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[MelWel]

I am a scientist, a researcher, a wife (13 years), and a mom (of a toddler). I have been working hard and saving for retirement since I was 21 (even when I was in graduate school). I have hit a point where it looks like I will have enough to retire on when I am 65. That is a good thing because ever since I had my son I have been dealing with work issues where I have been labelled as "not committed" and "not willing to put in the long work hours, the 80 hours, that this job requires".

So, although I am working, I have mentally quit some of the rat race aspects of it. I try to enjoy my job. I used to be someone that had to be at the very top. Now, I realize that if I get fired because I am only willin gto put in 40 hours it is no big deal.

 

[jambo101]

Must be a really exciting job to go to all the trouble to get a degree so you can work 80hr weeks,i'd be looking for a similar job in a company that does a normal 40hrs..
Welcome to the forum.

 

[MelWel]

"White collar sweat shops" - my favorite phrase for professional jobs will ridiculous work environments.

 

[Charlotte]

First, welcome to the Forum!

I just wanted to chime in on working mothers (since I am one). Don't be afraid to look for another job that allows you to have balance. There ARE companies out there where employees have work/life balance - maybe not a lot of companies, but there are some. I work for a company that is listed consistently on the top 25 companies for working moms by Working Mother magazine. We have opportunities to work flexibly, work remotely, work reduced hours (for reduced pay, of course)... but they are all things that can really make life sane. Even if your company doesn't have any formalized program, sometimes it's just a matter of finding the right boss.

Charlotte

 

[Rivrider]

Welcome to the forum. White collar sweatshop sounds appropriate in your case. Some places seem to forget that you work for a living, not live to work.

Best of luck.

 

[FIREd]

Hi there fellow scientist! I wonder if you are like me... I love the job (scientific research), but hate the corporate environment! I hate the fact that my company expects total loyalty from me but could dispose of me tomorrow without the shadow of an afterthought. I hate the fact that my manager says things like "from now on, I don't care about your personal life and your personal problems, the only thing on your mind should be your work. Here is a blackberry so that I can reach you anytime, days, nights, weekends, and during your vacations". I hate all those rounds of layoffs, I hate the constant "corporate changes of directions", I hate petty managers, egocentric executives, kniving "colleagues". I used to be so passionate about my work in graduate school, but it is so hard to remain passionate in such an environment. That's why FIRE is so important to me. I don't want to deal with the corporate world much longer. White collar sweat shops indeed!

 

[jambo101]

Gee my 30 years as a laborer (grunt) in a unionized factory are starting to sound like paradise by comparison.It was a crappy dirty noisy job but it paid $25hr,you got 2 1hr breaks per shift,you could work as much or as little overtime as you wanted,taking days off were not a problem even if you used up your 11 personal days,Length of vacations were decided by how long you worked there,you start with 2wks and get an additional week every 5yrs.Now i'm getting $2000 a month in pension And here's me thinking all that time if i hadn't dropped out of high school i coulda had me one of them fancy white collar jobs

 

[freebird5825]

I am a scientist, a researcher, a wife (13 years), and a mom (of a toddler). I have been working hard and saving for retirement since I was 21 (even when I was in graduate school). I have hit a point where it looks like I will have enough to retire on when I am 65. That is a good thing because ever since I had my son I have been dealing with work issues where I have been labelled as "not committed" and "not willing to put in the long work hours, the 80 hours, that this job requires".

So, although I am working, I have mentally quit some of the rat race aspects of it. I try to enjoy my job. I used to be someone that had to be at the very top. Now, I realize that if I get fired because I am only willin gto put in 40 hours it is no big deal.

welcome to the board.

sorry to hear you are being penalized for one of life's most wondrous events - having a child. a dinosaur egg just rolled past...

80 hours? you gotta be kidding me. i've heard of 50, 60 hours... 80 hours is 2 jobs, FGS. Lose this sweatshop.

i am a techie, a lady engineer who FIREd herself from a high stress adverse environment almost 1 year ago. all i can say is if you can do it financially, find the exit sign. on your terms and on your timing.

if you decide to change your landscape, resign so you don't have a firing on your record. cite something medical as your reason. keeps it cleaner.

even if you take a short sabbatical for a year, you won't lose much ground careerwise. and you can look for the next job at your own pace. something good may pop up.

the best time to look for a car is when you don't need it. they may look shiny and gleam at you, but once you get under the hood, it's amazing what kind of clunkers are for sale. same with jobs.

good luck to you. keep posting and let us know how it goes.

 

[freebird5825]

Gee my 30 years as a laborer (grunt) in a unionized factory are starting to sound like paradise by comparison.It was a crappy dirty noisy job but it paid $25hr,you got 2 1hr breaks per shift,you could work as much or as little overtime as you wanted,taking days off were not a problem even if you used up your 11 personal days,Length of vacations were decided by how long you worked there,you start with 2wks and get an additional week every 5yrs.Now i'm getting $2000 a month in pension And here's me thinking all that time if i hadn't dropped out of high school i coulda had me one of them fancy white collar jobs

some of my favorite jobs were the "blue collar" ones - auto mechanic, hardware clerk. your job had some good benefits and a nice pension. and I'll bet anything you had a better sense of accomplishment when something got built and built right.

 

[Walt34]

So, although I am working, I have mentally quit some of the rat race aspects of it. I try to enjoy my job. I used to be someone that had to be at the very top. Now, I realize that if I get fired because I am only willin gto put in 40 hours it is no big deal.

What is the chain that keeps you tied to such a place? Almost anything sounds better than that! It sounds exhausting to me, and I worked weekly rotating shift work for 18 years.

Welcome to the forum!