New job offer but the hours longer

[Boysarebackintown]

Advice please , I have name changed for this as don't want to out myself today. I have been offered a new job after a long interview and recruitment process which consisted of many stages and interviews, visits etc. it's a senior job in a smallish company which is going places. The head office is not in the UK but the job is.

I received the contract last week and all was well, except they are putting in place contracted hours of 43.5 per week. This is something that I find quite unusual as usually I have had contracted hours of 37.5 in the past and some people I know have contracted hours of 35 or 37. When I queried this with the HR director during a telephone chat about the contract he said that this had been a point of discussion within the contract creation and that they had given me special circumstances, all other employees there work 50 hours -and this is an issue at the site. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I am work shy or wouldn't work extra hours the job needed and as its a senior position I would expect to, it's just that 43.5 hrs as a baseline seems a lot. I am also concerned that everyone else there works 50 hrs, and therefore I am going to feel a bit odd , and it might be frowned upon on those days when, maybe I do want to leave "on time". Also, a person working for me, and maybe my boss will be working 50 hrs contractually too, feels odd.
Also my travel time will be 45-55 minutes to and from.

What do you think? Advice anyone.

Do contracted hours include a lunch break? ie if you have a 30 min unpaid lunch on a UK 37.5 hr contract, are you actually on 40 hrs in the new company terminology?

It sound like a long week, but maybe typical in your area?

Do you normally work 43.5 hours anyway in your current job? Are the new employers giving you a pay uplift which factors into account the increased hours. After you take the increased hours into account, are you getting much of a pay rise to move.

Thanks for your replies addictedtosugar and blue shoes. The hours exclude lunchtime, which is 30 minutes, it's actually 43.5 working hours . The pay is slightly higher than I am on now, but when you pro-rata the hours it works out about the same pay.

I am also worried about working "less" contractually than others, it might lead to conflict / awkwardness.

So, thats 46 hours in the office (assuming lunch sort of dissapears, which is what happens here), and another 10 hrs of commuting.
I know I struggle with a typical 40 hr week, 5 hrs of commute and 2 kids. I guess it depends on what is typical in your area, and if the extra money or potential in the new company are worth it.

I agree the 43.5/50 hr week difference could be a friction point (thats almost an extra standard UK working day per week they are contracted to).

So, I guess the real question is "is the job worth the risk?"

I'd be concerned about the culture of a company who think 50 hours every single week as a norm for all staff is a good idea tbh. I would also be wary of assuming that you will actually be able to do 43.5 hours if everyone else is doing 50.

I agree with you addicted and flowery. I keep changing my mind one way and another, it's going to be a long working week, and as you rightly say flowery it's the culture of the company I worry about given that 50 hours is standard. Am still conflicted, but I feel happier that there are people on here who would be having the same concerns as me.

So the rest of the staff work the equivalent of 0800 to 1830 with an unpaid 30 minute lunch break? Have they mentioned their expectations in terms of overtime?

Personally, I would give that one a miss unless you don't care about your work/life balance.

I'd only considering taking it if you are already working 43.5 hours per week at your current job but not getting paid overtime for it, so this job would effectively be paying you for the hours you are currently doing for free. If your commute is longer, that is even worse because you have to factor that in as well.

There should also be other things going for the job, like getting valuable new experience or a jump in seniority.

The only job I know which asked for 50 hours a week as standard was a high pressure New York based law firm. But most people there would do more than 50 hours ordinarily anyway.

Blimey-I wouldn't touch this with a bargepole, OP!

You'll have to work 43 hours and will feel obliged to work 50 unpaid or everyone will think you're slacking! You'll be pissed off as everyone else will be working 50 houra and getting paid for it!

As others have said. You'll be contracted for 43.5 but you can bet your bottom dollar you'll be doing 50 hours per week if everyone else is.

Also agreed re: comment about the kind of company that feel it's okay to make staff work 50 hours per week every week. That's not conducive to a happy work-life balance.

Perhaps if you were young and setting out in your career and the experience/progression/opportunity was more valuable you to than the salary.

Thanks everyone, have decided to decline the offer, I think you have all helped me in that decision.

Very wise me thinks...