Doing overtime :(

Regular readers of the blog might recall some time ago I posted a write-up of numerous goings-on at work. Though things have settled down a bit, my workload remains excessive. As promised by my employer, I got my first overtime allowance for 1Q2023 (actually for February and March only). Not a large amount of money, net-of-tax a four-digit amount, with “1” to the left.

The rollercoaster carried on in early April, so I requested some overtime orders (a manager must order an employee to work overtime). In the first week of the month my request was approved, but in the week following Easter, when I had to toil away intensively for up to 12 hours a day and after knocking off I could not string a sentence together, my request was turned down. The refusal was justified by my managers by the supposed termination of exceptional circumstances which occurred in 1Q2023.

Fortunately, my jaw did not draw open for long, so without second thoughts I instantly came up with three ways out of the absurd situation. First – they keep on paying me for doing overtime. Second – they reduce my workload. Third – I reconsider my career plans. Here they were up to the task, since they offered they would like to choose between the first and the second option and revert to me with a proposal. It ended up with me being allowed to request overtime pay until the end of 2Q2023. They pledged afterwards my workload gets reasonable, a promise I put no faith in.

For the time being I am focusing on surviving by the end of 2Q2023 (no fortnight-long holidays due in late spring this year) and getting a compensation for the inconvenience of working far more than 40 hours a week.

The squabble over my overtime pay has also mobilised me to browse job advertisements for the first time since 2017 and do trying to find out what wages competitors offer. The outcome of short research was that I would find it hard to negotiate a basic salary at the par with my current one and give up on generous (above-market) bonuses (my bonus for tough 2022 was effectively my 13^th, 14^th, 15^th, 16^th and 17^th salary this year). The potential reward for much lower earnings could be potentially lower workload, possibly at the expense of handling tasks below my (pardon my lack of modesty – superb) competencies. Thus I have become a hostage of money…

The recent state of affairs has also made me reconsider priorities in life. I want the frequent sitting overtime to be a temporary measure, while in the mid-term, I prefer to renounce the overtime compensation (which will not make me much richer) and have more time for living my life, not sacrificing it to a callous corporation.

Next post in three weeks, since I am off to Wisła for the long weekend and the shortened working week.

What’s new in the neighbourhood – in 2023

In early April I learnt from a local newspaper the revitalisation of Park Cichociemnych, whose beginnings I documented nearly a year ago, is drawing to a close. The makeover has been slated by locals and sadly, the voices of disapproval do not come from regular nit-pickers, but reflect how the area has been botched up.

To start with, the revitalisation kicked off in 4Q2021. Eighteen months since the works commenced their end is not in sight, which is more than a shame. One could build a house from scratch and furnish it over such period, while here nothing is built, just a recreational area is redeveloped. Below some snaps taken on Easter Sunday late afternoon.

The peak of Górka Kazurka is still fenced off, while the very summit for no apparent reason has been spoilt with concrete, needed there like a hole in the head. Areas where the grass has been sown are also protected from pedestrians and pets…

The centre of the park so far does not seem to meet the definition of greenery. Arid ground, sand, concrete slabs, fences, a bench in the middle of a muddy swathe of land. It took a year and a half to reach that stage of redevelopment.

Having moved further west, I put my camera lens between the mesh to capture what in some time is to become a recreational area, with benches, bicycle racks, flowerbeds and lawns. So far such picture can be seen with the eyes of imagination only.

To counter- balance the griping with some upsides – the bygone car park by the Astaldi construction base has been ripped off – many square metres of asphalt have given way to earth. The only remnants of the construction site are the run-down guard’s hut and a rickety VW Transporter.

At the western edge of the park its designers resolved to locate a good dating hangout for teenagers. For some unknown reason the spot is far from any dwellings, but close to the tunnel of Warsaw’s southern bypass (humming traffic well audible there). Note I was too lazy to roam around the park, so I cycled...

Looking east towards ul. Pileckiego – the meadow between 2018 and late 2022 had been occupied by Astaldi and cleared just a few months ago. The nature now is to reconquer the area. Dwellers of the blocks of flats in the distance seem to have a beautiful slight from their windows, but note the proximity of the bypass tunnel, with fumes and noise 24/7 does not add to the spirit of the place.

