WLB boundaries at work.
How do you define work life balance boundaries at work? Everyone in my team works 10-12 hrs daily, it’s business as usual for them. I joined recently and it’s very problematic for me, I literally get no time to do anything else. I fear, that if I highlight this I’ll be singled out. Some people even feel very proud in doing so which I don’t understand. Don’t they want to go back home to their family and spend time with them? Please provide guidance on how to set these boundaries and am I thinking right?
phenom
Stealth
2 years ago
Yoe, tech stack?
But I have heard JP Morgan pays extremely well to PMs to get 12hrs work from them. Is it?
A friend left Publicis Sapient to join them and is getting 30L. PS used to pay 18L to him.
I learnt it hard way that Banking companies in general, have bad work life balance. And you can hardly do anything, since it all flows from top down. In one of the previous organisation, we had heard a gossip that, an senior position lady had left crying at midnight (due to work/life thingy) and had resigned soon. Best is to start searching for change.
btw, have you inquired around in other teams? Is it the same in the entire jpmc? And I have heard WellsFargo has better work culture, is that true? (I may be wrong)
I can try and look around, but can’t leave within a year otherwise will have to return JB and relocation to the firm, which would be around 8L.
incognito
Stealth
2 years ago
Evidently you moved from a company with better WLB for the higher paycheck.
There is a reason banks pay better.
You won't be the first person who finds the banking WLB problematic, every other PM who objected has already left.
You thought you would get a free lunch?
No one wants a free lunch, but the offer states 8-9 hrs of work. If I would have known it’s this much work I would’ve stayed at my previous firm.
incognito
Stealth
2 years ago
Everyone wants a free lunch!
Anyhow offer letters are not legally allowed to put 60h+ work weeks, just gives the labour department ammunition.
You probably make a shitton of money, so if it's too much for your soul quit and use your runway to recoup and start over.
Doubt anyone outside of banking will match your current salary for the next 2/3 years.
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Stand up for yourself, all these layoffs prove that being loyal is a one way street. Your offer letter probably states how long you need to be present for work, I understand the occasional stretches but if you keep ignoring it and make long hours a norm, the toxicity will only eat up your mental peace eventually. A lot of people use work to escape their families, if you’re not running away from them, then you dont need to.
Oh man, I want to do this, but I’m pretty sure unless others agree I would be skipped from meetings and team would continue without me. Problem is my manager works 16hrs daily and this is very normal for him. Absolute 0 work life balance.
I get that but people like kissing a** if you cant look out for yourself because others do x or y sooner or later you’ll hate your life, I’m sure you’re smart, figure out a way of letting them know you’d like to leave on time that isn’t passive aggressive. Again nothing they can do if your offer letter stipulates work hours apart from being pissy, but atleast you’ll get home and have time for yourself and family. Its just a job and you don’t owe them a minute extra.
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majboormajdoor
Stealth
2 years ago
Tldr: Try working long hours for sometime to check how it goes. You might accustomed to it. If not, you can always find other opportunities.
Being devils advocate: Fin firms pay 2X the norm and make them work 3X. This is their COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. This rigor is generally short term in tech dept and feels hard when you have just joined, but gets easier over time as soon as some key transformation is achieved. Their legacy tech becomes palatable too :D
majboormajdoor
Stealth
2 years ago
I have experienced burnout despite shorter hours in startups than banks.
Within Global banks, long hours meant something. There is clarity, road map and endpoint when it comes to project. However at startups, although my hours were shorter, every day/week was a start from scratch, every day felt like firefighting, work targets were myopic. It never got easier with time.
And then there are some startup like Banks!! (smaller MNC Banks). Imagine the situation there :)
The culture of an organisation are those set of behaviours and practices that are rewarded for reinforcement and another set of behaviours that are ridiculed and maybe even punished for deterrence.
Working 10 to 12 hours for a day or even beyond is normal because that behaviour is positively reinforced by the upper echelons of your org over time, and hence now became a culture.
New joiners would first get a cultural shock, and then they complain and mock. Once the initial barrier is overcome, you touch the waters, ease into it and then you become an ambassador for the culture over time.
If you try to become a deviant, they would frown upon you and be indifferent to your presence and your contributions, that you would quit yourself, and the equilibrium is maintained.
Breaking a well set culture is difficult, unless you are part of the top management and you have done something significant that your identity stands out and is well respected outside the org itself.
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