LITTLE KNOWN WAYS TO SURVIVE OVERTIME IN A PHILIPPINE CALL CENTER

It was quite recently that I got stuck in bed for two straight days because of a very high fever with no one else to blame but myself.

Photo By Makelessnoise

Instant rewind:

I needed extra money.

Signed up OT.

Lacked sleep.

Lacked nutrition.

No exercise.

Pharynx abuse.

Voila! There goes my instant tonsillopharyngitis.

According to my doctor, Tonsillopharyngitis or Acute Sore Throat, may be painful red and swollen. It may be a sign of viral or bacterial infection or a result of throat irritation by alcohol, smoke, or pollutants. You may also have fever, swelling of some lymph nodes on your neck, a runny nose, cough, itchy eyes, or hoarseness of voice.

I hate going to hospitals, especially when I am the patient. Our company’s HMO (Health Maintenance Organization) provider’s office in the hospital is close on weekends. Since it was a Saturday, I had to go through to the ER for a typical check up. And of course, the process started, from the security guard asking who the patient is, then the nurse to check BP, temperature, interrogation about any allergies, medical history, then the patient registration counter to fill in my personal information. Then it’s another waiting game.

Since I was sick and eager to go home, I shifted from one sitting position to another. It felt like the longest fifteen minutes of my life before I was summoned by my attending physician to the consultation room. It will be another set of questions before the verdict, the medical certificate, and the prescriptions.

Stop rewind.

To avoid these, I came up with a rather meticulous ways to survive overtime:

#7 HEALTHY SNACK: 

photo by woodleywonderworks

When doing post shift OT, make sure to have at least a fifteen minute break before your scheduled OT shift. This will prepare you, your body & mind that another heavy task is on the way, thus, you need to boost your energy. It’s a refresher or like restarting your computer. Avoid chocolate bars or any sweet knickknacks you could grab from the vending machine. Since you have determined your overtime, might as well pre-meditate what you will eat. Bananas, apples, sandwiches, are great examples. Though sugar is known to help keep us awake, it does not protect the most important tool you need on your OT, your throat.

#6 PLENTY OF WATER:

photo by theowl84

Your throat will rejoice and thank you in the future if you drink plenty of water. We are expected to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and going on OT will require more effort from your pharynx. And of course, consider yourself a singer, so avoid cold drinks too. The least you could do is add a glass or two to help your throat get refreshed. It’s just like having a back massage after a long drive.

#5 COMPUTE TRAVEL TIME: 

photo by fdecomite

Consider the number of hours it takes you to and from your office. The longer your travel time is; the shorter number of OT hours you should sign-up for. If you really need to go on OT for a fixed number of hours or days, you may opt to sleepover at some relative or friend’s house that is near your office. You can just reward them a token of appreciation for letting you stay. If you think you will be doing this on a regular basis, you may consider boarding a room. These are just so you’ll never sacrifice one thing over another.

#4 SLEEP:

photo by peasap

When I was a kid, I was always asked to sleep at noon to become taller as they said. I hated it then, but now I wish I could go back to that time when sleeping was a luxury. I must say that sleeping now is a privilege, most especially true for those who are either married with kids, single parents, or guardians. SLEEP whenever you can, instead of spending too many hours over the internet, over television etc. Enjoy sleeping as if it is always a part of your schedule or itinerary. Since you have calculated the number of OT hours that you will be spending, and have computed your traveling time, add up the snoozing part. Of course, the longer the travel time or OT hours, the shorter the time you have left for sleeping. The fewer hours of sleep, the higher chances of acquiring lower immune system. Equals stress. Plus, it will reflect in your efficiency at work, productivity, and most importantly, attendance.

#3 VITAMINS: 

photo by stevenglassman

I don’t take vitamins, and trust me, if you don’t want further medications, just take them. A doze of vitamin C a day is okay, better yet, take multivitamins. If you’re not a big fan of pills or capsules, you may opt to getting your vitamins from natural resources (i.e. fruits, veggies). Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

#2 GRAB DOUBLE OR HOLIDAY PAYS. NEVER REST DAY OT:

photo by zieak

BPO industry usually don’t follow holiday offs unless your rest day luckily falls on a holiday. During holidays, call centers usually offer 200% OT pay to agents. Take advantage of it. This strategy helps to lower down the number of OT hours you will need. If you need a 4-hour worth of OT, sign up on a double pay schedule so that you can do OT for only 2 hours but is equivalent to 4. If there’s no holiday, distribute the number of hours evenly for the whole week to avoid too much stress on your body for a certain day. Rest days are meant for rest. Your body deserves a break. If you don’t want to rest, spend it with your family. Your family needs you. Period.

#1 ASK YOURSELF: 

photo by quinn.anya

Why do I need to do overtime? 
Do you really need it? 
Don't I have alternatives of earning extra money? 
What is it for?
Is it worth it? 

If you could answer all these without doubting yourself, by all means, GO.

Sweet Says... remember to take care of yourself because in the long run, when you get sick, it might be more costly than the extra money you earned during your OT. OT without precaution on oneself does not make sense. What’s the use of OT pay when you will be on sick leave the next few days or could even be weeks and worse …months? This scenario can even cost you your job or can greatly affect your bonus for those with quarterly or weekly incentives.