I'm being punished for being efficient at my job

My job is part time, because I couldn't find anything full time and I'm hoping to work my way up or do this until I find something better.

However I was getting 30 hours a week, usually a couple 8 hours then the rest 4/5 hours.

They've started putting me at ~18-21 hours, but in an annoying way. The next two weeks I have 6-7 days working 3 hour shifts. I asked my manager why and he said it's because I do everything really fast.

It's irritating because if I go through the trouble of washing my clothes, getting ready, and commuting to work, I don't want to constantly do that for 3 hours of work. It feels super unfair and makes me wish I put less effort in to take up more time.

Jobadvisor

That's a frustrating way to be "rewarded" for working hard — and it makes complete sense that it's landing as unfair, because functionally you're getting punished with less pay and more commuting hassle for the exact thing that should be valued.

A few things worth thinking through:

Name the actual problem to your manager, separately from the "why." He already told you the why (you're fast), but the real issue is the shift structure, not the hours total. You could say something like: "I get that I finish tasks quickly, but three-hour shifts don't work for me — the commute and prep time isn't worth it for that little pay. Could I get fewer, longer shifts instead, even if the total hours stay the same?" That's a concrete, solvable ask rather than a complaint about being fast, which makes it easier for a manager to actually act on.

Ask if there's more work you could be given instead of less time. If the issue is literally "you finish your tasks and then there's nothing left for you to do," it's worth asking directly whether there are other tasks/duties you could pick up to fill an 8-hour shift, rather than being sent home early or given fewer hours. Managers sometimes default to cutting hours because it's the easy lever, not because it's the only one.

Watch out for the incentive you're noticing. You said it yourself — this teaches you to slow down. That's worth mentioning explicitly to your manager, in a non-confrontational way: "I want to keep working efficiently, but I want to make sure that's not costing me hours — what would help me get scheduled better while still moving fast?" Putting it on them to solve the tension is fairer than you quietly sandbagging your own performance, and it's also just better for you long-term (a reputation for being slow doesn't help you if you want to move to full-time or another job later).

If this is really about covering shifts, ask for clarity on that. Sometimes scheduling gets weird because of coverage gaps (someone else needs certain days off, etc.) rather than a deliberate move against you. Worth asking plainly: "Is this schedule based on my speed, or is it more about coverage needs?" — his answer will tell you whether this is fixable with a conversation or whether it's a structural scheduling issue you're stuck with.

Since you're part-time and job hunting anyway — is this schedule change making it harder to job search, or mostly just annoying/unfair? That might affect whether it's worth pushing hard on with this employer or just riding out while you look elsewhere.

My manager just told me I need to be more grateful for overtime opportunities

Had a conversation today that made my blood boil. I've been working mandatory overtime for three weeks straight because two people quit and they refuse to hire replacements. When I mentioned I was exhausted and needed a weekend off, my manager said I should be more grateful for the opportunity to earn extra money and show dedication to the team.

The thing is, I never asked for this overtime. I'm salaried so I don't even get paid extra. And now apparently my lack of enthusiasm about working 60 hour weeks means I'm not a team player. They keep saying we're a family here but families don't guilt trip you into burnout while the company posts record profits.

I used to think I was lucky to have this job. Now I realize they've just conditioned me to accept less and work more. The overtime isn't an opportunity, it's exploitation with a smile. And the worst part is half my coworkers have bought into this mindset completely. They actually compete over who can stay latest like it's some kind of badge of honor.

I'm updating my resume tonight. Done pretending that being understaffed is my problem to solve.

Jobadvisor

That's an infuriating thing to be told, especially when there's no overtime pay attached to soften it — "be grateful" for unpaid extra hours you never agreed to is just asking you to be thankful for being taken advantage of. Your read on it is accurate, not dramatic.

A few things worth knowing as you think this through:

Salaried doesn't mean unlimited, depending on where you are. If you're in the US, whether you're actually exempt from overtime rules depends on your specific job duties and salary level, not just the "salaried" label — a lot of companies misclassify people. If you're in the UK/EU, there are working time regulations that cap average weekly hours (48 in the UK, though people can opt out) and it's worth knowing your rights there too. If you tell me your country, I can point you to something concrete.

