Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

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Overl0ad
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Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#1 Post by Overl0ad »

Hey Mammies need some advice or perspective please. I’m in my job 3.5 years, I’m the only person in my department and whilst the work load has always been high it’s now reaching the ridiculous and I’m at breaking point. Within a few months of starting I made it known that the volume was too much and was given the ok to hire someone for 3 months, we couldn’t even get through the backlog in that time in the end that person left as they couldn’t handle the work load, I ended up being on my own again another long period of time went by and I was given the ok to hire this time for 6 months after the 6 months I got the ok to keep that person on but only 2 days per week for another 6 months, they also left due to the high intensity and volume of work. I’m back on my own again but the volume of work has increased by approximately 45% since I started. If I worked 12 hour days 7 days per week I wouldn’t get through it. Today I had a chat with my boss in relation to delegating out some tasks and this was met with a no and then got a bollocking about a task that is not up to date, I just can’t reach on it. I’m not super human.

I actually love my job, I don’t have that dreaded feeling going into work in the morning but I am walking out the door in tears at the end of the day. We have a head office and there is an enormous difference between what they want me to do (the nuts and bolts and delegate where needed) and what my direct manager wants which is everything they are just so far apart. I just don’t know what to say or how to say it to my boss that I just can’t do it. It’s nigh on impossible. I go in do what I can but it’s not enough. I don’t want to leave. I’ve been asked to do a time management exercise to itemize everything I do but by the nature of the role it’s impossible I have outlined all the tasks I need to complete on a daily, weekly, monthly basis but that’s not enough. I just don’t know where to go from here.
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JoJo
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#2 Post by JoJo »

If you are not getting anywhere with your immediate manager I would be inclined to contact someone in head office, in a confidential manner, and explain the situation and the feedback you are getting from your manager. Something has got to give, there is no way you can go on like that. Explain that you love the job but that there is way too much work for one person and that you need a permanent second person there.
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#3 Post by Rita »

I agree with JoJo. Currently your manager is not doing a great job of it ...part of their role should be to help you organise yourself and if necessary get more staff or say No to those above if they won't give you more staff. Although it sounds like more staff isn't the complete answer if they are leaving due to too much work...you need to look at what you are doing, as you say he is expecting too much, does it all need to be done?
Definitely chat to someone else in the organisation, has your manger a boss?
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#4 Post by Howiya Ma »

You need to escalate this to your managers boss or HR. Do you have a copy of your role profile? HR can/should provide if not. Can you make it very clear what parts of your job match the profile and which don't?

Im not really clear though what you love or why you don't want to leave? This is ongoing for minimum a year and getting worse.

Im sorry, but unless it's super niche and you'd never find similar just quit. Nothing is worth that.
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#5 Post by Unnamed poster 6 »

You need to speak to someone over your own manager.
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#6 Post by Millie »

A mgmt consultant could do a time and motion study and show that the workload is too much. Depends on whether your boss would be willing to get agreement from higher up to pay for it.
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Re: Overwhelmed and overloaded with volume of work

#7 Post by Kmum »

I’ve been in a similar scenario, although it was a private company and I reported directly into the ceo. What worked for me was to send her a brief calendar at the end of each week showing what I planned to work on the following week, what I got through this week and to the right of that I had two lists of must get to’s, high priority and when I get a chance.

I wasn’t really looking for feedback when I sent it to her, but it was her chance to raise the importance of something, she had full visibility of what I intended to do and she could see that I hadn’t forgotten certain tasks that didn’t make the weekly list. I was managing a lot of staff so had to flex to deal with issues they faced, that was never factored into my workload when sending more deadlines my way! Anyhow it certainly improved things, although i’m very glad to be out of that environment.
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