Too much work? 1

[biblicalfury]

I would appriciate some input from the more experienced engineers around here. How much work is too much?

I've been working with a company for about 5 months now after finishing college with a Bachelor's and Master's in Civil Engineering. I like the company itself and everyone I work with, but the amount of time I've had to work lately is driving me nuts. Without knowing many engineers who have more experience than I do, I don't know if it's typical for the profession or if I'm just in the wrong place.

The number of hours I've worked in a week have gradually crept up to the point where I've been in the 50-60 hour range for the past month and a half. Currently, I have a field assignment with some long hours. I've already had two 14 hours days this week, with 2 or 3 more likely. I understand that field work is important to learn, especially fresh out of school, but working this much is killing me. I went from being excited to be out of school to hating life in no time flat.

Am I over reacting? Is this normal? Any kind of feedback is appreciated.

Thanks!

 

[GregLocock]

Have you told anybody in your management about the hours you work?

I have worked 50-60 hour weeks for months at a time, but then I used to get paid overtime when I did that, and it was by my own choice.

Consecutive 14 hour days are silly, in fact illegal, in some jurisdictions (courtesy of the 10 hour rule).




Cheers

Greg Locock

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.

 

[IRstuff]

Generally, that rule only applies to hourly workers, at least, in the US.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[JasonG]

An important, and difficult, skill in life is knowing where to draw the line between work and life and then doing it. It doesn't matter what is typical. What matters is what you are comfortable with.

Decide for yourself how many hours you are willing to work and stand your ground. There will always be more to do tomorrow and the boss will always continue to hand you more as long as you accept it. When you've had enough then "just say no" (nicely of course).

 

[debodine]

"Decide for yourself how many hours you are willing to work and stand your ground. There will always be more to do tomorrow and the boss will always continue to hand you more as long as you accept it. When you've had enough then "just say no" (nicely of course)."

Excellent advice from JasonG. Just make sure you have a plan if your boss says "work the hours or leave". It is a possibility you should at least plan for, just in case. The typical boss will understand your position, but there are individual bosses out there who may be unreasonable.

debodine

 

[bridgebuster]

You're over reacting.

Granted, long hours gets old real fast. I've done my share of 7/10's for weeks on end; worked day-night-day shifts; etc; BUT that's the nature of field work!

Unlike the office, there are times when you can't leave things for tomorrow. In field work, it's the contractor who is driving the schedule.

Deal with it. I don't know where you're located but in another 2 or 3 months, field jobs will be winding down for the winter; back to a normal schedule.

 

[SomptingGuy]

This is the UK legislation on working time:

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si1998/19981833.htm

 

[csd72]

Learn how to say 'no' to clients and to managers.

 

[mechengdude]

At some jobs/companies, it is common practice or expected that you are to always work extended hours because you are on salary. Some places you have to work overtime just enough to get a few problem jobs completed. I'm sure it also varies by industry and customers. In other companies the norm is 40 hours and go home.

The question is what is acceptable to you and what pressure is management putting on you to work extended hours or are you doing it out of your own insecurity because "everybody does it"? My two cents - stick it out for a while and ask around with your co-workers. Do only the overtime mongers get good raises at your company and if so is it really a raise or just pay for your work. If the company expects too many hours find a new job that has better working hours, there are plenty of good companies out there to work for.

 

[SomptingGuy]

Most of our "working time" issues revolve around whether the 5AM start followed by a 24-hour flight contribute to working hours or not. Is it ok to take a free day after a heavy trip?

 

[Morquea]

I don't think your overreacting but talk to your employers, at least to know for how long it's to lasted.
You also can asked that hours over 40 to be stored and payed later as day off when it will slow down.
I would avoid doing more than 11 hours a day (I had the experience 16 hours straight). If would have to do more, look at the possibility to cut it in many blocks with pause of an hour or more between them.

But the only, talk to your employers about your limits. If my employer wouldn't care about my limits, I would find an other one. I will have no second though about this.

 

[IRstuff]

That would be "comp time," and some companies are quite flexible about that.

TTFN

FAQ731-376

 

[ScottyUK]

SomptingGuy,

Be thankful your are in a position to argue. My industry (power generation) is excluded from the legislation and we work all manner of lousy hours. Normally we try to take a common sense approach and there is a little give & take where a late night on a breakdown is recompensed by lieu time when things are quieter. Occasionally I have refused to work or set a team to work when we have been on site for 12 or 14 hours and a demand is made for nightshift cover from the same team. I have only had one major argument about that and I refused to work and walked off site.


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

Sometimes I wake up Grumpy.
Other times I just let her sleep!

 

[jmw]

I've had the situation where I'd work a full week in the office then grab a flight out to site in Portugal, meet with the German Enginers, and spend the weekend supervising tests, identifying problems, working out solutions and then getting back to the office on the Monday for a repeat cycle. Why weekends on site? this was an auto-producer power station i.e. a textile mill generating its own CHP and selling on the surplus heat and electricity; the weekends were the only time we could have the engines shut down.

Now this went on for a while and I wasn't unhappy about it (I was enjoying the work and achieving results) but at some point I suggested to the boss that I'd like a day or two in lieu and he nearly went into shock. "It goes with the territory" he managed to croak out (I guess some part of the management handbook does sink in... the stock phrases).

Actually, once you've been in engineering long enough you'll probably find that it is the wife ringing you up to tell you your dinner is in the dog that will let you know that you work too many hours and you will realise that you do so not because it is expected but because you like what you do.
I can't think of any other reason for doing it...but you do need to listen to the wife occasionally, she might have a point about family life (and it is why they invented home computers and the internet; so you can pretend to be at home while actually still working).

JMW

http://www.ViscoAnalyser.com

 

[Pud]

Interesting.......

I own a small manufacturing business. Although my staff would work all the hours God sends, I do not let them work too many hours. They need time off to play golf/get drunk with their friends/meet the wife/find out the dog's name......

I make them have time off. I pays dividends is spades. Tired/jaded staff are a waste of space, and sometimes a liability regarding health and safety.

Remember the adage: No one's last words on their deathbed were "I wish I spent more time at the office"

Live to work/work to live - your choice.


Cheers

Harry

 

[Pud]

Should be IN spades.

H

 

[QAFitz]

So, how many of you working long hours have:
- health problems?
- multiple marriages?
- dogs as your best friend(s)?
Unfortunately, I let my work habits dictate when I would get a check-up, then underwent a life threatening operation because of putting it off. After that experience I really don't care how much work there is, I work my 40+ and when I'm satisfied I go. Simple. When I'm questioned my response is there really are more important things in life that your (the bosses) commitments.
Also, if the O/T is tallied up, usually its enough for another employee.
Gotta go, there is a 'Titleist' calling my name ;-}