"Understaffed is not my problem to solve" is the right instinct — but worth saying out loud to your manager once, on record. Not to fix things (it doesn't sound like it will), but so there's a clear paper trail that you flagged it: something like "I've covered the gap from the two open roles for three weeks. I need to know the hiring timeline, because I can't sustain 60-hour weeks indefinitely." Doesn't need to be combative — just puts the burnout and the understaffing on record as their decision, not your failure.

On the resume — good move, and worth doing while still employed rather than waiting until you're depleted. Burnout makes job searching harder the longer you wait, so tonight is a reasonable time to start, not premature.

Watch your own health while this continues. Three weeks of 60-hour weeks is a real load on your body and mind, not just an inconvenience — if you notice sleep, appetite, or mood sliding, that's worth taking seriously on its own, separate from the job search.

Is the exhaustion mostly physical at this point, or is it also messing with your sleep/mood? That'd help me know whether it's just "get out of this job" or also "make sure you're okay in the meantime."

Wait, why are we still pretending to have a passion for shipping boxes?

Wait why are we still doing this whole dance where i have to lie about my dreams and goals for a basic office role. i sat through an interview today and the lady asked me why i specifically chose their company. it was for a place that sells shipping boxes for crying out loud. i wanted to say because i have a rent payment due and i like not being hungry but instead i had to sit there and talk about their vision.

Isnt it weird that we spend so much time on these performative lies just to get a paycheck. i spend hours researching their history and pretending i care about their stock price when we both know the truth. it feels like a weird test to see how well i can lie to their faces. if i am honest and say i need a job because i am good at spreadsheets and i need money then i am out of the race.

The whole thing is built on this weird fake enthooseasm that nobody actually feels at nine in the morning. i want to start asking them why they want to hire me instead of just getting some automated software to do it. why do i have to prove my love for cardboard but they dont have to prove their respect for my time. we are all just playing characters in a bad movie at this point. it is a disastruous way to live and it shows a total lack of proffessionalism from their side to expect this.

Jobadvisor

Yeah, it's weird. You're not wrong about the mismatch — you needed a job, they wanted a performance of destiny, and the whole thing runs on everyone pretending not to notice the gap.

But here's the thing worth separating out: the interview format is dumb, and that's genuinely true. It rewards fluent enthusiasm-performance over honest competence-signaling, and it filters for people willing to play along, not people who'd actually do the job well. That's a real structural complaint, not sour grapes.

Where I'd push back a little: it's not quite a lie to say "I chose this company because X" if you can find an X that's true, even a boring one. "I looked at the postings, this one matched my skills and the commute works" is honest. It's just not the answer they were fishing for. The dishonesty creeps in when you invent passion you don't have. You don't have to do that — you can usually find a true, unglamorous reason and say it with some polish, without manufacturing fake love for cardboard.

The "why do you want to hire me" question you mentioned — ask it. Not combatively, but plenty of candidates ask what the role actually needs, what the team's biggest current problem is, why the position is open. That's a normal, respected question. It doesn't fix the asymmetry, but it's one small way to make the conversation feel less like a one-way performance.

None of this means you have to enjoy the theater. You can think it's a silly ritual and still get better at the specific skill of "give a true-enough answer that also sounds professional" — that's a learnable trick, not a moral compromise.

How'd today's interview actually end — did you get a read on whether it went well, past the vision-speak part?

I found a job but my friend made me feel terrible about it.

I’m 20F and i had a job interview for It engineering and got it. this is my first time having a job and i was feeling happy and proud because i felt like i’m making a good resume and “building” a future.
But my friend told me 9-5 is slavery and i’m throwing away my youth.

Now i feel absolutely unmotivated to continue ,i thought i’m doing great because my country’s currency is so bad and my dream was always to immigrate and find a well paying job.
I mean it sounds like a dream life to me to get out of this country and just be independent.

Is this not a good life path?

Jobadvisor

Congratulations on the job, genuinely — landing an IT engineering role at 20, as your first job, with a clear "this helps me get out and build independence" goal behind it, is not a small thing. That's worth sitting with for a second before your friend's comment gets to keep living rent-free in your head.

Now, about the "9-5 is slavery" line. There's a real idea buried under the meme-y phrasing — some people mean it as a critique of hustle culture, or of feeling trapped in a job that doesn't match your values. That's a fair thing to think about in general. But it's not a universal truth, and it's definitely not a diagnosis of your specific situation. Your friend doesn't know your currency situation, your immigration goal, or what independence would actually buy you. A blanket take like that applied to your life without any of that context isn't wisdom, it's just a vibe.

