Single Sysadmin. Handle being out of the office

Posted by Mr-Hops@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 309 comments

I am the sole sysadmin for about 75 users. A user in another department can handle minor tickets, like reboots, or unlocking user accounts, but that's the extent of it. Whenever I take paid time off, I almost always get phone calls about issues. Sometimes major, but most of the time minor stupid things. How do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin? I understand that I am the only admin, but when it comes time for an annual raise, I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase.

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RCTID1975@reddit

> Whenever I take paid time off, I almost always get phone calls about issues. Sometimes major, but most of the time minor stupid things. Then you're working, not taking time off > How do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin? Either tell them any day you take even one phone call is considered a work day and you get the PTO back, hire an MSP/backup, or they figure it out > I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase. Then, the best solution is to find a new job.

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Catodacat@reddit

>Then, the best solution is to find a new job.

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Hollow3ddd@reddit

Typical reddit response. It is not. Advise and guide mgmt. If that fails, prep to leave. You can't be a solo admin if you don't stick up for yourself, cya and establish boundaries.

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QuirkyRent7345@reddit

I've always wondered if some company has ever conducted the social experiment of charging the caller THEIR vacation time for interrupting another employee's vacation time. You know, "Is this enough of an emergency to give up one day of my vacation to call Bob because I can't get the tabs in this word processing document placed correctly?"

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Hollow3ddd@reddit

In any company, there are earners. They get pampered. Fact of life. I would rather propose a call on vacation time that needs handled is returned to the employee 3x fold in OT.

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Level_Up_IT@reddit

> You can't be a solo admin if you don't stick up for yourself, cya and establish boundaries. I'll take it a step further: You can't be a solo admin. Companies have constant needs that require constant availability of support. Individual humans cannot perform 24/7/365. There has to be shift rotation, true time away from work, and sharing of duties.

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Hollow3ddd@reddit

Culture. I would get 1-2 calls on the weekends/afterhours per month w/ 180 users. I'm at a place now that is about 2.5x larger. They call afterhours weekends at pace of roughly 6 per week. Considerations: Former place, they were more "empowered" to handle issues, more admin lock downs in latter place. Prior place: Listen to VM, make the decision if it needs handled now or on Monday., Current: Must call, must ticket..ext.

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Weare_in_adystopia@reddit

Yeah why is the ultimate solution always quitting?

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thelug_1@reddit

Because having been in this same position, I found that I was not in a position of authoruty or suggesting how to handle the help situation better, the higher ups and my management "always knew what was best" and thatmy job description stated that I was expected to provide and be available if necessary 24/7 to provide assistance even if not on call or on PTO, and that "if I had issues with that...than perhaps this was not the the place for me." I played their game for three 1/2 years keeping a laptop bag in my car at all times until we had a major outage in a system that I warned them about a year prior, and my manager threw me under the bus...then I gave two weeks and when they asked me if I would be willing to work ad hoc until they got my replacement, I told them no. TL/DR: if you are in this position where you know you need help and coverage, but your place of work is not willing to provide...the only and first option is to jump ship. You are nothing but a budgetary line item and an employee ID number to them.

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Weare_in_adystopia@reddit

>if I would be willing to work ad hoc until they got my replacement, I told them no. That was really bold of them.I get where y'all are coming from now.

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dbsmith@reddit

The person you're responding to had a different situation. They had been told outright that the expectation of the role was 24/7/365 on-call. Aside from asserting legal rights, which on salary in NA are usually few, leaving was the sensible choice because that kind of ask (when you actually get called all the time) is straight up exploitation. You have to make a judgement call about the likelihood of leadership being receptive to your BCP proposal, account for your own needs, etc.

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thelug_1@reddit

In the USA, most states are "right to work" meaning that either party can terminate employment without reason. In my case, they were extra careful in the job description. It stated that I "would be part of the on call rotation, but that" I had to be available to provide 24/7/365 support." It was always something getting called by the person on call who needed me to do something either because they weren't in front of a computer or didn't know how to do it.

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dbsmith@reddit

Thanks for validating that. You took on a challenging role and they took advantage of you. Unlikely most individuals realized this, but it happened and it hurt you. Good on you for realizing that and getting out. Shame on them for obviously learning nothing by burning you out.

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thelug_1@reddit

Yeah, it took it's toll on me health wise and it sucked having to keep a laptop bag in my trunk. It felt like I was never off as I always had to have my radar up. It was an easy call for me to make after that.

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ReverendDS@reddit

Because observable reality is a thing? In 99.9% of all cases, leaving is the only option to improve your situation.

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Ferman@reddit

This is the true answer. Want to make more money and grow in your career. Start solving management and director level tasks like this. Lay out a human redundancy plan whether that's an MSP, an extra admin, or an assistant. You can easily layout the concept that the whole org comes to a screeching halt if anything happens to you and that's not a successful situation for any org. Hiring an MSP for x things will allow X to happen. Leverage all of that into a promotion/raise. Approach all of this with an "us/we" attitude. If they don't go along with it. Prepare to leave. If they do go along with it and don't want to give you a promotion you can prepare to leave but now you have a great line item on your resume.

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Academic_Ad1931@reddit

We have cross-departmental business continuity meetings every 3 months and covering "sole" employees is 100% brought up every time.

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LarryInRaleigh@reddit

This is the answer--if the OP can bring it off. Cross-training!! In my retirement, I work with government Emergency Management folks. Everyone is cross-trained. The OP should get someone to train for recurring tasks and diagnosis. It could be an accountant, secretary, or HR person that has a flair or interest for it. And he might cross-train in e.g, First Aid with the sole nurse.

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aamfk@reddit

>RCTID1975 · 5 days agoIT Manager > >Whenever I take paid time off, I almost always get phone calls about issues. Sometimes major, but most of the time minor stupid things.Then you're working, not taking time offHow do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin?Either tell them any day you take even one phone call personally, I'd suck diseased black cock for 12 cents an hour. I'd give anything for a chance to work

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dilletaunty@reddit

This is the answer.

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Nofriendo_64@reddit

The answer, this is.

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Zelwyne@reddit

Answer is this

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TheBigBeardedGeek@reddit

Is answer this

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beje_ro@reddit

This answer is?

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UnholyAliance@reddit

Answer or answer not, there is no try

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BleedingTeal@reddit

Try to answer or not, there is no do.

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ReindeerUnlikely9033@reddit

Darude- Sandstorm

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jptechjunkie@reddit

This is the way!

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speddie23@reddit

♬ Divine Inspiration - The Way

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icantstandrew@reddit

Is this the answer?

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lmgtfy420@reddit

Do you know de way?

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sqbdyboo@reddit

Anyway, here's Wonderwall.

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Luscypher@reddit

That, detective, is the right question...

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dda23@reddit

Answer we have found hmm, learn this admin will https://preview.redd.it/iav92wgyoh6c1.png?width=32&format=png&auto=webp&s=81c65519fb69754ac23fd572ff1277ba6be61d05

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LittleEarBigEar@reddit

Your answer was this

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PAiN_Magnet@reddit

If your company won't support you, then why should support them.. it's a harsh reality but necessary for your own well being.

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kurjo22@reddit

Legend has it This is the answer

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kwenchana@reddit

This is the way.

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Illustrious_Bar6439@reddit

It always is make them suffer

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thee_network_newb@reddit

The only answer.

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Fallingdamage@reddit

I get calls when im on PTO. I tell HR and they give me my PTO back. Its win win for me.

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burlapballsack@reddit

That may be true, but it also sounds like you’ll never get to really use it.

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Fallingdamage@reddit

If im ever termed or leave, I will walk out of there with almost an extra months pay though. Accruals never expire. They only max out. At least in my state.

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marksteele6@reddit

Yup, same situation here, I'm WFH and our only cloud admin. When I get more than one or two low priority questions while on vacation management gives me more days to make up for it. Plus, I honestly don't mind. Most of the time it's a few questions or some button clicks to enable/disable something. I'll gladly spend the five minutes doing that when it nets me another day off lol.

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Fallingdamage@reddit

Exactly. when things are running well, most calls are so trivial and quick I dont mind taking a few. Its not really much of an interruption.

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ExcitingTabletop@reddit

I'm almost sad on this job. I've gotten one out of hours call in almost a year. Under 3 minutes and CEO apologized for calling. I did get one out of hours Teams message, but it was from a junior engineer asking if I'd 3D print him a bracket for his leafblower. Not sure if that one counts. Old job, I easily increased my PTO by a third by charging back on afterhour calls.

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saft999@reddit

I disagree with that being the "best" solution. It's the "best" solution if you can find another job, but that's not always the case. I've seen tons of stories of people with plenty of experience having trouble finding a new position.

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ShadowCVL@reddit

This whole thing. Even in larger departments sometimes you end up being the SME for all things. At my last longer term spot there were 3 people who had all the historical knowledge and were old enough to troubleshoot analog stuff without breaking stride. Our company was use or lose vacation. All 3 of us would schedule the entire month of December to burn 80 hours of PTO, every phone call rolled a day back, that was the rule. Always ended up donating days and working 1-3 hours half the month.

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BigBadBinky@reddit

Sounds like you didn’t learn the lesson then

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DinkityDoonkiDoonk@reddit

There are companies that contract out IT services. Get your documentation in order, do a backup audit to make sure you can recover from any mistakes they may make while you're out, and hand it off to them for a week.

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TheHumanite@reddit

>I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase. Op's taking a pay cut and calling it a raise.

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MaToP4er@reddit

Or just turn the phone off and take your rest! Before taht tell them you need time off and let them hire assist for you!

