I’m a managing legal professional working in-house in a big company. I handle an legal professional and two paralegals at present, and count on my crew to develop within the subsequent two years.
We’ve a coverage that there at all times must be protection when somebody is on PTO. Usually, that’s not an issue. Just lately although, the legal professional I handle and I each needed to take PTO on the identical day. I advised him to go forward and take it, and I proposed to my boss that I might test e-mail commonly however in any other case would additionally preserve my PTO day — it was more likely to be a quiet day anyway.
My boss authorised this plan, however stated (I’m paraphrasing), “Because you’re a supervisor, I count on you to at all times be obtainable on PTO anyway.”
That was a report scratch second for me.
I’m extremely compensated and customarily perceive that the trade-off for that’s entry and time. Earlier in my profession, I might joke “they’re not paying me sufficient to do XYZ” – however I do know that at this level, I’m in reality paid to be obtainable greater than 40 hours per week, or within the early morning/night/weekends because the job requires.
The considered needing to be obtainable each day although, with doubtlessly no respite — that feels unattainable and is unquestionably not well worth the wage, a minimum of for me personally.
My boss and I work nicely collectively and sometimes run into variations that she typically chalks as much as generational variations (I’m a millennial; boss is gen X, with about 18 years between us). I additionally know that my boss is a workaholic (as a lot as I work, she works extra – or a minimum of I understand it that means).
I’m feeling a bit panicked about this, partially as a result of I’m overwhelmed proper now. I’ve day without work deliberate in two weeks, throughout which my entire crew can be obtainable apart from me. I’ve a superb plan for protection, and I actually, really want to have the ability to disconnect for this trip. Is it unreasonable to have the ability to count on to? Is there a sure degree at which you must count on that boundaries and work/life steadiness can’t be sustained or are basically incompatible with a task?
This can be a large enough deal for me that I might think about taking a pay lower to maneuver into a person contributor place if it meant a greater work/life steadiness. I don’t aspire to be a common counsel as a result of to me it does signify mainly no boundaries, however I’m a number of ranges beneath that. And, I hate the concept of capping my growth and development. I’ve loads to supply, I’m good at my job . I simply sometimes want a break! Is {that a} ridiculous pipe dream?
