Expectancy of working past hours

Stay the longer hours if you have to but just faff about on ocuk and cups of tea, breaks....take it easy...learn the art of looking like you are doing work but just do the bare minimum. Certainly do not push yourself to get the work done at all. At same time yeah find another job. Everyone pushing themselves for this secret bonus they might or might not get and everyone getting different amounts....sounds like a scum of an employer tbh.

I take it there is no union at your workplace though?
 
dowie said:
I think a lot of people are missing that this is in a large bank.

If you're in the ZOMG I would never work for free/work your contracted hours brigade then don't go and work for, as the OP puts it; a large bank that is not a high street bank - as you really won't like it there.

And tbh.. even contractors I know in that sector don't bill extra because they've worked longer hours, they know they're going to be working more like 10 or 11 hours a day rather than 8 but they'll still bill their standard 600 or whatever a day.
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Which would be fine except he's not earning anything like £600 a day.
 
As has been said, you are not a charity.

A company is paying for your time. Otherwise it should be free for you to decide what to do with it.
 
Is it a benefit to you to work longer hours? You could be paid more but also it could be that it advances your career or just makes you better at your job. I have worked unpaid overtime for over 10 years through a couple of different companies because I have always seen it as a way to advance. Currently it is about 22%. I have just been promoted. Looking back it has been worth it. I also enjoy my job.

However, if there is no benefit then don't do it as long as you can afford to loose the position or get another job. The way you describe the company culture, if you stick to your contracted hours you will be out of work sooner or later, unfair as that is.
 
dowie said:
I think a lot of people are missing that this is in a large bank.

If you're in the ZOMG I would never work for free/work your contracted hours brigade then don't go and work for, as the OP puts it; a large bank that is not a high street bank - as you really won't like it there.

And tbh.. even contractors I know in that sector don't bill extra because they've worked longer hours, they know they're going to be working more like 10 or 11 hours a day rather than 8 but they'll still bill their standard 600 or whatever a day.
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Or they're not missing the point and deliberately don't aspire to such careers. My job simply funds my life, my life isn't my job. My life is what I do outside of work, and as such I wouldn't take a job which would require me to give over so much of my 'free time'
 
Pretty simple to me:

If you have more work than you can complete within your contracted hours per day - they have given you (and your colleagues) too much work to do in the first place.

So the choice for me is they either pay you for the extra time you spend working for their benefit, or you go home at your proper finishing time.

This culture of starting early and staying late seems to be an American import. I used to do it, but now I am older and wiser. I don't work for free but if they occasionally want extra doing that is fine and I am happy to help. But I expect to be paid.

Really is that simple in my mind.
 
Diddums said:
What kind of job earns 600 a day?

I'm in the wrong bloody industry!
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In the food sector, being an interim technical manager (not IT, more legality / compliance) can easily earn £400+/day, not quite £600 but I can see higher for more specialist sector of the industry.

Keyword for roles that pay a daily rate being interim.

Unless you're good or in demand - many food company that produce for big 5 retailers tend to go with interim as they can't afford to have 1 on a salary.
 
dowie said:
I think a lot of people are missing that this is in a large bank.

If you're in the ZOMG I would never work for free/work your contracted hours brigade then don't go and work for, as the OP puts it; a large bank that is not a high street bank - as you really won't like it there.

And tbh.. even contractors I know in that sector don't bill extra because they've worked longer hours, they know they're going to be working more like 10 or 11 hours a day rather than 8 but they'll still bill their standard 600 or whatever a day.
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so what your saying is large banks are just inherently mismanaged or they exclusively employe idiots?

either way it kinda explains how the financial crisis happened...
 
Just noted your point regarding you work for a bank, I find it surprising that any additional hours you do are not recognised / no clear targets for bonus etc…..do you work for an investment bank that recently got fined? ;)

The thoughts of a contractor vs permy are completely different regarding hours. A contractor doesn't really have a choice when making good impressions as the pay covers any gripes. Where as a permy should expect more benefits and for the employer to be more considerate (just my opinion) Though I'm sure some contractors charge for every hour...as they are entitled to (again give and take)

On a side note, I would say for most IT / PM / Banking role day raters, the starting wage is around £500+ a day…it can sky rockets for specialist areas.
 
Tefal said:
so what your saying is large banks are just inherently mismanaged or they exclusively employe idiots?

either way it kinda explains how the financial crisis happened...
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no they just generally require longer hours, if you don't want to work longer or unsociable hours then don't work for a big bank, don't become a junior doctor, don't join certain branches of the armed forces, don't become a solicitor in a big firm, don't become a consultant in the likes of accenture...

stick to public sector, pay by the hour roles or less demanding roles in other sectors
 
dowie said:
and he is less likely to in future if he is worried about contracted hours now
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Let's step back here, who says he wants to? :)

Right now, the OP's priorties are clearly more then just a larger pay packet (e.g. Bonus) Maybe he likes to go home at a sensible time and visit the gym / spend time with family...each to their own.

It's really give and take but as highlighted by dowie, you can't have your cake and eat it.
 
tlrBeta said:
On a side note, I would say for most IT / PM / Banking role day raters, the starting wage is around £500+ a day…it can sky rockets for specialist areas.
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but in order to get to that position they prefer you to have experience - it also helps if you're well liked by people across the industry/have a good reputation

clocking off at 5pm and citing working hours in your contract wouldn't generally be a good start
 
dowie said:
but in order to get to that position they prefer you to have experience - it also helps if you're well liked by people across the industry/have a good reputation

clocking off at 5pm and citing working hours in your contract wouldn't generally be a good start
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I agree completely...see above :)

It's just different priorities...I don't really want £500+ a day as I know what will be expected.

I enjoy my 35 hour week + some additional when I feel its required (give and take comes into play sometimes), plus all the other benefits of being a permy.

dowie said:
he probably doesn't which begs the question - why go work at a big bank if you want a 9-5 job
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Not all bank roles come with extra hours / workload out of contracted hours.
Most have level dependant roles, where about mid-level and above you will be expected to put in extra work for rewarding bonuses (extra pay, extra holiday etc).

For some...they want a relatively safe role and expect to go home on time. Come review time, if they are under achieving based on their peers, well unfortunately they may not get a big bonus / payrise etc. (As you know already)
 
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tlrBeta said:
Not all bank roles come with extra hours / workload out of contracted hours.
Most have level dependant roles, where about mid-level and above you will be expected to put in extra work for rewarding bonuses (extra pay, extra holiday etc).
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They generally do. I've not heard of extra holiday being offered (aside from days in lieu for working Saturdays) and he specifically mentions 'not a high street bank' - it is rather rare that someone isn't working more than 7.5 hours a day in a large commercial or investment bank.

Your location says Birmingham - working for a 'bank' there is rather different to working for a large bank in London.
 
Just ask for a pay rise, commensurate to what you would like to be paid for working those hours. Alternatively leave as you are unlikely to get away with working fewer hours at an investment bank.

Your hours are actually much longer and so it is a question you should always sensitively ask at interviews. Then you can either walk away or make an appropriate salary demand.
 
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