Naive?? Promotions and rewards are not granted for doing your job as hired. They are for going above and beyond your assigned tasks. Joining a... special project, bringing in new business, saving money, shortening deadlines, Learning a new skill that will benefit the company, and recruiting new employees are examples of above and beyond.
In addition, your "strict 40 hour boundary" may be a hindrance. If you like your work and the basic company, relax that boundary, once in a while to take on a short-term project.
Good luck.  more

Questions: 1) does your position require 24/7 availability? And 2) Do you usually reply to their late night messages? If the answer to both is, Yes,... apologize for not responding and do better. If you are not obligated to take after hours messages, have a discussion to clarify expectations.
Then take corrective action. Add an automatic reply to your devices. Set it to turn on at the same time each evening. For example: I am unavailable at this time, responses to calls and texts will be returned in order starting at (insert a time) am.
*This way everyone gets the same message. Keep it generic, so your not singling anyone out.
AND Yes. Update your resume' just in case more

What is the sop for responding to emails? It's usually
24 hours

I think you can be honest without sharing every personal detail. There’s nothing wrong with saying you intentionally took time away from your career... to reset, reassess your priorities, and make sure you were ready to fully commit to your next opportunity. You don’t necessarily need to use the word “burnout” unless you’re comfortable doing so.

I also wouldn’t say you were traveling if that wasn’t actually the reason. If that ever comes up later, an unnecessary explanation could create questions about your credibility.
Instead, keep the answer brief, positive, and focused on where you are now: the time away served its purpose, you’re refreshed, and you’re ready for your next professional challenge.

A career break doesn’t have to be something you defend. Own the decision, explain it confidently, and then redirect the conversation toward what you’re ready to contribute next. more

Life is a series of trade offs, you can’t be everywhere or do everything at the same time.
Live and let live, stop comparing yourself with others... else depression kicks in. more

You should only compare like to like situations. Are your friends making similar concessions and spending more time with family? Your time is your... most valuable asset. As the saying goes, "I've never seen a headstone that says "I wish I spent more time at the office"". more

You just need to find a work around the company schedule or pad your CV and start looking elsewhere.
Work is work and family is family, don’t mix the... two. more

Just learn to be flexible

The world has changed, one person earning more than the other doesn’t necessarily equate to one person being more ambitious than the other. At times... it’s just luck.
Don’t feel belittled, as long as you’re putting in your best, you can handle childcare and housework then probably transition to a high paying remote role. more

Quietly work at self improvement so that you take more family responsibilities. No need to discuss domestic issues with outsiders e.g. your manager.(... Your wife is also yours including her earnings!) more

Nope, as long as you deliver to your best. It’s good to put some premium to your time, after all it’s what you trade for money anyways.

it depends on if they are monitoring how much work you are doing at your console during the day and if your performance can be evaluated over this.... Barring that, the other concern would be if you want to go further in the company by requesting more work and being seen as more of a standout, if that is not already happening. more

It’s just work, if you need the promo, just be available and the only way that can happen is my being online and by your phone. So you either take or... drop the promo. more

You need to understand and weigh in , does my phone contribute much more to my gaols as compared to my job .Then develop a practical methodology to... help me detach from your phone obsession  more

I agree with the previous commentators, your mindset to earn and provide is commendable, it is the only way forward, and honestly cannot be taught.... Sometimes axioms that seem so bland and basic like "keep pushing", "the only way forward is up", etc are the only things we have to hold on to. I second the previous responder as well regarding how we are judged no by what happens, but how we respond. Your expressions of pain, being wronged, are all valid and you should feel them and process them. but just based on this little glimpse of how you have responded before, getting a job to make sure you had half a loaf, is going to serve you well. take some time, dust yourself off, and get back at it.  more

So sorry to hear your circumstances. You taking a "half of loaf" job is commendable. It demonstrates your commitment to making things work. If you... have a pay dispute, document EVERYTHING you believe you are owed and write a FORMAL letter and send to your old employer asking for the pay. If they refuse, you have other remedies through your state's Labor department. Did you have to go out and purchase a NEW laptop? Maybe reaching out to your network with an ask for someone's unused one may have been a better option. Hang in there. This appears to be a temporary setback. Remember, we are judged not by what happens, but how we respond .  more

I'm trying to get myself and my family together, and honestly, it's been very challenging. As I speak, we really do not have much in the house to... eat, and I sincerely need help.
I need financial support, please 🙏
If you can help in any way, I will greatly appreciate especially for the sake of the kids.
I am also an experienced Virtual worker; I can work virtually in case you need an assistant. I will share my CV with you.
Thanks so much for your encouragement. I sincerely appreciate you all. more

At the end of the day, your family will be there, the job or company might not be.

Communication ability to be on the fore. Try to understand your hus without hurting him. money is needed in future for your family.

When the consequences of your holding on to the job become life threatening eg if you get HBP and subsequently a heart attack-, when the thought of... being financially dependent on your husband is better than your current situation-, when your family is paying the price for your work spilling over-, ask yourself- is it worth it to stay or to quit? more

That’s a very frustrating situation, especially after your company invested seven months helping move the project from having no permit or drawings to... finally receiving approval.

