Working 40 hrs/week....somewhat.... 4

[zoltecrules]

Just thought I would share this little nugget...

Been working my current job for a little over 2 years now. The "recommended" hours were 7:45-4:30 (45 min lunch). My boss typically arrives around 7:30 AM and leaves around 6:00-7:30 P.M.

My first year, I lived about 45 min - 1hr away. At first, I would arrive around 7:45 and leave around 4:30-5:00. After awhile though, I got lazy and started to arrive around 8:15-9:45, but I would still would leave around 5:00-6:30. It was kind of easier to get work done since it was a little quieter after hours.

Probably a bad idea eh?

Just the opposite. My boss and other upper level employees started to compliment me on my "extra effort" saying how my staying late really "Showed my dedication", especially compared to those employees that worked 6:45-3:30 that were considered "lazy".

My boss also liked to really get his hands dirty after normal hours at work, since that is the only time he is free. Although he's a manager, he really seems to enjoy doing a lot of the design engineer tasks that were meant for. In fact, he told me on several occasions how lucky I am because I get to work on all the "fun stuff" while all he gets to do is the dull management stuff. Kind of seems like a severe micromanager to me, but that's for another day.

Well, last summer, I finally got a place closer to work; less than 5 minutes in fact. I actually started showing up to work a little early than most people (7:30) and leaving a little later than most (5:00).

This is where it get interesting. At my most recent review, my boss told me my "effort has declined" and that I really should put more time into the job.

The funny thing is I've always worked a min of 40 hrs/week and most of the time more than that. I just think my boss only seems to notice when I'm here later in the day. My output of work if anything has improved since my knowledge has increased.

Should I:

1. Keep working the 7:30-5:00 and hope things improve?
2. Start coming in later again and try doing the "midnight oil" strategy?
3. Start working 7:30-7:30 so everyone notices I'm here? (just kidding on this one. I know if I asked my boss what time I should work this would be his response )

Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated too. I really don't mind working later these days either because there isn't much to do RIGHT after work Mon-Thurs.

Also, just to compare, the other 9 salaried employees in my department hours go like this:

3 work 6:45 - 3:30 (are considered "lazy")
2 work 7:45 - 4:30
2 work 8:15 - 5:00
1 works 9:15 - 6:00 (boss started complaining to him as of late)
1 works unusual hours since he's getting his BSME right now

 

[melone]

Not everyone is lucky enough to have only 8 hours worth of work per day....

 

[calguy07]

i guess...

 

[Lion06]

I feel pretty lucky in the fact that my office is pretty much free from any sort of political scrapping. I come in anytime between 7:30 and 9 (usually around 8:00) and leave anytime between 5:00 and 6:00 (usually around 5:00). I rarely bill more than 42-43 hours per week unless I have a deadline and a lot to do. I get all of the work done that is assigned to me. My boss really doesn't care the hours I work as long as my work is done and correct.
There is no unhealthy competition between my and my coworkers. I certainly try to do the best job, but not to one up anyone else, just to be the best I can be.
It's really a great environment to grow professionally.

 

[KiwiMace]

I went from a 50+hr (and get whined at) company to a 40hr (and get sent home) company.

I can't even think of words to describe how much happier and more productive my 8hr days were compared to the 10+ hr days.

My point is; tell your boss straight what you are doing, and work hours that let you come in to work in the morning looking forward to picking up what you put down the evening before. Noone will forget the day you drop the ball.

 

[melone]

"Noone will forget the day you drop the ball."

Someone ALWAYS remembers the day you drop the ball....

 

[TDAA]

Your only as early as the second person in. The perception when you are the last out is that you could have been there for hours.

I'm a late kind of person, and would do this second shift if allowed. With very few exceptions, there is only one person in our branch that is here after I am.

I ususally have just over 40. I have been asked to be sure I have been putting down all my hours, since it seems like I am here so long. I am also a bit more efficient with my time, so my work seems to get done relatively quickly.

 

[DDefoe]

Surely a 5.30pm finish would make it look like you work later than most of the other employees as you have noted. Does your boss notice what time you come in? If not, try an 8.30 start. Otherwise take a hit as others suggested and do 8-5.30pm and sock 'em with a 1 hour lunch.

If he complains about this, then he's really not going to get the best out of his team, and probably is not worth working for. In this sort of job market he has to realise a cyincal workforce isn't going to get him anywhere, and he will be worse off for it when people start to leave.

