How is your work life balance?

I do an admin job at a university that would pay £30k per year if I was full time. I have great work life balance. I leave work and don't need to think about it until the next day. The work's interesting and varied.
Obviously a lot of people will want to earn more than that, but it suits me.

I'm contracted 08 30 - 16 30. I don't get a paid lunch break but I never, ever have an opportunity to take it. I don't leave until at least 17 00 on most days and often I work an hour or so at night just to keep on top of things. I've worked out that I barely get minimum wage.

I have applied elsewhere and am awaiting a start date.

I work in school finance. I work 37 hours a week and don't have to do anything extra outside of those hours. The job is very poorly paid and very inflexible though and I really don't enjoy it. I much prefer previous roles working for the council with flexi time, the opportunity to wfh and a more relaxed environment.

I also moved to the Civil Service but there's no clock watching in my team. We're busy without being stressed.

And come 5pm the whole building is empty - even senior management are gone.

Although my hourly rate sounded ok, a professional job which took years to qualify for, when I worked out the actual hourly rate taking account of the unpaid overtime that was completely the norm, I was on below minimum wage. So I left after some months and retrained for an allied healthcare professional role in the NHS. There can be apprenticeships, it’s not well-paid but the days go quickly, I like helping people, and I leave it at the door. And the hourly rate improves with time, there’s the option of private work and it’s better than what I had. Might not be right thing for you, but I hear you on work/life balance.

I moved to a civil service job and I only need to work the hours I am contracted to do, and if I work more, I can take the time off in lieu.

After years of a supposedly four day a week job but in a culture where people worked 6/7 days most weeks and a lot of evenings, this is eye opening. I took a pay cut. Middle manager pay grades.

I do find “working to fill up the hours” means people do a lot less (even given the hours, some are literally clock watching and don’t care what they do in the time) vs “working til the job is done” when people were driven by a sense of achievement/getting stuff done.