Last time I was this stressed about a job, my friends and family unanimously nagged me to quit until I finally did.) But I'm not positive I haven't named the place, so I'll keep shut about the story.

It's not often I look forward to transcontinental flights near Christmas. Transcontinental flights through Chicago, no less. I once spent over twenty-four hours in Chicago O'Hare. Today that prospect seems... relaxing. Peaceful. I'm looking forward to it.

Forty for the party.

Comments

ditto

[moriamerri.livejournal.com]

I second (or is it third?) the following:

1. TELL THEM when you are coming in. If overtime continues
to be an issue, arrange to tell them regularly. Putting it on your
status reports would be one way. You are just making your time
visible, nothing wrong with it. You don't have to be mean
about it. "I realize it may look like I'm not here as much
as I really am, since I come in early, and I'm usually not here
as much in the evening with the gang --- so I wanted to let
everyone know that I usually am here at 7 am...."
2. it is very okay to explain IN DETAIL (calmly) about the
party, about when it was planned, about the number of people
invitied. "Oh, I'm SO sorry that I can't bow out of this
obligation. Being as I am the host and have to prepare the
house and food all day and entertain 40 people, it would be
extremely hard to cancel at the last minute" etc.
They don't have to LIKE it, but they can realize that you
have plans and a complex life outside their building.
3. I have often sent lots of email when I'm in the office
alone. Complex and detailed email is good -- something that
shows I was there for a while. A stack of bugs opened can be
good. I try not to do this so much that it looks
contrived, but then again sometimes I really DO get a lot
done in those "quiet" hours when no one else is around.
Plus, others are not there, so if I need to tell them
something, it is easier for me to send email than to
have a list of things to remember to say later.
And the same goes for working at home -- sending email
(or whatever) shows I am working. If your workplace
uses IM, it can, at times, also be reasonable to IM someone
at home to ask about something pressing. Not needlessly,
of course, but, um, since we are all such dedicated
hard-working people, and since I'm working at some weird
hour, why would I NOT send an IM to see if a co-worker
can help with an urgent problem? Then, of course, we
both discuss it at work the next day..... (This happened
a lot when I was working with people in India, as I would
routinely talk to the folks in India at night at home.)

Now, let's hope that the job scene just lightens up a bit!