Overtime Work and Compromising Health

Many times. However oflate I realised that I have to be fair to myself and put health on higher priority than promotions and rewards.

Well, since I just recently got a job after graduating from college, I've been working hard. I think it is necessary for me as the new guy if I want to achieve position that I want in my office. Working for 12 hours a day and compromising my health is a necessity right now Maybe after I achieve the position that I want, I will begin reducing my work.

Personally there are many times I think all of us have gone against Doctors orders or wishes and done things we are not supposed to be doing. Especially when it comes to work, as we have to worry about a paycheck etc. instead of many times taking care of our own health first. I know my main problem can be not supposed to go to work and stay off my leg, and then I come downstairs to my computer and get on myLot instead of keeping my leg elevated for a lot of the day. We actually can be our own worst enemy sometimes when it comes to Health.

well, yes, i think there is some health hazard when you work way too much than what you can handle. i saw this in myself before where i only have few hours of sleep and would be on my way to work for another shift. i noticed my body has suffered from a lot of ailments and i had headaches all the time...

I am guilty of this too. I am a workaholic! Once about 8 years ago I woke up and could not see at all. I had my kids run to get my neighbor and she took me to the hospital and then to an optomologist who said I damaged my eyes by working such long hours and wearing contacts at the same time. I have not been able to wear contacts again! You have to take care of your eyes. I still work a lot but my family and friends try to convince me to take it easier and have some fun too.

I have found myself to be guilty of this on a few occassions, but I have also made priorities of my personal life (family) and health. Even though work for me is an asset and necessity, I have come to an agreement that my health is more important than making sure everything gets done at work. I understand work is important, but if you don't take care of yourself in the time of need, you might get worst and it might be a longer time period before you get back to work. So for me Health is a priority work can wait!!!

You are responsible enough but you have to take of your eyes too! You know when it gets serious then you have to go for the doc again. Just take care and leave the workload to others, I am sure they won't die for the work, friend.

Same here. Our usual working hours is 9. But me and my officemates, we are 3 in our group work for 14-16hours a day, without overtime pay and night differential. We work that long because of the work load. We don't want to have a problem when the next day comes. And we leave our office at the same time even though one is already with her own set of work. We feel guilty leaving one person behind. So we help each other.

Grace beta This shows how sincere you are at works, i think you should have avoided coming to office today and for some days, i am afraid it may spread. I don't know if you are paid for working on holidays or sundays.. but i know friends from your place who work from 8am till 8pm, though office work should be 8 hours, and they are NOT paid. You know i am retired, my job was the best job, i used to take 6 theory classes of 45 minutes duration per week, we have so many holidays, vacations besides 52 sundays.. Thanks for sharing God bless you, have a nice day ahead. Professor ‘@Bhuwan@’. .

I don't like just hand over my load of work with anyone else. But now, I in two of my team member's absence I am handling their work too. Two of the secretaries who sits besides have gone for vacation for 1 month and 2 months respectively, and I am partially taken up their work and really over loaded for the last 1 month and above. Mean time, I am asked to take up a different job which I never done and having too much burdened job. The person who was doing the same had gone for 1 month leave and the one who got handed over got jaundice and he also not available. I am asked to take up the assignment. It was all related to company's outstanding invoices (due for 6 months and to be completed within 25 days). I among with a team of other 4 were tried the best effort to resolve it by 30 June and become successful upto 80%. I really got appreciate and though it was totally challenging one, I had to work 5-6 hrs. every day to finish everything. Still I feel it is really an experience and now I am asked to continue the job and I think my superiors already got a remark on me and I feel, overload and load sharing is always a must among the group, if we work a team. This team work and cooperation of the other colleague are the main reason why I never thought of a change in my career. However, it is good if we got a team member who understand each other. Thank-s

When I worked offline, I was definitely guilty of this too. I often thought about taking time off due to being sick but then would instantly change my mind recalling all the back log it would create and how employees would be bogged down as well. Yes I too was very unfair to me, as I was tired all the time, it seemed that it took me way longer to recover while sick because I did not take the proper time off to get well. I do hope you eyes start getting better soon.

In this instance you should not have gone to the workplace and the blame for this rest fairly and squarely on the shoulders of your ophthalmologist. Viral conjunctivitis is one of the most infective conditions out and sufferers can remain infective up to something like a fortnight (which is the time I was banned from a school for two weeks - at the time I was being paid by the hour as a peripatetic musical instrument instructor, so I suffered financially). Your work stands to lose much more from possible colleagues' resultant sickness than it stands to gain from the work you do. The ophthalmologist should have told you this. Is it possible to wipe all surfaces at your workplace with a virocide like VIRKON (Bleach is also effective, but more corrosive) and launder all handtowels, etc.? Fortunately, ongoing complications of this disease are not common.

I appreciate your love for your work. However, if i'm your co worker, i'll understand if you won't go to work during that time, because even you reported during weekend, still you can bring the virus to work and i wouldn't want to be the next one to have sore eyes :)

Sometimes, yes. Oftentimes if the illness is manageable, I reason that I need to do the work otherwise I will still be facing added workload the next day. Either way, I have to do it. I cannot possibly recuperate with a relaxed mind knowing that I had things to do at work. It would certainly make me feel miserable the entire "recuperating" period. Might as well do the task and be done with it. But on instances that my illness is severe, I try to take my mind off "deadlines" and focus on getting better.

You got a great sense of responsibility in you! If I am your employer, I'd be really happy to be able to have you on my team. I guess you are a certified workaholic then! Same here! There are times for me when I just can't help myself but to think of all my pending responsibilities. I always want to please people around me that's why I try my best to do so even if myself is compromised. I feel a rewarding feeling if I am able to please others. That's where I get my motivation. Yes, I am guilty of this too, but no regrets at all!

I understand your feelings of not wanting to let your team down and not wanting to overload anyone - its very honorable of you to feel that way and to go in and do your work. But on the other hand its really not fair on yourself to not allow yourself time to get better - you may not do the work to the best of your ability and on top of that, you may stay sick for longer, which can then lead to more problems later! You should take the recommended time off and maybe see if you can do some work from home on your computer or something, if you are really feeling guilty about it!