Work stress....

[DitchPanda]

Everybody's got it. How do you guys deal with it? My job has become increasingly more stressful. Lots of turnover, my supervisor has been with the company 15+ years and he put his notice in this week. My PM and GM both approached me this week about sliding into his role but I told them I'm not interested in working shift I.E. weekends holidays and evenings after 5pm. That's all I've done since I was 16 and now that I have a Monday thru Friday 7-330 position the extra money wouldn't make up for the time away from home. Normally I'd fish but I'm in Iowa and its February so that's not an option on work days. Sorry for the rant, winter and the job have just been kicking my a#$ lately.

[casts_by_fly]

I get it. My boss left about a year ago and I slid into her role. Same banding, slight pay bump. At the time basically the same job and team. A little busier but not unmanageable. Since then I’ve added more and more, though only with a mild benefit. There is more on the table but it will come with more time and I don’t know if I want to go down that path. I wouldn’t mind walking it back a step to get the time back I’ve lost, but that ship has sailed. So it’s about finding the right balance of what you have and what more you want. I think I can see a path.  
 

The other thing is work life boundaries. About 6 years ago work was really in the crapper. I would leave home Monday morning early, drive 3 hours, spend half the week away, come home late Wednesday night and then on Thursday afternoon find out I had to do a day trip back to the same place. Often the days/nights on the ground were 12-14 hour days and then eating subway for dinner and sleeping in a cheap hotel. All in a high pressure environment. I got into a bad place mentally and because I cared so much about the work I let it bleed into my personal life and time. I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to flex a little either way but make sure you’re getting enough you time and non work in balance with how much you’re putting into work. 

[DitchPanda]

6 minutes ago, casts_by_fly said:

I get it. My boss left about a year ago and I slid into her role. Same banding, slight pay bump. At the time basically the same job and team. A little busier but not unmanageable. Since then I’ve added more and more, though only with a mild benefit. There is more on the table but it will come with more time and I don’t know if I want to go down that path. I wouldn’t mind walking it back a step to get the time back I’ve lost, but that ship has sailed. So it’s about finding the right balance of what you have and what more you want. I think I can see a path.  
 

The other thing is work life boundaries. About 6 years ago work was really in the crapper. I would leave home Monday morning early, drive 3 hours, spend half the week away, come home late Wednesday night and then on Thursday afternoon find out I had to do a day trip back to the same place. Often the days/nights on the ground were 12-14 hour days and then eating subway for dinner and sleeping in a cheap hotel. All in a high pressure environment. I got into a bad place mentally and because I cared so much about the work I let it bleed into my personal life and time. I’ve come to realize that it’s okay to flex a little either way but make sure you’re getting enough you time and non work in balance with how much you’re putting into work. 

Yep you get it. The slight pay increase is not worth the massive bulls$&& increase. I asked my wife what she thought because I was on the fence about it. Gave her the facts of job duties and wage increase, she said no way. My current position sucks enough but at least the hours are better.

[DaubsNU1]

Super fortunate to have a great boss who deals with 90% of the workplace politics and BS so I don't have to.

 

Years ago I started as a manager...she was on another team...then she was promoted to manager and we worked well together. 

 

I was then promoted to her boss...few years later she got moved to another department...then she got promoted...now she's my boss. 

 

She is GREAT! I cannot complain one bit. I supervise eleven people...three of which are remote in other states. The remainder are right in the office...a few work remote certain days of the week. 

 

Wonderful work environment -- the usual complaints and whining about trivial things. Overall it's a good gig...figure I have about 5-7 more years before retirement. Crossing my fingers and counting my blessings...

[padlin]

I never found a way, when from having 20 techs, down to 3 the day I retired, early. Early as I knew the stress would be over the top. If I hadn’t had good management over me I would not have lasted 35 years, 20 as a supervisor.

 

Don’t know what kind of stress you have but I learned to deal with issues fast, I couldn’t leave things to stew, that stewing kept me up at night. Dealing with people issues is the worst. 
 

 

[12poundbass]

Does stressing about the situations solve the problems? If not, why stress about them? 
 

When I first started my career I would stress over the workload I was given. It was impossible for me to complete on time. I would stress out to no end! I talked to my supervisor about it and he told me to do what I could do and it’s his job to figure the rest out. As my career grew and I worked my way into supervisory roles, I used that same advice to my technicians. That advice along with me being able to identify and take care of potential problems before they kept my technicians happy and the turnover was almost zero. 
 

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is people can be toxic! Let’s face it, some people can handle stress and other people can’t. The ones who can’t need to vent and some of them just like the gossip. They’ll pour their stress all over you and if you let that get to you even though you can deal with your own stress, their stress will gobble you up if you’re not careful. I had that at my last job. One of my coworkers was a great guy and we had a lot of fun together but, at the end of every month when I our deadlines were approaching he’d stress. He’s also a gossip hound. I’d let him spill his guts and it would go in one ear and out the other. If you’re not able to do that, stay away from the noise. 
 

