Work related conundrum - how many hours ?

[Projectionist]

Whilst completing a paid survey recently, I came across a question that got me thinking - if you could choose, how many hours would you work per week (bearing in mind that you would only get paid for the hours worked) ?

After some thought, I realised that my hours are about right for me, but that this has not always been the case in past jobs. 

Anyway, 26 is my answer 

[Cleoriff]

I no longer work but when i was in Nursing, it was meant to be 40 hrs. Ir was more like 70 and no overtime paid. We were meant to have time off in lieu but that rarely happened either. Would I have changed it? No. I think when you go into nursing you accept it's not a 9-5 job.

Not being noble but nursing was the only job I knew so you accepted the hours.

[RunrigForever]

In my last proper job 25 hours per week spread over 5 days. This suited me very well. Unfortunately there was a complete shake up at the accountants at which I had worked for about 3.5 years. They wanted rid of me. I put my only sick note in not long after the big meeting in the big bosses office which I heard him say in the corridor 'This does not concern Jane'

The 'Management Trainee' told me all the staff are in the big bosses ... so ... I went down and joined them. The re-shuffle part of the discussion had been finished. There were moanings about big boss smoking pervading the receptionist's area of work at the opposite end of the corridor. Put an Expelair into a window I thought, but didn't say.

I collected my things from my old office - Big boss had put the daughter of one of his golf club cronies in my office to do my job and wages which I would not want to do. Wages clerk had recently left.

I could not get a job for being 'black balled' by local business mafia.

Hazel Brown took me on in her independent shoe shop. The hours were inconventient. Monday, Tuesday and all day Saturday. My son was 16 and I wanted to spend the weekends with him. I had become physically and mentally ill by then and just had to leave. I have kept on good terms with Hazel, an X-Blue Bell Dancer. She stocks Hotter shoes, the Sale is very good. Hotter are British made, British sizes and British leather ... = ... perfect for fuddy duddy old me

Edited for spelling.

[RunrigForever]

Working from Home on Contract prior to the Pandemic

My son works at home for a global aggregates company. Head Office is in Nottingham.

Recently Northern division has merged with Southern division. My son works in the Land and Mineral Resources department as part of a team. He has recently had a promotion and now has someone working for him. She takes some of the load off him and consequently some of the stress. This lady is based in Droitwich.

I have been trying to encourage him to have a proper lunch break, away from his work station area of his home. If not in their dining room then outside, sat on the back step or patio outside the 2 sets of French Doors. It is to do with Blue Light emitted from the IT screens.  They are renting a very nice detatched bungalow set parallel to the street so the garden is wide and apparently long. There is an orchard at the bottom. Am going up on 2 September to visit him and his wife and cat Juno = looking forward to it. In the evenings they play IT games on their pc's = more Blue Light . I asked Alex if he read books = he likes audio books, that's good, but does he have his music on att? It is not good apparently to use electronic devices whilst winding down before retiring for the day.

I have asked him if he works flexi-hours ? He has said 'As long as the job gets done'. The company will be opening up their sites soon. Alex 36 has not yet had his 2nd Covid jab. He has about 3 weeks to go. I am anxious and won't begin to settle until he tells me he has had it. My son's wife Emma 28 is a pharmacist responsible for 6 pharmacies, does clinical work, so was vaccinated early. They live in Washington, Tyne and coming up for 6 months.

So in answer to @Projectionist 's original question, in this case = my son Alex would not know how many hours per week he worked 😞

Edited for spelling.

[Anonymous]

my answer, Everyday outside when it's sunny, inside when it's raining except when it's biking time, then no work at all.

or, i'd work all week (in shorts obvs) & have weekends off to go biking. (i'd have to work within biking distance)

[sheepdog]

Isn't the actual number of hours wanting to work, zero  

Otherwise anything more than a standard 7.5 hours a day over 5 days is the max. Everything above that is overtime or I start later/finish later in-lieu (limit to 30 mins). Lunch hour is exactly that and don't interupt me! 

Learnt a long while ago (and the slightly hard way), anything above your contracted hours is a fools game and you can be booted out regardless. Interestingly, this article about junior bankers doing 72 hours a week kind of begs the question why people want to go into banking. 

Actually tried a 3 day week rather 12 hour shifts over a weekend then tried over a week. Lasted a short while but ended up being more problematic in arranging a life around it so prefered the full working week. Even a 3 day week on normal or shortened hours is a pain to be honest as I never get into a rhythm.