Work/Life Balance - How many hours a week do you work?

[Elleshoodat]

Unless I'm traveling for a client meeting, I work 40 hours a week. I worked 50+ before I had kids, but when my first son was born I let them know I would be "cutting back" and no one has ever batted an eyelash. I typically check my email right when I wake up, but that's just to make sure I didn't miss anything (or see what sort of a day I'm in for).

I'm fortunate in that we don't have micro-managers, and mostly everyone who works here is dedicated and responsible. As long as we get our work done, our managers don't care when or where we do it. We also have an "unlimited vacation" policy, but no one takes advantage of it.

 

[Lilacs4Me]

Depends on the time of year -at least in my old job. I am currently looking for a new one.

Previously, I worked at least 40 hours, plus through my lunch, so a total of 45, during the "slow" times. (middle of Jan-middle of March, parts of Sept and Oct, and beginning of Nov)

From Mid-March - June 30th is their busiest time, with May and June pretty much being soul-breaking every year. It was not uncommon for us to work 60+ hours a week in those two months, with an average of 50-55 the rest of the busier months. "Month-End" weeks are always about 50+ hours, no matter what month. Except May and June, where month-end weeks can get close to 80 hours (10-12 hours a day, 7 days that week)

The "perks" were 20 vacation days (that nobody ever found time to take all of them), unlimited sick days, and we worked at home one scheduled day a week, plus more if anything came up and we needed to stay. Honestly, it wasn't so much of a perk - with unlimited sick days and WAH capabilities, it was pretty much expected that even if we called in sick, we would be online from home. The only thing it really did was stop us from lying about being sick when it was really one of our kids, or if the dishwasher repairman was coming. I've worked from home on a day I had a medical procedure done until it was time to leave for the Dr, and logged back on again an hour after I got home - that is how "expected" it was. My last week there, one of my coworkers was sick with a fever and flu-like virus and logged on and worked from home every day, including calling into meetings every day. Nobody batted an eye.

Sadly, two of my kids' birthdays fall during the last week of June, which was the absolute worst, craziest, busiest week of the year for me. I pretty much worked 5am-10/11pm that whole week every year. My poor kids

But not this year!!!! I'm done with all of that! Yay!!

 

[rastahomie]

I'm self-employed (professional writer), so I pretty much set my own hours. How much I work depends entirely on how many readers I'm getting. If I'm getting few readers, I have to work extra hard to make a livable amount of money (I call these my "broke weeks"), so I'll work probably 50 hours. If I'm getting a lot of readers, I'm making more money and don't have to write as much (I call these my "rich weeks"), so I'll work probably 30 hours.

As I said in another thread, some weeks I'm rich, most weeks I'm broke. The latter half of 2016 was particularly bad for me, with about 16-18 broke weeks in a row. However, I've had three rich weeks in a row now (knock on wood), so let's hope the trend continues. If it does, plan on seeing me at Cabana Bay Resort at Universal this December!

 

[rastahomie]

For you guys who have desk jobs but don't have anything to do, do you have to try to look busy? Or can you get away with reading a book or surfing the net or something? I ask because I used to have a job where I could knock out a week's worth of work in 18-22 hours, and I'd just spend the rest of the week sitting there looking stupid. But [insert whatever deity you worship here] help you, if the boss came by and you weren't "busy," you'd catch hell for it.

 

[xlxo]

40hrs.... plus additional studying while trying to keep up with IT technology.

Perhaps the greatest benefits is the number of holidays I get after 2 decades of service.

 

[soccerdad72]

Officially, we all work 37.5 hours a week (Administration at a Community College).

Between work at home and the occasional later day in the office, I probably average 45 hours a week typically, but this job does allow me a lot of work/life balance. More so than anywhere else I've worked before.

 

[tvguy]

40 hours at work. Maybe another 10 a day total at home checking work e-mail.

I actually worked for one company that had it in the handbook that you could not be at work, or be working more than 10 minutes before, or 10 minutes after your scheduled shift unless your were assigned overtime

 

[chicagodisneyfan]

Probably 50 hours or so - I am packed and leaving for California until Sunday so this week its a lot!
Doing a one week trip to Bahamas for work in February.
I feel like I have good work/life balance. Unlimited vacation as long as its approved beforehand, AMAZING perks, big bonus etc

 

[*3*Mouseketeers]

I work in an office in a Factory (I've been here 28 years) and am fortunate that I am able to work as many hours as I want/need. I work from 5:00 am to 3:30 pm Monday - Thursday and from 5:00 to 11:00 on Fridays so usually about 46 hours. I also live about 3 minutes from my job so I feel I spend a good amount of time at home, also.

