What’s going on with working hours these days?

[CateringPanic]

I work in the public sector. My working hours are broadly 9-5 although I can flex this if I want to eg. 8-4, with 30 minutes for lunch. Either way it’s 37.5 hours a week which I thought was standard for full time work. I’m reasonably senior so obviously I might sometimes choose to work late to get stuff done but these are my contracted hours.

BILs girlfriend is young, early 20s and in her second job out of uni (was only in first for 6m). Her old job was 9-6 and her current one is 8-5. She thinks this is normal - I think her employers are taking the piss.

She is salaried, not hourly paid, and these are low skilled, low stress administration jobs so no real need to work long hours at all.

AIBU to think this is more than full time work and she shouldn’t have to be working an extra 5 hours a week for crap money or am I just out of touch with how things are out there?

Crap employer

always existed

Having been freelancing for 15 years I recently got back into full time paid employment and my hours were 9 to 5.30 which shocked me a bit as when I worked at the same role before it was 9.30 to 5.30. That extra two and a half hours does make a difference, especially when you are commenting. Luckily the company has now changed to 9 to 5. So yes, hours do seem to have changed.

Commuting not commenting!

Pure 9-5 seems to be more of a legacy contract these days. Many companies squeezing out more hours if employees with 9-5:30 or 9-6 patterns, it’s greed.

Yes it is normal unfortunately. Its very hard to find a 9-5 job. An extra half or full hour is tagged on so it's 8.30-5 or 9-5.30 or 9-6. Its so incredibly shit imo and mean spirited and unnecessary. We have more tech and automation than ever befy, we should be working less not more. There's no need. Its just employers trying to make a point that you are lucky to even have a job.

Dd works 8.30 to 7 three days a week, 8.30 to 6 two days a week and every other Saturday

for 20k and commission

I think this is because you work in the public sector tbh. So do I and none of my friends with private sector jobs work as few hours "full time" as I do.

Oops posted too soon

i think they are horrendous hours

but yeah, not good employers

Hours in a lot of sectors are getting longer. Mine is 6.30am until 4pm. 45 hours a week x

Most places in my industry (marketing related) are 9.30-6 including an hour for lunch.

Yes, this. I don't think I've ever just worked 9-5pm. And I'm old so it's not a new thing.

But isn't that what makes it up to 37 hours if an hour (unpaid) is given for lunch?

We do 36.75 but get 30 min unpaid lunch. We can have an hour, but would need to start of finish 30 mins extra.

Public sector tend to have quite rigid hours, private sector don't but 9-6 is pretty normal especially if taking a break at lunch. That's normal for private sector; not necessarily every day but some days would be even longer and others a bit shorter once a deadline is reached. Where I work, the sales team quite often do 12+ hours per day for a week or two around a major bid, then they might take a day off on the flip side. When you're working with US teams, a later start and finish might be say 11-8.

Oh wow, I work 8:30-4, take a half hour for lunch (go for a walk) - we do 7 hour days, my employer is very hot on not working over that too. I could start anywhere between 8 and 9:30 and as long as I do my 7 hours it wouldn’t matter if I took a 2 hour lunch break. I sometimes do take the hour and only once or twice have I ever gone for the 2 hour lunch. Just means I finish late and I would rather be done with early.

I worked from late 90s to 2010s in the media sector and our contracted hours were 9.30 to 5.30. I rarely left the office before 6.30, and often went to evening events and weekend events, but those were the contracted hours. I suppose you could say what difference does it make when everyone was working longer anyway, but it feels like it makes a difference to me.

Yes when i was younger all my jobs were about 37 to 37.5 hours, then unpaid lunch break varying from 1 hour to 30 mins on top. Now they seem to be 40 hours standard with the unpaid lunch bit on top too.

It is mean. My old workplace was 9 to 5.30 with half an hour lunch so we were all doing 40 hours.

The full timers where I am do 9-5 with a 30 minute break, so 37.5 hours. These days I probably wouldn't expect 9-5 with an hour lunch.

I'm 35 and 9 to 5.30 has been standard for office hours my whole working life. 9 to 5 (or similar) would be a perk and 9 to 6 would be poor (and I wouldn't take a job with those hrs). Public sector has always had shorter hours/more flexi as far as I know.

Normal to me. I work 6.30-4, 9-5 seems rarer these days.

Private sector has always been this - it's the hour unpaid for lunch on a 37.5hr week. In the pre Flexi days it used to be quite a coup to negotiate half hour lunch and an early finish/late start!

Public sector typically is a 36 hour week with a half hour standard lunch time.

I’m private sector and my hours are 9-6 with an hour for lunch, unpaid. They are reasonably flexible with start/finish times though as long as you work an 8 hour day. My last private sector job was 8-4 with a 30 minute unpaid break. I much preferred those hours.

Interesting responses but glad I am not the only one who thinks it is mean and unnecessary! It’s not like there are 5 extra hours of work to do it seems like it’s just about keeping her there. She also had to have two interviews for this very entry level position which again, I think is just about trying to make you feel grateful to even have a job.

I do 9-5 with an hours lunch, I work for a housing association (also have some flex here)

But I think anything up to 40 hours a week is considered full time.

That works out at 40 hours which is pretty normal.

I do 9-5(4:30 on Fridays) with a half hour lunch break.
It fits in perfectly with childcare hours.
I know if I had to leave my job I would struggle to find a job with similar hours and the salary wouldn’t be equal either if I was doing an extra 3 hours over the week.