The bonfire shelter, once quite close to Górka Kazurka, has been relocated into the middle of the nearby birch coppice. Definitely a proper bonfire spot ought to be surrounded by trees. On Easter Sunday the shelter played host to some inebriated Ukrainians.

In April 2022 I complained the dog playground close to the forest was closed off to locals. It was opened soon later and is a place I happen to visit with Mela. The only drawback of the place is its muddiness (a top layer of sand would help keep soil drier after rain).

Winter Timeline 2022/23

The passing winter, with the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis, was definitely not expected to be cold. For several reasons everyone kept fingers crossed for a warm one and long-term forecasts pointed at above-average temperatures in central and eastern Europe. With hindsight – they have proven right.

After the coldest September since 2013, October 2022 came out as the sixth warmest since records began. Mean temperature in Warsaw reached +11.2C (vs. long-term average of +8.7C), but still was colder than October 1907 when temperature in Warsaw averaged out +12.9C and Octobers in 2000 (+11.6C), 1896, 1967 and 2019 (all +11.3C). October 2022 was also frost-free, just like in 2020, 2018 and 2017. Nevertheless, ground frosts were observed on four days (10^th, 12^th, 20^th, 21^st days of the month).

 

17 November 2022
Usually when the first frost is witnessed so late, it bites sharply. Such was the case in 2008, 2017 and 2018.

18 November 2022
First day of thermal winter, with day-time high below 0C and dreadfully gusty, chilly wind.

19 November 2022
The first snow this season. Just a light dusting of it, yet enough to take road clearance services aback. Roads are icy in the morning. Then ensues some glorious sunshine.

20 November 2022 – 21 November 2022
Two days with lovely sunshine, really chilly mornings and day-time highs close to the point of freezing.

22 November 2022 – 23 November 2022
Quite chilly and cloudy, with temperature close to 0C.

24 November 2022
Wake up to see the first proper snow this season. The flurry continues until afternoon, however does not cause anticipated chaos on the roads.

25 November 2022 – 30 November 2022
Abhorrent gloom takes over. Not a moment of sunshine, temperature not much above freezing most of the time. Dark and damp…

November 2022 was normal. Average temperature in Warsaw was +4.2C (vs. long-term average of +3.8C). First half of the month was extraordinarily warm, while the second one, far colder than usual. Stats:
- month-time high: +15.5C on 8 November 2022,
- month-time low: –7.7C on 21 November 2022,
- the warmest day: 2 November 2022 (daily average of +11.5C):
- the coldest day: 19 November 2022 (daily average of –3.7C)
- number of days with snow cover: 4,
- the highest snow depth: 3 centimetres on 25 November 2022.

 

1 December 2022
The weather pattern from the last days of November continues.

2 December 2022
Getting even colder, markedly below 0C. In the evening a freezing drizzle at –4C takes over.

3 December 2022
Morning greets with a supply of fresh snow. Temperature stays negative over the day, so the snow lingers.

4 December 2022 – 7 December 2022
The dullest countenance of late autumn – temperature barely above 0C, chilly wind, humid air, intermittent rain or snow showers.

8 December 2022 – 9 December 2022
Two relatively bright days, after 16 days of absolute lack of sunshine. The weather finally lifts spirits.

10 December 2022
The last day on the verge of late autumn and full-blown winter. Close to 0C, light snow.

11 December 2022
Winter begins in earnest. It snows quite heavily all day. Conditions for moving around are quite nasty, yet the scenery is lovely.

12 December 2022
The flurry continues throughout the day, but is not as heavy as yesterday. The abundant snow showers come ahead of the first double-digit frost in 2022.

13 December 2022
Light winter with some little supply of fresh snow.

14 December 2022
The first utterly sunny day since over 3 weeks brings the first double-digit solid frost in 2022.

15 December 2022
More of the white powder has fallen overnight, but the end of the winter episode is in sight.

16 December 2022
Snow showers come during the day this time, causing some chaos during the pre-Christmas rush on the roads.