Before taking action, I would make sure everything is thoroughly documented—contracts, emails, meeting records, invoices, scope of work, hours spent, and communications showing what your company was asked to provide. I would then speak with an attorney familiar with construction law in your state before filing a lien or contacting the grant administrator.
Mechanic’s lien requirements can be very specific, including what work qualifies and strict filing deadlines, so you want to make sure any action you take is legally appropriate.

If payment is legitimately owed, I would pursue it professionally and through the proper channels rather than allowing the frustration of the situation to dictate the response.

Seven months of professional work has value. Protect your business, document everything, and make your next move based on the contract and the law. more

I would be very hesitant to cancel the vacation, especially after two years without a proper break and with money already invested in the trip.... Staffing is ultimately a management responsibility, and employees shouldn’t routinely be expected to sacrifice previously approved personal time because an organization is short-staffed.

I’d handle the conversation professionally and acknowledge the difficult situation while explaining that the trip has already been paid for and that you’re not in a position to cancel it. You could certainly offer to help prepare the team before leaving or make the transition easier, but I wouldn’t feel obligated to give up the vacation.

Being committed to your job is important, but maintaining reasonable boundaries and taking time away from work are important too. A healthy professional relationship should be able to accommodate both. more

Hell yes. Take your vacation or have them reimburse you if you don’t go!

I dont think this was a good move. even if you have an adversarial relationship with this person who had the secret interview, there are two possible... outcomes : 1) they get the new job and leave, and you are free of that person and can show your skills to management to fill the gap, or 2) they do not get the job, and still the answer is to just try to do your work better for the team/company if you want to get ahead. Throwing someone under the bus doesn't make you better at your job, and even if you did this out of a perceived sense of loyalty to your management, it seems like this person may have been favored over you already by management and that means that they are likely to replace this person with an outside hire rather than see you as "next in line" as you might expect without actually getting merit based recognition beforehand. more

Apologize to your co-worker for the betrayal (if they truly told you in confidence) and move on. Next time, it is probably best if you keep such... information to yourself. more

Truly senior roles have people reporting to them that you are able to train up and spread the workload across. If there is a need for 24/7 response in... your work, so be it, but good leadership from your boss would acknowledge that you can spread this on-call duty among other employees on a rotating basis so that 1) nobody burns out, 2) if someone takes a vacation or leaves the company, whatever is driving this 24/7 need is not going to hamstring the company. if this isnt an on-call duty role and is about sales, sales support, or client relations, the answer is still similar. An effective "boss" will recognize that for the sake of the business, he/she cannot rely on only one person to be able to answer whatever questions they feel they need to ask 24/7 on slack, they need some redundancy or be able to answer the questions they are asking themselves.  more

You need to set boundaries. You define your role as "senior", but what does that mean? If you are in the "C" suite, then expectations are different.... Letting your supervisor know you can be available at certain times but not 24/7 should not sink your career. If they respond negatively, they are being unreasonable and you should look elsewhere for work. more

It is illegal. The lunch time is feedrally mandated but the labor regulations.
It is not his time to spend and it is not optional.

Change your lunch time!

Great job turning down an after-hours event to be with your child on their birthday. Stick to your principles. Your family will remember your... participation in a major life event far more than anyone will remember what happened at that after-hours work event. Think of it this way: If your child is 10 years old, they have been alive for 3,650 days, yet they have only had 10 special days to celebrate their birthday. You never get back those opportunities to be with family on those special events. more

I don’t think you were being unreasonable. Commitment to your career is important, but so is being present for meaningful family moments—especially... something like your child’s birthday.

Occasionally, a role may require after-hours events or extra flexibility, particularly at more senior levels. But I’d be concerned if missing one event for an important family commitment is being interpreted as a lack of dedication. I’d probably have a conversation with the manager to better understand their expectations going forward.

Being committed to your career shouldn’t require proving that your job will always come before your family. Good organizations recognize the importance of both. more

Please do not take this comment as harsh, but if you have no suitable quiet place to do your work on a video call, then maybe remote work is not... suitable for you, or your employer. more

There is no harm turning on your camera. In your home just find a suitable place were you can attend your meetings without disturbances.

There is far more to job satisfaction than a slightly higher pay bump and some pension. Are you happy in your current position? Do you see a good... future there?  more

My honest advice: don’t accept the new job yet, but don’t reject it either. First, work through the numbers, career prospects, and—most... importantly—your spouse’s concerns. more

This is certainly a negotiation point. Do your calculations and come back with a counter-offer.

Generally the employer wants to cover your costs and then some. Adjusting in a new environment and new job is hard enough. You can share with them the... higher costs you will be facing. Do you have an option to say no? Is it a promotion? Is your current job being eliminated and they are trying to offer you another position elsewhere? Answers to these questions may help you decide how to approach your employer. Good luck. more