At the end of the day, if you’re constantly stressed there’s a problem and you should go to your management. If management doesn’t identify the problems and try and fix the problem and it’s so bad it’s affecting you, it might be time to start looking for something else.

 

I hope it all works out for you in the end.

[TnRiver46]

My cousin that worked at brushy mountain federal penitentiary taught me a good lesson when I first started working. When an inmate has your necktie wrapped around your throat, that is work stress. The rest is water under the bridge 

[DitchPanda]

45 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

Does stressing about the situations solve the problems? If not, why stress about them? 
 

When I first started my career I would stress over the workload I was given. It was impossible for me to complete on time. I would stress out to no end! I talked to my supervisor about it and he told me to do what I could do and it’s his job to figure the rest out. As my career grew and I worked my way into supervisory roles, I used that same advice to my technicians. That advice along with me being able to identify and take care of potential problems before they kept my technicians happy and the turnover was almost zero. 
 

Another thing I’ve learned over the years is people can be toxic! Let’s face it, some people can handle stress and other people can’t. The ones who can’t need to vent and some of them just like the gossip. They’ll pour their stress all over you and if you let that get to you even though you can deal with your own stress, their stress will gobble you up if you’re not careful. I had that at my last job. One of my coworkers was a great guy and we had a lot of fun together but, at the end of every month when I our deadlines were approaching he’d stress. He’s also a gossip hound. I’d let him spill his guts and it would go in one ear and out the other. If you’re not able to do that, stay away from the noise. 
 

At the end of the day, if you’re constantly stressed there’s a problem and you should go to your management. If management doesn’t identify the problems and try and fix the problem and it’s so bad it’s affecting you, it might be time to start looking for something else.

 

I hope it all works out for you in the end.

This is what I'm trying to do, just control what I can and not worry about the stuff I cant...easier said than done but I am working on it. Management is well aware of the issues which are pretty much incompetence, non compliance and complacency. Those 3 are leading to increased work load on those of us already over loaded which is in turn contributing to some pi#$ poor attitudes. All that being said I'm really trying to keep my attitude in check since I'm in control of it and hope my positive attitude may influence others. Like I mentioned that is easier said than done, at least for me.

[DaubsNU1]

It is crap about your management and leadership @DitchPanda! Ugh!

 

Good quote from an old mentor...."People aren't against you...they are for themselves." 

 

I did not fully understand that quote 30 years ago...it has become more clear...but still baffles me to no end. 

 

It's all about the bottom line...is the company making money? When people leave, do others pick up their slack and work harder, for the same pay? And still make money? Am I going to make more money if I work harder? Nope. 

 

I get to work @7 AM daily. I work hard and do my best. Used to eat lunch at my desk...now I leave work during lunch...walk around a lake...relax...sometimes I even wet a line. 

 

At the end of the day, around 4:30 PM, I walk out to my car with long-time friend and co-worker. I listen to his re-cap of the day's drama. I jump in my little Honda and make the 40 minute drive home, listening to an audiobook, or sports-talk, or music...or just think about how lucky I am to have my health, my wife, my family, my doggos...fishing, hunting, etc., etc., etc.

 

I don't think about work at all when I'm not there. 

If I died tomorrow, they would have my job posted before my obituary hit the internet. The business doesn't care about me. Thankfully I have great boss, co-workers, and a team that I have hired, train and supervise...they know me, know my expectations. It works well. 

 

Godspeed to you @DitchPanda! Good luck!

[12poundbass]

@DitchPanda I dealt with incompetent leadership at my last job. We had four Construction Managers, one knew his stuff but couldn’t make decisions, another one was half competent, and the other two left us Field Supervisors scratching our heads wondering how they got those positions. A couple of us Field Supervisors were doing their work. I didn’t see any change coming so I decided to look elsewhere. I’m now a Construction Manager for another telecommunications company with a 20% pay increase. 
 

My point, if you’re not happy where you are or your management team is failing you, look for other opportunities. You might be surprised by what else is out there.

[gim]

never mind.

 

 

[Bankbeater]

The company where I work is very cliquey and cronyism runs rampant.  My current first and second line managers were promoted into their job based on who they knew.  They can quote procedures and rules, but usually don't have the experience to take care of issues when they arise.  We are constantly told to keep a work / life balance, but at the same time we are told to keep cell phones on, and we need to be on call 24/7. There has been new executive leadership for about a year now, and it really seems like this guy is trying to end all of the favoritism.

 

I check the phone a few time during the evening but have the ringer turned off, also leave the laptop at work.  The only time I bring it home is when there is going be bad weather and the roads will be bad.  Other than that I just try to zone out when I get home, or focus on something that gets my mind off of work.