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RCTID1975@reddit

> Or just turn the phone off and take your rest! Yeah, I think that falls into the "they figure it out" category

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WaldoOU812@reddit

That was the hotel industry for me. Phone calls on nights, weekends, holidays, during my honeymoon, etc. I never did get any of my PTO time back (great idea, wish I'd thought of it), and each time I left, I'd leave with 100+ hours of vacation time. When I finally left the hotel industry, I made it a priority to work at places where I was part of a team instead. I cannot even begin to say how huge a change it was. About 99% less stress, twice the pay, half the hours, and it's overall just a dream. LEAVE. There are better jobs out there.

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doglar_666@reddit

Don't do work on leave. Don't answer calls on leave. Don't check email on leave.

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thelug_1@reddit

I was actually in a situation where I had an amount of paid leave piled up and was almost at the level where I would stop accruing if I didnt take it (I was never ever able to take time off and when I did, I was always getting calls. So management said I really need some time off and made me schedule a week. So I did and something happened, but I turned my phone off (like I told them I was going to. I got written up and put on a PIP for not answering or returning their calls or emials when they contacted me about a system problem while on PTO. I gave two weeks that same day and said cool...I can't take time off, you begged me to take time off, I did and then you put me on a PIP for not answering on my PTO? Now you all are going to have to pay out my PTO in one shot.

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CubesTheGamer@reddit

How was their response? I love this revenge story lol

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saft999@reddit

Ya, we can't afford to not have you but were going to treat you like shit so much that you will find a new job. The logic of some managers never cease to amaze me.

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thelug_1@reddit

Most of my manager experiences seem to be instances of them (what I like to call) "failing up." This is when shitty people get promoted up the management chain so their old boss doesn't have to deal with their incompitance anymore...they become someone elses problem.

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saft999@reddit

Yup, had that exact thing happen when I worked at an Apple store. A coworker got promoted that was completely incompetent. And when people asked why, they got told "oh well he does what he is told". lol.

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mrdeadsniper@reddit

What they actually can't afford is employees to stand up for basic rights. Then **other** employees might expect rights.

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thelug_1@reddit

They accepted my resignation, said they were sorry to see me go and that was it.

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doglar_666@reddit

Good for you. I'm sorry you had such sh*tty management. They obviously just wanted PTO recorded on the books, not for you to actually have leave. I hope they crashed and burned.

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thelug_1@reddit

Nope. Theyre still around and management is still the same last I heard.

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blues42@reddit

This. But maybe answer calls from Directors or CIOs. (Just in case there really is a major issue).

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Plug_USMC@reddit

That’s easier to say in today’s marketplace.

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doglar_666@reddit

I'm sorry you work for an employer that doesn't respect or value your personal free time. I have always respected myself enough to value it. If I'm off the clock, I'm off the clock. It's my choice to answer calls or read/respond to emails. There's always exceptions for critical outages but I'm not paid to be on call, nor 24/7 support. So I do not provide those services. If things go wrong when I'm unavailable, my employer should pay for cover and likely better services/software that doesn't fall over without constant supervision.

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COMplex_@reddit

Very easy. I don’t get emails when I’m not at my desk thanks to their mobile policies. My phone has a schedule set so it simply doesn’t ring for work calls past 5pm.

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Fyzzle@reddit

I left for a month vacation and didn't touch anything work related. I'm still employed.

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tarantulae@reddit

What are they going to do? Fire him suddenly? LOL

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patmorgan235@reddit

Then sue for wrongful termination.

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Plug_USMC@reddit

Ok good luck there. Be a pro and follow advice given. It will feel better in your next gig.

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d3bruts1d@reddit

This is the way.

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pertexted@reddit

As crazy as this sounds, there's a way to detach the logistical impact of business failures from your emotional response to it. It takes time and practice, but if you're able to find your equilibrium your emotional interplay is what causes the most immediate stress. Having said that, I'm solo IT, more users than you, I schedule PTO. If I'm called I no longer am on PTO that day, but I continue on as if I'm on PTO. So my PTO bank is only growing. Is it a problem that I can never truly have a day off? Is that the only way to think about that problem? A new hire is way more expensive than a 1% raise. Pick your battles on that. In anything where you're attempting to achieve victory the two things you need to do to win, most of the time, is not make mistakes and outlast the other. If you feel like you're in complete control of your emotional interplay and you still feel like crap then you need to work out what your motivation is. Then if you're a bad fit go find a new job. A lot of this interplay has nothing to do with your relationship to your employer and how they exploit you. The best jobs I've ever had in IT have exploited me, so I can't use that as a basis for advice anymore and I don't think you should either.

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_chroot@reddit

Have this in writing : When on PTO, your are out of reach and your boss takes your calls. He filters the BS and only forwards major disasters that cannot wait your return. Have a clause describing the compensation in hours and pay for being reachable on your PTO, another one for worked hours during PTO. Otherwise you are always drunk abroad without cell network.  > How do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin? I've never worked for small structures but I wouldn't take user calls for a start. Except tweaking compensation and benefits for your PTO availability, in this market it's unlikely you get an increases in pay or a backup, you probably want to jump ship for that 10% after 3 years.

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eillinois31@reddit

Tell the users your on PTO, someone needs to set that precedence like mgmt, its nice to help people out but have to draw a line.

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xWazoot@reddit

Management failure. You ask for more compensation and for them to hire someone else. Otherwise, it’s time to freshen up your resume.

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JustSomeGuy556@reddit

1. Get an MSP to handle that. I know a guy who spent years as a single admin in a medium sized org, and after five, *he shut off his damn phone.* That's the only realistic way for this to work. When he was gone, they called the MSP, or they waited. No exceptions. 2. Have some process that filters out non-emergency calls. It's one thing to get called because of a critical failure, something else because a printer is out of ink. A (reasonable) manager (even if not IT) should be in the position to filter that and only call you in an actual emergency that they can't handle and that can't wait. 3. Yes, you should both get additional compensation for on call, and even more if they call you in those windows. There should be a cost to the business if they call you while you are on vacation. And it should be fairly substantial to discourage nuisance calls. 4. If you have to fight for a 1% raise when inflation was 8% in 2022 and likely 3-4% in 2023, you need to look for another job.

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Sandman0@reddit

Contract with an MSP to cover you when you're out of the office. Time off is time off. Don't answer your phone and don't check your email. The company can either do that or hire a second admin. They cannot require you to work on time off.

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omegatotal@reddit

This Staffing, either direct hire, or contract is the answer, either is going to require lead time to get up to speed.

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omegatotal@reddit

Hire someone you trust on a contract, or hire an MSP on a short contract to do some work and have them cover your time.

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planedrop@reddit

I think it depends how you personally want to approach it. But I see some options: * Track how much you work on vacation, then talk to management and take that back from your used vacation, so if you take a week off but work for 4 hours, you should only have used 4.5 days worth of vacation, not 5 * See if you can get compensated more when on vacation (not sure if you are hourly) but like double pay or something? * But the other thing is, are YOU OK with this at all? Maybe you should set a policy for yourself (and inherently for them) that if you get a call and it's clearly not urgent you will tell the person requesting help "no I'm on vacation"

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hselomein@reddit

Whenever I get a call while I'm on vacation. Even if it's 1 minute, I take my vacation back. When I get back.

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FullBodyScammer@reddit

I was just let go on Tuesday as the Jr admin in a team of two for a base of 50 users. Came down with a horrible case of Covid in late November that put me out of commission for about a week and was WFH for another week per company guidelines based off CDC guidelines Apparently that was too much time away from being in the office Sounds to me like your employer is as shitty as mine was, so maybe time to walk away. I had already planned on leaving but was hoping to do it on my own terms

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PC_3@reddit

have you ever considered camping as PTO. No reception, No work. Then they will learn.

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lysergic_tryptamino@reddit

Easy. Set an OOO message to contact your boss while you are on PTO. After a while he will want to hire someone.

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saft999@reddit

Take a vacation where there is no cell phone service. I get you shouldn't have to do that but that's what it takes sometimes. Do you have a contract saying you have to be on call, even on vacation?

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me_groovy@reddit

In a previous job I was IT support for an events company. Plugging in a projector etc was done by the evnts staff but if the wifi went down for a client, I could be called as an emergency. If it wasn't an emergency I simply wouldn't do it. For this my boss negotiated a retainer fee for me. Still got paid the extra per month if no calls.

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MissApocalycious@reddit

Making sure that there are enough employees to cover the needed work if someone is sick, injured, on vacation, etc is management's responsibility, not the responsibility of non-management employees. This isn't just an IT thing, this is true for any role in any company. Having any single points of failure is simply bad planning, and a well run company should be able to continue to function if any one person is out for a week or two and completely unavailable. If you go on PTO and aren't doing work, and there's not coverage for things that need to get done during that time, that's a management failure, not your failure. As for how to approach those conversations with the company, I wouldn't even put it in terms of vacations, but in terms of injury or illness. What's their plan to handle things if something happens and you need to be in the hospital for a couple of weeks? Ultimately the reason why you're not available should be irrelevant; there should be a plan for what to do when you're not available, whatever the reason for that lack of availability is.

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songokussm@reddit

Same situation. 61 employees. Almost all in the their 70s. I am the sole IT department. Just hit 11 years. For the first 4-5, I just did remote work while on vacation. However, my employer would reimburse in PTO. There were times where I would earn my entire vacation back. My previous employment was for an MSP, so working six days, 60+ hours weeks was normal. Being in my 20s at the time was worth it. Then, we got a new VP in 2017. He made sweeping company wide changes about PTO. 1.) it had to be used. 2.) only contact for criticals 3.) Criticals would be paid in 2x PTO and would come out of which ever department's budget that needed the assistance. Today, we are looking to add another department next year with another 8-15 people. I started looking at hiring a second IT person, or using an MSP. I have interviewed the two local MSPs, as what i would mostly use them for would be on hands critical support. However, I am leaning towards hiring someone who only wants part time work, like a student or retiree. Bottom line though, if you ware working while on vacation, you are not on vacation and are required, by far, and ethics to be compensated. You do you best work when you are recharged. If you never get the chance to, everyone suffers.

