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.

In most public sector jobs, i would say that's normal. I chose my job though, not the hours.

Standard week for contractors in O&G industry

9 hour days.

I did it for years, it was ok.

My poor husband does 15 hour days for 7 weeks straight , no days off at all, in 40 degrees heat.

I don't know how he does it if I'm honest. It would break me.

I do allegedly 48hr weeks on average, the reality is much more especially with covid sickness cover. This week I will have done over 70

Honestly it is too much and I hate it. Rarely get a solid lunch break, and even when I get annual leave I spend the first few days just catching up with life.

My old job was 8-5.30 and I dream of those hours now
The culture can also make or break the hours. Again my old job was great colleagues, trips to the pub afterwork, everyone helping each other if necessary, just generally a laugh in your down moments. The existng job is just everyman for himself, very little support etc.

Also I have never had a job where I don't have to work through my lunch at least a few days a week! Theres no way I've ever had time to go to the gym or meet a friend for coffee!

This would definitely be to much for me. I had a 40 hour/ week job plus the expectation to work through lunch and stay longer 2-3 times a week on average. Pay was basic for the job & I quit after 8 months.
I now work 35 hours flexible for the same money - it's great.

I've lost sight of what's normal, I don't even know what normal working hours are.
(I'm sure my hours are in my contract, but I've no idea what they are).

I work from 8:30am to 6pm/7pm/8pm, and frequently have meetings later on when my toddlers are in bed.
I need two nannies to cover my working hours (but I do take breaks when I can to give the babies dinner/bath/bedtime story).
I'm highly paid, so I guess work "own" me to some extent. They're still IMing me now at midnight.
In 2022, I'd like to push back somewhat on late night meetings.

@Letthebodieshitthefloor is it paid by the hour or a salaried job?

Reading all the responses, they vary depending on answer to this, as if it's not paid by the hour you will usually end up doing more hours than contracted anyway.

This is why it's pointless for me to ask for a 4 day week as I won't have any less work to do & I already work a few hours at the weekend most weeks. But pay & progression are great etc.

Really depends on how much you need the money and if the holidays are good. I always say if you're not happy in a job them you need to leave. Life's too short to spend a huge part of your life unhappy.
I've taken pay cuts to work in other areas when the job isn't fun anymore. Time is precious too, and one thing you can't get back.

hmmm, well I found it too much once I became a mother and wasn't great before that. Did it for the money and lifestyle...but after 20 years had had enough. Life's too short.

I think this is the difference between people who own their own business and those that don’t.

Pretty standard and even low for full time nannying. Thank god I no longer do that!

What time industry is this? I think 35-40 is normal but 42.5 is unusual unless in warehouse type work

I am doing 43.5 hours a week. I ma low paid and we need the money.

Depends on the individual, the other circumstances, the job and salary. I work much more than that but I earn a lot and have an exec position and big salary, plus I am late 50s and no kids at home. I also have a very supportive DH who has retired so does all the domestic side. I enjoy doing it because it is choice and also I know I will be retired before too long so want to make the most of my professional opportunities while I can. I've just been promoted and I am so chuffed. But you sound cheesed off, so if you want to work less, work less. It's a choice.

@Rainbowbrite2022

Pretty much what I did as a nursery nurse back in the day although we got a longer lunch and a 15 min break. It’s a lot of hours but not unusual in some sectors.

I work 37.5 hours full time nhs and that feels a lot due to our long days and all day on my feet and minimal breaks due to workload.

Unless things have changed since I was nursing it's 37.5 hrs a week actually working. Mealtimes not paid so actually a 40 hour week in work.

The company I currently work for are 9-5:30 and then every other Saturday 9-1 and it honestly kills me which is why I’m leaving soon. I feel like a zombie every day

I am glad it is not the case anymore, but normal working hours used to be Monday to Friday plus Saturday morning. It is the hours my parents worked when young.

I used to work 46 hours Mon-Fri but it was two jobs so it felt less... Solid. 9-6 gives zero flexibility but then I've always worked flexi time so could come in a bit early / late etc if necessary.

Used to work 60-70 hour weeks working for a brand agency. Sometimes up to 13/14 hour days. Weekend work too. Got paid £35000. When I went back after my child (statutory maternity pay only) I did similar but lots of evening and weekends but only got paid for three days a week. Then I completely burnt out, left and went freelance. People don’t believe me I’m sure when I say how hard I worked cos have next to nothing to show for that! Certainly no nice house or pension!! But I have my gorgeous boy and I’m happy

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing

Also depends on pay - if the pay is high enough to pay for cleaner, meal boxes, truly relaxing sunny holidays etc then that takes the pressure off in other ways.

^^
This is very true too. It doesn’t seem to bad to work long house if you can take the “edge” off with these things

This. I work around 50 - 60 hours per week but I have a cleaner three times a week, gardeners, use an ironing service, car valeter, etc. No way would I work so many hours if I also had to do what we currently outsource.

I do 9-6 with 30min break. It's a long boring day but I get paid £50k and it's WFH so it's ok.

I find it is low paid people who often do the longest hours.

This is such a subjective topic.

Until recently I was a civil servant in a safe job doing 21hrs (I had cut down to three days from 37.5hrs over 5 days). But it still felt like too much…

I have now changed jobs and gone back, after 5 years, to being a lorry driver. I am permitted to work 15hrs a day for 3 days, and 13hrs for another three days. 84hrs a week (permitted). I probably work about 56 to 60hrs a week and sleep in the lorry. And I’m happier! Shattered, but happier.

So it wasn’t that the hours were wrong - the job was wrong!

Before going on maternity leave (haven't returned to work yet), I regularly worked a lot of overtime, so more than that a week. However, I would still not want to be tied into a 45 hour week contract. For example, previous place I worked it was 36 hour contract (so 3×12 hour shifts a week), I usually worked upwards of 60 hours a week. However, from time to time I did work the minimum, and it was nice having those 4 days off while satisfying my full time hours in 3 days!