How many hours a week do you work.
#33
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Hmm. Tricky question.
I invoice for about 42-45 hours/week, on average. At the moment, in the run-up to my contract termination, I'm trying to do as many hours as possible...
However the number of hours/week I actually work probably doesn't exceed more than about 3 or 4, and it's sometimes significantly less than that.
I invoice for about 42-45 hours/week, on average. At the moment, in the run-up to my contract termination, I'm trying to do as many hours as possible...
However the number of hours/week I actually work probably doesn't exceed more than about 3 or 4, and it's sometimes significantly less than that.
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#34
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55 to 80, depends on volume and time of year. No overtime and often log on at home. Sometimes work on the train as I have a 2 1/2 hour daily commute into London.
Dave
Contarcted hours 35
Dave
Contarcted hours 35
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I also work shifts and it is a pretty nice pattern too. I work 14 x 12 hour shifts in a 6 week block (7 nights and 7 days). Also get the chance of overtime if one of the others blobs as it is a 1 man chmical plant that obviously must be manned.
Therefore I think I average 28 hours a week 52 weeks of the year, no holidays just rota days.
Poor do this year thought, i have got 6 nights, 24hours off then 7 days in the xmas fortnight, so 80 hours a week then.
Kev
Therefore I think I average 28 hours a week 52 weeks of the year, no holidays just rota days.
Poor do this year thought, i have got 6 nights, 24hours off then 7 days in the xmas fortnight, so 80 hours a week then.
Kev
#46
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Well I used to work a lot more than I do now (and I now I get paid more.. there's a lesson here somewhere
). When I first worked in IT doing network management support for a large corporate network, we worked silly hours - 80 or 90 a week - simply because any downtime had to be outside working hours, so you ended up working all weekend etc etc (and we got very nice overtime rates).
As I've got older (now the ripe old age of 31
) and having settled down a little more with Sal and our Staffie I value my free time considerably more than I did when I was 22 or 23. To be honest, the last thing I want to be doing is working, but I also know that work pays for the house, the Scoob, holidays etc.
I now make an effort to restrict my working week to what I'm paid for - 37.5 hours. If I worked for myself, I guess it would be different, but I don't. I work for a division of France Telecom. It is always true that companies will pay what they can get away with, not the most they can afford - nothing more.
Whilst I do earn fairly decent money, I haven't had a payrise in 2 years (and unlikey to get one next year), I've been threatened with redundancy 3 times in the last 12 months. We've made both our personal and departmental targets for the year and the company still turned round and sacked another 7 from our team. Things like this tend to make you harden your views. I know that some of those sacked were putting in a huge effort (working ridiculous hours) to win business and support existing customers - and for their efforts they got bugger all - just a P45.
There are obviously huge differences between industries and whether you're self employed etc, but all I would say, is look at what you are doing and ask yourself - is it really being appreciated?
Chris
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As I've got older (now the ripe old age of 31
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I now make an effort to restrict my working week to what I'm paid for - 37.5 hours. If I worked for myself, I guess it would be different, but I don't. I work for a division of France Telecom. It is always true that companies will pay what they can get away with, not the most they can afford - nothing more.
Whilst I do earn fairly decent money, I haven't had a payrise in 2 years (and unlikey to get one next year), I've been threatened with redundancy 3 times in the last 12 months. We've made both our personal and departmental targets for the year and the company still turned round and sacked another 7 from our team. Things like this tend to make you harden your views. I know that some of those sacked were putting in a huge effort (working ridiculous hours) to win business and support existing customers - and for their efforts they got bugger all - just a P45.
There are obviously huge differences between industries and whether you're self employed etc, but all I would say, is look at what you are doing and ask yourself - is it really being appreciated?
Chris
#47
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Chris, That's bloody good advice. The reason i left my last job was for the very same reason you mention. I was busting my **** working 13 hour shifts 7 days a week for over a year. At the end i was 'fortunate' to be given standard factory wide 1.8% rise. I left and got a job with far less responsibility for more money and far less hours.
I think with most big companies they don't really care how hard you work these days. As soon as the shareholders aren't happy with their returns people get paid off, wage rises are cancelled and hours go up.
I think with most big companies they don't really care how hard you work these days. As soon as the shareholders aren't happy with their returns people get paid off, wage rises are cancelled and hours go up.