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Majestic_Rock_4338@reddit

I went through that for a lot of years. Best thing I did was get a new job.

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Johnny_BigHacker@reddit

I've been in your shoes. Basically I spoke to manager. If I'm off for a week and spend at least 4 hours working, I'd like to get that back in PTO. Bring your laptop, bring a hotspot, have a way to RDP into network, be able to coach your helper. For example, we had some crappy old software called SoftPro that would stop responding once a week. I wrote a script to stop and restart all the services in the order they instructed to get it back up and running. Use your manager as the screener of "is this important enough to call them on their time off" I only traveled internationally once in those 3.5 years, so was otherwise accessible and generally requests were lightweight. I wasn't going to troubleshoot, I was going to reboot servers first.

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ProfessionalWorkAcct@reddit

" I understand that I am the only admin, but when it comes time for an annual raise, I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase." 1% raise is not a raise. It is an insult. *There can be outside factors such as company restructuring/lay offs of course but* if they're profitable.......make them a 0 IT department company and leave.

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iamkingdingdong@reddit

What if you’re already highly compensated?

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ProfessionalWorkAcct@reddit

That's a good point but I don't see how that matters. If you feel like you're already highly compensated for your work, that's beyond fantastic, but you still deserve to share in the profits of the company you're part of. This could be extra time off, paying for training/certs, or going to a conference, a company vehicle or company gas card, or better insurance rates, or better 401k rates, or if you're super nerdy, the company funding an IT project you want to lead. There are so many ways a company can show appreciation to an employee that goes beyond a raise and if you're a good employee, you deserve something to improve your wellbeing/work life. If a company doesn't want to give you a raise because they feel like you're too well paid, 100% fuck that. If the company has a wage cap, its a disgusting practice. I am at a very magical workplace and I feel incredibly grateful for being here, but if they decided to not give me a raise(again depending on company financials) I would be so spiteful and angry I would end up leaving.

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captain-lurker@reddit

Indeed a 1% annual raise is most likley a paycut compared to inflation.

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just_change_it@reddit

>a 1% annual raise is ~~most likley~~ basically always a paycut compared to inflation. ftfy As someone who has gone many years without pay raises at jobs (mostly early in my career before I knew better) it's a terrible idea to stay anywhere that doesn't give routine 4%+ raises unless you're already paid at or above market.

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1z1z2x2x3c3c4v4v@reddit

You work to get skills. Once you gen enough new skills, you move up or out. ANd you repeat this for the duration of your career in IT. THe only question you should be asking yourself is: **"Do I have enough new skills to get a better job at a better company with better pay and more opportunities to learn new skills?"**

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MSU_UNC_mutt@reddit

Start by creating a Knowledge Base One Note of basic fixes and share it with the users. Create a separate One Note for the one employee who has some knowledge of how to handle things. Have employees look at the One note and if the fix isn't there, they can escalate it to the employee that helps you. If the fix isn't in the One Note you share with him, then he calls you.

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macaddikt18@reddit

I once worked as a sysadmin for a company a little bigger than yours. Same situation, I’d often get calls while taking time off. One weekend I went backpacking in western Ontario where there was no coverage. It just so happened that weekend the exchange server had an issue and instead of calling the MSP they tried to get hold of me for 4 days. I came back and was fired for not being dependable and on-call even when on vacation. Leaving that job ended up being the best thing for my career. Don’t be afraid to leave jobs that treat you like that.

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EVERGREEN619@reddit

Crazy, I'm on PTO today also as a solo Sysadmin for the same sized user base. Use it or loose policy. So I'm taking Fridays off the rest of the year and have been since December started. I honestly enjoy the people I work with so much that if they got stuck on something simple that I could fix quickly without messing up my day. I would have no problem helping them. If I ended up working for an hour or more they just comp my time or give back the PTO day. They are always reasonable with my time and willing to make it fair. I also anticipate bullshit at any company I work for. So when negotiating salary there is decent chunk I add for having to stay calm and cool with said bullshit. Like early morning calls on my PTO day to reset barbs password. If I didn't enjoy about 95% of my coworkers, then hell no. They would need a MSP to help out and I would make how to contact them easily accessible to everyone. Like put it in your OOF reply!

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Darren_889@reddit

What I have done as a solo sys admin is have a relationship with an MSP that is willing to bill T&M (less common these days unfortunately ) I have a checklist on how to activate the MSP's accounts and run through it before vacation, also the finance director has the checklist if I am out sick or hit by a bus. when on vacation my OOO will guide the user to contact the MSP for emergency situations. The MSP is provided documentation and K-base information of our systems. when you are a solo admin its easy to not document, but the truth is documentation is important no matter the size of the department. having good documentation and procedures means you can take time off and know that a 3rd party can (for the most part) get by without your help for some time.

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jfoust2@reddit

I don't quite understand why so many here are saying "managed service provider." I can't help but think that any MSP would prefer to be paid a certain amount every month for this coverage, whether your company calls them or not. It is their very business model. There are a tremendous number of small businesses that are not large enough to justify a full-time IT person. Depending on the type of business, maybe they cross that line when they have 25 or 50 employees. There are many businesses smaller than that.

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

A friend of mine handles this problem by going on walking holidays in very remote areas with poor mobile phone coverage. If the phone has no signal, it will not ring. I suspect she sometimes claims there's no coverage and turns her phone off.

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AshKetchumSatoshi@reddit

If you have to go into a remote area to get respect for your PTO boundaries, it’s time to stand up for yourself or get a new job.

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jfoust2@reddit

> If you have to **lie to** go into a remote area to get respect for your PTO boundaries, FTFY

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

Well, indeed. In this case my friend works for a university and is near retirement age, so there's a strong incentive to put up with a lot of bullshit until she can retire on a very good pension plan.

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arfreeman11@reddit

I have a coworker that goes to "Canada" for "ice fishing and hunting". He's very smart and knows a LOT about the environment. I'm convinced he just shuts his phone off and enjoys a vacation. He's one of my favorite coworkers, and it will be a sad day when he finally takes my advice on finding a job that pays him what he is worth.

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Maverick0984@reddit

>I have a coworker that goes to "Canada" for "ice fishing and hunting". He's very smart and knows a LOT about the environment. I'm convinced he just shuts his phone off and enjoys a vacation. He's one of my favorite coworkers, and it will be a sad day when he finally takes my advice on finding a job that pays him what he is worth. He may place a lot of value in the ability to take that vacation and disconnect + enjoying his coworkers. Not everyone is shooting for as much money as they can.

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arfreeman11@reddit

There's a difference between shooting for as much as possible and making roughly half what your position is usually worth.

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homepup@reddit

So you work for a university too?

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RubberBootsInMotion@reddit

Or hospital. Or government agency. Or small business. Or large business.

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mustang__1@reddit

Or own the business...

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OptimalCynic@reddit

That's usually a lot less than half

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CeeMX@reddit

Living in Germany I don’t have to go to some remote location, just step out of my door for bad cell reception lol

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

Deutsche Telecom: preserving the right of workers to disconnect from work?

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CeeMX@reddit

Telekom actually is the best you can get. For a long Time E-Plus was leading the worst coverage (probably that’s why they had the E in the name) but now it’s o2

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scootscoot@reddit

When I had a toxic employer like that I would go camping where there isn't cell coverage. I don't like camping.

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theknyte@reddit

Unless it's in your employment contract that you be available even during non-work hours, then you are simply not required to pick up the phone. Simple as that.

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_r2h@reddit

I'm not in IT technically, but I was the technical person who handled a lot of IT at my company. This is the solution I used. Remote camping in the mountains of AR. Cell phone is very unreliable, so company couldn't contact me.

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MurderShovel@reddit

If you want to really get out of this, documentation and develop training materials and demand someone spend some time with you. There’s a common misconception that being the only guy that knows how to do everything makes job security. It doesn’t. Your work does. You need to lobby hard for an assistant in case of “the bus” scenario. Or at least pick someone wanting and capable of learning and lobby for some time to develop them up. If you’re the only person that knows what’s going on, who else ARE they supposed to call?

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Clivna@reddit

What would they do if you were hit by a bus on the way to work tomorrow?. Sounds like you are a single point of failure and in their minds you are not very important either.

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secretlyyourgrandma@reddit

just don't answer your phone when you're out of the office. if they say it's a problem, demand a 50% raise. they're screwing you and you don't want to work someplace that relies that much on you.

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Ok-Intention-5009@reddit

Get an offer letter... move on. Or... get them to hire relief and demand and pay raise... then get the offer letter so they start listening. I've done IT for 20 years... you will always make more somewhere else. If you wondering I'm full remote enterprise admin (and i do software dev now too) and I make a hefty well over average salary. In 20 years I've been employed at 6 different places. Literally stayed somewhere long enough to outgrow my position and got a big pay jump almost every time I moved to another company. The company that owns you probably has a policy that they can't give employees more than x% raise every year. That all changes when you get an offer letter.

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C-4x4@reddit

Did this for 16 years... The money was worth it until owner passed away and company changed hands to High Level employees. I spent years having no issue working on vacation and would usually back those days out or take no pay for them but take other days out of the office but be available on those as well. **Being a one man shop isn't for everyone but there are some big perks to it as well!** I was ready for a change but honestly don't regret any of it these days. I moved on like 1000 miles away, sold house and a lot of possessions, and took a risk, took a nearly 20% pay cut to do a sysadmin job and learning a lot and staying busy with general items and cleanup with a larger team, don't love where I'm at now but also don't hate going to work - so that's good! Still to this day work with the person / old friend that I had replace me there. So I still keep my hands on things as needed, which is a lot less after 1.5 years now. I don't knock working while on vacation, but to each their own and each company and how it treats you as a person is a big deal.

