Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Am I the only one who thinks the work week M-F is way too long? Its garbage
- Thread starter Misskitty
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Well, if you happen to be one of ~250,000 covered individuals out of the entire population of 65.7 million then, you're right.
Otherwise, they can do what they want.
Agreed. I work in public accounting. It's occasionally long hours (although considerably shorter than most firms) but I love the work, and I don't go home thinking "Man, I sure do hate my job."
Well, only a few times during the first part of each year
I am more of an outside person. Currently in college to become a physical educator and coach. I will never get rich but will love comfortably and will get months off every year.
Win!
Win!
I'm an auditor, too, but I work for my state government. We work 4 10-hour days. Having a three-day weekend every week is really nice. When we have holidays, it's almost like a mini vacation. The only bad thing about it is, adding in up to two hours of commuting each day, there's not much time to do anything when I get home. But that changes depending on where we're working.
The OP sounds very unambitious. Honestly, even if I could get by without working, I'm not sure I would not work, at least at this point in my life. Maybe if I had a family to keep me busy then I'd change my mind.
My advice would be to start a business. Once that business has gotten to a point where you can afford to hire someone to operate the business, do so.
Outside the parameters
As a teacher in tertiary education the number of days I have classes varies with each semester. It can be three with morning and afternoon classes each day, to five with some mornings or afternoons without classes.
However, classroom time is less than half the workload. There is also planning, preparation and marking, which I do at home (no one does much in our assigned office on campus) as needs dictate. I usually do some work every day, including weekends.
The powers that be would like to have me teaching weekend classes as well, but I decline. Sometimes it could be done, but when the when the work generated from weekday classes gets heavy I could not do the job properly.
As a teacher in tertiary education the number of days I have classes varies with each semester. It can be three with morning and afternoon classes each day, to five with some mornings or afternoons without classes.
However, classroom time is less than half the workload. There is also planning, preparation and marking, which I do at home (no one does much in our assigned office on campus) as needs dictate. I usually do some work every day, including weekends.
The powers that be would like to have me teaching weekend classes as well, but I decline. Sometimes it could be done, but when the when the work generated from weekday classes gets heavy I could not do the job properly.
OP, don't become a farmer or have kids. Both of those jobs are 24/7 and not easy to get used to. BUT they're both equally worth the pain and frustration you put into it as the rewards are numerous.
Honestly, it sounds like you just hate your job. Try to get into something you actually enjoy. I have a full time job I'm trying to get out of and a part time job in my degree field that I love. The time just flies by because I enjoy it. So much so I'd do it for free (and have!).
As to your original question, I'd rather work 4-10s than 5-8s any day. My team at my full time job has tried to get management to let us work 4-10s but they refuse saying that our productivity will drop off after 8 hours. That's straight up crap honestly as we work 4-10s regularly during the holiday season and have no issues.
Honestly, it sounds like you just hate your job. Try to get into something you actually enjoy. I have a full time job I'm trying to get out of and a part time job in my degree field that I love. The time just flies by because I enjoy it. So much so I'd do it for free (and have!).
As to your original question, I'd rather work 4-10s than 5-8s any day. My team at my full time job has tried to get management to let us work 4-10s but they refuse saying that our productivity will drop off after 8 hours. That's straight up crap honestly as we work 4-10s regularly during the holiday season and have no issues.
I think I've spent so much time working I get bored with more than a few days off. I need the routine.
Personally, I have a small business that is expanding like crazy, and I have managers more than willing to keep up that for a price. I pay my workers great wages as well.
I work about 25 hours a week these days, spend the rest of the time world traveling with the French Wife, drinking, more drinking, video games, fishing, offroading, and making scool stuff and working on cars
I work about 25 hours a week these days, spend the rest of the time world traveling with the French Wife, drinking, more drinking, video games, fishing, offroading, and making scool stuff and working on cars
The key is to enjoy what you're doing.
If you're a grad student in a STEM field, you're probably working upwards of 60-70hrs a week, 6-7 days a week for peanuts. Such is life.
Two weeks ago I worked close to 80hrs over 6 days. If you like what you do, it can be fun.
If you're a grad student in a STEM field, you're probably working upwards of 60-70hrs a week, 6-7 days a week for peanuts. Such is life.
Two weeks ago I worked close to 80hrs over 6 days. If you like what you do, it can be fun.
I work 100 hours a week, log 80 and get paid for 50.
No but really, I work every day for three weeks, 10-16 hours per day. Then I'm off for a week. This go around will have me working a total of 7 weeks before I'm off, though. Good thing I enjoy my job!
Suck it up, buttercup. You can sleep when you're dead.
No but really, I work every day for three weeks, 10-16 hours per day. Then I'm off for a week. This go around will have me working a total of 7 weeks before I'm off, though. Good thing I enjoy my job!
Suck it up, buttercup. You can sleep when you're dead.
I don't think the work week being too long is as important as the jobs people are doing are useless. There are a lot of jobs that provide zero satisfaction for people and the only reason why people work those jobs is to make ends meet and pay the bills.
Humans like to feel valued and to contribute to society. Whether that's 20 hours/week or 100 hours/week it wouldn't matter. As long as our focus remains on things like: cutting down office hours, forcing vacation time, eliminating emails after 6pm, the work week will always be "garbage". The global population for the most part is unfulfilled with their work. This is not true for everyone, as some people actually do enjoy what they do. It's just that the way we have structured our society, the majority of people will not be satisfied and will struggle financially for most of their lives.
Humans like to feel valued and to contribute to society. Whether that's 20 hours/week or 100 hours/week it wouldn't matter. As long as our focus remains on things like: cutting down office hours, forcing vacation time, eliminating emails after 6pm, the work week will always be "garbage". The global population for the most part is unfulfilled with their work. This is not true for everyone, as some people actually do enjoy what they do. It's just that the way we have structured our society, the majority of people will not be satisfied and will struggle financially for most of their lives.
I don't mind working 5 days a week. I tend to get bored on the weekends. Although sometimes a 4 day work week and 3 day weekends sounds appealing if I have a lot of plans!
It sounds like you are in the wrong profession/job.
I don't dread my job, I enjoy going. It's very laid back and I don't have to dress up if I don't want to. Typically everyone wears jeans a t-shirt. I'm out the door by 3pm everyday (well 95% of the time unless there is voluntary overtime) and I still have the whole evening ahead of me.
It sounds like you are in the wrong profession/job.
I don't dread my job, I enjoy going. It's very laid back and I don't have to dress up if I don't want to. Typically everyone wears jeans a t-shirt. I'm out the door by 3pm everyday (well 95% of the time unless there is voluntary overtime) and I still have the whole evening ahead of me.
I would much rather work four 10-hour days as opposed to five eight-hour days. The M-F, 9AM - 6PM (hour break mixed in) week really drags, and it doesn't provide much time to get regular househould things done on the weekends along with squeezing in relax/leisure time. I know maaaaany people have it much worse than 9-6 M-F.
I think higher quality, more impactful work is done in shorter bursts. Of course it depends on your line of work and results will vary from person to person, but I think after working on something for 30-45 minutes non-stop, quality starts to degrade. You begin to lose focus, you slow down, you get fatigued, you're more prone to errors. So maybe a work day where you work 45 minutes then have a 15 minute break every hour would be more ideal?
I think higher quality, more impactful work is done in shorter bursts. Of course it depends on your line of work and results will vary from person to person, but I think after working on something for 30-45 minutes non-stop, quality starts to degrade. You begin to lose focus, you slow down, you get fatigued, you're more prone to errors. So maybe a work day where you work 45 minutes then have a 15 minute break every hour would be more ideal?