To ask, how hard do you work at your job?

[Countrymouse1]

Curious as to how hard you find your job?

Do you do a lot of unpaid extra hours, work through lunch? Is your workload manageable?

What is the most stressful thing about your role?

I am going through a rough time with my work situation, and am eternally grateful to MNetters for just being there with me when I was panicking (a LOT) about it all this morning and over the last few days. I am sorting that with my doctor and going to find a new job. I need to do some serious thinking about what move will be right for me, my confidence is a bit low, and want to make a good decision and see what the norm is for levels of job stress.

Very, I have about a quick lunch break to go toilet and get a glass of water then I'm back to work. If I'm not in my office I'm in the court room. I'm usually working from home even on my days off and doing stupid amounts of paperwork but I adore my job, I've even been known to dream about my job. I know I'm not normal

I probably work about 60-70 hours a week. I love my job. Most of the time I'm dealing with issues relating to my research, meeting practices, presenting the research and training them to do what they have to do. Then there's teaching undergraduates, supervising post-graduates. Writing papers, reading papers and writing reports for my funding bodies. Dealing with admin and e-mails. Usual stuff. I'm also "rented out" by the department to do consultancy work on their behalf. I only have a proper lunch break when I have a lunchtime meeting and rarely get home before 6pm. It's standard in academia. We all have to work our arses off and long hours are expected.

no I dont do overtime I'm a contractor some days I'm busy from 9-5 other days not so much. today was empty so did mainly mm netting. swings and roundabouts. busy all day or not. I do feel for what they are paying me it should be more busy.

I work 9/9.30 - 5.30/6pm. I generally eat in the office and do end up fielding queries and doing bits of work during what should be my lunch break.

Some days, when we're busy I work flat out all day without pausing for breath, stay late etc. Most days I work hard but have time to chat to colleagues, look at stuff online etc. On really quiet days the boss sometimes sends me home early as she knows I put the time in at other points of the year when it is needed.

The main thing is I care about the results and take pride in my work, so I'll do what it takes to get things done to my own standards. That said it is not a particularly high pressured or high paid job so it is perfectly possible to do that during normal working hours.

I work in a university. I work part time (0.5 FTE), so it's manageable even though I do work more than my allotted hours.

Also, I had a job in the past where I just didn't have enough to do - it was well paid and challenging in a way, but just didn't keep me busy. I'd clock watch all day and it was miserable. I'd much rather be busy and have slightly too much to do, it makes the day go much faster.

Tend to work through my breaks and have a brew at my desk and sometimes just have a v short lunch ( try to get out of my room though). Rushed off my feet some days and exhausted but others it is a lot more quiet and can take a longer lunch and maybe finish a bit earlier which is nice for picking up my son from childcare. It swings in roundabouts. I had to put the years in to get it like this. 24 hour shift before they were outlawed (they were fun!!). A few years studying for my post grad and other quals when all my holidays went on studying and I was up all hours after work finishing projects with sticks in my eyes. So figure I have reaped what I sowed and enjoying a better work/ life balance now.

I work in education.

My contract states I work 16 hours, in reality, I work around 22 hours on site and a further 3 hours or so at home per week. It's a lot of work, demanding and busy at all times.

Worst part, lack of respect and appreciation for the work we do. I get paid minimum wage and frankly, it's a disgrace! but I love it

I find my job hard, I've only been qualified a year so it's just starting to get easier. I also work for the NHS and of course we get breaks (regular and better than some private sector jobs). I sometimes work through my tea break if I'm busy but I always take lunch. I only get 30 minutes and can't eat on a ward so I have to take a break. I'm often 20 minutes or so late out and don't get the time back, that's normal for my work. I don't really mind, I'd rather do a good job and take a bit longer.

The most stressful bit for me is that the workload is always increasing and staffing levels are always decreasing. And the fact that any mistake I make could have serious consequences for a patient, my job or my registration. I'm on medicine for anxiety but it's making work manageable. I think some stress is normal.

I do flexitime which is great, but means I get in early and leave early on certain days.

Generally I am glued to my Work phone and will organise calls at the weekend and in the evening, as well as covering emails all evening. Whenever I don't leave nearly I'll stay late and even when I do, will email while cooking supper for DS. I've taken lunch maybe three times in the last, 2 years - might pop to a shop but doing emails at the same time. On holidays will take my work phone and keep up to date.

But that's the nature of my industry - left work at 7pm having got in at 8.30 and my colleague was planning on working til 9.30 - there's a free cab service in place for post 9pm working.

I don't resent it, it's my expectation of 'work' and the only way I'll meet expectations. I've never done lunch or clocked off at 6, but this is central London, international business. If I was UK focussed and not in a commercial team my expectations would be very different. Bottom line: if it doesn't work for you, don't do it. Whether that means doing it differently or finding something else.