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Angy_Fox13@reddit

When I worked at an MSP I had a few clients that I went in while the guy like you was on vacation. Usually only half days cause my clients were often cheap smaller places.

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JAP42@reddit

A lot of commenters here are obviously corporate lackies. Your working for a small company. Be straight forward about your needs and what you want. Research standard pays for your position, remembering as a one man show your really doing several different jobs. Decide what's more important for off duty calls, if you don't mind the interruption then negotiate ether pay or returned PTO per call. Something like I will take calls when I'm off, but I was 2 hours of PTO for every call and 2 additional if I have to remote in to fix an issue, plus the actual time spent.

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Totentanz1980@reddit

Wow, the management team there must really enjoy gambling their future. I hope they have a plan if you die besides just have the business come to a screeching halt.

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GayInThePNW@reddit

They don’t value your time and you don’t value your boundaries. I loved my last job except for the fact that my old supervisor didn’t respect when his two employees weren’t on call. He would be on call, take his kids on a weekend vacation to a water park and then would rely on us to be his “feet on the street” if something happened that required a person. In this instance, I was loading up the boat to take my kids to the lake. I got word from a colleague he was working on a big outage and I turned off my phone. This was after 2 years of this crap and my other half (at work) quit somewhat because of it. When I got back into town and turned on my phone. I had 6 voicemails from him, each sounding more and more desperate. In the end, he had to drive 3 hours home to resolve the situation and it was an impactful outage. Upper management started to ask questions and it exposed his behavior and I never got called again and he got reprimanded for being out of town while on call.

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HumusGoose@reddit

This company doesn't respect your time. Turn off your phone when away unless they agree to an acceptable solution that works for you both

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tim5700@reddit

Find a new job. While you are looking, tell them you are going to <insert place with no coverage>. Then turn your shit off.

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_thebryguy@reddit

Let them suffer

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snekbat@reddit

ongod look for a new job fr fr no cap

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johnnysoj@reddit

It's tough if you're the only one doing this stuff, but I would say when you're out, you're out. If you get called, then you're not out, and don't claim that day off. If you like the place, or feel like it's a job worth fighting for, then talk with management, come to them with documentation, tickets, emails, whatever you have to show how busy you are. If they ignore you or you feel like the place isn't worth the effort, then put the feelers out for something else. No sense in working yourself to death. This happened to me when I first started my career. I was one of two unix admins at a small but very busy isp. As soon as I got the hang of things, about 2 weeks after I started, they fired the other guy, who was disgruntled. It took me another week to become as disgruntled as he was. Couldn't take a day off without being called for the most mundane shit... After about two years of trying to get them to hire another guy, I had enough and left. Best decision of my life.

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Sushigami@reddit

I'm sorry my phone was switched off.

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whythehellnote@reddit

The US president doesn't get a day off. You aren't the president. Assuming you enjoy the job, the goal should be to eliminate or at least heavily reduce the calls If it's important I'm sure they'll be willing to pay you say $5k per call as well as giving your PTO back, perhaps that's an angle you can negotiate for. Make sure your boss has a strong incentive not to phone you up. If the entire company goes down through a ransomware or fire or something, then it's worth it. If Dave from accounting can't find his spreadsheet or whatever they are phoning you up about then it's not.

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LingonberryOne3877@reddit

I made a PDF with info on where to turn when im away or just not available. Critical on off hours: Call our MSP Critical on hours: Call me and send a ticket Non critical off hours: Send a ticket Non critical on hours: Send a ticket  If someone calls with bullshit i will clock one hours work overtime and tell them to send a ticket. If someone calls with critical stuff i tell them to call our MSP and clock one hours work..  Eventually people got the routine off and i felt like the bad guy for telling people off but in the long run its better for everyone.

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Ams197624@reddit

That's why I have 2 sims in my phone. I turn off the work SIM when I have a day off. If it's *really* important, the head of dep. will have my private mobile number and call me on that, something he only does when it's actually *really* important. No regular users disturbing me.

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I-Like-IT-Stuff@reddit

Don't take calls about any issues, problem solved. You're making it your problem, but it isn't.

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Clean_Idea_1753@reddit

Bro, you're the SPOF they need to hire at least 1 more of you. You also have all the leverage here. If you're working like that, you need equity in the company, or time to move on if they don't get you another admin for support

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nullbyte420@reddit

Turn off your phone

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chewb@reddit

My previous job I turned off my company phone as I told them I'm going somewhere with no coverage. When I returned, HR informed me "if this is the attitude you want to be here with, you are in the wrong place" - My answer was "you are right, I am in the wrong place". I left less than 2 months after that conversation. Work to live, don't take your work into your vacations, family time, or whatever recharging leasure time (which you need to refill to be able to work in the first place lol)

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Capn_Winterbush@reddit

Is there anyone, out of the people you've singled out to perform simple tasks, that you trust the most? Maybe it might be a win-win situation if you speak to management about having him/her/they fill in as interim while you are in vacation as you have definitely earned your time off. That is when you list out pros and cons Pros: you get your rest so your productivity raises, in which the company runs smoothly Cons: it may come at a cost for the time that you're gone (sub pro); though, it would be less costly than if something were to happen or you would have to get called off your vacation. \---- I dunno - this just seems to make the most logical sense to me lol

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Capn_Winterbush@reddit

Surely this would require training; though they would be able to effectively determine which tasks would ever be urgent enough to require your attention

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Capn_Winterbush@reddit

Also look for a new job is an option as well! lol

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Initial_Trip_6615@reddit

I feel like this epitomizes the general struggle working in IT where higher-ups and non-technical folks just don’t understand the things they ask of you, as in they think something *should* be simple but it’s not at all. It’s not until they’re up the creek without a paddle they can appreciate the value you provide. Sometimes it’s like one minute everyone is on the same page, focused on security and best practices but the second it causes one little inconvenience, that all goes out the window but if anything goes wrong you’re still to blame in the end. We’re business critical employees with a set of skills no one else has yet no one wants to listen until it’s either too late or their backs are against the wall *sigh*

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PurpleAd3935@reddit

We are 2 IT in a 175 employees office of a 70k employees company.when I am go on vacation the other one stays there and I even put my phone in forward mode to his company cell and put my typical out office notes ,I am completely out those days .Even do I like to take my company cell with me and check the emails at night to see how is everything going , because I like only.I recommend you look for work life balance outside that company or force then to pay you way more for your tremendous effort.

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helpfulhikerdave@reddit

🫡 see ya. Phone off. Go hiking and never return!

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Wendals87@reddit

What happens if you are hit by a bus and are unable to work? I think they need to hire someone else so you can have proper time off. I think the only real solution is to ask for an extra set of hands and/or a payraise and be prepared to walk if they aren't coming to the party

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originalbigrick@reddit

If they won’t pay you what your worth and/or get you a reasonable backup or have some plan for your PTO ask the powers that be what they would do if the preverbal bus were to hit you tomorrow. Sometimes it takes rephrasing the question to get eyes to open.

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-nn23-@reddit

Don't answer the phone.

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ITDad@reddit

Let your next vacation be camping, even if not. I understand a lot of remote places have very poor cell and internet service.

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badtux99@reddit

I go on vacation someplace that has no phone service, like the middle of the Mojave Desert. They can call all they want and I am not answering. If they don’t like that they can fire me but they won’t do that because I know where all the bodies are buried.

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Sparcrypt@reddit

Request an offsider. Then when they say no and you're on leave turn your phone off and leave it off. When you get back and everything has gone to shit, tell them this is why you need an offsider. But realistically, just get a new job.

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ryanb2633@reddit

Don't worry about it. Set some things in place. Teach your users what real emergencies. I've done as the one person IT shop for 200 users, half of them remote over 13 states. They can do without you. That's a good thing cuz you've built the environment in a way to work itself. Talk with your supervisor, let them know what you have in place and they can help other users hold things off until you get back and have your supervisor take care of what they can.

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zero44@reddit

> I understand that I am the only admin, but when it comes time for an annual raise, I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase. LMAO I would've walked a long ass time ago. 1% doesn't even keep up with inflation. New job ASAP, 2 weeks, here's the passwords, goodbye. Don't even try to counteroffer me.

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Low_End42@reddit

From experience: you’re not valued. It won’t get better and any story they tell you about it getting better is just gaslighting.

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westyx@reddit

Ignoring the "always oncall" issue if you're constantly rostered as being oncall, there's a nice little rule to work by: 1. Not being paid to work, don't work.

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fools_remedy@reddit

I’m a one man show in a similar situation. ~125 users, ~215 endpoints. A few key things have helped me with this challenge over the years. 1) I maintain a company technical knowledge base written in end user language. It has information about every facet of tech the user interacts with. It has How-To’s, troubleshooting steps, processes, call lists, applicable support info, etc. 2) I’ve cross trained various mid level management on the easy stuff. How to reset passwords, fix easy stuff and keep people working. 3) I’ve trained users to help themselves first. When someone has an issue they can fix themselves I walk them through it like that. Hand them the fishing pole if you will. 4) I’ve trained users to contact up the chain. So I should only be contacted if they’ve looked at the knowledge base, asked a peer, a manager and a district manager and still can’t figure it out. 5) I’ve planned for contingency/redundancy. If they need 1 printer then they get 2 and they’re both installed on all applicable endpoints. Failover internet. Etc. 6) I’ve automated computer maintenance via RMM policies. Updates, cleanups, preemptive reboots, app deployment, some self-healing, etc. I make sure everyone knows I’m on vacation. I put a banner at the top of the company landing page with resource links and instructions. I set my out of office reply. If I’m on vacation I don’t respond to email. I will answer some calls but only if convenient for me. If someone calls and it’s small then I tell them how to help themselves or who to call to get help. If the sky is falling and it’s business critical I will get a call from upper management. But that’s very rare. Most of the time they figure it out themselves or triage until I’m back.

