After ten days off, I’m back at it today. When the alarm went off this morning, it was difficult to figure out just why it had and what I was supposed to do next.
My work is not difficult. For the most part, it does not cause me stress. Well, that is, once I’ve got my week scheduled. I like to know that things are settled, and there is a plan. I’m pretty flexible as the week goes on in changing things around, and it is often the case that I need to shift my days for one reason or another. In fact, I’ve already done that this week, swapping my Wed and Thur schedules to accommodate a work need.
The most stressful part of my job in the first quarter is how I am going to fill my hours. The way my work works is that I have work that needs to be done in various retail stores. These jobs vary in duration, and I only get paid for my work time, not the estimated job time. (I have worked other third-party jobs where it was the case I got paid for the job time, not the work time.) I am now at a point where I can consistently complete jobs in 60% of the estimated time without trying.
Some jobs are time intensive, and there is not much I can do with those, but if I really apply myself, I can get most jobs done in under half the estimated time. This is a boon for my company when we have tons of work to do and we need additional coverage somewhere, but it is problematic for me when hours are short. Well, here we are in the short hours. It’s a three day week and I have about 14 hours of work on my calendar. Yeesh!
And as it turns out I’m not free for Nora to keep in the house. I come with bills and debt and the previously mentioned wants. So earning as much money as I can is important, this is not news to anyone who works or wants to work. So I find myself doddling as I do some jobs. I guess it’s not blatant time theft, though. I argue I am unnecessarily diligent in my reporting and efforts.
In a previous life, with a similar job and mountains of depression bearing down on me, I have sat in the car and slept for 20-30 minutes to account for the time. I DO NOT do that now. Though there may be a trip to the car to grab something “important” for the job I am in. Maybe not the most efficient ways to get my supplies into the store, or to dispose of trash.
The simple fact is, though, that I ALWAYS finish the day working under the total estimated time.
Win-Win?