Cards on the table - I retired from teaching at 56. Lost a bit of pension but gained a life! I can fully understand those who work long hours and enjoy it - good on them and I hear of some who kick the bucket once they retire as they feel useless. For myself can't say the work was a bundle of fun and whilst I felt a little sad on my last day I got over it by the time I arrived home.Originally Posted by Omegamanic
If you are self employed the urge to work long hours must be irresistible for some. Striking the right balance between work and family is the key. This thread was prompted by a discussion with a very well off friend of mine who, whilst I was admiring his very large house, reflected that he felt more comfortable at work than with his wife and kids. I felt sorry for him.
An ex boss who became a friend worked long hours to become wealthy. Died in his mid sixties with his biggest regret being that he hadn't spent time with his family. Kids didn't think much of him but did enjoy sharing out his money...
monday, tuesday and wednesday 8 hours and thursday and Friday 4,5 hours.
I try to maintain my lifestyle with as little effort as possible, well, effort goes elsewhere.
But with the divorce near, I probably need more hours...........
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
8-9 hours Monday-Friday usually, but I switch off in the evenings and most of the time don't have any travel on top, so it's not too bad.
I think the 'winners' are those who can achieve a 24-0 result in favour of life!
A neighbour of ours when I was growing up was retired for about 2 months before dropping dead from a heartache (I don't think he had any history, he'd just left 100s of jobs to do when he retired and started doing them all!)
My dad had it right. He was lucky enough to retire (healthy) at 60, took up Horse riding, would take his bike over to follow the TdF or ride around the French Alps, travelled and lived another (mostly healthy) retired 26 years...
A good final salary pension helped and means I don't have to worry about my Mum's financial situation now he's gone.
M.
Last edited by snowman; 10th January 2017 at 10:02.
Took a sabbatical almost 7 years ago (aged 39), still enjoying it today:)
I am contracted to 37.5 hours per week, usually anything between 6-12 hours travelling on top of that due to location of sites I need to visit etc. I can work from home when I want and usually achieve more than I do whilst in the office, I tend do it more now if I am honest. But when I work from home, I tend to work later on than I would if I were in the office.
To be honest, I am now looking at things differently in work due to some recent internal events, so I wont be bursting my arse every week from now on. The family have noticed I have been grumpy and short tempered, so it needs to stop and it will. My fault for taking on as much and trying to help people to have it thrown in my face.
Not to worry!
I guess the next logical question is, what do we all do?
As somebody else mentioned previously, I too am rather surprised by the relatively low hours that I am seeing. At the same time, I envy you all
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Good call....give me some ideas for a change in career.I guess the next logical question is, what do we all do?
As somebody else mentioned previously, I too am rather surprised by the relatively low hours that I am seeing. At the same time, I envy you all
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I'm an Operations manager for a BEMS/Energy company. To trade I am a Building services/HVAC and process controls engineer.
Being self employed and having the workshop at home means I'm never away from the job, but it does give me incredible flexibility as to the hours and days I work. The other great thing is I absolutely love my job (99% of the time!)
7.30am until 4pm, 37.5 hrs per week, plus 1 hour lunch.
I do a regular monthly extra hour where additional work is needed to finish month end, but other than that, my hours are static, which to me is ideal as i get to spend a good amount of time with my family
Mark
I worked all the hours that God sent during my 40s and 50s but was highly paid, so that was fair enough.
I always made myself a promise that I would retire at 60 and finally called it a day at the age of 61. The transition from work to retirement hit me hard and it took about 2 years to fully adjust. I now spend my time touring Europe and enjoying every day of it. There is nothing wrong in working long hours as long as you have got something at the end of the day to show for it.
Mick
This is very very true and one of the reasons I got pissed off last year, they increased our target by £1m but the op's side had to achieve a higher GM%, we knew right away it wasn't achievable, however we all tried and got within £90k of the target (ops contributing to sales) and 2% from our GM target, which was a hard hard year I tell you, considering we were working to the same bonus scheme as the previous year (so work harder for the same bonus in effect). When my manager applied for a bonus for the 2 op's manager (me and one other) and more or less said 'guys have worked hard, generated a lot of work and achieved a near impossible task, can I give them a bonus for their hard work?' and was told NO, abruptly as well. So hence my thoughts on things now. I am back tomorrow after a lengthy break, so we will see what is said when I return.
Started working offshore 10 years ago, best move I made, 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off.
