Poll: Hours Worked? Comments - too much or too little?

[aigel]

50-60/week. Startup. There is an upside, but it isn't personal time.

Work life balance? WTF? Isn't work life too? It is for me.

It hits me hardest when I miss out on family events and hunting ...

G

[Brian 162]

I'm in hvac mostly doing commercial boiler water heater installations and service. I work mainly 40 hrs. per week.
I'm near the end of the road, I'm retiring in 3 months, (I'm 55) then I can do what I want.

[wdfifteen]

I'm an entrepreneur. I don't know the difference between work and not-work. I'm pretty much "on" 24-7. I haven't had a vacation in decades, but then again I haven't taken a non-business trip to Europe or the Caribbean in decades either. It's all just life to me.

[UconnTim97]

37.5 hour government employee. OT for my job title was just approved, so that may shift up a little bit. There is enough work that I could easily fill 60+ hours a week. Not that I plan on doing that. I value time home with the family way too much for that.

[flatbutt]

As a younger man I did 50-60 hrs a week. But after getting passed over a few times I put in the standard 40 and no more than that. Now at 62 I do 37.5, by the book.

[Noah930]

By hours, I probably only "work" about 40 hrs per week. It tends to be a full 40 hrs, though. For lack of time, I probably only eat lunch about twice per week. I have 4 weeks of vacation allotted, but I usually only use 2 weeks, with a third week for work-related conferences.

I try to avoid the on-call 24/7/365 scenarios, too. It's one thing to cover yourself all the time. It's another to be covering anything and everything at all times.

Still better than in residency, though. That was about 100-110 hours per week for 5 years. It's a grim discovery, during intern year, that you're making less than minimum wage.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I used to do 70-80 hours a week without fail. Of course this was back in the mid-2000s and it was a different world back then. I lived about 10 minutes from work so that helped. I would go in on Saturdays and Sundays routinely for a while, then have the rest of the day to enjoy. It really wasn't bad, I was making money hand over fist, etc. But it does wear you down over the long term.

Now it's a much different situation. Typical work week is about 45-50 hours, about half of which I consider wasted in meetings (I don't consider meetings productive at all - even when they do have agendas and where you leave with action items). I refuse to work Saturday or Sunday ever. I'll sometimes stay in the office until 7 or 8 but I'll never work a weekend again for anyone other than myself.

Historically I never really took vacations either - I might take a day here or there for whatever but I had a decent enough quality of life I just never really felt the burning urge to go somewhere else and just blow a lot of money for the sake of it. Now I feel a bit different. There are other people in my life now that I want to spend time with and build meaningful memories with (something other than day-to-day) and let's face it - living in New England just plain sucks a lot of the time so it's nice to get away and I see value in it. I also get a ton of vacation time now (never had that before, it was always a week per year or two weeks after you'd been there a year or whatever) so that helps. I have a ton of it banked too - maybe 8 weeks (?) which is nice if things ever went south or for when I finally leave so I can still have money coming in while I'm relocating, etc.

I figure I'll be here another 1-5 years and then be off to a different locale, new job, etc. (things are going that way now, I just need to feel like I've gotten out of being here what I can). Once that happens I'll reassess vacations, time off, etc. since it's all so situational-dependent.

[Brian in VA]

The last week or so has been bad.
Mon 24 hrs
Tues 6 hrs
Wed 24 hrs
Thurs 8 hrs
Fri 14 hrs
Sat 24 hrs
Sun 24 hrs
Mon 8 hrs
Tues 10 hrs
Wed today will be 24 hrs

Not great

[fintstone]

I did about 80 hours a week on my govt job...no overtime (first military then civil service) for almost 40 years (although I was only paid for 40 hrs). I use much of my vacation time to do reserve duty,

During sequestration last year, I stayed at home (and worked) with the TV on in my study... and saw (24 hrs a day) that my employer (both elected leaders and ordinary taxpayers) believed I was lazy, stupid, underworked and overpaid. Now I work exactly 40...what I am paid for.

If your poll choices were intended to insult government employees, congratulations.

[LWJ]

Flintsone. Ok. I am an ass. I apologize. My humor button overrode my good taste button. My father was Corps of Engineers for 35+ years. A HS buddie was active Army for 25+. My wife was a work-a-holic teacher. All gave huge contributions to the US over their personal lives. Again, I made an error.

