Is 7am to 5pm too long a day?

[Crazyindiechick]

I've been wfh as a freelancer during lockdown - I also did a masters degree during lockdown. Applied for staff jobs last autumn and have been offered one with working hours of 7am to 4pm but have been told most staff stay till 5pm.
I've never worked a day as long as this. Not even in the early years of my career - and I did find working 8 hours a day with a lunch hour. To get into work (office) for 7am I have get up between 4.30 and 5am.

Used to work 9-9 or later most days. Whether it's reasonable depends on the job, the pay, prospects, how much you want it etc.

No it’s not too long. That’s pretty much my shift and I don’t get a break, and am on feet all day.

I used to do 13hr shifts, 4/5 shifts in a row. Sometimes 6.

I'd be more concerned over their comment that most staff stay late tbh. Are the staff paid this extra time? Why are they staying this late? How do they actually feel about it.

I'm in admin and work 7-5 every day and work through lunch despite being paid for 37.5 hrs. I enjoy my job but am mentally drained by the weekend

No job or amount of money would get me out my bed at 5am regularly. But I've never been a morning person.

It's no longer than 8 till 5 but often out at 6 and that's pretty normal. It's just cause it's an earlier start, it sounds longer.

I work 7am to 5:30pm with a 30 minute break. I don't find it too long, but I do it so I can get Fridays off.

How long is a piece of string? Some people could cope fine with that and others couldn’t.

My DD is a teacher and does 7am - 5pm (at least) 5 days a week. Plus all the weekend prep etc.

No Way! Just no.

Why do they need to start so early if everyone stays late? Sounds an awful place. How much more of your time can they steal?

I'd do it on a deadline or in special circumstances and have done in the past, but not routinely, not for any amount of money. Far too much work and not enough life. If you're getting up at 4.30am then you're heading to bed at what? 9.30pm for 7 hours? If you get home at 6/6.30 that's 3 hours a day to live your personal life? Nah.

That’s pretty standard at my company

It's cutting it fine because I'm pretty sure it's not legal to ask someone to start work 12 hours or less since they finished. This is 14 hours later, you're back in work.

Teachers get long holidays though which probably makes up for that.

I agree with the PP who asks how you are paid for the bits where you 'stay late'. If that is paid as overtime, or even paid hourly, it's very different from a situation where you are simply expected to donate that extra time. It would also worry me if they're admitting this up front - because I'd suspect they're slightly sugar-coating it, as people do at the start.

For me, though, the commute would be the deal breaker. It is ridiculous to take a job with such long hours if you need to get up 2.5 hours before you start.

I wouldn't work more than 40 hours a week, but over 4 days would be fine

No it's normal

You might do 7-5, but there doesn't make it standard working hours.

I wouldn't, OP. Life is short.

I do 12.5 hour shifts. Anything less feels like a day off!

Regardless of the finish time, you would still need to get up at the time you state. You have two different problems here:

1. The fact you're expected to stay an hour later - if that does happen, just say no sorry, not doing it. 7-4 is a normal day.

1. You need to get up before 5am to be there for 7. If that's a problem in itself, then the first part doesn't matter and you shouldn't take the job. But if that's not an issue then look at problem 1. And put your foot down regarding the extra hour. As PP have said, it seems the employer is stealing money from you. If that's expected of you with nothing in return, I wouldn't do it.

What sector are you in?

I work 8 to 6 every day, with a half hour for lunch, but I walk to work in ten mins. Wouldn’t be so keen if it meant a 5pm start.

I do similar (compressed hours) and it’s fine. I just need to keep organised, as too tired at night to do much!

Is this a 50 hour week? I don't think that's an average working week, which might be more like 37-40 hours. You'll likely be exhausted especially after waking early and commuting, especially if you're not used to working long hours. Are the paying you for 50 hours and is the pay good? This might help you evaluate if it feels worthwhile.

7-4 is pretty standard I think - just like 9-6.

Expecting staff to stay another hour unpaid is shit unless it’s a job where you’re paid a lot - or can expect to be paid a lot in a few years - in return for the expectation that you’ll work whatever hours are required.

I don’t think I’d take a job with a commute that meant I had to get up at 4.30 every day.

Most well-paid, professional office-based (i.e. no physical element) jobs would expect at least 50 hours per week in my experience.