To think 45 hours a week is too much

[Letthebodieshitthefloor]

Monday to Friday 9-6 with a 30 minute lunch break.
I'm sure there will be people on here who say they do 70/80 hours a week but I just feel that even 45 is slightly too much. Thinking of seeing if I can cut down to 4 days and 36 hours.

It also depends whether that 42.5 hours is all that’s expected of you or if there is an expectation for you to do more
I have never understood this. If you are ' expected to do more' is it unpaid? Do you have to do more than you are contracted to? Is it all the time ir just occasionally?

It’s all the time. I’ll give the example of my current company. A ‘normal’ working week is 29 hours and that’s what you’re contracted for (on an annual pro rata basis, but I digress).

Oh top of that, you’re expected to do an additional 3-4 hours a day as ‘independent work’ in order to be well prepared for what happens during your normal working hours. If you don’t do this extra work, you won’t be performing to expected standards. You’d get asked to leave. I don’t know if that all makes sense, I don’t want to give more info as outing.

But yes, you’re regularly expected to work more than the contracted hours. We are paid a slightly higher wage than average for our 29 hours, but contracts are definitely not calculated on the knowledge that we actually work closer to 60/70h each week. That’s how the industry works (performing arts - niche area).

I think it depends on so many things. What's the nature of the job and do you enjoy it? What other responsibilities do you have? Is the pay worth it?
It would be too much for me!

we share our building with another GP, their receptionist does Mon-Friday 08:00-18:30 but their lovely boss buys them all lunch but he still has to answer phone/desk during that lunch break. We are a much bigger practice so have 6 admin staff all parttime who cover recpetion and other admin tasks

I'm shocked by these answers. I'm early 30s, two small children like most of my friends, and would consider someone working an actual 37.5hr week (if full time) very fortunate. Everyone else seems to work longer days as a matter of course across a variety of industries, both private and public sector. Perhaps the people who work 9-5 are the ones on MN at 7pm though and there will be different answers later on!

My DH does a 55-60 hour week every week. It is his own business but sales so needs that kind of availability. I used to work 25 hours per week but was made redundant in 2020. We have chosen for Me not to work and I do all the home chores. This has made no end of difference to our lives. I know this set up is very much frowned upon on MN but it works for us. I worry that this is too many hours for
One person though particularly as my DH only takes any time off if we go away and as neither of us are happy to fly whilst masks are required it Could be some time before he has a break.

@notacooldad

It also depends whether that 42.5 hours is all that’s expected of you or if there is an expectation for you to do more I have never understood this. If you are ' expected to do more' is it unpaid? Do you have to do more than you are contracted to? Is it all the time ir just occasionally? Genuine question. Where I work we have a number of weekly hours that you are paid ( 37)but it is worked out over the month. So some weeks I might do 40 and the following week I may do 34. As long as it balances to 148 over a 4 week period it's ok. Most of our different teams in our department work like this. Some weeks I may be scheduled to do 20 hours and decide when and how I want to make the other 17 up during the monthly period. However a regular 45hour week would be too much for me.

Yes lots of jobs e.g. in education, healthcare and social care unfortunately where the workload just totally exceeds contracted hours. So not uncommon to work through ‘breaks’ which are automatically deducted from pay, not to mention going in an hour before your contracted start time and finishing an hour or 2 late or if having to rush off for nursery then completing that work once children are in bed. Then not to mention reports being written, calls being taken and meetings etc attended on days off.

I work 30 hours a week (half time 🤣🤣🤣...I'm a GP) I could not work any more as I'm "done" when I get home and can't function. Retire in about 600 days!!

If it’s well paid and you could afford someone to take care of the cleaning, shopping, cooking, laundry, it wouldn’t be too onerous.

I’m a teacher, my contracted hours are 8:30-16:30 with a half hour lunch break but it is rare I’m not in work from 8:00 to 18:00 and some days I’ll get in earlier or stay late. Plus I take work home several evenings a week and weekends. I thought that was pretty standard for any professional role but the responses on this thread have been interesting as seems lots of people wouldn’t accept these working hours. Maybe I need to try and start leave at 4:30/5:00 more frequently.