Worth noticing too: "throwing away my youth" assumes the alternative is obviously better — but the alternative to a first real job isn't usually freedom, it's uncertainty, and often more dependence, not less. If your plan is "work, save, build resume, immigrate, get paid in a stronger currency, be independent" — that's not a trap, that's a strategy. A pretty common and sensible one, actually, for people in your position.

It's fine to also want more than a job — travel, spontaneity, not being defined by work. Those aren't off the table just because you have a 9-5 now. But you get to decide what tradeoff makes sense for your life, not import someone else's philosophy about what youth is supposed to look like.

Does your friend have a specific alternative in mind for themselves, or was it more of a general comment about work?

Job denying existing FMLA request when I use intermittent FMLA prior

[OK] I had to use intermittent FMLA to care for a parent earlier this year. I used a total of 1.88 weeks, approximately 75 hours, of FMLA. I am now requesting FMLA for a personal health issue. My company is denying me saying I used the 12 weeks FMLA allotted time off. I have documentation from our third party FMLA company showing I only used 1.88 weeks, but they are saying the company said I used all 12 weeks. I checked our policy through the HR Assistance Portal, the company does not have an employee handbook, and it says that we are allowed 12 weeks of FMLA. When I took the intermittent FMLA they were contacting me the entire time and informed me that I needed to make up hours that I had missed because of FMLA. How should I proceed? I was already retaliated against when I took the intermittent FMLA, but now I just feel hopeless.

Jobadvisor

I'm sorry you're dealing with this — being denied leave for your own health issue, based on a number that contradicts your own documentation, is stressful on top of already dealing with a health issue. Let me lay out what's factually going on and what your options are. I'm not a lawyer, so treat this as general info, not legal advice.This is a solid, factual dispute you're well-positioned for, mainly because you have documentation the company doesn't. Here's how this actually breaks down:

The core issue. You have paperwork from your own third-party FMLA administrator showing 1.88 weeks used. The company is verbally claiming a different number (all 12 weeks) with no documentation cited. That's a direct, checkable factual conflict — not a matter of interpretation. Employers must use a consistent calculation method (calendar year, fixed 12-month, or rolling 12-month) applied uniformly, and inconsistent recordkeeping — like a supervisor tracking an absence separately from HR — can lead to an employee's leave being miscounted. That's very plausibly what happened here: someone's internal number doesn't match the third-party administrator's actual tracking.

Steps to take, in order:

1. Get it in writing. Ask HR/the FMLA administrator, in an email, to state in writing exactly how many hours/weeks they say you've used and their calculation method (rolling 12-month, calendar year, etc.). Verbal denials are easy to walk back; written ones create a paper trail.

2. Send your documentation formally. Email HR (not just talk in person) with your third-party FMLA company's records attached, stating the discrepancy plainly: "Your team stated I used all 12 weeks; my FMLA administrator's records show 1.88 weeks used as of [date]. Please reconcile this discrepancy and confirm my remaining balance in writing."

3. Loop in the third-party FMLA administrator directly. They're often a different entity than your employer's HR and are supposed to be the system of record. Ask them to send confirmation of hours used directly to you and to HR simultaneously — that removes the "he said/she said."

4. File a complaint with the DOL Wage and Hour Division if the company won't correct this. This is free, and you don't need a lawyer to do it. They investigate FMLA violations directly. You'd cite the discrepancy in records and the denial of your current request.

5. Document the retaliation separately. Being contacted throughout intermittent leave and told to "make up hours" for FMLA-protected absences is itself a potential violation — FMLA leave isn't supposed to be treated as a debt you owe back. Keep dates, messages, and who said what; this matters whether or not the hours dispute resolves in your favor.

6. Consider an employment lawyer. Many do free consultations for FMLA cases, sometimes on contingency. Given you're describing both a records dispute and prior retaliation, a lawyer can send a letter that often gets resolved faster than going it alone.

One thing worth saying clearly: the fact that they told you to "make up" FMLA hours already suggests this company doesn't have a clean handle on FMLA compliance. That's frustrating, but it also means the odds are decent this is a bookkeeping error, not an intentional cutoff — which is exactly the kind of thing that written documentation from the third party will fix quickly.

Do you know if your third-party FMLA company has a self-service portal or contact where you can request that written balance confirmation directly?