Is this sort of thing commonplace in the US? Perhaps we are a little ungrateful in Australia!

 

[KENAT]

DDefoe, I'd say it's certainly not rare.

I don't know about Oz but compared to the UK in most if not all states in the US employees have lower working conditions (not sure that's fair phrasing but I hope you get the point). Pay tends to be a little higher (although the exchange rate is taking a chunk out of that) and taxes lower (though paying your own health care takes a chunk out of that).

Less vacation and more hours are typical. Also in 'right to work states' then unless you have some other contract they can terminate you as and when they please without severance.

I’m sure others will correct me if I have any of the above incorrect.


KENAT, probably the least qualified checker you'll ever meet...

 

[Gymmeh]

Scott Adams (writer of Dilbert) had to get his ideas from somewhere....

 

[oneintheeye]

where i work very few stay on late and then half hour i would ssay at most. At very busy times maybe but not as routine. The MD actually has said he makes a point of leaving at 5 so that everyone else knows its ok and they should do it to.

 

[SomptingGuy]

When I started working here all employees had flexi time. You had to be on site during core hours (9.30->12.00, 14.00->16.00). Hours worked between 7.30 and 18.00 contributed to your balance. Nice and flexible, with the option to take a day in lieu once a month to burn off excess balance. At the end of the month, anything above one day was lost; balances below minus one day got you a kicking.

Most employees, particularly managers would end up losing many hours every month, but the flexibility of being able to take the odd day off here and there without cutting into annual leave was a good benefit and an incentive to put in more hours while at work. There was almost a competitive feeling as to who could end the month with the highest balance.

Then we got a new pointy in charge. He rang a manager at 9.00 one morning only to find that manager hadn't arrived yet. Considering it "unprofessional" he instantly removed flexi time for all people above a certain grade, insisting that they should be avaialble from 8.30 every day. This kicked off an unofficial "work to rule" for many, who'd effectively been expected to work the same long hours, but lose the optional 12 days off a year.



- Steve

 

[Morquea]

I'm a consultant firm member. My typical week, as describe in the employees manual, is 37.5 hours a weeks flexi with reccommended working hours from 8:00 to 16:30 with an hour lunch. I also have an overtime pay rate for excess hour over 40 a weeks (it's by province laws). I have the option to put those excess hours in bank or cash them immediately.

My experience here told me it's not the hours I work that are important but the end results. Cause I rarely work overtime and our chief of staff doesn't like it much.

So the team is big enough to avoided having to do excess hours. Also, during my idle time, I make tools to be more efficient in my work. So I end with more idle time used to make better tools and update my knowledge to be more efficient and up with more idle time and so on.

For next where, I will negociate to go for a 35 hours week and maybe more if I can get a teaching position at the local University.



Danny Garant, ing.jr
Groupe Stavibel Inc.

http://www.stavibel.qc.ca

 

[ChrisConley]

One of the 7 habits of a highly successfull person I was given was to show-up on time, and work until your boss goes home.

The concept is that people who show up early to get their work done give the impression of having poor time management skills, people who stay late are hardworkers who work the hours necessary to complete the job.

Having said that, I totally disagree with impressions listed above, but I have found more success showing up on time and working late.

 

[NickE]

I work almost complete flex.

Depending on workload I've worked from 7d/16hr in a week to 3d/8hrs in a week.

Although I do have proof that last year I worked 2000+hrs. I am salried at 40hr/wk 50wk/yr. It works great for me, when things get busy I tend to work a very wierd sch:

9am till 2pm -- do e-mail/catchup with coworkers
2-3 lunch
3-7pm -- work for the day
2am-5am -- work for the day ahead...

Then I'd sleep.

That got my sleep schedual all messed up, its been a trial to get back into days.

Often around here if you're not in early those that do show up early resent you, and if you stay late to get things done, you tend to not worry so much about what everyone else is doing.

nick

 

[Senselessticker]

Rigid work schedules are for the birds, although in the past I've done it when I had too...

I generally work anywhere from 40-60 hour weeks. And I've gone months without a single day off and have pulled many many 12-18 hour days. When things are slow... I strole into the office around 8:30 - 9:00 and will often slip out WAY before 5 or 6.... But when things are busy and its time to deliver the goods... I'll be there as early as I need to be and for as long as I need to be to get the job done.

