AIBU to ask what my working hours would be? What hours do you work?

[ConfusedCareerWoman]

I am job hunting at the moment, have one offer but a third interview for another role on Thursday this week. So far the company have not said what my working hours would be, and I am getting concerned. This is a very small company and on their website it says open 8am until 7pm, if I am expected to work those hours every day then I do not want to waste anyone's time by attending a third interview. It is a receptionist role. So I have asked in an email about what my working hours would be, and now part of me thinks they will see this as not being committed enough, but I think that 8 - 7 is taking the piss a bit.

Am I being unreasonable or unrealistic to want to work no more than 9 to 5 or 6 most days? I'm willing to extend that during hectic periods now and again but don't want my core hours to be 8 - 7, it seems way too long to me especially when adding a commute of nearly an hour each way.

What hours do you work? Are you happy with them?

Mon-Thursday 8-6
Friday- work from home
Love my job so don't mind about the hours

I expect you would be working within those hours, and if you were working until close, starting later in the day.

I work 7 and a quarter hours a day, usually 8.15 ish to 4.15 ish or 9.30 ish to 5.30 ish with officially 30 mins for lunch which in reality is 15-20 mins. We have flexitime hence the "ish". Those hours give me around 15 mins over my actual working hours, which I can acrue and either take off or work a shorter day from time to time.

I am very lucky

As long as the hours they want to be worked comply with emp law then they are doing nothing wrong/taking the piss.

Having said that, i wouldn't work those hours. Far too much with children to consider.

If they don't give you a straight/any answer before the interview i would go along anyway! You never know, there might be a shift/rota arrangement.

I think it's totally reasonable to ask them what your hours would be. I'm surprised they haven't mentioned it tbh.

I work a 35 hour week: Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm. This might change once I go back after maternity but at the minute it's a great shift.

I don't think you are unreasonable to ask as the job has to be the right fit for you as well as you for the company. There is a good way to word the question and a way to word it that would give the company pause.
It is hard to say with those hours whether you would do them all or whether they will split it into shifts and asking is the only way to get an answer.

Personally I work 8-5.30pm and would much rather it was 9-3pm in a perfect world! I am however fortunate that my working day is flexible, some days I may work longer hours, but equally I can usually find time for other things if I need to do something during the working day.

if work days 7am to 7pm

nights 9pm to 7am

20ish min drive there

I don't think it's unreasonable to ask them. You need to know what hours they expect you to work.

31 hours per week

Mon 8am-6pm
Tues 8am-6pm
Wed 8am-5pm
Thurs 8am-11.30am
Friday Off.

Hate the Mon and Tues, long days, but love the long weekend. Well worth it

I imagine there will be two people doing the job, so you will have some early days and some later days. But I don't KNOW that!

I work four days 8:45-3 and one day 8:30-12, plus one evening or late afternoon.

I've done reception work before and it was either 8am to 5pm or 9pm to 6pm with an hour for lunch. The hour either side and lunch was covered by the boss of the company or his PA. If they are open 11 hours a day it would be unrealistic to expect one person to cover reception for the entire 11 hours, they need a second receptionist or cover for that.

If an 11 hour day is the norm you wouldn't want the job.

If it's not, then I can't see they'd mind you asking. I've interviewed people for jobs and they often ask that kind of thing. We wouldn't think badly of them for asking and it shows they're serious about the job

Of course it's not unreasonable to ask! That's a responsible thing to do, especially if you know that 8-7 would rule you out of accepting (can't think of many employees that would be happy with that on a daily basis, unless it's a very senior role). Interview processes are a two-way street.

I work 22.5 hours a week. I can do this over three days or four. I can work from home. I do tend to work extra hours which I don't get paid for but as I like my job I don't mind

Our work reception is manned 24/7.
By a professional receptionist 8-5, and by security outside those time.

I don't think you'll be required to work an 11 hr day, 5/6/7 days a week - its too many hours.

DH starts at 7.30, and so finishes earlyish most days, which is nice, so I think I'd like to start at 8 every day, or finish at 7 every day, with a 40 hr week (ie 37.5 with 30 mins for lunch) - which would give me time before or after school with the kids.

the working time directive means you don't have to work more than 48 hrs/week

I would imagine it would be a rota basis with more than one receptionist ? You would need lunch cover etc surely.
My offices are open 8 til 9 7 days a week. My contracted hours are 36 but I usually work about 50.

I work mon-fri 8-12. They told me straight away in the interview what shifts were available and what the hours were.

Personally I would have emailed or phoned to ask this question before I applied as no point applying for a job you can't or are not willing to do.Having said that , it is a reasonable question to ask in an interview.

I'm a chef so work irregular shifts, but on a weekend I can work 8am until 11pm, with 2 x 20 minute breaks (if I get the chance). We call it the AFD- all fucking day. It's hard work!

9.15 -3 for me. 4 days a week (variable but usually off on a Monday).

The reception in the law firm I work at is open 8 - 6 I think but they do shifts, usually 8 - 4, 9 - 5 and 10 - 6, think there are three of them. The main reception in my building is open 24/7.

My working hours vary massively. 8.40 - 6.30 on average I would say, but more like 9 - 6 50% of the time and 8 - 8 40% of the time when I've got a deal completing, then 10% of the time made up of half 9-5 when I am slacking less busy and the other half of the time something like 7am until midnight which happens occasionally and must be tolerated. Wow, I made that complicated.

Working time directive is not in force unless you work for the government or another public body. It's a regulation now which applies to private companies. However they could just say a condition of accepting the job is that you opt out of it, or it could even just be in your employment particulars which you'd sign. Mine was. And I work part time!

I'm contracted to work 30 hours a week. I can start any time from 8am and work any time until 10pm. I usually do one sleep a week and my commute can take between 1 1/2hrs to 2hrs dependent on time of day/bus times.

I am sure they will tell you the hours. It is strange they have not done so so far.
The working time directive applies to public and private sector employers but people can easily opt out of it and work longer hours if they want to.

As for what the rest of us work it does not really matter as it is so variable and depends on the work. I work for myself but even when I worked in the City I happily worked much longer hours than more receptionists do. I work pretty long hours now but that's fine with me - much rather be working than cleaning the house any day.

Tuesday to Friday 8-7ish, plus occasional weekends.
Love the job. Hate the hours.

35 hrs
8am - 4pm as a preference
If I'm in another office 8.30 - 4.30.
I'd rather get up and get it over and done with.