Working hours & work life balance
Discussion
Stupidly, I have become skilled in a role that seems to expect constant overtime, with massive overtime required in the winter (60+ hours per week), usually I have a 45-60 min each way commute to get to most companies I could work for too, and don’t want to move.
I’ve been doing it for 9 years now, and I’ve had enough, personal life is suffering, health is being neglected. Worse when other problems come up like a sick family member needing help.
Without much time to retrain or qualify in anything, I’m at a bit of a loss with the best way forward. We have just bought our first house and I’ve made sure I have got a manageable mortgage so that I can hopefully change jobs and take the hit on pay for a while.
Is a 40 hour per week job close to home unreasonable, for say, 25k per year to start? Still a huge pay cut but I could live on it.
Has anyone retrained successfully and found a good work life balance?
I’ve been doing it for 9 years now, and I’ve had enough, personal life is suffering, health is being neglected. Worse when other problems come up like a sick family member needing help.
Without much time to retrain or qualify in anything, I’m at a bit of a loss with the best way forward. We have just bought our first house and I’ve made sure I have got a manageable mortgage so that I can hopefully change jobs and take the hit on pay for a while.
Is a 40 hour per week job close to home unreasonable, for say, 25k per year to start? Still a huge pay cut but I could live on it.
Has anyone retrained successfully and found a good work life balance?
Should be easily doable, in theory.
Try to look for something 9-5 office based rather than a skilled trade, and then it just comes down to company culture.
I work in retail POS and POP design, and i've rarely worked over a 40 hour week in the last 11 years, salary in the mid to high 30s, so you don't need to pile in the hours to make a decent monthly wage in this job or many others.
Try to look for something 9-5 office based rather than a skilled trade, and then it just comes down to company culture.
I work in retail POS and POP design, and i've rarely worked over a 40 hour week in the last 11 years, salary in the mid to high 30s, so you don't need to pile in the hours to make a decent monthly wage in this job or many others.
It'd be helpful if you let us know your location and profession...
Even without knowing those things, it's definitely possible to find a good work/life balance without even needing to retrain. I'm sure your current experience is transferable - If not, there's plenty of un-skilled jobs paying £25k+ which you should be able to pretty much walk in to with 9 years of skilled experience behind you (think warehouse/manufacturing etc)...
Even without knowing those things, it's definitely possible to find a good work/life balance without even needing to retrain. I'm sure your current experience is transferable - If not, there's plenty of un-skilled jobs paying £25k+ which you should be able to pretty much walk in to with 9 years of skilled experience behind you (think warehouse/manufacturing etc)...
Thanks for the replies so far.
So for context, I live in east Northamptonshire, and I’m a composite technician, making parts for formula one cars, planes etc out of carbon fibre.
I spent 5 years at one of the top F1 teams making complex structures, over a year as a senior production supervisor with 30 staff reporting to me at a tier 1 subcontract supplier, and the rest of the time was just general contracting work for the higher hourly rate.
Transferable skills perhaps reading technical drawings and information, dealing with customers and suppliers, leading a team, general assembly/manufacturing which I’d like to get away from a bit if possible, quoting for work, general use of a computer including MRP/ERP software, quality inspection..
I’d still like some prospects to earn more than 25k, it’s just that’s really what I need to live on and build from there. I’ve been in a bit of a money trap in the industry, the hourly rates usually range from £15-25 per hour plus overtime (and as mentioned there’s a lot of overtime).
Open to all ideas but £25k is the magic number unfortunately to keep myself afloat, even if I can scrap my quite high commuting costs and run a cheap car etc.
So for context, I live in east Northamptonshire, and I’m a composite technician, making parts for formula one cars, planes etc out of carbon fibre.
I spent 5 years at one of the top F1 teams making complex structures, over a year as a senior production supervisor with 30 staff reporting to me at a tier 1 subcontract supplier, and the rest of the time was just general contracting work for the higher hourly rate.
Transferable skills perhaps reading technical drawings and information, dealing with customers and suppliers, leading a team, general assembly/manufacturing which I’d like to get away from a bit if possible, quoting for work, general use of a computer including MRP/ERP software, quality inspection..
I’d still like some prospects to earn more than 25k, it’s just that’s really what I need to live on and build from there. I’ve been in a bit of a money trap in the industry, the hourly rates usually range from £15-25 per hour plus overtime (and as mentioned there’s a lot of overtime).
Open to all ideas but £25k is the magic number unfortunately to keep myself afloat, even if I can scrap my quite high commuting costs and run a cheap car etc.
CX53 said:
Thanks for the replies so far.
So for context, I live in east Northamptonshire, and I’m a composite technician, making parts for formula one cars, planes etc out of carbon fibre.
I spent 5 years at one of the top F1 teams making complex structures, over a year as a senior production supervisor with 30 staff reporting to me at a tier 1 subcontract supplier, and the rest of the time was just general contracting work for the higher hourly rate.
