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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not be certain what people mean when they say they work for 12 hours a day.

393 replies

topcat2014 · 29/04/2018 20:32

Now, I get that we are busy - but here is my question.

If people say they work 60 hours a week (say), then do they really mean:

At my desk from 07:00 to 19:30 with a half hour for lunch, every day - or

Leave the house at 07:00 and arrive home at 19:00.

I have never worked anywhere where staff are sat at their desks from 7am to 7pm, so not quite sure.

OP posts:
GraceHelen · 01/05/2018 09:58

Start 7am finish 8.30pm (3 breaks 2 x 15 mins paid, 1x 30mins unpaid).
Luckily my travel time is under 20 mins

oatmilk4breakfast · 01/05/2018 10:27

Design studio - quite regularly worked on way in commuting, then all day meetings, writing etc, client presentations, travel and work on way home at 8pm...I assumed it was normal for London as husband did same. Work from home now. Still a lot of hours but more freedom to enjoy sunshine if needed - feel lucky!

bananafish81 · 01/05/2018 10:43

France has a 35-hour week. They can work more as long as all the hours built up are later taken as holiday, but the limit for the average over the year is 35 hours.

My previous company was based across offices in both London and Paris

I can assure you that people put in the time needed to deliver the work

My current client is a global bank, the French offices don't work to rule. If their boss is based in Hong Kong, they don't just decline conference calls outside of standard working hours for meetings with the teams in different time zones, because it would take them out of core hours

They're not clocking up time and taking time off in lieu when they have to do this, in my experience

I would be very surprised if corporate law, professional services and other global service businesses in France worked to rule. My experience would suggest very much otherwise. Happy to be disabused of this assumption. What is your experience of global services organisations in France?

LaurieMarlow · 01/05/2018 10:45

France has a 35-hour week. They can work more as long as all the hours built up are later taken as holiday, but the limit for the average over the year is 35 hours.

I've frequently worked with French partners. They certainly don't limit themselves to 35 hour weeks in the normal run of things, my experience is that they work longer hours than me. This is in consultancy btw, French civil servants probably do limit themselves to the 35.

I believe it is common for people to take the month of August off and for businesses to be closed for the duration (which I think is a great idea). However, I've worked with French colleagues who've worked into August and eaten into holiday time to service a contract. I doubt that factors into their 'official' hours.

It's like everything else. Officially and on paper I work 37.5 hours. In reality, it's far, far more, but official statistics wouldn't reflect that.

thatmustbenigelwiththebrie · 01/05/2018 11:04

I have never once stayed at work beyond the required time.

I refuse to - life is too short and I am not paid a massive salary.

I would never choose to work somewhere where it was expected to sit at your desk for 12+ hours a day. Unless you love work - more fool you!

Want2bSupermum · 01/05/2018 12:23

Same rubbish about Scandinavian countries working 30-40 hours a week. There are a lot of employees who don't. An awful lot. Those that do work 30-40 hours a week are low income or get time off in lieu over quieter times where they work a second job.

Parker231 · 01/05/2018 12:28

With the exception of NHS employees where I understand their shift patterns, there seems to be a lot of employees living to work rather than working to live. Everyone - there is much more to life than a 50 hour working week! For those doing these very long and often unsociable hours, when do you get to spend time with family, go out with friends, go to the gym etc?

DiegoMadonna · 01/05/2018 12:31

I don't think the country is really relevant. I'm sure people work too much in all countries.

Keywords there are: too much.

Bummymum · 01/05/2018 12:33

My job was 12 hours a day. With no lunch break. Add an hour and a half travel each way and I was out of the house for 15 hours. Very happy to be retired at 40!!!

romany4 · 01/05/2018 12:42

DH used to work in a slaughterhouse when the kids were small.

Left the house at 5.15 am. Worked 6 am to 6pm Monday to Friday. Home just in time for kids going to bed around 7pm
Worked 7 - 1 Saturday morning every other week overtimeweek

Awful job. He was exhausted

StipyTiger · 01/05/2018 14:40

All my work days are 7am to 70m with an hour for lunch. There is never any arriving late or leaving early as we have to handover to the next person. Then it's an hour commute each way so 12 hours working, 2 hours travel on top makes a 14 hour day. It's exhausting!

bananafish81 · 01/05/2018 14:44

I don't think the country is really relevant. I'm sure people work too much in all countries.

