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AIBU?

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Original poster

Is 7am to 5pm too long a day?

171 replies

Crazyindiechick · 15/02/2023 17:49

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.

OP posts:
neverbeenskiing · 16/02/2023 08:57

I'm in work from 7am- 5.30pm and it's fine, BUT I only work 3 days a week, term-time only, and my commute is less than 10 minutes door to door.

Many of my colleagues are here from 7am until after 6pm 5 days a week in term time though. Most are local but some do commute. I couldn't do it.

ThisIsAnAlaia · 16/02/2023 09:01

Airymanning · 15/02/2023 17:51

Pretty standard tbh. I do 7am - 5pm. On feet all day.

Same!

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 16/02/2023 18:51

Yes, it is too long a day.

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 16/02/2023 19:28

And whilst we're here, I assume Brexit and the erosion of workers' rights and zero hour contracts are all Good Things?

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 16/02/2023 19:29

Please imagine my Oxford comma.

KnutonHardz · 16/02/2023 19:31

That working day would be very much on the short duration side of things for the tech company I work for. For my team it's flexible hours, but typically 7.30AM to 6.30PM for me. Salary and conditions are good, the work is challenging by rewarding, I work with great people, and luckily I don't commute at the moment.

Noonesperfect · 17/02/2023 21:04

Bagwyllydiart · 16/02/2023 06:54

For me that is a short day. My working day is 0600-2100, so would love your hours.

Get another job then. Your hours sound ridiculous! Confused

CambsAlways · 02/04/2023 12:28

Depends on what job you do and how stressful it is

HiggleDyPigGeldy · 23/04/2023 21:28

A 9 hour working day (5 days a week for a full time job, logging off a bit earlier on a Friday) has been the standard for every company I worked for in the last 20 years.
Senior people or very junior people typically do work longer hours.
However, it doesn’t seem fair to have both 10 hour days and consistently stressful work at the level of pay you mention.

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/04/2023 21:45

This thread. When did a 9 hour working day become normal? It’s always been 8 hours.

The song ‘9 to 5’ says it all. A 9 hour day is just shafting the employees.

PartingGift · 23/04/2023 22:11

I do 7am - 5pm or 8am - 6pm 4 days a week. Usually take 20 - 30 minute lunch break. Couldn't do it 5 days a week.

Phoebo · 23/04/2023 22:36

It depends. At least finishing at 5 is early enough that you have an evening. I did a job like this for a couple of years, even longer hours but I didn't mind because I loved it, I didn't burn out in the end though. Was probably doing about 50-70 hours most weeks.

KarmaStar · 23/04/2023 22:37

No it's not that long.have worked those hours,it's fine.

NotMeNoNo · 23/04/2023 22:47

There’s a big difference between office/business day work and jobs that involve shifts, unsocial hours, hospitality, caring, animals, retail, road and railway closures….
Also many small businesses work extremely long hours, pubs and hotels for example. DH is in the event industry and we have just been trying to schedule a gig for Friday which is over 24 continuous hours work between his small team.

U2HasTheEdge · 23/04/2023 23:16

No, I wouldn't want to do it. I value my time at home too much to do 10 hours a day. If they were compressed hours then that would be different. It wouldn't be so bad if I only worked those hours term-time either.

I have done 12-13 hour shifts three days a week, and that was OK because the days off made it worth it.

I do not want to spend so much of my day working. 8-hour shifts are enough for me.

Figmentof · 24/04/2023 06:32

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 23/04/2023 21:45

This thread. When did a 9 hour working day become normal? It’s always been 8 hours.

The song ‘9 to 5’ says it all. A 9 hour day is just shafting the employees.

Well I have been working for more than thirty years and it has always been quite normal in professional type jobs (mine was accountancy.).

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 24/04/2023 09:02

Figmentof · 24/04/2023 06:32

Well I have been working for more than thirty years and it has always been quite normal in professional type jobs (mine was accountancy.).

Show quote history

When l first started working in the mid/ late80’s it was always 9-5 in any professional company. My partner and friends at the time were the same.

NurseryNurse10 · 24/04/2023 21:25

I do a few 8AM-6PM shifts during the week at a nursery and feel physically ill afterwards. I have done shifts which ended an hour earlier and it was fine. Sometimes that extra hour makes all the difference.

Original poster
Crazyindiechick · 12/05/2023 08:47

Hi - an update.
I ended up doing even longer hours starting at 6am - I tried to finish by 3pm but the culture of the company means it's really hard.
I'm now off sick with what my GP has told me is exhaustion...

OP posts:
Bluelightbaby · 12/05/2023 09:25

In the ambulance service our all our shifts are 10/12hrs long and most of them end up finishing late. We can sometimes work up to 16hrs. We often work 60hrs in a row before some time off.

Bluelightbaby · 12/05/2023 09:33

Oh and in a full 12hr shift we only get a 1/2hr break (if we’re lucky)

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