Is it unethical for me, under stated contract, to not tell my employer I finish my job in 10hrs per week? [duplicate]

Question

I work in academia and the way contracts work here is that we have to do research, teaching, and service (for those not familiar with academia, service is like administrative work). Nowhere in the contract are the weekly hours stated. In fact, sometimes we have to work at night (for example teaching a late class) or in the weekends (for example, workshop for high-school kids). However, you only need to physically be at the university when you are teaching or for meetings. It does not matter where you are when you are preparing your classes, grading, doing research, etc.

Traditionally (say, in the last 100 years), the duties are given so that it roughly takes 40hrs/week, but due to increasing enrollment and other issues, most faculty work much more than 40hrs/week, see link. By the way, we do not get overtime or anything like that. We are officially exempt employees. We also do not get summer salary, so we either teach in the summer to get salary, or get someone to fund our research. Most faculty do the research for free in the summer.

After different jobs, I took a position in academia (with the features explained above) that I can do in 10 hours. With the extra time I do hobbies or am with my family. It is not that the job is easy, it is more that the job exactly matches my skills, and that my weaknesses do not affect my performance. My colleagues, as most faculty, work at least 40hrs/week (many work more as explained in the link above).

Some questions I got before:

1. Is it really a 40 hour a week job for other people to do and you are just much faster?

Yes (more information in the link above)

2. Are there additional things you could do to better the project/company that you are not doing because it's not directly instructed to you?

I already do extra things that my colleagues do not. That is why they are very happy with me and I have already gotten several bonuses. I could do even more, but that would be going way beyond my contract.

3. Are you available to them for the 40 hour window that you are supposed to be available?

Due to the way academia works, I can be anywhere when I am not teaching or in meetings. However, I never say "I cannot meet because I am at home".

4. Are not getting paid as a second business while on the clock for the first business?

I am allowed to do that. My job allows me to do consulting. In fact, the university often gets "overhead" if I do that. However, due to the nature of academia the concept of "on the clock" is very blurry.

My question: Should I inform my bosses how long it takes me to finish the job (10hrs/week)?

Answer 1

You are paid to do job x and you do it with flying colors. They determined it was a 40 hour a week job which they seem happy to pay you to continue doing.

4 things to consider:

1. Is it really a 40 hour a week job for other people to do and you are just much faster?
2. Are there additional things you could do to better the project/company that you are not doing because it's not directly instructed to you?
3. Are you available to them for the 40 hour window that you are supposed to be available?
4. Are not getting paid as a second business while on the clock for the first business?

If you can honestly say, I see some other jobs out there like this one that take 40 hours to do similar stuff and you are just that much faster, then that's fine, you shouldn't be penalized for being super good at what you do. If it's total ignorance of your company, sure it's there fault, but I think you have a duty to try and make your pay worth it to them by helping in other ways that aren't spelled out in your job category. There should be plenty of time to figure out how to do more for them than what you currently do.

Also, they pay you for 40 hours a week, so you should be available in case they need anything and be able to jump on it immediately. Sure sometimes people will pay just for availability if something goes wrong...nice when things are working, but you should be readily available if they need anything else during your work time.

If you are working another profession at the same time and getting paid for it while on the clock for the first one, this could be a legal situation and certainly isn't ethical.

P.S. The main goal is to do the job hired for and make your employer satisfied with your work without taking advantage of them. Keep that in mind and if you feel you are taking advantage of them find some other way to help out or confirm that even though you feel that way they disagree and are happy with the way you perform your job.

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With edit to question:

• You might approach it to indicate efficiencies that you are able to do and ask if there is something else you might take on in order to help out. It would totally suck to let everyone know you are at 10 hours and they are at 50 hours.

Is it technically legit for you not to say anything, it seems like based on your question it is, but if you are in the same boat as alot of people working more than 40 hours that it would be good for you to indicate in some way you have some more bandwidth to help out the rest of the staff if there is something you can help with. You don't even have to mention the amount of time, but I would say you need to specify you can help out to decrease other workloads is the right ethical approach and also kind to your fellow team mates.

You say it's "way beyond your contract scope" but it seems that is where you fall in your skill set and it would be good to help more than to pocket while others suffer. If everyone was less than 40 hours it wouldn't be that big a deal, but to have some working a ton of hours while you work so little it seems you should be going way beyond your contract scope to help out as you have the time/skills to do so.

I would discuss that you feel you could help out staff alot more and if your boss knows some ways you might contribute additional help in order to decrease the amount of overtime some of the staff is currently working.