I hate when employers do this with time creep. A standard working week is 35 hours. 9-5. Or it might be 8-4. 10-6 etc. Everytime a recruiter rings me to suggest a job with an employer expecting over 40 hours a week, I explain that I'll expect the pay to be 15% higher than a 35h a week role. If it isnt, they know where they can shove it. It never is.

I’m a teacher, my contracted hours are 8:30-16:30 with a half hour lunch break but it is rare I’m not in work from 8:00 to 18:00 and some days I’ll get in earlier or stay late. Plus I take work home several evenings a week and weekends. I thought that was pretty standard for any professional role but the responses on this thread have been interesting as seems lots of people wouldn’t accept these working hours. Maybe I need to try and start leave at 4:30/5:00 more frequently.

I would do those hours if I got 12 weeks holiday vs the 5 weeks considered standard in most professional jobs.

I work for myself so my hours vary between 0 - 60 depending on what I need to do. Some staff work an average of 46 hours, some only 30, some just one day a week, but all of them are happy with hours they work otherwise I wouldn't want them to do it. All our breaks are paid and holiday is very flexible.

If you're not happy change it, life is too short!

It depends what you do, if you enjoy your job and if you can financially cope with doing less hours?

If I could financially work 2/3 days a week I definitely would as although I enjoy working it’s hard to have any life.

@MolkosTeenageAngst

I’m a teacher, my contracted hours are 8:30-16:30 with a half hour lunch break but it is rare I’m not in work from 8:00 to 18:00 and some days I’ll get in earlier or stay late. Plus I take work home several evenings a week and weekends. I thought that was pretty standard for any professional role but the responses on this thread have been interesting as seems lots of people wouldn’t accept these working hours. Maybe I need to try and start leave at 4:30/5:00 more frequently.

Ha yes you could try, I do wonder whether people realise quite how much unpaid time teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers etc commonly put in

Ha yes you could try, I do wonder whether people realise quite how much unpaid time teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers etc commonly put in

Yeah, teachers especially never mention it

I used to work 8.30 to 6 with an hour for lunch for a tech company). I often had to stay late and also did the odd day at the weekend. I was single then but it was an absolute and utter pain in the butt. I used to be in the gym at 6am just to try and fit in some exercise.

I was also out a fair bit and spent my life permanently tired. I have no idea how I did it.

I do work long days but it is much more on my terms now.

Yes, it's a lot.

That sounds totally normal to me

I'm probably not the best person to answer this lol. Would love to work only 45h. Anyway, I think most FT jobs are around 45h aren't they? Rare for full time to actually mean 37.5h per week these days

If you need to do your own housework and cooking it's a lot yes

I’m a teacher, my contracted hours are 8:30-16:30 with a half hour lunch break but it is rare I’m not in work from 8:00 to 18:00 and some days I’ll get in earlier or stay late. Plus I take work home several evenings a week and weekends. I thought that was pretty standard for any professional role but the responses on this thread have been interesting as seems lots of people wouldn’t accept these working hours. Maybe I need to try and start leave at 4:30/5:00 more frequently.

I leave earlier than you but as soon as my DDs been fed I’m up doing work until the late evening. I also work during my lunch break and Sunday’s, and of course over the holidays.

I have absolutely no social life and struggle to juggle being a parent and having to do so many extra hours.

I love my job but I’ve been thinking it’s time to find a different one.
I don’t know any other job where you use your lunch breaks to try and catch up on work.

I do this :(

8-5 with 30 min break.
I was on reduced hours just before Xmas and I can’t believe what I’m missing out on. But back to usual hours now. And I need the money!

OP someone I know has recently changed their job to work as a healthcare assistant for the NHS.
She works long days (12 hour shifts) but works 3 days a week so 2 days a week she is able to pick her kids up from school, have days to herself etc and she loves it.

Absolutely big standard in my industry. In fact, 9-6pm are our hours when we’re quiet. We don’t have contracted hours at all and frequently do 9-7 in the office, with an expectation of answering emails into the evening - it’s a case of decisions will be made throughout the evening and if you want input, you get involved.

*bog standard

I don’t know any other job where you use your lunch breaks to try and catch up on work

I have friends who do a variety of professional jobs. All of them regularly work through lunch. It really isn't just teachers!