Get to do loads with the family in the time off.
Have a holiday house up the North west of Scotland which is great to get away to.
Hoping to retire by 55, only 20 years to go 😀
Main job varies from 35-50 per week depending on workload but usually closer to the lower.
Commute = 10-12hrs per week.
Volunteer role, which is starting to feel like work 3-5hrs per week
Your final point is spot on.
Too much work here.
I do at least work from home most Fridays, so avoid the 3.5 hours per day traveling once a week.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I have too much time on my hands, not (partly) through choice though.
I used to work 4 on 4 off 6am-6pm / 6pm-6am with a 20min drive each way and adding 20min at least to the start and end of every shift for briefs and handovers. When I was off it was great though starting a set of 4 nights on a Fri/Sat/Sun wasn't fun, I've always worked weekends since leaving education though I wouldn't go back to it through choice. I worked as a shift manager in the food manufacturing/processing business with a team of 24 subordinates.
After being made redundant mid July last year I took a few months off to help my mum with her house and garden, taking out trees, filling in ponds, two new patios, and a whole load of other stuff. I'm now looking for a Mon-Fri office hours job that fits my skill set and I'm desperately trying to keep my head up despite the number of knock-backs.
Tough going that Andy.
How does that affect home life?
It's a bit of a mix for me:
Typical weeks are 48-60 hours including travel time but depending on if I need to travel that week. If I don't need to be anywhere I work from home which means I can make breakfast for the kids and do the school run. If my day allows it (between calls) I will get out for a lunchtime run or gym session. I've just got back from a weights circuit and eaten left-over Sunday roast so today's pretty good!
Other times it's crazy. If I'm on a bid I may be away from home and working like crazy. Worst for me was a deal this time last year when I clocked up 204 hours in under 3 weeks. That did include a few hours each weekend but was mainly Mon-Fri hours. 2 years ago I was on a pursuit that saw me in London Mon-Fri for 4 weeks, averaging 13 hour days followed by pub meal and beers, and back to the hotel. Adrenaline keeps you going but you can only take so much. When you're dreaming about spreadsheets, it's not a good thing.
Overall: Bit of a loser, I reckon.
When I worked I rarely did more than about twenty hours a week.
Being idle by nature I've always thought work was an intrusion.
Cheers,
Neil.
Work is a 9ish to 5ish gig for me but I work from home so plenty of chances for doing bits and bobs or seeing wife/kids during that time. Pays enough to keep us all on one salary so I consider myself incredibly lucky. Life:Work balance for me is spot on - Mostly life with a bit of work during the time the kids are at school anyway. Live by the seaside on a golf course and spend spare time on the moors or in the woods.
I wouldn't swap it for a job paying ten times as much if it was a normal city job with long hours and painful commute etc, I really wouldn't.
I guess the next logical question is, what do we all do?
As somebody else mentioned previously, I too am rather surprised by the relatively low hours that I am seeing. At the same time, I envy you all
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Left school at 16, evicted from home by my nut job mother and started work immediately as a hod carrier in a bricklaying gang, gave up a days pay to goto college to get a trade.30 years of working as much as possible including nights and weekends, tried to be a landlord,not for me,bought,extended,moved my way to building my own 5 bed at 36 and gave up contracting at 47 as i cashed in everything except my home to buy a plot for 4no 4 bed townhouses,sold the last one in aug and began my down period, i start again march is on the work cycle.
I have worked some extreme hours to facilitate the current situation.
If it all goes to plan i am taking on an understudy to step into one of my shoes enabling me to continue earning but go on holidays, spend time on my narrowboat,shooting, while the younger keener bloke looks after the housing,light touch management.
I work shifts so do 48hrs a week unless I have to cover for another manager (there's 5 of us and we have to cover 24hrs, 7 days a week) which normally pushes it up to 72hrs but the pay is good!!
Working long days doesn't necessarily make you a loser. When I'm away from the family I really put in the hours, but I love what I do and I get to meet some great people and visit fascinating places. Back at base most of my colleagues are also friends so there is a lot of entertaining banter and Fridays are half-days so it's off to a family friendly pub after work to unwind before the weekend. Like a few here, I probably average in excess of 48 hours a week but it doesn't feel like it.
When I worked I rarely did more than about twenty hours a week.
Being idle by nature I've always thought work was an intrusion.
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
9-5 Monday to Friday in Corporate land for me so guess it's about right?
