Tribulations at work

For a while I have not shared many news from the corporate front, where the goings-on have been anything, but uneventful in recent months.

In September 2022 I was awarded a promotion. I had not held out for it, I had not strived for it, it came unbidden, although I perceive it as a well-deserved distinction. It involved a below-inflation pay rise, theoretically the same scope of duties, but in practice I am supposed to serve as consultant / advisor to less competent employees. That very change has not been a tremendous one.

In early December 2022 I learnt my manager with whom I had worked for 5 years would be promoted as of January 2023 and would be in charge of a newly created bureau. His promotion was well-earned too and I wished him all the best on the new career path, but on the other hand I regretted our paths parted for a while.

Also in December 2022 the vacancies we had had in our team and which generated additional workload were filled. Instead of hiring one senior analyst, somebody resolved to take on two absolute freshmen (graduates). I heard payroll of two junior analysts was lower than amount claimed by experienced professionals. Whether such savings pay off is debatable, since it takes much more time and effort before freshmen become value-generating staff.

In early January 2023 it transpired that the head of my department would go on a six-month sabbatical starting with the beginning of February. Actually it would not mean a great change, had it not been for a fact his responsibility for co-ordinating a multi-geography project on Poland level has been laid on me.

On 16 January 2023 my new manager had his first day at work. He is an experienced professional, open-minded, communicative, competent man and after three weeks I believe he is one of few outstanding bosses. In the meantime I have to assist him in finding his way around the new organisation, but this effort already pays off.

On the same day I became a mentor for the two freshmen, with a mission to bring them up into card-carrying credit analysts. So far my efforts go mostly down the drain. They lack basic knowledge SGH graduates should possess. This could be made up for with a bit of time and patience, but their brightness leaves a lot to be desired. They are determined to learn, but instead of comprehending causations, they attempt to memorise things, which does not bode them well as analysts. I have already shared my observations with our managers and at least they agreed after a probationary period some difficult decisions might need to be taken.

Under all the circumstances above, my workload is now a bit of excessive – my portfolio of clients is larger than of any other person in the department (and some of accounts are troublesome), I co-ordinate a project, I look after freshmen and help my boss. In return I have negotiated official overtime I register and will be paid for. In a short term, this makes sense and is equivalent to a 30% - 40% pay rise, but within a perspective of a few months I would definitely prefer not to work more than 45 hours a week and spend my off-work time in a more appealing way that doing overtime.