17 December 2022 – 18 December 2022
A cold, cloudy weekend, with one snow shower. Winter gets boring.

19 December 2022
Temperature overnight plunges below –10C for the second and last time this year to give way to a bright day with clear blue skies. Nothing heralds a disaster…

20 December 2022
The rain fell overnight in sub-zero temperatures, which means Poland wakes up to struggle with ice rinks everywhere. Moving about is perilous. Conditions get better during the day, as surfaces are cleared of black ice and the temperature rises.

21 December 2022 – 23 December 2022
A solid thaw takes over, with intermittent spells of sunshine and rain showers which accelerate the pace in which snow disappears.

24 December 2022
Customarily, Christmas Eve is gloomy, rainy and warm (i.e. with temperatures above freezing).

25 December 2022 – 30 December 2022
Late autumn continues. Usually skies are overcast, but moment of sunshine occur as well. Temperatures range from –1C to +11C.

31 December 2022
A big warmth comes up and the air gets balmier as midnight draws in…

December 2022 was normal. Average temperature in Warsaw was +0.6C (vs. long-term average of –0.1C). The month had a normal first decade, a cold second decade and a warm third decade. Stats:
- month-time high: +14.2C on 31 December 2022 (the warmest moment in December high since 2015),
- month-time low: –14.3C on 14 December 2022,
- the warmest day 31 December 2022 (daily average of +9.3C, 0.2 Celsius degrees short of the warmest New Year’s Eve recorded in 2021),
- the coldest day: 14 December 2022 (daily average of – 8.2C),
- number of days with snow cover: 14,
- the highest snow depth: 16 centimetres on 17 December 2022.

 

1 January 2023
I can only regret I spend the last days of 2022 and the first days of 2023 inWisła. Temperature in Warsaw soars to +18.9C (official readout from W-wa Okęcie station), beating the previous January record by more than 5 Celsius degrees and setting the new January warmth record for Poland. Clear blue skies and abundant sunshine do help.

2 January 2023 – 3 January 2023
Slightly cooler, yet still day-time highs come into double digits, cloudy.

4 January 2023
Temperature at dawn declines well below 0C. I sense such phenomena will be a rarity this month.

5 January 2023
Gloomy, rainy, windy, warm. Feels like November.

6 January 2023
Evening brings a snow shower. A blanket of wet white powder covers Warsaw, as the temperature nears 0C.

7 January 2023
Those who reside in Warsaw and get up early still have a chance to see the remnants of yesterday’s. They melt quickly…

8 January 2023 – 16 January 2023
Late autumn returns. Few moments of sunshine, some rain showers, unpleasant wind, damp air, temperature from +1C to +9C.

17 January 2023 – 20 January 2023
Colder, temperature barely above freezing, occasionally below. A prevalent form of precipitation is sleet. A month-long period of warmth draws to a close.

21 January 2023
A snow blizzard which begins at night seems more impressive than the one which hit on 11 December 2022, but its disruptive potential is lower, as temperature stays above 0C. Had it hit during the working week, a traffic paralysis would not have been averted. It ceases to snow early in the afternoon and the melt ensues.

22 January 2023 – 24 January 2023
Temperature barely positive most of the time, with air humidity exceeding 90%, owing to which it feels like –10C. Cloudy, with some sleet or snow falling.

25 January 2023 – 26 January 2023
Two first days with negative mean temperature this year. Still depressingly drab.

27 January 2023 – 28 January 2023
A tad warmer, with a light dusting of snow, which melts while falling on warmed-up ground.

29 January 2023 – 30 January 2023
Now some proper snow, which lingers for a few hours, since temperature is close to freezing, but eventually disappears.

31 January 2023
Finally a bright day, with two hours of proper sunshine, something the capital of Poland missed for a fortnight.

