Weird office times

[mustang1]

Suppose I will be late getting to the office, I fire off a courtesy email to everyone saying I'll be late. Or if i have to leave early, I'll do the same: another courtesy email.

But if I'm going to arrive at the office early, or leave late, no courtesy email is ever sent out (by me or anyone in the team). Ive gotta find out about that; I wonder how that'll go down?

Another thing came to light as I was perusing the news sites about a company that has implemented a 4-day work week (8 hours per day). Even before this news, I've often wondered about the really long hours some people work but not only that, they actually show off about it (Hey I worked 60 hours this week! yeah well I worked 80! Screw you guys, i wored a hundred, and so on). Human ego = big hours? Big numbers = machismo/status?

On the other end of hte spectrum, I know someone who works three jobs to make ends meet. She drives a new BMW 2 series convertible. Good luck to her. She told me she deserves to treat herself. If it were me needing three jobs, I would treat myself by NOT buying such an expensive (for her) car. But there you go; to each their own.

 

[Dave 123]

Some people have no life outside of work. it is their life.
Real people go cycling!

 

[raleighnut]

It has been proven that long hours reduce 'productivity'.

 

[Slick]

It has been proven that long hours reduce 'productivity'.

It was just on the news yesterday that Germans who work a 4 day week produce more than us in 5. Big hours don't always equate to bigger production.

That said, I do like SaS.

 

[Dirk]

 

[ianrauk]

We work flexi hours. Quite relaxed. Core hours are 9am to 5.30pm , but anytime before or after.

We also let people work less hours if they wish. I'm on a 4 and half day week. A couple of others on 4 days with one of those doing extended hours.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Totally non productive, I don't let anyone work long hours, folks can change hours to suit home life, traffic and stuff but any time spent at work over a certain time isn't going to give you any extra, in fact it'll probably be less as there's more likelihood of errors.

 

[raleighnut]

Totally non productive, I don't let anyone work long hours, folks can change hours to suit home life, traffic and stuff but any time spent at work over a certain time isn't going to give you any extra, in fact it'll probably be less as there's more likelihood of errors.

Yep, tiredness can play a big part in mistakes.

Just for the record my maximum week was 103hrs, there was a 'ghoster' in there though 37hrs non-stop 8.00 AM until 9.00 PM the next day although to be fair 2hrs of it was sat in a van travelling to 'that there London' in order to begin building an exhibition stand (well 2 actually 1 for Lee Jeans and another for Dickies at Earls Court)

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

Yep, tiredness can play a big part in mistakes.

Just for the record my maximum week was 103hrs, there was a 'ghoster' in there though 37hrs non-stop 8.00 AM until 9.00 PM the next day although to be fair 2hrs of it was sat in a van travelling to 'that there London' in order to begin building an exhibition stand (well 2 actually 1 for Lee Jeans and another for Dickies at Earls Court)

I knew a guy in theatre who went off to work for a company putting up exhibition stands. Insane hours and intense pressure. Five years later he'd visibly aged twenty years.

 

[raleighnut]

I knew a guy in theatre who went off to work for a company putting up exhibition stands. Insane hours and intense pressure. Five years later he'd visibly aged twenty years.

Good money though.

 

[pplpilot]

I get a number of projects. How and when I do them is up to me. No set hours or set workplace. Only go into office when I need to. probably average 40 hrs week. Some weeks if I travel I can do stupid long hours but rough with the smooth and all that. I consider myself very lucky I have such flexibility. I have been offered positions paying probably 25% more but that flexibility i have is worth more.

 

[Bazzer]

At my employer for many years, core time of flexi time was 10 - 4, but that went a few years ago and now there is no core time. The building is open 6.30 - 19.00, so there is plenty of flexibility, unless you are a car driver and don't have a space under the building. However my boss doesn't keep, or expect you to keep records, although many of us do just to try to manage the surplus hours we accumulate.
My last office, before we had to move to our current location was brilliant for flexibility. It was open 24/7 and parking for our team. Several of us took advantage of that for splitting childcare, dropping off papers following a late return from meetings, or in the case of my boss who suffers from insomnia, sometimes working from 3 - 4 am to lunchtime.

 

[mjr]

https://fourhourworkweek.com/ is maybe the most famous extreme example.

Other takes appear in unlikely places: "The Hacker Ethic" includes a discussion of the so-called protestant work ethic, while the Dilbert Principle has a chapter on the Out At 5 company model.

 

[luckyfox]

Self employed means I get to choose my hours, pick what work I want to do & enjoy the full selfish fruits of my mediocre efforts....
Just kidding!
Self employed means I work twice as hard as I need to to get to where I want to be. Some weeks, 65 hours, others, 12.
Finding a job you’re passionate about makes all the difference.

 

[slowwww]

I consistently work a 50-60 hour week, as does my wife. Fortunately I'm a Lark and she's and Owl and so I get in the office very early, get the job done and then get home to make dinner, assist with the kid's homework etc., and she does breakfast and gets the kids off to school and gets home in time to see them at bedtime.

So we both get to spend quality time with the kids, while holding down well-paying jobs that provides us with a great standard of living.

Would I work shorter hours given the chance? Definitely. Would I take a big pay cut to achieve that? Not at present, but if I ever felt that the hours we're working were compromising our family life or our health, then yes.

20 years ago I worked in a really macho environment where 70-80 hour weeks were the norm. It was definitely a case of diminishing returns as I was knackered before the next week started!