Absolutely. But the point being put forward was that this wasn't the case in France or in Scandinavia, that other countries don't have the same culture of long working hours. I (and other posters) would argue otherwise - that the same challenges within corporate service organisations that lead to long hours that I and other posters have outlined, exist elsewhere. That we are in a global economy, and it's hugely simplistic to say 'well other countries manage it', when actually the situation for similar companies (or even the same global organisation located in different markets) is no different outside the UK.

I agree the country isn't relevant - but Gwenhwyfar stated that it very much is

bananafish81 · 01/05/2018 14:44

Sorry bold fail!

I don't think the country is really relevant. I'm sure people work too much in all countries.

PoisonousSmurf · 01/05/2018 14:51

So, some of you think that's it's funny that I asked if you were 'loaded' doing so many hours? If you aren't getting paid. WHY do you work like slaves?
And don't tell me it's because of promotion. That's the biggest carrot in the world and it means nothing in the long run. You might get 20p extra an hour. Wow! All for ruining your health!

Want2bSupermum · 01/05/2018 15:10

poisonous Totally agree with you. We get paid really well for working long hours. Household income is about £700k. We keep our expenses down and spend more on our family than we do on ourselves.

I wouldn't work like I do for £40-50k a year.

bananafish81 · 01/05/2018 15:24

Poisonous I think you're being dismissive of the incredibly hard working teachers, nurses, doctors, care workers, nannies and many other occupations where people work very long hours and don't get mega bucks for doing so

If you aren't getting paid. WHY do you work like slaves?

If you think the people teaching your kids and keeping our hospitals going are such mugs for their hard work for the wages they receive, what do you propose?

I am in the very fortunate position of getting paid a lot for the hours I do, in a corporate environment where the work is remunerated accordingly

I don't work any harder than a nurse. And my job is significantly less valuable overall.

Do you think everyone in the public sector who doesn't earn over inflated wages for their long hours should just pack up?

Poopooweewee · 01/05/2018 15:36

Anyone who says they work a 12 hour day that includes their commute is a knob Grin

Poopooweewee · 01/05/2018 15:38

romany4

DH used to work in a slaughterhouse when the kids were small

I should think the long hours were the least of his worries Sad

caringcarer · 01/05/2018 16:12

My adult ds works as lorry driver. He often does start 5.30am finish at 6.30. He has 2 x half hour breaks. Paid for 12 hours.

isittooearlyforgin · 01/05/2018 16:19

Barbaraofseville - I am a teacher and don't consider that to be a desk job at all!

mypickleliesovertheocean · 01/05/2018 16:20

If you aren't getting paid. WHY do you work like slaves?

Because people need ambulances. We have a starting salary of £16.5k but we do get unsocial hours enhancements. If I remember rightly there were threads on MN when the NHS pay rise came about saying that we were all being greedy and selfish for wanting more, because private sector workers don't get yearly pay rises.

So we're supposed to what - demand more and be called greedy? Not work and let people die? Or just carry on as we are and make the best of our pay?

Checklist · 01/05/2018 16:51

To answer the question, why work long hours if you are not getting paid - would you, if you had a 1 in 3 chance of being made a partner, where you may end up earning £350,000 pa in a medium sized firm, or a £1 million in a big firm? You would be eventually your own boss, and a multi millionaire with half a dozen houses, say in London, Paris, etc?

That is why people do it in my profession in central London!

DiegoMadonna · 01/05/2018 16:53

Or vote for a party that wants to pay paramedics more? Lobby your MP to raise paramedic salaries? Start a new political party that promises to pay emergency service workers a higher salary?

You specifically don't have to do these things mypickle, I just hate this perspective that this is how things are and the only choice is either work for peanuts or let people die.

TERFousBreakdown · 01/05/2018 16:58

@Checklist, as stated upthread, that is precisely why I do it.

In all fairness, I don't get paid for overtime as such - but I already get a quite ridiculously high salary as a middle manager on the understanding that overtime is expected.

Ski40 · 01/05/2018 17:02

In my last job, I worked 9:00 till 5:30 and very often I would have to take work home as the workload was simply brutal. I'd ocasionally be typing well into midnight once kids were in bed. I was on crap money too. 😞