[softwateronly]

15 hours ago, DitchPanda said:

Everybody's got it. How do you guys deal with it? My job has become increasingly more stressful. Lots of turnover, my supervisor has been with the company 15+ years and he put his notice in this week. My PM and GM both approached me this week about sliding into his role but I told them I'm not interested in working shift I.E. weekends holidays and evenings after 5pm. That's all I've done since I was 16 and now that I have a Monday thru Friday 7-330 position the extra money wouldn't make up for the time away from home. Normally I'd fish but I'm in Iowa and its February so that's not an option on work days. Sorry for the rant, winter and the job have just been kicking my a#$ lately.

 

If you have any doubts about passing up the "promotion," I'd try to get a drink with my soon to be former supervisor and hear their side.  15 plus years at one company these days is a recipe for over worked/under paid compared to new hires.  I'm an outsider to a direct corporate work environment, but I see aspects of it creeping into my industry and have heard enough from family and friends to know how loyalty has been epically devalued.

 

scott

[DitchPanda]

9 minutes ago, softwateronly said:

 

If you have any doubts about passing up the "promotion," I'd try to get a drink with my soon to be former supervisor and hear their side.  15 plus years at one company these days is a recipe for over worked/under paid compared to new hires.  I'm an outsider to a direct corporate work environment, but I see aspects of it creeping into my industry and have heard enough from family and friends to know how loyalty has been epically devalued.

 

scott

Yep I have a good relationship with him and we've talked pretty extensively about his departure. Its a combination of things....stress and bullcrap on the list, but ultimately he got tired of the shift work and had an opportunity to take a job with a slight pay bump along with Monday thru Friday schedule.

[deaknh03]

Marijuana 

[DitchPanda]

3 minutes ago, deaknh03 said:

Marijuana 

We get random drug tests...otherwise this may be an option

[softwateronly]

7 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

We get random drug tests...otherwise this may be an option

Many of the stress relief attributes can be had by cbd only.  If that doesn't put anything at risk legally, it's very effective.

 

32 minutes ago, DitchPanda said:

Yep I have a good relationship with him and we've talked pretty extensively about his departure. Its a combination of things....stress and bullcrap on the list, but ultimately he got tired of the shift work and had an opportunity to take a job with a slight pay bump along with Monday thru Friday schedule.

I think you now know enough to let go of the stress intellectually, though it's easier said than done.  He basically confirmed all the reasons and concerns you had.  I hope things chill out at work for you and this little warm up coming sticks around and melts the lid off of our stress relief hobby.  

 

scott

[DitchPanda]

6 hours ago, softwateronly said:

Many of the stress relief attributes can be had by cbd only.  If that doesn't put anything at risk legally, it's very effective.

 

I think you now know enough to let go of the stress intellectually, though it's easier said than done.  He basically confirmed all the reasons and concerns you had.  I hope things chill out at work for you and this little warm up coming sticks around and melts the lid off of our stress relief hobby.  

 

scott

Yeah I agree, I trust him and agree I know I'm making the right choice. Thanks for the well wishes and I'm ready for some fishing!

[clayton86]

I work in a job that comes with a lot of stress I suppose. Get trusted to drive around with millions in cash and deliver it to customers and fill ATMs. Get stress of being robbed or cross loading ATMs that are multi denomination. 
 

Besides that stuff you also get bad management now since all the OG managers are gone. Company started going down hill from the top corporate level and they all left. We have all “new” managers who are from our competitors that are failing and losing customers to our company and the new management is making us like our competitors which is upsetting customers. 
 

Then you have today’s workforce that is extremely lazy and those of us that have good work ethic get punished to pick up their slack. Friday there was a case a few of us were complaining about it that we have one co worker who refuses to come in early or stay to complete his route and it’s been that was for going on 2 years. They cater to him and take stops off his run and give it to a select few of us that will get it done. This guy had a pretty localized route and they gave me 4 of his stops that was out of my area just to lighten him up along with a few other guys. We have a run that covers southerntier and into Pennsylvania hours away from this one guys route and he got stops off him to make it easier. They weren’t time frame sensitive stops so he did them on his way back to Rochester. 

 

I'm pretty relaxed about it the whole job I have zero worries or cares if some one tries to rob me. Luckily no one’s tried I get asked it by random people weekly “have you ever had to use your gun”. Had people run their mouths about it and make empty threats but nothings came from it. Idk if it’s because it doesn’t phase me and I usually put one hand on my gun when they do or what.   
 

Same with co workers not pulling their weight. I might complain a little but management knows they can put it on me and my work bestie with minimal push back and we get it done. I mind and don’t mind at same time. Others don’t want the hours I’ll gladly take them so far for 2025 I’m pulling 60-65hrs a week I’ve got no problem coming in early to get everything done that needs to be.