Does everyone leave work ASAP on Friday??

[Lipperfromchipper]

I’m home already with cuppa after work (im a teacher and we all ran out of school 🤣) and just had a phone call from a friend who was on her way out the door of her workplace. Is this common practice? Who else leaves work early on a Friday!! It’s bliss!!

In teaching it isn’t about hard vs easy or it being harder than other jobs, or more stressful- sometimes it is hard, sometimes stressful, as other jobs are. But the big this is the sheer amount of time everything takes and the lack of time you have to do it in.

But teachers obviously eat and drink tea in those "11 hours". It's rubbish to say that they work 7.30-6.30 with no break. That's just disingenuous. The kids are gone at 3.15. I can guarantee you teachers don't just launch straight from 3.15-6.30 without a tea or snack break.

Most of us work. I take home work. I'm still honest about the hours I actually "work" versus the time that the rest of us don't count in our 37.5 hour weeks, as they are breaks. By your logic, I'm in the office every day from 8.30-5.15, so I work a "8 hr 45 min" or a ~44 hour week (plus another 6 or so outside work on e-mails), so a "50 hour week". But most of us just call that a full time job. Because we are honest about breaks.

Also, top tip: tidy up and prepare next session while children are in class. We manage in Ireland no problem. Can also correct copies during that time.

I couldn't and wouldnt be a teacher for anything but it has been stated on MN (which seems to have a high % of teachers) as a fact, that it's the most stressful job over all other jobs.
Which I don't think is 100% true. I know someone who left teaching because it gave them a nervous breakdown, I also know many teachers who enjoy their jobs but I can't be dealing with their fb countdown memes to every school hol . I know people in lots of other jobs, some of which they find incredibly stressful.
Also there are pros and cons to not working a standard 9-5 monday to friday jobs.

TartanMarbled We are absolutely not allowed to “tidy up” and prepare for thd next session while the children are in class! Wtf?! That is teaching time! Yes, we can get a few bits of marking done on the books of children we are working with but not the level of marking expected on each and every book.

My management would take a very dim view at coming into my classroom and finding me tidying up with my class present in the room.

And yes, I do work 3.30 (time the children finish) to whatever time I leave the building solidly, I simply wouldn’t fit the workload in otherwise. I can go to the toilet during that time (which I can’t during teaching time). I don’t tend to eat as it isn’t a mealtime, I may have an apple or something while working on computer. A colleague may carry their pile of marking through to my classroom and we sit and chat while both doing our marking. But yes, working solidly because otherwise why would I still be in the building?! Why wouldn’t I just leave when “finished”?

I leave on the dot Monday to Friday no better thought of for working extra so I don't anymore.

@Lollypalooza I suppose I just don't think I'd call chatting with a colleague while marking "working solidly". We certainly wouldn't get away with that in my workplace. I can guarantee you you'd be finished in half the time if you just marked without chatting.

I've no problem with you chatting while marking, but be honest that that's what's doubling the time, not the tremendous workload.

Most of us work very hard. We are also honest about what counts as work and what counts as sitting around chatting.

TartanMarbled Ok, we’ll beg to differ. Out of interest, what job do you do, where you are expected to sit in silence for 9 hours a day?

My job is a piece of piss compared to a teacher's job

yours may be.

Last night my 19 year old daughter did a twelve hour shift as a care worker followed by 3 hours this morning where she covered for health and safety whilst ringing round for someone to come in because two of the three on the next shift called in sick - that was hard - and not unusual.

As I say, different stresses, not easier or harder than everybody else.

@Lollypalooza I have my own office. I chat with people on my breaks.

Or in meetings, obviously. But that's work-related. You'll find most of us don't sit around chatting while working.

BeyondMyWits yes, that's why I didn't say it was harder than all other jobs. But it is harder than a lot of jobs.

In the olden days banks used to close early everyday to do back office stuff. It was nice to at least get a break from the customer facing bit.

But then I worked for Abbey National who stayed open until 5pm every day and I’m sure were one of the first banks to open on a Saturday. And the pay was shit too.

I used to so envy the early finishers.

TartanMarbled Yes, well for around 6 hours of the day I’m with the children, so not chatting. No one chats before school as we’re busy getting sorted for the children coming in. After school, as I’ve said, two days a week we have meetings, so we’re talking but not chatting. Marking sets of books maybe takes an hour or so at the end of the day so it’s only really a small amount of the day you’d describe as chatting while working and even then it’s not every day, just if the colleague in the next room is also marking at the same time and rather than us sitting in isolation. I don’t really think chatting sporadically back and forth “doubles” the time it takes, and if it did I wouldn’t do it- I do have a family to get home to and don’t want to spend more time than I have to at work.

Anyway, enjoy the rest of your Saturday. I’m off to collect DD from dancing and take her to see Frozen 2 now

Different jobs are different.

Work from home on a Friday

I chat most of the day while working (creative) except when using machinery or doing admin, and we have music on. Today I am doing vat and accounts and I couldn't have a conversation unless it was related to the task.

I'm so looking forward to working from home on Friday. Haven't been able to for a few weeks.

I work shifts and have to be here for handover at 8, so no chance of ever leaving early.

Leaving early on a Friday, or in fact any day , isn't an option for most people. Though I still love that Friday feeling.... even if I'm working through the weekend.

School here finishes at 12:15 on a Friday. Most families at least one parent is off on Fridays or works a half day from home. It’s been like this 20 years, we’ve all got used to it.

I dont work now (sahm) but when I did then I would often work until my usual time of 5/5.30.

Was in a job where a large part of the week would be reacting to incoming phone calls so after 4 on a friday the switchboard was shut down and Id have time to do tasks that were best done without interruptions.

Was on flexitime so Id accrue extra hours for a day off.

museumum my youngest finishes at 11:20 on a Friday 1pm the rest of the week.

My secondary school children finish at 12:25 every day (start at 07:25, two short breaks, no lunch break needed, same 6 school hours/ 6 lesson timetable as I had when teaching 8:45 - 15:30 in the UK, just less spread out).

DH usually finishes at lunch time on Friday, I often work 12:00- 22:00 or 14:00-22:00 then sleep in (counts as 2 hours unless I have to get up) and do 06:00-10:00 or 12 the next day, then have 3/4 of the weekend free having done half a week's full time hours.

I don't teach any more obviously - shifts work better (and pay better) for me now. Don't take any work home though I'm studying again myself so have that to do at home - but once I've finished I look forward to the glorious luxury of a true separation of work and home.