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catwiesel@reddit

hire a backup admin or MSP that can fill in when you are not there. now, some people may agree, and they are not wrong. but you MAY give your boss or the backup sysadmins an live-or-death envelope with your mobile phone number in it.

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LaHawks@reddit

Get a time machine and give them a Google Voice number instead of your real phone number when you onborded. Turn Google Voice to DND when you go on vacation. When you come back "Ope, sorry, vacation spot had no cell signal."

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lvlint67@reddit

> How do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin? I'm not going to preach ideals to you. There are enough people here that have already told you to polish up your resume. Let's talk about real actions you can take the next time you take time off. You're going to answer the phone. That's who you are. While you wait for your come to Jesus moment where you stop answering... Here's what you do in the meantime: Answer the call pleasantly. Listen to the problem but when they get long winded or stop to hear your response say something along the following, "how urgent is this? Can this wait until I'm back on X day?" MOST people are going to try to accommodate you. They can probably limp through without your hand holding for a few days. When someone says, "no this absolutely cannot wait"... This is where your u have to make your judgement call. This is where you have to decide for yourself, "what happens if I don't fix this?". --- Personally. When our owner calls and is like, "hey I need this fixed so I can get this multi-million dollar contract out to the client by tomorrow morning".... I'm probably going to do what I can. No. I won't get a massive bonus.. but we are already paid decently and that contract will help keep several people I like and rely on employed... Contrast that, to when one of our developers calls up and needs access to <whatever>. Yes, if I don't jump and fix it, the company is probably paying a developer a nice salary to sit on their hands all day... It might even push a project back a few days. But the company as a whole isn't going to sink because Bob can't access some ftp server in India. And finally.. 75 white collar users is a ton for a single admin. You will die in that role if things don't change.

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Easy_Rhubarb7900@reddit

Solo Sysadmin/MSP provider here, I support about 20-40 end users (depending on the day) for some small/medium businesses. When I need resources, I use [Field Nation](https://www.fieldnation.com) to find a technician capable of the same measure of work I would otherwise be providing. You can create a job based on the scope of the work and the time they are expected on site, with a rate you would pay either fixed or hourly(which they can counter offer). **Just be sure you thoroughly screen these engineers**, the quality can be inconsistent as anyone sign up. The platform does not validate their claimed proficiency, but does have a decent rating/history system that can give clarity on that.

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COMplex_@reddit

Very easy. I don’t get emails when I’m not at my desk thanks to their mobile policies. My phone has a schedule set so it simply doesn’t ring for work calls past 5pm.

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RedGobboRebel@reddit

Three ways to handle it: * Company gives you back your vacation days when you need to help on vacation. I did this for a while with a non-profit that legitimately couldn't get more help. Important... if you need to take a couple hours away from a vacation day, to help, you get that whole day back. * You work with a consulting firm/MSP to be the goto when you are unavailable. Bonus is they can be the first point of contact for any off-hours help. * The company hires more help.

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BluejayAppropriate35@reddit

My company solves this issue by not offering time off at all (not even unpaid). Very simple. At least they are consistent across the board and apply this to everyone not related to the owner.

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CokeRapThisGlamorous@reddit

Quit

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BluejayAppropriate35@reddit

I just started this year so need to stay for at least 5-10 more years for the sake of my resume & generally being loyal and repaying them for taking a chance on me while out of a job.

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SayNoToStim@reddit

There is absolutely no way this isn't a troll account

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OptimalCynic@reddit

And not a particularly good one either

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CokeRapThisGlamorous@reddit

You don't need to do any of that. Especially for a place that offers zero time off. It's almost 2024, needing to stay somewhere 5-10 years is outdated thinking.

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Smh_nz@reddit

I’m a contract IT generalist, I’m often called in for cover for sysadmins on leave! Get your employer to get a contractor to cover you while your on leave!

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stompy1@reddit

Hire a msp to be a backup at their hourly rates. As long as your documentation is up to par, anyone should be able to stand in for a couple weeks while you're off.

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theboxmx3@reddit

I was in this situation once briefly, and I had a trusted MSP cover for me.

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djgizmo@reddit

You need a MSP as your back up or your org needs to hire a backup sysadmin. MSP is cheaper.

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TheRogueMoose@reddit

I had this same issue when I was sole IT as well. I had them hire a backup, which in our case at the time was an MSP. They were actually great, we use them as a VAR now for Microsoft stuff and they are a great resource to bounce issues off of that we don't quite fully grasp.

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demunted@reddit

This is great and perhaps counter to a lot of people saying it is managements fault. In business the best was to deal with problems is... deal with them, don't assume others care. I was told that you have to "Manage up" a long time ago and it makes sense. Raise concerns, suggest solutions, develop relationships. It is hard work, but you can create a much better destiny this way than hoping someone takes you under their wing.

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stereolame@reddit

You’re being taken advantage of. Time to move on

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SirLoremIpsum@reddit

> Ask the company to hire a backup admin? Get an MSP you can have a contract with to provide assistance for anything 'big' you need to do, in case you win lottery/ hit by a bus and when you want to take time off. They can also provide continuity if you leave and new person starts. This is just smart business. > Whenever I take paid time off, I almost always get phone calls about issues. Sometimes major, but most of the time minor stupid things. Then it's not time off. You need to not give out your personal phone. Re-direct your work phone to this 'trusted' person and just take time off. It can wait.

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CyberMonkey1976@reddit

I was you. I worked my ass off many years and would get called into bullshit on my PTO Days. I started calling upper management on their PTO days. CEO is 2 layers up from me (1200 users) needing authorization to deliver an email or call a contractor. He quickly got the gist. More IT employees were added and a new policy was enacted; if an IT Department employee OR MANAGER is on PTO, all contact is discouraged unless they are the only person with knowledge of that critical process. Then, once the PTO and incident are over, employee or manager is to write KB articles explaining all aspects of the process, who to call and provide authorization if required. This solved many issues and divested much of the single owner processes to communal tasks. Vacations were relaxing, oh shit calls quickly became extinct. All we ask is those with lots of earned PTO take their time throughout the year and not all at once. Cheers!

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No-Percentage6474@reddit

Your employer might have to learn the hard way. I recommend take a cruise no access to your phone or email. They will hire a back up admin or make some sort of a change. If they are a crappy employer you might want an updated resume handy.

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shaunmccloud@reddit

I'm taking the next two weeks off from work, and I was flat out told I will get time back for any work I have to do in half day increments (our minimum time off). Thankfully I work for a good company.

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The_Artic_Artichoke@reddit

![gif](giphy|8maQUL5HiZbYLeMqXl|downsized)

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DentalDamDilemma@reddit

Brush up that ol resume brother

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I_COULD_say@reddit

Sounds like you got my old job lol

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AdSquare9819@reddit

They honestly should get rid of you and hire a msp or transition you to a it director position and hire a msp

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countextreme@reddit

Your phone doesn't ring if you turn it off. Problem solved.

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djaybe@reddit

No biggie. Have users submit tickets or send emails or teams messages. Establish your boundaries with how you respond. Have your tier 1 triage unless it's critical. Also where is the MSP? they are your stop gap.

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Abn0rm@reddit

Turn off you phone, that should fix the annual raise questions for the foreseeable future. Unless you're contractually obligated to be available, they can suck it. Also, time to brush up on your CV.

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DEATHToboggan@reddit

I’m a solo Sysadmin too. I have spent the past two years setting up a support framework with tickets. I had to drill the process into my staffs heads to email support but now that is done and the process to get support is exactly the same when I am in the office vs when I am not. Now, I am at a place where I can remove myself and the wheels keep turning with no issues. When I am away I have an MSP (I used to work for them) that I use to outsource my overload work. The MSP also covers me while I am away. I’m very good friends with my old boss and I trust him and his team to handle stuff. If there is something that requires an escalation then only my former boss at the MSP has permission to escalate it to me. The MSP is trained to connect to my ticking system and follow the same process for support so my staff don’t really notice a difference. We meet every few months for a couple of hours to re-train on the process. Does it always go smoothly? No but it works pretty well and I’m on vacation so unless it’s an insane emergency, I’m entitled to my time off.

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TheFumingatzor@reddit

>How do/would you guys handle that? 2nd full-time sysadmin. End of discussion.

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tigolex@reddit

You only take calls from a specific person, usually your boss. If its really sky is falling shit, your boss calls you. Ignore all other calls.

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KingSnowlock@reddit

This is why there should never be a single IT person. Shits fucking stupid.

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iceyone444@reddit

This is why they always need 2 - so you can take time off (and I've been the sold system admin for an organisation). They need to get a junior in or someone to cover you while you are on leave.

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topknottington@reddit

you need a different job brother. we need to be able to have uninterrupted down time, having cover for vacations or sickness is a business need.

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bolunez@reddit

It's not time off if you have to work. Either don't answer the phone or make some arrangement with the boss to get compensated for it. When I was in that situation the deal was that if the phone rang, I ignored it unless it was one of three people and picking up for them meant an instant half day of comp time. It provided motivation to leave me the f alone.

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Shot_Statistician184@reddit

Turn off your phone. Enjoy your time off. Let them fail. It's the only way. I only reach out to staff when on leave in a true emergency, not like a few computers have been compromised, like 500 people clicked on a Phish and half of them entered their creds and the threat actor is banging on our door type of deal. Border line the org will be fucked type of deal. Don't let your company rule your off time, the action is right in the term. It's off time. Be off.