January 2023 was extremely warm, actually the second warmest since measurements are taken, after January 2007 (mean temperature: +3.7C), but ahead of January 1983 (mean temperature: +3.2C). Average temperature in Warsaw was +3.4C (vs. long-term average of –1.5C). Stats:
- month-time high: +18.9C on 1 January 2023 (the previous record, +13.8C set on 12 January 1993, broken, I believe despite the global warming it will take two or three decades before the next January warmth record is set, I regret not experiencing it),
- month-time low: –3.9C on 4 January 2023 breaking the record of the highest January’s low, i.e. –4.7C set in 1983 and touched in 2020),
- the warmest day: 1 January 2023 (daily average of +15.0C, also the warmest January day in Warsaw since records began),
- the coldest day: 29 January 2023 (daily average of –0.7C, i.e. just like in January 2020, when the coldest day had mean temperature of –0.5C, the coldest day was warmer than long-term average temperature for the whole month),
- number of days with snow cover: 5,
- the highest snow depth: 5 centimetres on 21 January 2023.

 

1 February 2023 – 2 February 2023
The last days of improper winter – still with positive temperature, rain, sleet and some sunshine.

3 February 2023
The next winter episode begins around 3 p.m. with a proper snowfall. Temperature gets negative.

4 February 2023 – 6 February 2023
Winter at last, all sort of weather, including light snow showers, freezing fog and glorious sunshine, at times windy. Single-digit frost all the time.

7 February 2023 – 9 February 2023
Day-time highs bring light thaw. At least bright, most of the time sunny. Snow nearly fully melts.

10 February 2023 – 11 February 2023
It thaws out for good, cloudy, with some instantly melting snow or sleet.

12 February 2023 – 15 February 2023
No incidences of negative temperature. At times sunny, at times rainy, usually windy. The weather drifting between winter and spring.

16 February 2023
Morning brings temperature of –4C and picturesque hoar frost. Then it warms up abruptly to +7C in the afternoon. Sunshine in abundance.

17 February 2023 – 19 February 2023
Exactly like at that time in 2022, a cyclone from above Scandinavia brings destructive gusty winds (above 100 kmph) and downpours.

20 February 2023
A very light dusting of slow fallen overnight disappears quickly. Then snow falls during the day, but melts immediately while air temperature stands at +2C. Gusts of wind still strong.

21 February 2023 – 23 February 2023
Cloudy, but not rainy and moderately warm (with one night-time frost). Beware though, another short winter episode is in the offing!

24 February 2023
The last warm day this month and rainy too!

25 February 2023
A day with a very changeable weather – from snow and sleet to full sunshine. Above freezing.

26 February 2023 – 27 February 2023
A tad colder, cloudy, with a little flurry.

28 February 2023
The long-awaited sunshine comes over, at the expense of large temperature fluctuations.

February 2023 was warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was +1.4C (vs. long-term average of –0.4C). Stats:
- month-time high: +9.9C on 18 February 2023,
- month-time low: –8.0C on 6 February 2023 (so far no double-digit frost in 2023),
- the warmest day: 21 February 2023 (daily average of +6.6C),
- the coldest day: 6 February 2023 (daily average of –5.3C),
- number of days with snow cover: 10,
- the highest snow depth: 6 centimetres from 4 February 2023 to 6 February 2023.

 

1 March 2022 – 3 March 2023
While in south-western edge of Poland I enjoy full sunshine, Warsaw is under the blanket of fog or clouds. Temperatures go through 0C two times a day.

4 March 2023 – 5 March 2023
Chilly, with alight dusting of snow and nasty wind. Negative temperature most of the time.

6 March 2023
Some moments of glorious sunshine follow the coldest morning this year. Then it begins to snow in near-zero temperature and snows, at time heavily until late evening.

7 March 2023 – 8 March 2023
The same pattern - I wake up to behold a white blanket covering the capital of Poland. It disappears by midday, melted by sunrays, as temperature tops +5C.

9 March 2023
It snowed all night, it snows nearly all day. Temperature on the verge of freezing, so some of the snow lingers.

10 March 2023
It snowed at night, but the white powder disappeared soon, as temperature hit double digits for the first time since early January.

11 March 2023
The weather continues to be changeable – quite warm morning with drizzle gives way to snow showers in the afternoon.

12 March 2023
A sunny, but windy day with day-time high just below +5C. Have we seen the last of the winter?

13 March 2023 – 14 March 2023
Markedly warmer, with double-digit highs and sunshine on the latter day. Mid-term forecasts of the coldest March since 2018 are giving way to a prospect of abnormal warmth in the second half of the month.

