How many hours per week do you work? 1

[astructurale]

Along the lines of commute time (thread731-125181)...
(Which I should add is fun to read!)

How many hours are engineers working per week?
And...
How flexible is your schedule? (Are you an "8-to-5"er or were you able to choose your hours?

I'll go first,

40hrs per week (99% of the time)
8am - 5pm M-F
(But of course I'd love for my scheudle to be more flexible. I'm curious as to what the rest of you are living day-to-day; and are you lovin' it?!)

 

[ScottyUK]

Buzzp,

Been there on the three-figure working week. Six weeks of that and my team were virtually fighting in the office because we were all so cranky and exhausted. Productivity plummeted. Dropping back to the low 90's was a welcome respite.

Work never comes home with me, other than stuff in my head which I definitely do bring home and analyse. I'd rather work late and finish a job at work than bring it into my home. Once you cross that line it is difficult to step back across it.

I've been asked by the IT guys 'Do I want a laptop instead of a desktop PC at my next scheduled computer upgrade?'. Why? So I can work at home? No way.


----------------------------------

If we learn from our mistakes,
I'm getting a great education!

 

[IRstuff]

Work about 35/wk so I can drop off and pick up kids...



Spend about another 35/wk here ;-)

TTFN

 

[Tunalover]

My US company has no comp-time policy at all. Also, having switch jobs three years ago (and with 17yrs in the business!) I get 2weeks of vacation per year. The company gives something like 1.5 hrs per week of paid leave which is supposedly adequate to cover sick time and all other personal needs. Compare this to the French who get an average of 9weeks of vacation per year (putting aside personal leave time).

If I work extra hours my company gets my time for free. Years ago, after working MANY extra hours for several employers with no reward (not even a "thanks" in most cases), I finally settled to 40hrs per week. Yes, I did work some "free overtime" at my current job but my employer figured that if extra time needs to be worked to meet schedule then the salaried engineer is expected to "pitch in" to help the common good. This is the EXPECTATION (of course the engineer has no input to the schedule; management made planning blunders or pushed down the poorly understood requirements that created the extra work!).





Tunalover

 

[SomptingGuy]

Hours of work & holiday entitlement...

The company I work for has a fairly nice 37.5 hr/week flexi-time system with one day off a month in lieu if your balance allows it.

Holiday entitlement varies from site to site. For us in the UK it's 5 weeks, plus 1 extra day/year for each 10 years in service. For the US employees it's 3 weeks, plus an additional 1 week per year after 7 years in service. Holiday time around the Xmas break is given gratis to the Americans, giving them the equivalent of about 5 weeks per year. Not bad for an American employer.

 

[IRstuff]

For hourly employees, it used to be quite amazing that they would often end the year having been sick exactly the alloted amount.

But, of course, it's pretty clear that if you consider sick time as company-sponsored free time, you'd make sure that you got your fair share.

Naturally, it would also be almost a statistical certainty that the days that hourly personnel were sick would fall on Friday or Monday.

TTFN

 

[corus]

In the UK there is no loss of earnings for being ill (for permanent employees), although salary is reduced after 6 months illness, and contracts terminated after 12 months, I believe.

I suspect that, as in other countries, people are commonly afflicted by the incurable virus, weekenditus. I somehow don't think this affects hourly paid workers more than wekly or monthly paid staff. Though once you become a manager I believe that the disease golfitus commonly occurs on Fruday afernoons. Again, incurable.

corus

 

[ScottyUK]

Totally curable. Just illegal in the civilised world!


----------------------------------

If we learn from our mistakes,
I'm getting a great education!

 

[deweynl]

I am presently working on a large refinery expansion job, and am working 18 12 hour days followed by 4 days off. I have been on this schedule for 3 months now and there are approximately 4 months left in my contract, which will probably be extended. Long hours but great bling-bling.

 

[ajack1]

In the UK there is no loss of earnings for being ill (for permanent employees)

Corus I am not sure that is true, well I am sure it is not true in my case, despite being on Salary any sick pay is at the companies discretion (although they have always paid it) however anyone on hourly pay does not get paid if they are off sick.

Whether my company is breaking the law I have no idea

 

[MRM]

About 40hrs/week, 8:ish (in the words of my manager) to 5:00. Last week, I did work 42hrs. I'm still on an hourly rate schedule.

We usually get an hour for lunch, although I typically take 1.5 hours and make up some time at the end of the day by sticking around until 5:30 or so. I'm more productive at the end of the day, and the company has no problem with it.

During the winter, or slower periods, I sometimes work about 35hrs a week. This is nice because I can devote a little more time to my own projects during that time.

I've got 3 weeks vacation/year, a few pers. days, and I think, 15-20 sick days per year. I've never used a sick day in my five years there though. I try to keep myself healthy, and I also think that's one reason the company is willing to allow me to work with more flexibility. They've never really come out and said that though.

 

[bacon4life]

We have some flexibility, and there is no expectation for working more that 40 unless an emergency happens. I just make sure I stay on the plus side of 40. I am often at the work site longer hours checking out this site or reading technical journals. Not necessarily stuff that will benefit my employer directly, but will make me a better EIT.

 

[corus]

ajack1,
I checked the rules on sick pay in the UK

http://www.patient.co.uk/showdoc/23069019/

This shows who is not entitled to get sick pay. I don't think this refers to hourly paid workers as such, but to self employed people. Perhaps individual companies add to these existing laws.

corus

 

[ajack1]

Thanks corus, I was aware about statutory sick pay that companies have to pay, this is the same if you are salary or hourly.

What threw me was your comment “In the UK there is no loss of earnings for being ill” even I earn a little bit more than £68.20 per week. ;-)