Running Jobs

Hi guys in need of a bit of advice. I’ve been an electrician for nearly 8 years now and I’ve been with the same company since the start. After about 4 or 5 years I started running the odd job and always enjoyed the challenge but at the same time sometimes felt the stress. I’ve now been given a job to run which even after one day is giving me sleepless nights. I’ve tried to break things down or even just try to forget about work once I’m home but it does seem to help. Do you think it’s viable to say to my boss I don’t want to run jobs from now on? I appreciate this would put me in a weaker position if things ever got tight, and I’m happy to earn less than the guys who do run jobs. I just want to be skilled labour that can forget about work once I’ve left. Has anyone else ever struggled with work stress and how did you deal with it? 

Cheers for any input! 

If it's seriously affecting your home life then yes, talk to your boss about it. 

After all, it's only a job at the end of the day. Family and home life are far more important in my opinion. 

An if the boss doesn't understand, time to start looking for work elsewhere. 

I've come close to a mental breakdown due to stress caused by work, I ended up quitting that job and it was the best decision made for me. I still have stress now, an I have to admit I do sometimes struggle to switch off (Especially working away from hotels. There's not much else to do).

Rob. said:

If it's seriously affecting your home life then yes, talk to your boss about it. 

After all, it's only a job at the end of the day. Family and home life are far more important in my opinion. 

An if the boss doesn't understand, time to start looking for work elsewhere. 

I've come close to a mental breakdown due to stress caused by work, I ended up quitting that job and it was the best decision made for me. I still have stress now, an I have to admit I do sometimes struggle to switch off (Especially working away from hotels. There's not much else to do).

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Thanks the reply. I’ve always had the attitude that you’re generally supposed to enjoy work. After all you spend most of your conscious life there. I only struggle with this when I’m asked to run a job so hopefully we can come to some sort of agreement. Good luck with dealing with your stress in future. 

The only snag with "demoting" yourself is that you finish up working for someone with less experience  than you have, and probably  younger with different outlook and work methods.. 

It can then get awkward if you have disagreements, and the stress is back!

 I got myself into that position in a large company, and was only rescued by early retirement. 

I suspect moving to a different company is best if that happens.

if you are running jobs, then you should be getting the money! 

If it really doesn't suite you say so to your boss, or better ask for training / support on project management - it sounds like you have been dumped in a role you don't really undestand, which is where the stress comes from...

Ultimately what is bad for you is bad for your boss ( if he's got any sense to realise this?) To lose an experienced  good worker whom he can trust would be bad for business, as well as your health. 

I used to run a team of 6, not telling me what was going was bad for all! I had a builder who couldn't handle stress of larger bits of work (as I found out) - he never said anything until on day he just didn't turn up, never to be seen again. Left me in a right mess with an unfinished job to complete and no-one to do it!  If he had ever bothered to tell me what was up, I could have supported him far more, he would still be working with me and we would both be happy ( or at least happier  :^O ).

It sounds like you are happier ,   as you said,    just putting a days work in and let others do the organising ....which is fine ... I remember lots of guys much the same . 

They never pay you enough to get stressed out ,  I ran jobs for years but it didn't stress me out  , I enjoyed organising , planning , dealing with  customers , builders , architects  and the other sparks,  solving problems , ordering materials at the right time   etc .      

I've had nightmare jobs to sort out and yes , on day one I thought ,  do I need this carp but generally got it all sorted . 

You should enjoy what you do every day and if it causes you stress  have a quiet word with the gaffer ,  if he's got half a brain he should understand  .

As said above , the worst scenario is to look for another job .    

Good point from Geoff 1946 above though . 

The downside of being as I was ....I'd  get all the really awkward stuff ,  an element of  " OOooo h  this is  an awkward one ,  Deke will sort that "   

Hence I got stuff like a brass furnace the size of a house  that had been sabotaged by someone at the works,      emptied 300 tons of molten brass all over the control panels  and cabling ,  insurance job ...so 24 hour working ,  about 10 sparks,  couple of our rewind guys   ,    ...."Deke 'll sort that out "  

Overtime and taking work home with me was normal. At the age of 35 taking temazepam to help me sleep wasn’t normal. I was heading for a nervous breakdown.

Later on in life the same thing happened, eventually I retired early.

I’m still on medication for my nerves.

It’s up to you, the moneys nice but so is your home life with your family.

have to say, turn up, get paid, go home is attractive - but I couldn't work for anyone else now (they wouldn't have me anyway  msl1: ). 

binky said:

have to say, turn up, get paid, go home is attractive - but I couldn't work for anyone else now (they wouldn't have me anyway  msl1: ). 

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Same here    (  And same again ,  They wouldn't have me either) 

Is it purely running jobs that is the problem or is it a lack of authority and control over the management and decision processes? e.g. some people may be asked to run and manage a job/project, but have several limitations enforced preventing certain aspects of the job been done the way you want it done. Is it a case of delegation of duties have not included sufficient authority to call the shots how you want it run? I remember hearing an article about work related stress and one of the key components for all aspects of worker stress and anxiety was where the person felt they had insufficient empowerment to make decisions around how their time was managed. When the management are still cracking the whip and not allowing workers to change or amend the project tasks or timescales, to still get the overall workload done, but maybe in a different order, then workers start to feel frustrated and stressed if they can see an equivalent or better solution, but they are not allowed to implement it as management procedures do not allow for any level of flexibility at all. Could you run the jobs better with less stress if you had a bit more authority? Those who are running their own businesses general have a potentially more stressful environment, but can be less stressed in themselves because they can also make the decisions or change their minds, without a line manager telling them they are wrong!   

Doc H.            

Can’t argue with that Doc, sounds pretty spot on to me.

I had managed men since I was about 30, but still had an element of being on the tools/ getting involved for most of it, and I must admit I mostly enjoyed it.

In the end I did end up retiring early, so be prepared for a bit of burn out, as it can be stressful.

I'm with @binky and @Evans Electric on this , no one would have me. Obviously got too many fluffy kitten type personalities already .

people seem to get the impression that If I think they are a tw@ or wrong then I will tell them!

,

too fricking true I will...and then some!.....no point going through life being blissfully unaware is there?

just mellowing