Transferable skills perhaps reading technical drawings and information, dealing with customers and suppliers, leading a team, general assembly/manufacturing which I’d like to get away from a bit if possible, quoting for work, general use of a computer including MRP/ERP software, quality inspection..
I’d still like some prospects to earn more than 25k, it’s just that’s really what I need to live on and build from there. I’ve been in a bit of a money trap in the industry, the hourly rates usually range from £15-25 per hour plus overtime (and as mentioned there’s a lot of overtime).
Open to all ideas but £25k is the magic number unfortunately to keep myself afloat, even if I can scrap my quite high commuting costs and run a cheap car etc.
Did you post a similar thread a couple months back? If not, then you aren't the only one on here in your industry looking for a change for the reasons you've described.So for context, I live in east Northamptonshire, and I’m a composite technician, making parts for formula one cars, planes etc out of carbon fibre.
I spent 5 years at one of the top F1 teams making complex structures, over a year as a senior production supervisor with 30 staff reporting to me at a tier 1 subcontract supplier, and the rest of the time was just general contracting work for the higher hourly rate.
Transferable skills perhaps reading technical drawings and information, dealing with customers and suppliers, leading a team, general assembly/manufacturing which I’d like to get away from a bit if possible, quoting for work, general use of a computer including MRP/ERP software, quality inspection..
I’d still like some prospects to earn more than 25k, it’s just that’s really what I need to live on and build from there. I’ve been in a bit of a money trap in the industry, the hourly rates usually range from £15-25 per hour plus overtime (and as mentioned there’s a lot of overtime).
Open to all ideas but £25k is the magic number unfortunately to keep myself afloat, even if I can scrap my quite high commuting costs and run a cheap car etc.
designforlife said:
I and many others are always on the lookout for carbon car body parts....work any old job 9-5 and do that on the side?
Again, it’s the space and cost of equipment etc...I’d quite like to see the back of the stuff for good to be honest, it’s not good for your health to work with the materials and resins, I already have non stop rhinitis which is annoying and quite painful at times
Brads67 said:
Stop working overtime.
You can't be forced to work those hours these days.
I’d see myself without a job one way or another, unfortunately. It’s how the motorsport industry is, and it would also be unfair to watch all of my colleagues doing 75 hours per week in the busy periods while I’m doing 40. You can't be forced to work those hours these days.
I just need a complete change I think.
Even getting in to technical purchasing using my current knowledge and the like brings heavy hours because of the industry. I’m just sick of it tbh, and when we have children I don’t want to miss out on them growing up, for the sake of a few quid.
95JO said:
It'd be helpful if you let us know your location and profession...
Even without knowing those things, it's definitely possible to find a good work/life balance without even needing to retrain. I'm sure your current experience is transferable - If not, there's plenty of un-skilled jobs paying £25k+ which you should be able to pretty much walk in to with 9 years of skilled experience behind you (think warehouse/manufacturing etc)...
£25k a year jobs you can walk into!Even without knowing those things, it's definitely possible to find a good work/life balance without even needing to retrain. I'm sure your current experience is transferable - If not, there's plenty of un-skilled jobs paying £25k+ which you should be able to pretty much walk in to with 9 years of skilled experience behind you (think warehouse/manufacturing etc)...
Dream on.
With your skills and eye for quality necessary in your field I could see you as a Quality Controller/Manager in a plastics manufacturer whether that be injection moulding or various other moulding or laminating processes.
Do RPC Group have a manufacturing site anywhere near you (they make plastic packaging largely for foodstuffs and are a multi billion £company. Must be lots of similar about?
Do RPC Group have a manufacturing site anywhere near you (they make plastic packaging largely for foodstuffs and are a multi billion £company. Must be lots of similar about?
You mention a £25k salary to start with, would you be looking for that to increase, if so to what level?
I've got a friend who is a lead manager at a supermarket (in charge of a large department). He seems to enjoy it. Hours wise he seems to have every Sunday off unless he wants it as overtime (or maybe one in four), mixture of days (0700 to 1700 I think, maybe a 0800 start) and lates 1400 to 2200. Two days off a week.
Sometimes has to do a early (0300) start for stock take, but thats once a year.
It's not something that I would want to do (I'm not cut out for manger roles at all). Money seems alright, benefits are good.
I've got a friend who is a lead manager at a supermarket (in charge of a large department). He seems to enjoy it. Hours wise he seems to have every Sunday off unless he wants it as overtime (or maybe one in four), mixture of days (0700 to 1700 I think, maybe a 0800 start) and lates 1400 to 2200. Two days off a week.
Sometimes has to do a early (0300) start for stock take, but thats once a year.
It's not something that I would want to do (I'm not cut out for manger roles at all). Money seems alright, benefits are good.
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