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spyhermit@reddit

Well, since you're enabling them by letting them drag you in to work on your time off, they're never going to hire another guy. If you're getting 1% raises, either they aren't making any money and you should leave, or they are and you should leave. This sounds like a shit show circling the drain, and I'd leave. Some idiot probably said that IT is a cost center and now they're trying to reduce that cost, forgetting that without every single department doing the things they're doing, the business doesn't work. So... leave.

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UCFknight2016@reddit

I would clean my resume.

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megasxl264@reddit

Not your problem

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stromm@reddit

I will just add, this is a prime example of why you never use your personal phone/email for work. If it’s important enough for them to contact you via cell/email, it’s important enough for them to pay for a phone plus service for you. Then only use that for work. And when you are on time-off, paid or otherwise, turn it off.

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bofh@reddit

> How do/would you guys handle that? I’d either claim the PTO back or stop giving people at work my number. Or both, frankly. Your time is your time. If they really cannot cope when you have a day off, they need to hire more IT staff.

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mbkitmgr@reddit

Having been in this situation I can suggest. 1. Documentation - document procedures for the "stand-in" to use in your absence covering the types of tasks they can undertake. 2. Next time you are on leave boast about the fact you are going to XXX where there isn't going to be any phone reception - Camping is a good one. 3. Teach them your time off is as valuable as everyone else's and that they need to consider a contractor to have as backup 4. Have the chat - The Chat explaining: * The org needs you but is a risk in the event you get run over by a bus and are on morphine for 3 weeks. Calling you is not going to be an option. * When you take leave it is to get away just like everyone else and as I.T. can be a stressful profession you need the break to refresh, clear your head and reset. * If they wont have a contractor come in on relief then train the staff member up to do more * Provide you with a new role to cover your workload (this is hard with only 75 users. * You will document the systems you manage so that anyone with the required skill level can drop into your role and fill in. I was the IT manager and had an office girl as my sole staff member. Over time I documented everything and when I had a month off, the GM called me in on my return (I was expecting some sort of chastisement). He expressed his gratitude for my documentation allowing the org to continue on unaffected by my absence - he had underestimated how important it would be (doco) and was calling the directors in to have them do the same.... Look after yourself 1st.

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InformalLemon5837@reddit

Don't answer or at the very least don't answer for days. When they ask say I was on vacation and don't carry my phone when I am. I still remember what my dad said when they handed him a phone and told him to carry it with him. Just looked the guy in the eye and said " heard these things break all the time". The guy just said " I understand, can I get that phone back". Worked there for 35 years before he retired 15 years later.

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Lunatic-Cafe-529@reddit

I have a VERY short list of whose calls I will take when on PTO. My boss knows who is on the list, as do the members of the list. If something really goes pear-shaped, my boss knows how to reach me. Otherwise, I'm not available. No amount of money will make me available 24/7/365.

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imnotaero@reddit

I lean in this direction so I'm posting underneath. I'm in a similar role/business size as you, except my colleagues do a great job respecting my time away. Key for me is communicating well in advance that I'm going to be away, so if there are issues they want resolved that can happen before I'm out. I've also put in some effort to build the capability of the people who can handle minor tickets. A lot of the time, that means creating useful documentation, which is good to have anyway. Finally, I don't "go dark" on everyone completely. I'll monitor email just in case there's some real disaster (hasn't happened yet) but I'll unfairly respond to some and not others, depending on numerous vicissitudes, such as how many tiny umbrellas are littering the beach next to me, the retrograde status of mercury, and how serious the described issue actually is. In other words, I might reply while on vacation (so dedicated! so helpful!) or I might not (I was warned, I guess.) But the most important thing is that I'm at a place that respects time away. If the company doesn't respect the approach above, you I suppose you won't get far with it. Good luck!

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paradox_of_hope@reddit

Hand them your 2 weeks notice (or whatever period you are legally obliged) and look for greener pastures.

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BeYourself2021@reddit

A toy drinking bird, focused on the ANY key should suffice!

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boli99@reddit

if you're on-call , then you need an on-call bonus per time period. you also need a per-CALL addition on top of that. something large enough to sting. $50-$75 at least.. If they call you 10 times for stupid shit - then that stupid shit needs to cost them $750. Hitting them in the pocket is usually the best way to get them to learn. Asking them to exercise moderation is usually fairly futile.

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Accomplished-Bad137@reddit

If I would own this company, I would never ever accept the risk of having only one admin.... No it will screw the whole company in 5minutes.

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phunky_1@reddit

I would raise this risk to key decision makers in the organization. What would happen if you got in a car accident on the way to work and were incapacitated for a week or more? If their business can't function with you unconscious in a hospital bed, they have a big problem. There should be at least two of you for that situation as well as you should have time off without being bothered by work.

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Nandulal@reddit

yeah pretty much just have to get a new job then they will hire a whole new team I bet

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stonecoldcoldstone@reddit

you escalate, since you're not paid to do it, direct all calls to your supervisor first, if the user thinks it's important enough to call them, then your supervisor can decide if he wants to pay you for that. if it's your supervisor calling the first question is always "is this a paid overtime job, because just me looking into it will take 15 minutes before even trying to find a solution" in the end it's a question of how much your own sanity is worth, teaching your users that of the clock means unreachable is the best approach. "I tried to call you"-"and I enjoy my time off in the stix" I am quite blunt about it "this whole place could burn down over night and I'd not give a shit"

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iterationseven@reddit

This is a failure of your management team. Nothing less.

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HighOnLife@reddit

Sounds like a success from management's perspective

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dayburner@reddit

I mean who do you think is calling when Mr-Hops is on PTO?

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Xerxero@reddit

The bus is a fact of life. This alone should get management start looking for at least 1 other who knows how any of this works.

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izvr@reddit

This very much. It's the company's problem, not yours. Keep your phone off and make someone realize you're irreplaceable.

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xMcRaemanx@reddit

It's going to depend on your employment contract and laws where you are whether or not you are entitled to actually disconnect. Bring up the issue with management. If you have to work during your vacation its not vacation and you are entitled to that time back. Reference minimum time allotments as a 15 minute call may be 3 hours max. Randomly being out of the office for lieu time is going to hurt. Notify user's a week or two ahead of time that you will be on vacation and unavailable for anything except p1 emergencies. If they can't find coverage then simply tell whoever is requesting things you are on vacation, submit a ticket/email and you'll get to it when you get back. Dont respond to emails, only calls as thats the only way to communicate an emergency. If management doesn't like that then ask them what they want. If you have to work you arent on vacation. And you arent getting paid enougn to work 24/7/365. If things still look bad, get a new job and submit minimum notice. If they dont see your value at that time they certainly will when you are gone. After a few of these they'll get the idea /s.

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Dry_Inspection_4583@reddit

Step 1: Rules of engagement - Set clear and approved SOP[Standard Operating Procedures] that highlight things like * Ticket escalation * Priorities * Response times * Hours of operation - Get these approved by HR or whoever you can find that has signing authority. - Provide a copy to HR! Step 2: Set Boundaries - when you're done for the day, be done for the day, even if that requires you to stare at your thumbs for a few minutes near the end of the day - Be clear, concise, and kind in your engagements and resolutions. - Be acountable, own failures and problems and allow them to guide Step 1 Step 3: Follow your own rules - Don't get pushed over, ensure all members are adhering to the SOP from step 1, if/when they don't, file a formal complaint with HR - details count -- make sure you have the details, don't be flippant with your time or details - get it in writing. Don't forget, You don't always have to be the bigger person. Sometimes people want you to "be the bigger person" so they can simply carry on with their garbage behavior. Some people think treating you with respect means if you do what I say I'll be civil and kind. While other people think respect means regardless of the circumstances being kind and civil. So when they say if you treat me with respect I'll treat you with respect, what they mean is, do what I say and I'll treat you like a person, and that's not okay. Lastly, write your resignation letter. It's an empowering and emboldening move that puts you in the drivers seat. -- Good luck.

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abotelho-cbn@reddit

Your value will only increase by not answering.

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geekwithout@reddit

Write the hours and subtract it from the vacation days you've taken. My time off is worth much more than more $$

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MeatSuzuki@reddit

Outsource your support for your time off. MSPs can do this but you'll need some lead time to bring them up to speed with doco. BONUS - MSPs are terrible at this sort of thing so when they screw up your role's value is exposed and you might find people will appreciate you more.

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satanzhand@reddit

Remote access, but they need to pay you for this time and give extra time off. Start looking for another job.

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MessiLoL@reddit

Tell them you’re hiking in Cambodia then be uncontactable. Allow them to discover that you need a competent partner.

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tokyoeastside@reddit

I know it is easier said than done as I was in the same sitch before. I cannot even enjoy my dinner because someone is still fixing the problem from this morning. And it sucks when you know the work will stop the problem isn't fixed. Does money solve your problem? I think the solution is to find work with better worklife balance.

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frosty3140@reddit

One option -- get a phone with dual-SIM -- have one Personal SIM and one Work SIM -- when you're on Leave turn off the Work SIM. The difficulty is that they already know your Personal number I suppose. Another option -- I'm the sole sysadmin for an org of about 100 people so I'm in the same boat as you. What I have negotiated is that I take one extra week away as "work from home" as an extension to my annual leave. I log in each morning for about an hour (early, before the day really starts) and I deal with any urgent issues. Then the rest of the day is my own. It's a compromise that wouldn't suit some people, but it works for me.

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joelamon-og@reddit

You kind of sound like me... We are in the same boat. I am gonna read these comments as well...

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chris-itg@reddit

PTO is PTO. If it (i.e. you) is important there will be a backup. Unplug during your time off and let it ride. If they don't like it then they can hire someone or replace you. This whole job situation sounds like it is predatory against you from the way you describe it.