 

[wvjules]

I work 45 hours per week. I'm not sure what to call myself. lol I work for a Big 4 accounting firm (almost finished with CPA) but the project I'm on right now is not really accounting. I'd have a great work/life balance if I didn't have such a long commute.

 

[PollyannaMom]

My work hours change all the time. During the summer, I'm a SAHM, but during the school year, I'm a substitute teacher part of the week, and a nanny the other part. I might work anywhere from 11 to 33 hours, but I'd say a typical week is 26, plus 3-4 hours total commute, so I'm counting my blessing compared to some of the stories above!

Work-life balance is hugely important to me, both from a personal philosophy standpoint and a practical one. My DH has a demanding job - which he loves, but which also means I do more at home so that everybody has some time to breath. We've tweaked things over the years as needs and opportunities have changed, but I'm definitely enjoying this particular phase.

 

[Dizneefamily+4]

I work full-time for a public library. Full time hours are 37.5. My dh is a high school teacher. Between the 2 of us, it's a pretty good work/life balance managing our 2 kids and their wildly active lives!

 

[princesspiglet]

I am an executive administrator for a massive company in Hershey...hint, hint. Anyway, I have no set hours as I have a company laptop, a company phone and a company car. I am at the beck and call of my company 24/7. I usually start at 8:15 am after dropping off my DD at school and try to get home by 5. However, I will put in anywhere from 2-4 hours every night along with many hours over the weekend. When my family went to France last summer for 2 weeks I clocked a total of 18 hours of work....while on vacation. The upside is, I get paid overtime and I have a very flexible schedule. As long as I get my work done, I can pretty much work when and where I want. During the summer I work from home (in my travel trailer actually) every Friday and Monday which I know is a pretty great benefit. My DH says my phone is permanently attached to me, but luckily he understands.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

OP here - it's been interesting reading everyone's responses. I don't think I saw any 60+ hours a week responses. Which is good!

I saw someone post they are looking for a new job. I've been at my company for 20+ years and I've decided it's time to leave. In the last 3 years our company has changed so much and definitely not for the better. It's really quite sad. I'm not the only one here that feels this way and we've already had people leave. I'm not looking forward to the job hunting process but it's time.

 

[jt'smom]

In my former career, I was in corporate retail, and I worked 60+ hours a week. When I was on the planning side, it was more office hours and it was more stressful and intense. As a buyer, I travelled a lot, and even though it involved very long hours, it was not as stressful and more "fun", for lack of a better word. Absolutely no work/life balance in that industry, but you do have lots of great perks.

 

[jt'smom]

OP here - it's been interesting reading everyone's responses. I don't think I saw any 60+ hours a week responses. Which is good!

I saw someone post they are looking for a new job. I've been at my company for 20+ years and I've decided it's time to leave. In the last 3 years our company has changed so much and definitely not for the better. It's really quite sad. I'm not the only one here that feels this way and we've already had people leave. I'm not looking forward to the job hunting process but it's time.

How funny! I was just posting about my long work hours when you posted about not seeing 60 hour work weeks, lol.

 

[soccerdad72]

OP here - it's been interesting reading everyone's responses. I don't think I saw any 60+ hours a week responses. Which is good!

I saw someone post they are looking for a new job. I've been at my company for 20+ years and I've decided it's time to leave. In the last 3 years our company has changed so much and definitely not for the better. It's really quite sad. I'm not the only one here that feels this way and we've already had people leave. I'm not looking forward to the job hunting process but it's time.

My wife (a CPA at a Big 4 firm) has stretches (like right now) where she regularly puts in 90-100 hour weeks. This week, for example, she's worked from about 8am to 10pm, plus Sunday night (all out of town). The upside (aside from the pay) is that she's very flexible during slower periods of time.

 

[Monykalyn]

Consulting nutritionist for NH right now, + fundraising business with spouse
Hours vary-30-50 depending on season and how busy my nursing homes are. I do have option of working from home with consulting job if sick kid etc. It is during busy season for fundraising that can get nuts.

I have been working part time for over 10 years now-deliberate decision to cut work hours to spend family time. Consulting lets me work reduced hours, my schedule, and still make good money (I make more than many new RD starting out in hospitals where they work 40 hours) even with having to have my own life, health and retirement savings.

 

[snoopy5386]

Another substitute teacher here, so my schedule varies a lot, some weeks it's near full time, some weeks it's maybe one day. But it's really perfect for our family right now. Same hours as my kids, same days off, summers off with them and I can't stay home with them when they are sick so no worries about childcare. I am also able to agave time to have several volunteer commitments and take care of house stuff too so the weekends are family time.

 

[E&Cmom]

I am a nurse and work 12 hour shifts. I do a day and night rotation. I generally do 3-4 days on and then 3-4 days off so I work 36-44 hours a week.