Please forgive. I recognize that many many government workers are exceptional. Somehow, I only seemed to remember to complete losers and made some smart aleck postings.

Thank you for your and millions of other's service. I DO appreciate it.

Larry

[fintstone]

Originally Posted by LWJ

Flintsone. Ok. I am an ass. I apologize. My humor button overrode my good taste button. My father was Corps of Engineers for 35+ years. A HS buddie was active Army for 25+. My wife was a work-a-holic teacher. All gave huge contributions to the US over their personal lives. Again, I made an error.

Please forgive. I recognize that many many government workers are exceptional. Somehow, I only seemed to remember to complete losers and made some smart aleck postings.

Thank you for your and millions of other's service. I DO appreciate it.

Larry

Larry

Apology accepted. You are a heck of a man to admit a mistake as most of us who post here would never even consider we might be even a little wrong. Heck, I am often an ass and rarely apologize. Good for you.

I was not hurt, but many folks who know nothing of the hard work and sacrifice that many federal employees make (yes some are dirt bags) are influenced by the constant scapegoating by elected officials and the media...so I just wanted to make my point. It really was funny, but since there was no category for govt employeees (and there are many who post here) who worked 40 hours or more , it made any statistics automatically make them look bad. Lot of folks read the PP threads and some form opinons based on what they read here.

Many tend to lump all feds wth the guys that are prosecuted (because they break the rules that millions of others uphold) and the DMV (not feds) who kept us waiting to get new plates.

Thank you for the kind words and happy Thanksgiving.

[sammyg2]

8 1/2 years ago I joined this company and ago I had it made.
Making very good money and working what many would consider part-time. Basically an in-house consultant.
But I was too happy and companies don't like that

three promotions later (that I didn't ask for and didn't really want) my annual income has increased 250% but my hours worked per week has almost doubled and it isn't anywhere near as fun as it used to be. Even when I'm at home I'm involved with the plant.
My e-mails and calendar etc on my phone are tied directly to my work computer.

I plan to do the early retirement thing in 2022 but wouldn't mind trimming down the hours before then.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by fintstone

I did about 80 hours a week on my govt job...no overtime (first military then civil service) for almost 40 years (although I was only paid for 40 hrs). I use much of my vacation time to do reserve duty,

During sequestration last year, I stayed at home (and worked) with the TV on in my study... and saw (24 hrs a day) that my employer (both elected leaders and ordinary taxpayers) believed I was lazy, stupid, underworked and overpaid. Now I work exactly 40...what I am paid for.

If your poll choices were intended to insult government employees, congratulations.

Slacker!

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Brian in VA

The last week or so has been bad.
Mon 24 hrs
Tues 6 hrs
Wed 24 hrs
Thurs 8 hrs
Fri 14 hrs
Sat 24 hrs
Sun 24 hrs
Mon 8 hrs
Tues 10 hrs
Wed today will be 24 hrs

Not great

Dude. No offense, but you ain't doing it right.

[lane912]

last week was 102.75

i am tired

normal week for me is 50-

ran the engine to the red line and still made good decisions managing a full stage crew-

[mreid]

This is pretty much a good example of my day. Technology blurs the line, so work hours are subjective. I am in the office from 8:00 to 6:00 most days, but spend another hour or two each day using technology to answer email, review documents, and talk to people.

[patssle]

40 hours a week every week for 7 years now. With about 40 days of vacation time annually (paid, unpaid, holidays). I love my job and my employer but my life is more important than my job!

[rob justice]

I'm a designer in oil/gas.
Big number on just now designing the shale (Ethane) gas terminal that will bring the gas from the U.S. to Scotland.
Excluding travelling I'm 55 hour weeks but once this is out the way, reckon I'll spend a lot longer chillig.

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by Brian in VA

The last week or so has been bad.
Mon 24 hrs
Tues 6 hrs
Wed 24 hrs
Thurs 8 hrs
Fri 14 hrs
Sat 24 hrs
Sun 24 hrs
Mon 8 hrs
Tues 10 hrs
Wed today will be 24 hrs

Not great

That's not human.
Guy

[recycled sixtie]

Originally Posted by lane912

last week was 102.75

i am tired

normal week for me is 50-

ran the engine to the red line and still made good decisions managing a full stage crew-

This is not human either.
Guy