Edit: added link to Reddit post I discussed here
I (27/f) currently work as a Content Marketing Manager at a small, niche marketing agency. I'm currently looking for new jobs, but in the meantime, I'm having an issue I'd like advice with.
In Jan of this year, I got a new supervisor. She realized that our team (of 2 people, her and myself) was extremely overworked. She pushed to hire another member to the team. Sometime in the spring, another Content Marketing Manager started at my organization. I didn't really interact much with the new team member, since he just got assigned new clients. Let's call this team member J.
My supervisor started having some mental health issues and left in May to find a new job. Someone who supervises a different department offered to step in and be an interm supervisor while they search for someone new to fill this position.
I haven't gotten along with this new interim director. He obviously favors my teammate, J. I'm not entirely sure why, other than the fact I had a mental health episode shortly before he became my supervisor. Since that episode, I've been seeing my therapist and doctor consistently and have been doing much better and not letting it impact my work.
I was recently put on a Performance Improvement Plan, nearly a month after I got my shit together. If you want the full context, I posted a rant about it in this sub earlier. During the meeting in which the news was delivered, HR said something along the lines of, “You know, sometimes you have to work more than your 8 hour day. A lot of folks sign on after dinner or on the weekends to do additional work.”
I'm salaried. I know that there are times whenever one does need to put in extra work. However, I personally believe that should be once in a blue moon, not every week or every day by any means. I value my free time, and especially need it due to my mental health being poor. I am going to prioritize my health and wellbeing over work.
Now, let's compare my philosophy to J. J recently had surgery for a medical issue. The day of the surgery, he worked until the moment he was put under. He also signed on the next day to work. He frequently talk about how he stays on until midnight to get work done. I'm having trouble imagining how he puts that much time into our job based on how many hours are scoped for assignments, but I'm not one to criticize his work process. Plus, he's still relatively new.
What really bothers me is that he's consistently working outside of normal business hours and is getting praised for it. He isn't getting ahead or getting any more or less work done than the rest of the team.
People are starting to imply that I should be more like J. I should be working and on call at all times. It's becoming clear if I don't start behaving like this, I will be fired after the PIP time frame.
I've expressed that I will work traditional business hours and the reason I'm not doing additional hours is because of a (mental) health issue. Yes, both HR and my interm supervisor are aware of my health issues but are continuing to press the issue.
I'm looking for jobs and trying to get out ASAP, but in the meantime, is there anything I can do to get people to stop hounding me about working additional hours? I don't want to be fired if I don't have to be.