I love the work that the non-profit I’m employed at does (provide free legal services to low income community members). I love the people we serve, and I can see the impact my work is making on their lives. But god, I am so tired. I’m overworked and understaffed. If I had managers who acknowledged that the problem is a lack of funding and inability to hire sufficient staff, I think I could handle it. But instead, I’ve got managers who make budgetary constraints the employees’ problem.
The expectations of our higher ups are frankly baffling given the staffing levels we can afford. Our workload (which was just barely manageable to begin with) has doubled in the last year. I don’t get any additional help, nor do the managers adjust their requirements for how long finishing the doubled workloads should take. Conversations with my managers go in circles - yes the work is increased, yes your job should really have two people, no, we cannot give you additional support, and yes, you need to continue getting it all done regardless. Instead of support, I get condescending lectures on how important it is to get all the work done. And I just feel so deflated.
Thank god for the clients we serve and the gratitude I get from them. Because goodness knows, that’s about I’ll I’m running on right now.