#48
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I genuinly hope that we don't get the full working time regs here. I now that sounds **** because looking at the hours we all work it seems like madness.....
BUT, I do believe that this is one of the reasons this country has some of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, the effort we are prepared to put in and the flexibility of our unions in not striking.
I just hope the unions don't destroy it all.
BUT, I do believe that this is one of the reasons this country has some of the lowest unemployment rates in Europe, the effort we are prepared to put in and the flexibility of our unions in not striking.
I just hope the unions don't destroy it all.
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I just hope the unions don't destroy it all.
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For those that do,including me,no-ones stopping you.
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#50
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40 hours I get paid for, about another 15-20 as 'overtime' but at single time, and 6 or 7 that I don't get paid for at all, along with all the luncbreaks I don't take.
Time to move on? Yes, but finding time to look in a depressed IT industry and trying to make something out of an old house is proving difficult.
Fen
Time to move on? Yes, but finding time to look in a depressed IT industry and trying to make something out of an old house is proving difficult.
Fen
#52
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Paul,
Sorry confused my message... people should not have the working time regs forced upon them. For example in Germany it is illegal to work longer full stop. It should be a choice thing as it is here at the mo.
The union thing was a more sweeping statement in that the unions generally are grumbling a lot. The point being the UK isn't such a cheap place to woork from, but the time lost through industrial action i.e. very little compensates for this. Therefore we still get good inward investment.
Take away the good behaviour of the unions and all of a sudden the UK is a very poor place to do business when compared to labour rates say in Spain.
Dave
Sorry confused my message... people should not have the working time regs forced upon them. For example in Germany it is illegal to work longer full stop. It should be a choice thing as it is here at the mo.
The union thing was a more sweeping statement in that the unions generally are grumbling a lot. The point being the UK isn't such a cheap place to woork from, but the time lost through industrial action i.e. very little compensates for this. Therefore we still get good inward investment.
Take away the good behaviour of the unions and all of a sudden the UK is a very poor place to do business when compared to labour rates say in Spain.
Dave
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For example in Germany it is illegal to work longer full stop
No disrespect Dave,but i doubt that thats the law.For people like lorry drivers,yes,thats health and safety,..but a law that says even if you want to ,you cant work over 37.5 hours.I doubt that
very much.
#55
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Company I work for is obsessed by two things. Enviromental issues and the working time directive. I have for past 18 months been signing a disclaimer type form saying I dont mind working over 60 hours. Then this dropped to 55 hours. Now its down in Jan to 48 hours. Where will it stop.
I know it was brought in to stop sweat shops exploiting their workers but surely if ppl want to earn an extra load of cash and will do so without being forced then whats the problem.
I know it was brought in to stop sweat shops exploiting their workers but surely if ppl want to earn an extra load of cash and will do so without being forced then whats the problem.
But dont deny people who want to only work 37.5 hours the right to do so.
#56
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Paul,
I think it is. I think the working time directive goes that far. When I was working for Deutsche Bank a number of the US developers worked in Frankfurt. They said it was a nightmare because security would literally kick them out of the building.
Dave
I think it is. I think the working time directive goes that far. When I was working for Deutsche Bank a number of the US developers worked in Frankfurt. They said it was a nightmare because security would literally kick them out of the building.
Dave
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paulr: Look here.
That dispensation could easily be terminated and the working hours limit reduced.
When the move was agreed, the UK obtained a special dispensation to allow people to volunteer to work longer than 48 hours if they wished.
#59
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No, New Labour think it is wrong to allow us to make any decisions of our own and will take away the the right to work longer than the 48 hour maximum as soon as they think they will get away with out a big fuss.
I work 75-85 hours a week with one day in 14 off. All paid for by the hour but i comute about another 10 hours a week to various jobs in my own time. My company has the opt out clause as part of our standards terms and if you want to apply the 48 hour maximum it states in our contracts that you have to give 3 months notice in writing! But weekend over time is treated as optional.
I work 75-85 hours a week with one day in 14 off. All paid for by the hour but i comute about another 10 hours a week to various jobs in my own time. My company has the opt out clause as part of our standards terms and if you want to apply the 48 hour maximum it states in our contracts that you have to give 3 months notice in writing! But weekend over time is treated as optional.