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ThinkCritical_@reddit

I hear you my friend, i am in the exact same position i have about 80 users whenever i take time off at least once i will get contacted (at least thats when im still in the same country while taking time off) sometimes better to just email back and ask them to reboot usually users once they know im off are decent at doing that and 90% of the time fixes the issue. Also when i first started at the company i used to get like 5+ calls if i took more then 1 day off. i started seriously recording the issues when i got back and create a detailed how-to guide for when im gone next and just direct the user to this guide. in terms of getting compensation.. depends im in canada and as an I.T professional (also in my employment agreement) the employment standards act says i dont get paid overtime.. so if it doesnt say you dont get paid overtime in your employment contract i would just tell them to give you overtime for stuff (also always minimum 1 hour)

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ThinkCritical_@reddit

The find a new job isnt always the answer. Let management know you are getting contacted when your off see what they say. See if you can get an MSP to handle easy issues if you have documentation you should be good to let an MSP take care of it.

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bylebog@reddit

> I understand that I am the only admin, but when it comes time for an annual raise, I need to fight tooth and nail for a measly 1% increase.  What you need to do is quit. They don't care about you, don't care about them

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cubic_sq@reddit

Perhaps take a big rethink of solutions and environment and how things are done and transform the environment to be more stable / leas babysitting. Support for a site of that size <should> be minimal

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Xanros@reddit

Depends on your users. If your users are as dumb as a wet sack of bricks (when it comes to technology), it doesn't matter how good your systems are, they will find ways to break it, or forget how to do it, or try to use "my computer isn't working" as an excuse to get out of doing work. I have so many users that despite using a computer their entire career, still "don't know how" to find Chrome on their computer.

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qlz19@reddit

I’ll tell you how I’d handle it. I’d be actively looking for a new job.

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Armando22nl@reddit

In IT one person is considered zero persons. Your company needs redundancy

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zer04ll@reddit

On vacation I would make my voicemail greeting remind them. "If youre contacting from work I am on PTO and will return messages when I return to work."

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Alzzary@reddit

A 1% raise is actually lowering your pay since you are below inflation. I'm the sole sysadmin of a 100 users company and I've told from the start to my boss that if I wasn't getting a raise they'd better look for someone else that will be cheaper. But at the same time before I took over they actually had someone cheaper and it was waaaaaay more expensive.

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Cormacolinde@reddit

You’re not getting a 1% raise, you’re getting a 4% cut (or worse depending on where you live).

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eNomineZerum@reddit

* Single Sysadmin * Gets called when on vacation * Has to fight for 1% raise You need a new employer more than a secondary person. But, you should explain the bus/lottery factor to your boss and let them know that you being the sole sysadmins is risking heir entire business if you were to disappear or become unavailable. You also need to drive home the value you bring so you are getting fair compensation for your work.

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SorryMatch8461@reddit

Get a work-only phone, and leave it behind during time off.

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csg_surferdude@reddit

I have a similar issue where I am. I bring my laptop with me on vacations, and pay extra on cruises to make sure I can get messages quickly if something happens, and pay for internet for my laptop. I do go camping at times, and have told my boss that I am in the woods, may not get a text, and may be 8-12 hours from my car with my laptop. They have basic instructions on how to fix the most common problems. Why do I do this? I WELL compensated for it. If I had kids it might not be sustainable, but at the moment it is. And that money pays for several nice trips a year inside the continental US, just as long as I have my laptop. So, basically, ask for more money, or find another job :-)

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no_regerts_bob@reddit

I work at an MSP that provides coverage for exactly this size of company/type of problem. It can be very affordable, just vet the MSP's reputation carefully.

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TravellingBeard@reddit

What happens when you go on that dream trip to Europe or Asia?

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MikeArcade@reddit

Take a cruise.. 80% of time you cant receive calls. This is good for you and a wake up call for them.

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jdgtrplyr@reddit

Get out while you still can. Jobs like this will kill you.

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Helpjuice@reddit

You being the single point of failure is a business decision by management. When you take time off you should not be working, if you are, then you need restoration of the hour you work even if it is for a few seconds. Best path forward is to at least have 2-3 SysAdmins which needs to scale as things grow so you can still take vacations, and do other things outside of work.

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WSB_Suicide_Watch@reddit

They need to find a backup for you. It doesn't have to be a new hire. It could be an arrangement with an MSP, another company that is willing to share back up duties, etc.

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Supreme-Bob@reddit

This is not your problem, I just ignore all work calls while on leave. This is the companies issue not yours. Always two, there are. No more, no less. A master and an apprentice.

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bl77rd@reddit

Another idea is tell your management you’re available for urgent issues while on PTO, but it’s going to cost them double time rate. If they say no, turn phone off.

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MARS822@reddit

" I almost always get phone calls about issues " This is why so many of my vacations take place in the backcountry of various mountain ranges. Where there's no cell coverage. I make sure everyone knows that I'll be unreachable from date *X* to date *Y* and wish them all the best. TBH, I DO legitimately hit the woods now and again, but not as often as certain parties *think* I do.

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czj420@reddit

Before my vacation I send out an email to all employees saying I will be out of town submit tickets and if it's urgent talk to the president and he can decide if it's with calling me

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meotai@reddit

MSP

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ultimatebob@reddit

It sounds like you need to train someone else on IT basics like how to reset an AD password or reboot a VM in VMWare, so they don't NEED to call you for the trivial stuff. I would make sure that they clearly understand to call you if they see any weird error messages that they've never seen before, though. If your entire VSphere or AD cluster is failing, for example, you DO NOT want them to even try to attempt to troubleshoot that because they might make things worse.

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Suaveman01@reddit

One is none, if you’re solo and get a call on your day off dont answer. They’ll soon realise they need to employ some help

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anothercopy@reddit

I have 2 phones. The company one is turned off or on silent when I'm not working. Only few have my private number

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Sekhen@reddit

My boss covers for me when I'm away. I'm on vacation, it's his problem either way. The CTO can help if everything really goes to shit.

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bigfoot_76@reddit

This is a management problem. Either they owe you the PTO day back or instantly double your salary. At some point though, the PTO is worth more than the salary so that means they either hire someone else to take up the slack or you find somewhere new. 75 users should have a junior tech already.

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vrtigo1@reddit

You have to fight for a 1% increase? Sorry, but separate from the actual question that you asked, I think this speaks volumes about your employer. I get 3% for CoL every year and I think that's pretty common. To answer your actual question, I think it depends on what you want. Are you OK working while on PTO? If yes, then I'd try to come to some sort of agreement, like if they call you on a PTO day, then you get an extra PTO day. If no, then I'd suggest you tell them you need backup, either an extra employee or an MSP you can keep on retainer. Make it clear that PTO time is your time and you'll not be working. If the issues are high enough priority then they'll spend the money to ensure coverage. If not, that tells you that the issues can wait until you get back.

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DeadFyre@reddit

Brush up your resume. Get the raise, and the staffing, that your current bunch of losers can't seem to afford.

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Salamandro@reddit

Don't do BYOD with your personal phone number. Get a company phone or SIM with a dual SIM phone. Shut your work phone/SIM off during off-times. If they need you on-call, they can give you an on-call contract amendment and pay you accordingly (monthly base fee plus on-call hours are logged/paid as well). Don't do this more than a week per month. Oh, that's not enough? Get more people. Be active in your communication and in setting your boundaries and standing up for your rights and healthy work/life. Going "oh I didn't have reception" is just skirting around the problem and will give you gastric ulcers in the long run. If there are too many critical issues outside your work hours, you probably need to beef up your infrastrucure, which might also mean more personnel to get to a more stable base.

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mikolajekj@reddit

Management problem. Your boss should have a plan to address this. Help boss with plan. Take time off and don’t think of work.

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purawesome@reddit

Dude I’ve been there, on call for 2 years straight then we got others and a rotation but I’d still get calls semi often after hours. How’d I make it stop? I found a new job. Good luck to you

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suicideking72@reddit

Spare laptops and people should know where to get them from. Then don't answer your phone when you're out. Address the issues the next day you're back.

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redline42@reddit

You hire an MSP to augment the hours because if shit hits the fan and it always does when you are out they are gonna recall you Get your company to pay for a bucket of hours from a trusted MSP that knows your infrastructure. You should always have one handy even if you don’t use them but for special projects.

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Flabbergasted98@reddit

What is the impact to the business if the task waits until your return?

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Billy-Joe-Bob-Boy@reddit

At my current job, my boss has joked several times about making sure I have my phone and laptop when I go on vacation. I tell him sure, but I can't guarantee reception since my vacation is a cruise, trip to nowhere in the mountains, etc. He thought I was joking back until my first vacation really was a cruise. Solved.

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Unusual-Reply7799@reddit

I don't think I'd be answering my phone off hours for 1%.

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JaredNorges@reddit

I've been single sysadmin before. The days I take phone calls are not days off and I treated that as such in my payroll reports when I returned. You should talk to your bosses regarding this and see what their expectations are. Do they know you're getting called out? Do they expect you to count exchange time or have ideas regarding how this is accounted for and made right?

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joefleisch@reddit

I went to Yellowstone National Park for 2 weeks and I stayed at a resort in the mountains. The cell service was horrible. I felt so recharged.

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Cthvlhv_94@reddit

Im kind of in the same Situation as you, but my work phone is off when im not at work. Simple solution :)

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patmorgan235@reddit

You need to set the expectation/boundary that you will not be answering your phone when on PTO. Then when you go on PTO, don't answer your phone.

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JrSys4dmin@reddit

Most of the companies I have worked for have a relationship with an MSP or semi-retired sysadmin that we would bring in for vacation coverage. Many times we would buy a chunk of say 10hr for the week and ask them to monitor the queue and only work on high priority tickets. Helps if your boss can triage and determine what tickets meet that threshold.