My contract states 35 hours a week (Monday to Friday) but I regularly spend 8 or 9 hours a day at work, and then have a 55 mile commute each way which adds roughly 3 hours a day. I try and work from home 1 or 2 days a week.
I had to sign a waiver with HR recently to opt out of the EU regulations as I'd recorded more than 45 hours a week on my timesheet for more than 17 consecutive weeks.
Spent 25 years "working" with mates. Thought (and hoped) it would never end. Serious RTA and life-changing injuries meant enforced retirement (aged 63).
A great period of life now over, and obviously miss fooling around with my pals all day. But also thoroughly enjoying retirement and the full time company of my wife. Life could hardly be better.
Hasn't been much division between my work and social life since the early '80's. Even now, such retirement 'tasks' as I have to undertake (albeit just supervising finances etc) involve interaction with friends.
My day:-
05.45 Wake up
05.46 Go back to sleep
07.30 Wake up again.
07.45 Sit down for breakfast and reflect on the futility of existence
08.00 Finish brekkie and reflect on the futility of existence as regards work
08.01 Get in car and drive, still thinking about work
08.02 Start thinking about oncoming traffic
08.50 Arrive at work
09.00 Start to look busy
09.05 Check TZ-UK
10.45 Get back to answering emails etc
11.00 Coffee
13.00 Lunch
14.00 More "work"
15.00 Tea
16.00 Tea
17.00 Tea
18.00 Tea
19.00 Go home still thinking about the futility of oncoming traffic
20.00 Dinner. Discuss work w SWMBO
21.30 Bath. Froth of bubblebath reminding me about much of work's essential detail
23.00 Beddie-byes. Go to sleep worrying about work and / or bubble bath
I make that 15 Hours / day or so spent doing "work related" activities x 5d = 75 Hours a week.
Relentless isn't it.
After 23 years of shifts I've recently moved on to an 8-4 Monday to Friday job, it took some getting used to but having a decent sleep pattern has made a big difference in how I feel. Hopefully this will do till I can retire in 5ish years.
At sea I've done 12 hour shifts, 7 days a week for the last 18 years. As a minimum that's 84 hours but normally it's about 88 hours. I only do this for 6 months of the year though.
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Most days are spent constantly attached to the phone checking emails (always waiting on solicitors to either sell/buy property) and looking for further property. liasing with tenants, estate agents, contractors and word of mouth contacts regarding...more property. When I complete on purchases il probably spend time on site surveying what needs to be done and what materials I need etc. None of it's taxing and none of it is stressful nor hard work-unless you factor in waiting times for solicitors who imo seem to get slower and slower. Makes my old retail business which consisted of mon-fri 5am starts seem like hell.
37 hours at the moment, half hour commute. Would love to go part time at some point!
Indeed - My first thought on seeing an earlier post was "What!!!! 45-50 hours a week???", but then I remembered having some jobs where the work was fulfilling, I visited interesting places and interacted with interesting, fun colleagues.
I would regularly do those kind of hours, because often I didn't even think of what I was doing as work, so much as enjoying myself and spending time with fun people.
Sadly, more and more jobs are remote - I get well rewarded in my current role, but I miss getting out and meeting new people and I miss travelling (commuting to London on the train is NOT travel!)
Even when I go to the office, the isolated nature of my work and that of most of my colleagues means there's little opportunity for more than cursory greetings.
Did I mention the "January Blues"?
M
Ouch.
I'm in the office a minimum of 8.30 to 6 every week day plus an 85 minute commute each way.
I then do an hour and a half most nights to catch up on email.
I rarely work Saturdays, and do a couple of hours reporting and planning on a Sunday afternoon while the kids nap.
I don't feel overworked in the slightest and the work pays for the nice things my family have come to expect. My wife is a lawyer and has recently gone in-house so that is get the freedom to push my career on a bit.
I occasionally think about doing less work for less money, but I've been a "head of" or director for a over a decade and there is no way for me to take a step down in my job. For me to very hands on again would require retraining over a year or two.
Leave home 7.15am, get home 8.15pm most days. Not great but not the worst and I'm paid well.
Now semi-retired after 28 frenetic years in the Gaming industry. Last 10+ years travelling extensively for work. Sounds glamorous ... isn't (100+ flights annually, conference calls at all hours, email always on, incompetent nerks, etc, etc). I miss certain colleagues, but not most of them.
