To think working 64 hours in a week is too much?

[happinessisabutterfly]

Concerned about a good friend who is doing this.

Are there laws against it?

Aibu to think it is too much and worry she'll make herself poorly?

In 1999, I was in IT, working to make sure all servers of a particular operating system weren't going to fall over on the stroke of midnight.
I worked stupid hours, often through the night but I got paid extremely handsomely for it.
I was young, childless and knew it was only for a certain amount of time.
Wouldn't do the same now though, it'd kill me.

I suspect the hours averaged out when you take away the holidays. Over the year I probably worked less than the average person but the weeks during term time were intense.

Storynanny I was often the first to leave.

DH and I both work 60+ hours a week as lawyers. Very common in law.

Teaching is ridiculous. Teachers always try to outdo each other with hours worked, for some reason. A doctor who took 3 hours to write a prescription would be deemed a shite doctor but for some reason teachers think the more hours they put in the more it proves - what? Dedication? How hard it all is? Not sure.

I have never tried to work harder than anybody else. I never really moaned that much about my hours when I worked tbh. They were what they were. When I decided that I did not want to do it anymore I quit. Much of my teaching career was spent trying to do as little as possible, not spending longer on tasks do I could feel virtuous or act the martyr. However if you teach a literacy based subject the hours can be long - in term time. The trade off is long holidays which for me were always work free.

Now my whole life is a holiday - which suits me.

Primary teachers are in school from 8-5 with no real breaks so 45 hours minimum in school. then add a longer meeting in, planning at home etc etc

I go to many schools - teachers are always in by 8am.

I taught English.

I think it's a shame the ops thread has been derailed by a load of teachers to be honest but I knew it would happen when I saw the thread title

Its a bit shit though atticus? Surely you'd prefer to spend a bit less time working? What else do you have going on in your life?

I just don't think that people are managing their time if they have to work such long hours( unless they are paid hourly).
I have an extremely demanding job and have never ever worked over fifty hours a week.

Yes, everyone knows how many hours teachers work. I'm interested in hearing from other professions.

I must say though in general that this is the most depressing thread I have ever read on here!

It's not as simple as saying long hours = poor time management. The problem with law is the lack of control over workload, e.g. Multiple clients all demanding their work urgently.

We talk about expectation management a lot, but at the end of the day, if we don't deliver there are competitors who will (which is no good for anyone).

Between-It is pretty depressing
What's the point in implementing flexible working , Working Time Directive when so many people appear to opt out?

When I was in my early twenties was quite happy to be at work if not out partying but now I am a mum my priorities are different.

I don't see 60+ hours as normal.. I could work more but want to spend time with my DC...

It is shit but it's the profession.

Actually I'm very lucky in that I now run my own law firm and so in theory I can choose the hours I work. The reality is however that the client demands mean the work has to be done and you can't let down a client or you'll lose them. I start work when the Dcs leave in the morning at seven. I pick them up from the school bus at 5 and spend a couple of hours with them until bedtime and then most nights I start again once they're in bed for a couple of hours. I generally work for a few hours each weekend day too.

The week before last I was in court all week and worked from 7am to around midnight every day.

I do also spend a fair bit of time on MN (particularly if I'm on a long and boring conference call).

I work in the health sector and it seems very normal for 'managers' to do these sorts of hours. Generally people do family stuff and then sit down and work until midnight or so.

I think it's why we drink so much... :/

Competition is global areyou and not all countries limit their workforces' availability as we do in the EC. I am thinking mainly of the U.S. but also much of the developing world. The WTD is pretty toothless anyway - I have always been "invited" to opt out

AS I said upthread DH does 60+ hours on the odd week! but the vast majority of the time it's about 50

I fully understand that on occasion people work 70 hours plus but I don't think that it's maintainable

This all makes me appreciate how lucky we are. We don't earn insane salaries but dh and I between us earn a respectable amount. I work 15-20 hours pw, he works about 40.

I feel tired just thinking about how many hours some posters work.
I love my job, but I can't imagine working such long hours .

I think at the moment this is partly because people in education / health / social services have all had so many cuts but the workload remains the same. People can't be turned away so the system is running at a ridiculous rate.

I'm a lawyer. I don't earn megabucks but I do have a good work : life balance. I have the Oxbridge degree etc that would have got me a job in the City but I decided pretty early on that no way was I going to work in an office that had beds in it. So I chose an area of law that was less pressurised.

I sometimes work 70 hours a week but usually more like 50 (lawyer). The 70 hour weeks aren't very frequent but they make me very tired. It is really not good for you, and I know of several bright young people who have genuinely ruined their health by working in the City. I hear of lawyers working 100 hour weeks - it's insane. You really cannot be doing your best work on 4 hours sleep a night.

A lot of lawyers become alcoholics or have nervous breakdowns, marriage breakdowns etc.

I will probably not bother to stay in private practice in the city - I really don't think it's worth it.

I didn't open this thread earlier because I knew from the title that people would be falling over themselves to dismiss 60+he working weeks as puny and insignificant and I was too annoyed at the thought of it to actually read it. What nonsense. If you're happy to spend your entire life at work then I wonder if you don't have anything else in your life. No one should be happy to work ridiculous hours, employers shouldn't be able to buy your soul (at a pretty cheap price often it seems!) People should spend most of their time with their families,enjoying their interests, relaxing and taking care of their physical and mental health. There is so much more to life than work. And I say that as a teacher, who works hard. I'm sick of seeing colleagues break down and burn out. No job is worth it.