I actually just came off a month long stretch of 7 day/week 70+ hour weeks. Today I showed up around 9am, sipped some coffee, and was gone by 1pm... And that makes it all worth it...

 

[shacked]

Senselessticker I am curious, do you enjoy working 70+ hrs a week, even though it is not all the time?

Also when you say that you generally work 40-60hrs a week, which should average out to 50 hours a week, that is a lot of work and almost no time for yourself.

Maybe I have a different attitude toward work then most, but it is my belief that I should enjoy my life and not slave away in order to make the owner of the company I am working for a little richer.

Don't get me wrong, I believe that a person should work hard and be productive, but it just doesn't make any sense for me to work 50+ hours a week for X amount of years so that I might be able to retire when I am around 65+ years old only to realize that I am now too old to actually enjoy life and do the activities that I enjoy doing.

I have never understood people who work so many hours, unless they have kids to feed. I remember when I was in highschool and working part time at a boat company. My boss at the time worked 60++ hours a week 6-7 days of the week most of the time. I asked him why in the hell do you work so much and when do you ever get to enjoy the rewards of all your work? I don't remember his answer but it was B.S.

 

[melone]

1 - Work to live, not live to work.
2 - Do something you love, and you'll never have to work a day in your life.

While those 2 statements may seem contradictory, I try to use them to maintain my work-life balancd. I truly love what I do. I enjoy the pressure and excitement of working on challenging problems under tight schedules. However, when I go home, it's time for me and my family.

 

[Senselessticker]

shacked,

Allow me to elaborate... I do enjoy working hard. And I enjoy working long hours. And I (most of the time) enjoy being at work be it 6am or 6pm. I've worked hard since I was a kid. I'm not the typical engineer. And I started my engineering career late in life compared to most... because it was a fall back career for me...

I spent most of my 20's "working hard" to be a life long career raft guide and "ski bum". I've spent entire winters snow skiing everyday in the "greatest snow on Earth" and I've spent entire springs, summers, and falls kayaking and guiding rafts in some of the best whitewater in the U.S. During that time, I often spent months living out of tents, barns, cars, and (if I was lucky) maybe a really crummy apartment from time to time. Often I worked double jobs to affort new skis, or new ski boots, or a new kayak to replace the one that got trashed during a floodwater day that spring, and sometimes I would come up with the cash to pay for the occasional semester of EE classes if I decided to stick around town that year...

I now live off of less than half of my salary. And I take my family with me when its time to hit the river for a weekend. I have two vehicles, one has 250k miles on it and folks at work poke fun that I still drive it. The other is a 13 sec car that does 0-60 in 5. And I wash it often... But I average more miles cycling each year then I do driving to work. And yep... I'm that guy on the bike that will flip the bird to whatever driver chooses to honk the horn at the guy trying to get a little exercise on a long country road...

So when you ask me if I enjoy spending an average of 50 hours a week at work... Heck yeah I do. And I'm thankful that I have a career where I'm given the chance to make a little cash and perform well while also having plenty of time to spent with my family. My numbers tell me I should be able to retire at the age of 45 if I choose to do so... but, I doubt I will. I'll probably be teaching skiing or guiding rafts by then...

Does that answer your question about my enjoying working?

 

[shacked]

Hey Sense, don't get me wrong. I was not criticizing you, I was just curious about what other people felt about working so much.

Sometimes when posting on message boards it is hard to tell what a posters tone is, offensive, curious.....you know.

 

[Senselessticker]

shacked, no offense taken here...

I was just trying to make a point regarding "enjoying" working. I work around many enigeers who punch in at 8:00 on the dot, and punch out at 5:00 on the dot and spend most of the time in between counting down the minutes until they can leave...

I suppose I'm lucky because I DO enjoy my job very much. But I think its an active choice and something you have to continually work at to maintain ongoing long term satisfaction. Just like keeping a healthy relationship with a spouse, kid, or a smooth running car, a sturdy house, etc... it all requires continual attention.

I do get frustrated at the punch in / punch out folks who do not seem to enjoy their work and seem do it strickly for the paycheck while meantime treating the oppurtunity to have a wonderful career as a burden...

To at least touch on the OP... If anyone in any company is trying to alter the perception of his or her value to the company by "appearing" to work hard based on clock in / clock out times... well... That just does not make sense to me... Performance should speak for itself regardless of the time punch...