Still do bits and pieces of consultancy work, but don't particularly chase it. Income is a lot less than it used to be but, house paid, no debts, so time to relax and reconnect with real life.
P.S. F*&k Powerpoint and Excel.
Great thread. Really interesting to read everyone's thoughts and experiences.
I am out of the house for the best part of 12 hours each weekday. Routine and pacing myself makes it bearable.
I leave early to miss the rush hour traffic. I park on the other side of town to the office so I have a good walk at the beginning and, more importantly, at the end of the day. I go for a coffee before work and sit down to read the paper. And I have a good long lunch break involving a walk around town.
I don't get to see Mrs FH quite as much as I would like. Strangely she seems less bothered about that than I do.
I've worked typical commuter office hours - leave home before 7, home 7-8 for about 30 years. Lots of travel away from home. I've had periods when I've been more flexible and had a month or two off and also worked 4 day weeks.
When I think about it, the duration of time at work has been a nuisance but just a fact of life if you want a decent lifestyle for your family. We've had an amazing family life (for us, anyway) and I don't regret any of it.
What I do regret is just how intensely I worked at times when I was at work. I realise now it was down to my personality - the world didn't really need changing every few months. When you get so caught up in work, you can exclude your family and friends even if you are physically with them. So I'll still be working hard for a few years, but I try to keep a better sense of proportion now. I try to tell my kids the same now they are working.
Contracted for 37 hours. In work at 07:00 and normally finish at 17:20, lunch normally taken at the desk. I work 17 miles from home so the commute is anything between 30-45 minutes each way on a normal run.
On the positive side I get every other Friday off.
40 hour contract, most weeks are 44-48 hours. In at 6.30am and leave at 4.30-5.30pm. Lunch at the desk most days
Weekend working on occasion when needed and travel when needed as well
Enjoy the job but can get a bit much sometimes
I work 8-4 Mon to Thurs
8-2 Fri and 9-1 Sat
5min drive to work and I am often able to pick kids up from school if they have an after school club.
Despite my lack of Canadian genes I coach hockey for the kids ( Ice hockey rules on roller blades) so Wednesday is practice and Saturday afternoon is matches - I have 2 teams again this year in different age groups. It's great for forgetting about work.
I am on call 24/7 but probably get called out less than 20 times a year - and I do charge hugely for the inconvenience
I don't have kids, so I spend a lot of my life working and the rest drinking gin and buying watches :)
I do a 12 hour day but the balance seems ok *takes a swig*
Offshore life(19 years) for me 12hr days longest trip 90 days usually 60 max these days but then i make sure i have a few months off after a trip to chill,spend time with kids hit the slopes and bike.
Meet Dep Head every morning at 7.30am. In school until about 6pm every day. Have school, PA, governor or alumni event on average 2 or 3 evenings per week. Watch school sport on Saturday and attend school chapel service every Sunday at 6.30pm.
I don't (always) enjoy Headship as much as I did Dep Headship or even Head of Dept, however my kids go to my school and my wife works for me so at least I see my family during the day. Can't see myself going beyond 55 - just turned 49. I would like to move back to the IOW (have a home there) and teach in the prisons, even on a voluntary basis, or retrain in something to do with dogs - grooming, handling etc.
Teaching was far too much like hard work to me so I got in and out pretty quickly. Our education faculty (which does teaching training) models some of the same practices and occasionally I get an invite for a meeting at 8am - which I always decline with a note that the start of the working day is 9.00am.
I'm definitely a loser. Just because I wish I had more time to spend with my family, especially the children. I love my job (most days) and, although it involves shift work, it is as relaxed as it can be.
i win and lose. currently in the middle of a huge retouching job for a shoot i did before christmas, literally been getting up at 6.30 and walking to my computer and staying there for 10-12 hours, i am doing today until 5 (girlfriend coming over to mine) and then starting again tomorrow late afternoon. i’m shooting tue/wed/fri and trying to fit in another retouch job of the AP ceramic i shot last monday (which involved travelling on a sunday) i have done the web pic but the images for print need greater scrutiny/time.
i haven’t had a full day off so far this year, or ridden my bike for a bit of ‘me time'.
but for every period like this i’m ‘man about town’ and one of those annoying middle aged hipsters sitting in cafes while you all sit in your office fiddling with spreadsheets or i’m doing shoots that really don’t feel like work at all, or doing 2 hour lunchtime skive rides in the sun.
wouldn’t have it any other way TBH.
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