I work for a supermarket, I work my contracted hours, sometimes like this week I do extra to cover those with small children on holiday. Its really not hard, I can say no to any extra and get paid for extra. I get two breaks and have to take them, and sometimes get a few extra free breaks if we not busy. So much better than my previous life working in office when I was there 7am to 7pm some days with no extra pay or time for lunch, money is halved though, but tax credits make up some of that.

i work very hard, long hours, lunch occassionally. I do love it though and am fab at my job.

Nhs shifts of 12.5 hours, rarely take my full breaks and am often still there 2 hours late to complete my non nursing work and paperwork. Wouldn't have it any other way, I love my job.

I used to work long hours, traveled loads with work, got promoted and generally loved it but work was my life. Woke up one morning and thought fuck it. Now I'm in the same job in a different organisation. I work 9-5 roughly but don't take lunch. I'm generally bored and can happily waste a couple of hours a day skiving playing on the Internet. I'm too bored now and want to find the happy medium between manicly stressed and under employed. At the begining of the year I worked 60-70 hour weeks now I work 15 hours or so a week. In both jobs I was paid to work 35 hours. Same salary for both jobs. Same job title. Just two very different companies each effectively doing the same thing.

In by 7.45 (for 8.45 start), usually in work for 2 hours after the day officially finishes and often do work at home. Don't really get breaks but make sure I have at least 20 mins most lunchtimes to catch up with colleagues. Great holidays, some of which is spent at work. I work 4 days - 5th day off gives me the balance I need. Love my job but it's always on my mind - ideas come to me at the strangest moments!

I go like the clappers from the second I get in, through lunch often and an extra 30 mins late daily too. It's not expected and they do try and soho us away from our desks at lunchtime, but I'm also a control freak and don't want to leave stuff undone. I really enjoy my job, I mostly feel appreciated and am new enough that I'm still trying to prove myself to a degree. I feel pressured and stressed most weeks and the clock watching is 'argh it's nearly home time, argh how the fuck is it Friday again already?' and never because I want to leave.

Other jobs I've felt taken for a ride and like I'm doing someone out of a job by working free overtime like a good little worker bee. Most people work hard, but there are varying degrees of taking the piss from employers and lack of humanity.

I work flexi-time so mainly I get time back as holidays if I do work extra. I'm on a part-time contract and try and stick to that as otherwise I should negotiate full-time surely. I'm in project management. I have to work hard not to let it take over, but for me a balanced life is important.

I have a great job that started with family friendly (school hours term time only) hours 16 years ago. Now my kids have flown the nest I have increased the hours but only to 4 days a week and still with 6 weeks holidays plus bank holidays. I always take half an hour for lunch - work much better in the afternoon if I have had some fresh air and a walk.

My job is not particularly pressured other than in January when I work full time and on a Saturday if need be. Which means, if there is a deadline, I am more than happy to put in a few extra hours.

I work bloody hard when I'm there but I don't do outside my contracted hours. My boss understands that I need to arrive on time and leave on time for childcare reasons. It's not a highly paid job and I have a lot of experience so they get very good value out of me but I am too old to get sucked into working loads of unpaid hours (I did do when I was younger).

Some days I can work 17 hours depending on what the day throws at me. I often do on call over weekends. I rarely finish on time and often work 10+ hours over my contracted hours. I do love it though!

I'm an academic. Contrary to the bullshit stereotype, I work very long hours -- about 60 hours a week, regularly. Lunchbreaks are a rarity, let alone "sherry parties." And I am not "unworldly" or "absent-minded." The modern university is corporate business, red in tooth & claw.

OP by the nature of your title you're going to get competitive grafters - don't let it make you feel like you should be accepting of or happy with the level of stress you're under.

Do what is right for you and try not to workaboutother people :)

*worry about other

During my very long working life (aged 15-52 so far) I've found that as long as most of it you enjoy, how hard you work doesn't matter, nor how long you work. Sometimes, "hard work" feels good, sometimes it doesn't. Satisfaction of a job being done, measured by one's own criteria, irrespective of any other criteria overlaid onto it, measures if work is hard or not. It isn't really quantifiable on an hours worked basis. Or money paid. It's an area that requires including emotion, how the worker feels, from an individual non-corporate, un-unionized perspective. It can't be quantified in hours and pay scales. If you think it is then mostly you will feel hard done by.

Thank you for all the replies, the variety of jobs is fascinating. You are all such hard workers! Cant believe the amount of long hours Im seeing.

Time for me to have a reality check, I dont think I am cut out for a career, I cant do the hours without my mental health buckling. I dont want a life on benefits but not sure what else to do. I know I'm good at what I do but have no stamina

Would love to hear more of the interesting work you all do though! Really cool to read about what you do and the determination people devote to their careers.