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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think employers are taking the piss? Extended working hours.

135 replies

FrostyNethers · 15/02/2023 15:28

Looking for a new job in admin.

Many jobs are being advertised with working hours of 8am-5pm, 9am-6pm, 8.30am-5pm or even 8am-6pm!

Where are all the 9-5s which you used to see?

Its not like the pay is higher for these jobs, it’s actually low in the region of £20-25k.

I though we worked the longest hours in Europe already!

AIBU to think this is a piss take?

OP posts:
TongueTwistr · 15/02/2023 17:50

For those 23 and over, the National Minimum Wage will rise by 9.7% to £10.42 per hour. I wonder if all of those managers offering long contractual hours appreciate that?
For anyone needing to take a job under unreasonable terms, your prospective employer has discounted the rate to exclude any necessity for loyalty, be sure to give them what they're paying for.

Anotheanon · 15/02/2023 17:51

Silvers11 · 15/02/2023 17:24

Actually, @Anotheanon in the days of my Youth, originally Civil Servants worked a 42 hour week 8.30 - 5pm Monday to Thursday and 8.30 to 4.30 on a Friday - with an hour per day paid break for lunch. When Flexi time became an option was when the actual hours worked moved to 37 per week for obvious reasons.

I don't know what they do now but when I retired in 2011, overtime rates etc were still calculated based on a 42 hour week and not 37 ( less per hour that way) and I assume they still do. Used to confuse a lot of people

Show quote history

I've been there for 35 years.

Airymanning · 15/02/2023 17:53

I'm on minimum wage now.

My shifts are 7am-5pm, 8am-5pm and 2pm-11pm

BlondeBombshelf · 15/02/2023 17:54

Are you sure that they’re not putting 08.30-18.30 (for example) but that’s just the time that the office has to have someone in it. Maybe when you start it will be explained that one day you’ll do 8-4, another day, 9-5 etc. it may just be badly worded.

Squirrelsnut · 15/02/2023 17:54

I started a 'proper' job in 1990; the hours were 9-5. All my non-teaching (I.e. pre-1999) were 9-5. I think lunches were an hour.

Silvers11 · 15/02/2023 17:55

Anotheanon · 15/02/2023 17:51

I've been there for 35 years.

Show quote history

I'm going back almost 50 😊

SaltyGod · 15/02/2023 17:55

I've never worked 9-5. Previous contracted hours include 11am-8pm, 8.30-6.30, 9 -5.30. I'm currently on 9.30-6 but in reality it's 8.30-7.30 + evening emails on my phone

DinosaurBaby · 15/02/2023 17:56

ChiefWiggumsBoy · 15/02/2023 17:22

My job (large high street bank) is 9-5 and regardless what my colleagues do I never work over my hours.

Lowest salary IIRC is £23k but plenty of scope for more. PM me if you want more details @FrostyNethers there's lots of WFH positions as well if you're not in my area. I WFH exclusively although I'm not in admin.

I’d be interested in details please!

GrasstrackGirl · 15/02/2023 17:57

I work 37 hours a week, recently I was asked to increase my hours with no wage increase.

You can guess my response.

maddiemookins16mum · 15/02/2023 18:01

I’ve been in employment for 43 years, I’ve only ever had one that was 9-6pm (horrible), the others were all 9-5.30 (unpaid hour for lunch). Now I do 8-4 (WFH) with 30 mins lunch - it’s perfect.

FirstnameSuesecondnamePerb · 15/02/2023 18:02

I do 35 hrs a week full time. It's pretty rare now though. I think 37.5 is norm. I turned down a 40 hr a week role.

CalmBeforeStorm01 · 15/02/2023 18:03

Take a local government job if you can find one. Some of them are completely WFH so it doesn't even matter if it's on the other side of the country. You get to work a 37 hour flexible week, or work agile in most cases. There's a great pension scheme too. Most people in my authority start at 16 and stay until they retire at 55.

Fluffyhoglets · 15/02/2023 18:04

I've always worked in local authorities and full time in several different authorities has always been 37.5.
My DH works for a charity and full time is 35 hours.

I'd not work more than 37.5 as full time.

40 hours for full time is taking the piss!

WheelOfFish · 15/02/2023 18:07

LemongrassLollipop · 15/02/2023 15:36

Fairly standard.

Have you been out of work a while or are you new to the job market?

Your general tone and thinking employees are taking the "piss" right from the start suggests you might want to re-evaluate your attitude to work.

Big 'the beatings will continue until morale improves' energy with this comment.

DonnatellaLyman · 15/02/2023 18:16

Renting a flat yesterday and put that I worked part time 38.5h and she looked at me like I was nuts (FT is 48h in my dept).

I’d always assumed 40h was normal FT.

LakieLady · 15/02/2023 18:16

When I started work in 1972, my DF was shocked that my public sector office job was 37.5 hours pw. He'd been working in the private sector, 9-5, hour for lunch, for years and he thought it was a damn cheek that I had to do 2.5 hours a week more.

50 years on, 37.5 seems to be the norm and many employers seem to want more than that. So much for progress.

I'm in the third sector sector now, full-timers do 37 hours, hybrid working.

SeemsSoUnfair · 15/02/2023 18:26

When I started work in the 80s 37.5hrs was the standard office hours week, 7.5hrs a day. Approx 9-5 with 30mins unpaid for lunch. Bank holidays, overtime, weekends were all paid time and a half or double time at your hourly rate. We clocked in and out and built up flexitime which we could take as an extra day off a month, or if you had too much they would buy it back off you.

Our company is now a lower 35hr contract week so it looks family friendly but we work about 50hrs and are salaried so don't get overtime!

I prefer the old system!

LakieLady · 15/02/2023 18:27

HelicopterHeights · 15/02/2023 17:20

I wouldn't be doing 9 hour days for 20k a year. I have plenty of work ethic thank you! I am not a mug though.

The hourly rate for 45 hours pw at a £20k salary is £8.64.

Unless all the staff are under 20, that's below NMW and should be reported to the low pay unit.

NotSonicTheHedgehog · 15/02/2023 18:38

Just moved from a job in FE where I was overworked and underpaid to a job which pays more, with flexi, 35 hours a week and amazing perks and benefits. I sometimes have to remind myself I'm not dreaming.

Dippydinosaurus · 15/02/2023 18:39

Local council admin role and it's 35 hours a week as they can't afford to pay more. No overtime available (so no pressure to work long hours), flexi and hybrid too. I'm never leaving!

SquigglePigs · 15/02/2023 18:57

When I started my job we were in 37.5 hr contracts, so an 8 hr day including a half hour lunch break. Then we got bought by an American company and we were moved to 40 hr contracts so extending the day to more like 8.30-5 with a half hour lunch break. I think that is sadly normal now.

FredaFox · 15/02/2023 19:06

I've never had a 9-5 job it's always been 9-530 and I'm 48
I think 9-5 sounds a bit nhs or council with flexi time and juicy pension

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 15/02/2023 19:18

I do 9-5, 35hr week. It's great Smile

JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn · 15/02/2023 19:19

And it's not NHS or council!

Unicorn2022 · 15/02/2023 19:21

I've been working for many years and have always had a standard 35 hour working week, so 8-4, 9-5 or 10-6.

Currently looking for a new job and there are so many that are now 37.5 or 40 hours for the same money or lower than standard 35 hour weeks. I agree it's a total pisstake.