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MEXRFW@reddit

“I will not have access to the phone or emails” Done deal.

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CokeRapThisGlamorous@reddit

Stop answering calls. If they can't give you a raise then they definitely can't afford to fire you and hire someone else.

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a60v@reddit

Unless you have pre-arranged your being available while on vacation (hopefully for a very short and very specific time period), you don't check company email or voicemail while you are away. Check and reply to both when you return. Change the outgoing voicemail message and/or enable an email vacation message if you want to let people know that replies will be delayed. This sounds like a you problem, unless your boss actually expects you to be available while on vacation as a matter of course. In the latter case, you need to find a new job ASAP.

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mindracer@reddit

Ask for on call pay

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RunningAtTheMouth@reddit

Turn your phone off. Vacation is time away from work. They'll figure it out.

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WoTpro@reddit

Hi I have a consultant who substitutes for me when im on vaccation. I had 90 users like you now im sitting at 190 users .

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cthart@reddit

Due to attrition I ended up in a similar situation. One Christmas break I had small interruptions 3 days in a row. Coming up to the summer holidays I told my boss that I didn't want that to happen again. They ended up offering me a retainer to be on-call in case of absolute emergency. I accepted this and ended up attending to two very minor things during my 4-week summer vacation. Since I was prepared for this and being adequately compensated it was acceptable to me.

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clilush@reddit

Same here. When I first started 12 years ago, we had an MSP as a backup. Since then we've reduced costs and no longer have the MSP as a backup. After letting the MSP go, I had many a vacation/day off ruined by a few rude users who mark everything they do as urgent and didn't even care that I had the day off. The solution has come down to me turning off my notifications and sending \*MANY\* alerts to users well in advance that they are to contact the office manager FIRST with any issues. They can then filter out the urgency and will call my cell directly if deemed necessary. If it's a system issue that is raising alerts, I have those alerts already going to a private email address that I can monitor without having to see general office emails. There are only a few people in the office with access to my cell number, and they know that if they dial my number it better be a 911 scenario.

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SysAdminDennyBob@reddit

If there is one guy running the production floor and he leaves for 2 weeks, you bet they will find a stand-in. If there is one guying running accounting that cuts checks and he leaves for 2 weeks, you bet they will find a stand-in. And so on and so on... It's simply a lack of leadership on the part of your direct management. If you want to take a week off and sail the Caribbean on your sailboat with no internet, you have the right to do that. If you want to backpack in the Andes mountains with no internet you have the right to do that. Work cannot dictate your free time. If you have a company phone, go on vacation and hand that phone to your boss. "I'll be back for this in a week. And yes, you heard correctly, I don't own a personal phone".

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panchango@reddit

Management needs to see that it is broken for it to be fixed. Don't answer your phone and enjoy your time off. I am a solo admin for a 30 person nonprofit and would be constantly bothered when on PTO. After letting things break, I was able to hire an MSP for times when I was away.

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Dafoxx1@reddit

Without getting you fired... lets say there is a single point of failure for the business ie no other staff. It would be imperative to the business to hire additional staff where needed. If you are answering the phone off hours, vaca, sick, etc. there is no immediate need to hire anyone because you will take care of it. I would maybe say something along the lines i will be out of town with limited or no service and will return on this date. If you are not a c-suite outside the office your time is your time.

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GremlinsBrokeIt@reddit

> How do/would you guys handle that? Ask for more compensation? Ask the company to hire a backup admin? You can always ask, but if the precedent is set, you might be stuck. Why would they pay for something they are already getting from you for free? But from a less cynical viewpoint, write up good justification to explain what could possibly happen if you aren't available. Maybe they will see sense. Worst case, you just need to leave.

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Plug_USMC@reddit

I agree. You are more marketable employed so as you are looking, make a spreadsheet on all current responsibilities that you are accountable. Nothing too technical… Amount of systems, roles and responsibilities, day to day, weekly, monthly, quarterly tasks. Include internal and vendors interaction, tickets, Tools to manage, methodologies, virtualization, AD, patching, disaster recovery, Everything you do. Once you compile exhaustive listing, compare to current salary package you are getting today. Hope this assists. Good luck

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codylc@reddit

I don’t disagree with most comments here but would add a tip I’ve recently leveraged. When I write my out of office message, I now include a personal note about what I’m doing on PTO. Something like “I’m currently out of the office, spending time with family for the holidays” or “chasing kiddos around the house while they’re out of school.” Give people a sense of what they’re interrupting so they better understand why you won’t be getting back with them immediately. I extend this to voicemail to some extent by stating “if this is an emergency, please hang up and call again”.

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aztenjin@reddit

My bosses and I have an understanding, if I get called while on pto my pto is refunded and i am payed salary for the entire day, 1 minute can’t open outlook call or catastrophic outage, and baring an outage call backs are on my time not end users, when I take the family to Disney it’s not uncommon after a full day at the park I work for a few minutes fixing the small crap and then basically get paid for being at Disney all day

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GullibleDetective@reddit

I've seen some reach out to MSPs for temporary coverage

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RonFromSpendmart@reddit

Documentation

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SlipDestroyer@reddit

In the past when I was in a similar position as you in a very small company, wearing many hats etc...CFO hated when I would leave so I found a firm that would bring on a contractor for whatever weeks my vacation lasted. They asked 100 to 120/h but I would always be able to talk them down to around 65 to 75/h, give them enough access to do the basics and a list of laundry tasks that I kept in the back burner. Usually worked out pretty well and the CEO had no choice, he knew they needed someone.

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secret_configuration@reddit

You need to have an MSP fill in for you when you are away. I was a sole sysadmin for 60 users and for many years I didn't have a backup and it was fine but eventually we hired an MSP to work with us.

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dinosaurwithakatana@reddit

It sounds like you need to set the expectation that when you are on paid time off you will not be answering your phone, emails, carrier pigeons, etc. It's pretty unrealistic for someone to be a single point of failure.

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bofh2023@reddit

Ask management the "hit by a bus" question. Will the company just fold, if something terrible were to happen to you? Of course not. They can figure it out. There's exceptions to this, shit happens. That's what they should be though: exceptions. It sounds more like this is a constant.

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ruhul555@reddit

Draw the line and stop answering calls.

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shemp33@reddit

If your company doesn't think your job is important enough for you to have a backup, that's a "them" problem, not a "you" problem. Take your time off. Power down your phone. Come back when it's time.

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qrysdonnell@reddit

I'm in a similar boat in that I'm IT Director for about 100 employees. The thing is in addition to me we also keep an MSP on hand to assist in managing the network/servers as well as provide a warm body when I'm on vacation. I still get a few emails that might require me pointing the person covering for me in the right direction. But it's generally not too bad. We've been doing this over 10 years at this point and in that time I've been to all 50 states (plus Puerto Rico and Canada) with my family. My family vacations are what keeps me going, so I take being able to take them sensibly pretty seriously. Now, of course, this costs money, so it's the opposite of asking for a raise, so you may be less likely to get a raise with a setup like this. It is definitely a smarter way to run your business though. With the MSP supporting me it's not like we'd continue without a hiccup if I'm hit by the proverbial bus, but things would go a lot more smoothly than otherwise.

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Away-Ad-2473@reddit

Been there.. Had a job where I was the only on-site IT guy with any other IT support being overseas and often got calls when I went on vacation (even got called on my honeymoon). Best thing I can say is to look for something else..

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syberghost@reddit

Turn the device off.

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BinniH@reddit

Document everything, the hours and all. As for a raise, if you get a no then stop answering the phone.

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Desperate-Smoke-2613@reddit

MSP is the only way. Unless your manager covers for you if you even have one.

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Suppafly19@reddit

This is why I left the two previous roles I was in. Now in a much better place and their are better supports. Didn't realise it was so prevalent. I was charge off 50 devices and infrastructure, then due to expansion grew to 100 over the next year and a bit. They didn't seem interested in giving me a raise and were happy to just have one of the senior mechanical engineers who was an IT enthusiast add to his work when I was out. The next company I moved to as the assistant it manager in the hospitality sector as thought i have more support. Quickly realised at that conpany the manager had already set bad precedents for essentially being on call 24/7 and making himself a single point of escalation and then also failure when he would be out sick. Its hard to get into a place that has the right supports.

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natefrogg1@reddit

I ask for comp days when this happens. If it’s over an hour of work I will ask for one, if it’s under I just do it, they are super flexible with my time so under an hour no biggie.

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bluewatersailing@reddit

Everyone needs time off. Real, time off. Or you'll just burn out. If it were me I'd look for another position, and when you find one have a conversation with your boss. Either they get you some help or it's time to move on. I've seen this go both ways.

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al2cane@reddit

An admin needs to intervene to unlock accounts? You using AD/M365?

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subduderecords@reddit

sounds like your boss should be taking your calls while you are on PTO.

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Newbosterone@reddit

If you have the day off, don’t answer the phone. There are damn few things actually important enough to disturb you on a day off. If it wasn’t important to designate and train a backup it can wait a day. If it really can’t wait, there should be a cost associated so management can decide if it is that urgent. A half day’s pay sounds fair.

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DuePractice8595@reddit

This is my life. I am an everything admin and do literally everything IT related including tasks for accounting. I only get a "real day off" when everyone else is off work.

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orev@reddit

If you’re getting called for minor/stupid things, just don’t respond. Don’t answer the phone so they leave a voice mail or send an email instead. Read it, then ignore it unless it’s really an emergency. You need to set the expectation that when you’re on vacation you’re not available. In this job there’s always the possibility of a real emergency (production down), and in those cases then you should get that PTO day back.

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