Who doesn't love a bargain? Get two for the price of one.
Sally has worked for this organisation for six years. She was well-liked by her colleagues, senior staff and her team. She did her best to get along with people but was not afraid to speak her mind. She was knowledgeable, a savvy operator, and diligent. Her work and her team's work was second to none. And this week, Sally left the organisation.
She had recently returned from a leave of absence. Sally had become quite ill. After some significant and invasive treatment, she spent a few weeks recuperating. During that time, she decided some things needed to change in her life.
She recognised that she needed to prioritise her health and relationships more. Sally had always worked long hours, especially in this organisation (and the couple before this one). As her smarts and proficiency opened up more leadership roles, the demands increased exponentially. She saw it as her responsibility to meet the deadlines set by her bosses - even when they were arbitrary - which meant she frequently needed to work over the weekend and late into the night to get things done. She also felt it was her duty to shield her staff from the most demanding requests and take things on when their plates were full. They were her people, and she cared about their lives and well-being.
Sally didn't take the idea of leaving lightly, especially without another role to go to. When she returned from leave, she spoke to her boss about her concerns, who sat and looked at her stony-faced. "This is the role, Sally', she was told. And after some discussion, they seemed to be at an impasse. Sally was still keen to do great work but couldn't continue to risk her health and relationships. Her boss needed things to continue as they were. So, she handed in her resignation.
As she worked out her time, she was generous with her handover and supported the recruitment process. It was then that her boss told her that her role would be split and two full-time positions at roughly equivalent levels would now handle the responsibilities.
She asked why this hadn't been an option for her when they had been discussing ways to resolve her concerns - but was met with no response.
“The willing horse is always overworked.”
She admits to feeling a sense of betrayal. She feigned a smile as people said nice things about her at her farewell, eating cake and drinking wine. But it felt a bit hollow. It reminded her of people who never had a kind word to say about someone in their lifetime but were keen to sing their praises at their funeral.
Sally also admitted that she was feeling better than she had in years. Lighter, happier and more able to think clearly. She doesn't regret her decision. She regrets that it turned out there was no option but to leave.
"No one explicitly said I had to work crazy hours," she said, "but there was an expectation that the work would get done. I didn't see another way." Sally paused, reflected for a moment and then laughed, "And now I realise what a bargain I was for [the company]. They should have slapped a two-for-the-price-of-one sticker on my forehead."
How much of a bargain are you at work, and is it costing you? Is your workload and work environment extracting too high a price? Do you know your value, and are you discounting the important aspects of your life?