How to Stay on Top of a Busy and Stressful Workload

[Messy]

In the last 4 months:

1) My employer have introduced a new corporate filing system. God knows where they got it from, but it has various unhelpful features which make finding files almost impossible if you don't know the correct name of the file. It is possible for a file you are working on in draft to be auto deleted if you fail to 'save' it properly. Plus you need to ask another dept if you want to rearrange how the files are stored - and that means forms and meetings!!!!!!

2) We have also gone 'hot desking' -so the under desk pedestal unit with my three drawers has gone and been replaced with a medium sized see thru and unlock able Tupperware box that you stack up on a shelf at the end of the day. Its not possible to get an A4 file or folder in the small box just pens and notes. Its sometimes difficult to sit (or in the same room) near members of your team if - for example - you have a site meeting and arrive in the office past 9.30

3) My portfolio of buildings I look after has grown by 15% or so - with more promised

4) My assistant has resigned to start a family and will not be replaced, as its policy that leavers are not replaced unless a business case it accepted. I was not able to convince my bosses that her role was critical - this has almost doubled my workload - although some of her work simply will not happen now leaving us at risk of non compliance

5) and I now have been given a more responsible role (without promotion) on my employer's crisis management team - including on-call and increased restrictions on when I can take my holiday or Flexi leave. When taking into account I get TOIL and not overtime - for example 15hrs TOIL last week - its almost impossible to take that TOIL (time off in leiu)



As a result, I am feeling completely disorganised and my time management is non - existent - thereby adding to the stress of the job

So when YOU are feeling overwhelmed with work and totally disorganised - how do manage that?
I am sinking rather than swimming and have jettisoned some work, but 90% of my work is legal compliance so not easy to ignore. plus all my bosses say is 'prioritise' . Not particularly helpful advice

[witsd]

Document everything, make it clear that you are working to your full potential (but not beyond that) and then let it start to fail.

Ensure that you are being clear as to why it is failing, and let management manage.

You do no-one any favours by working yourself silly.

[1804]

Hi Messy

this might not be particularly helpful, but if your conscience allows, simply 'prioritise' as you have been advised. If. without your colleague, you simply cannot do the whole of the job without working 25-30 hours a week on top of what you are already doing, then don't. 'Prioritise' the highest risks in terms of legal compliance and let the minor ones slide. It's happened to me loads of times and I have simply said "which things do you now want me to no longer complete, as I no longer have the time or resources to do the job you want me to do".
- it doesn't always work. Obviously as a contractor that makes it easier for me to vote with my feet and I have done a number of times. Also, I don't know how your managers would respond to such an in-your-face statement, as it is a direct challenge to them.
However it is not good form to give people more work for no inducement; and putting you on call, which then has the effect of you not being able to take time off in lieu or take hols when you want(within reason) is rather a 1970's way of managing.

Sorry if this is not helpful - it's what I would do - with full explanation of course in advance, to let them know that things are about to change for the worse - and having kept all of the communications, if they get stroppy you can get litigious if need be. They are seemingly dumping on you figuratively speaking, under the guise that they are doing this because they trust you more than they did. Load of cobblers. They may well trust you more but if you are knackered all the time you will make more mistakes at work anyway, be at potential higher risk of road traffic incidents too.

You in a union?

[Mrs P]

Hi Messy

All good advice so far. You have to recognise the value of your own labour, don't be working for free. I can empathise, my department has been cut by more than 40% since 2010 but the workload isn't shrinking! Make sure you don't end up on the wrong end of GDPR with your plastic box storage. It sounds quite ridiculous. Oh and when did you last do a stress assessment at your place? That might be a nice question to ask the management. Good luck and remember we are here if you need to vent.