15 March 2023
Back to pre-wintry weather. Still quite windy.

16 March 2023 – 17 March 2023
Twelve hours of sunshine each day, at the expense of morning frosts and with single-digit afternoon highs.

18 March 2023 – 21 March 2023
Rather sunny and warmer – night-time lows above 0C, day-time highs above +10C.

22 March 2023
All of a sudden – Warsaw is haunted by a night-time frost, but then temperature skyrockets to double-digits despite overcast skies.

23 March 2023 – 26 March 2023
Cloudy, at times rainy and warm – temperature above +5C over the entire period (on two former days nearing +20C), but winter has not said its last word.

27 March 2023
Biting chilly arctic wind makes +5C feel like –5C. Sadly, the assault of spring was short-lasting.

28 March 2023
A day with average temperature below –1C. Five degrees below zero at dawn, snow showers on and off during the day, with white powder lingering for an hour or two.

29 March 2023
Another cold morning, but this time followed by a sunny, lengthy day.

30 March 2023 – 31 March 2023
Warmer for a while, yet below +15C, spells of sunshine interspersed throughout rain showers.

March 2023 was warm. Average temperature in Warsaw was +4.5C (vs. long-term average of +3.2C). Stats:
- month-time high: +20.0C on 23 March 2023 (on the same day as in 2022),
- month-time low: –9.0C on 6 March 2023 (just like in 2022, year-to-date low is set in March),
- the warmest day: 24 March 2022 (daily average of +12.8C),
- the coldest day: 6 March 2023 (daily average of –2.3C),
- number of days with snow cover: 5,
- the highest snow depth: 3 centimetres on 9 March 2023 and 10 March 2023.

 

1 April 2023
The last day of early spring. Bracing for the last touch of winter.

2 April 2023 – 6 April 2023
Winter (hopefully) gives its last gasp. Temperature between –5C and +8C. Most of the time gloomy as in November, but with some spells of sunshine. Worth noting –5.2C low measured on 5 April 2023 was the lowest temperature in Warsaw in April since 2003, while 5 April 2023 with average temperature of +0.1C was the coldest April day in the capital of Poland after 1950.

I hereby terminate the winter timeline, but according to long-term forecasts, we should not expect spring in overdrive and any incidence of +20C is a long way ahead. This will likely be the third April in a row substantially colder than long-term average (+9.2C for Warsaw). The tyre change due next Saturday.

COVID-19 timeline - 1Q2023

Friday, 13 January 2023
Despite middle of the winter, infections in Poland reach their low, with 7-day average number of infections down at 278.

Saturday, 4 February 2023
Two years and eleven months after the first registered COVID-19 case in Poland, I get a positive test result. My infection escapes the official statistics despite an attempt to get tested at GPs.

Tuesday, 14 February 2023
The 7-day average number of new infections in Poland rises above 1,000, for the first time since 25 October 2022. R(t) is around 1.40 and positivity rate close to 30%.

Friday, 24 February 2023
The 7-day average number of new infections in Poland rises above 2,000, for the first time since 13 October 2022. The positivity rate close to 35%.

Monday, 13 March 2023
There have been several infection clusters in my office. Luckily, my hybrid immunity kept my health at bay.

Wednesday, 15 March 2023
The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Poland reaches 3,235 – it has not been so bad since many months, which shows the scale of infections not reported officially.

Thursday, 16 March 2023
The 7-day average number of new infections in Poland rises above 3,000, for the first time since 4 October 2022. On this day the peak of the current wave is hit, with 3,012 cases reported on average daily during the recent 7 days.

Thursday, 23 March 2023
The hot topic is the availability of Paxlovid, the medicine effective at treatment serious COVID-19 cases. In Poland, it is not reimbursed and widely available, unlike in civilised western countries.

Tuesday, 28 March 2023
The 7-day average number of new infections in Poland declines below 2,000, for the first time since 23 February 2023. Going uphill took 20 days, going downhill – only 12 days.

Tuesday, 31 March 2023
I still observe many people sick around, yet fewer with C19, more with flu type B, whose course of infections are more serious (several days in bed with high fever).