40 Hours working week?

[pcboy]

Hi guys, can you tell me what's norm for your work hours?

Based on my previous experience and my current job, the standard office working hours are 9am to 5pm, 10am - 6pm and 8am to 4pm. As with most salaried employees, it's normal to stay pass the typical hours for long projects or assignments.

I got an offer from a hiring company, and it didn't include the standard hours. When I asked the employer for clarification, he told me it's 8am to 5pm. I told him I have to think about it, because I agreed on the compensation and benefit based on my assumption that I will be working from 9 - 5 or the typical 8 hrs day...

I am a hard working guy, the type that will go to the library/school to get better at my job. I ain't those type that stay in the office all day, because I don't think long hours translate to productivity. It's going to take me more than 1.5 hrs to get to the new place (1h15m for my current one). It doesn't make sense for me to rent a place near by work at this point. I like the new job because it definitely opens more doors for me, but I will not compromise that much because my current contract doesn't expire till March.

Please give me your opinion, is it normal to have an 9 hrs work day in an office environment? Should I renegotiate (i've already gotten them to give me an extra week of vacation) my compensation with the employer? I know for a fact there's no way I can work the 8 - 5 hrs, I might need to compromise by doing the 9 - 6 shift....

[BobW]

Typically, a 40 hour work week is 8-5. You work 8 hours each day with an hour off for lunch (or some will be 2-15min breaks and a 30 min lunch).

[williamsauga]

30min break?? damn, i give my employee a full hour......i think they slacking too much

[jster]

30min break?? damn, i give my employee a full hour......i think they slacking too much

1 hour thats it? At my work, its 2 hour lunch. You need to treat your emplyees better.

[lessthanthree]

1 hour thats it? At my work, its 2 hour lunch. You need to treat your emplyees better.

2 hour lunch??? where do you work?

[theCSbully]

Haha, yeah 2 hours lunch is huge. I think it's normal for them to ask for the extra hour, but, you said it takes a while to get to that job too so you're commuting an extra 1.5 hour, right? It all depends on you.

[ullyeus]

1 hour thats it? At my work, its 2 hour lunch. You need to treat your emplyees better.

trolling...plus people would DETEST a 2 hour lunch....they'd rather get a shorter lunch and leave earlier 99% of the time.

[PrettyMao]

trolling...plus people would DETEST a 2 hour lunch....they'd rather get a shorter lunch and leave earlier 99% of the time.

Exactly. I already take a 30 minute lunch so I can leave earlier...

As for breaks during the day, in the office environment you take breaks whenever you want.


OP, I thought you said you had working experience with fortune 500 companies, but you seem rather clueless on typical day-to-day affairs. As pointed out in the second post, working 8am to 5pm is an 8 hour day, you aren't being screwed over. Or were you hoping that they would pay for your lunch hour?

[Ethan15]

In my office, entry level people come to work at like 8 and would leave at 5:30 earliest. This isn't investment banking or those lucrative CA firms - rather a typical office environment job

[Piro21]

I work for an insurance company. The job description says 8:30 to 4:30, but I usually come in at around 8 and leave between 4:30 and 5:00, depending on the workload I have. Lunches are supposed to be half an hour, but nobody really cares how long you take as long as your work is done by the end of the day.

[pcboy]

My current job is 9 - 5,

i don't usually take lunch on Monday, and Tuesdays, but I will take a longer lunch if I do go out on thursdays.

I guess I will talk to the hiring company to see if I can start at 9, and maybe leave at 6 instead. It's ridiculous, it's the first time I ever see an office that require 8 hrs of official work hours. I understand you might be required to stay a bit longer in order to meet tight deadlines from time to time, but normally you also get to leave early on Friday when you finished up all your works....

The problem is this place is located all the way in the west end, the surrounding is so industrial. That's a sharp contrast to where I work now, where it's steps away from all the bars and restaurants. Since I don't have a car, so that 1 hr lunch is more or less stuck in the office...

[Quiggie]

At my company they only care that you put in 8 hours a day. I usually come in around 9, take 15 mins to eat lunch, and leave around 5:15. But there are people who take an hour to eat lunch so they have to stay until 6.

[PrettyMao]

As for my actual working hours we get every alternate Friday off by banking an extra hour on Mon-Thurs

i.e.
Week 1:
Mon-Thurs - 9 hour days
Fri - 8 hours
Week 2:
Mon-Thurs - 9 hour days
Fri - off

And any overtime I work, I get paid. Just like today as I am at work right now.

[Ethan15]

The problem is this place is located all the way in the west end, the surrounding is so industrial. That's a sharp contrast to where I work now, where it's steps away from all the bars and restaurants. Since I don't have a car, so that 1 hr lunch is more or less stuck in the office...

You should ask the company if they have any lunch program.

The company I work with now is also located in an industrial area and it was a pleasant surprise to know on my first day that they have a lunch program everyday (Restaurants cater this company on daily basis)

[fantom]

My current job is 9 - 5,

i don't usually take lunch on Monday, and Tuesdays, but I will take a longer lunch if I do go out on thursdays.

I guess I will talk to the hiring company to see if I can start at 9, and maybe leave at 6 instead. It's ridiculous, it's the first time I ever see an office that require 8 hrs of official work hours. I understand you might be required to stay a bit longer in order to meet tight deadlines from time to time, but normally you also get to leave early on Friday when you finished up all your works....

The problem is this place is located all the way in the west end, the surrounding is so industrial. That's a sharp contrast to where I work now, where it's steps away from all the bars and restaurants. Since I don't have a car, so that 1 hr lunch is more or less stuck in the office...

You have a simple problem with a simple solution - just a matter of looking at what you're willing to give up and deal with in return for this new job/opportunity. Are you willing to give up 2.5 hours each day for travel alone, another hour that you'll have to work extra (compared to your current job), surrounding area and "social aspect" of it too...?

I sure as hell wouldn't unless it came with some pretty hefty compensation to bribe me into it... and not much can beat the pay I get right now, living 5min drive from where I work, and working pretty much right smack in the middle of downtown (King & Spadina area) where everything is a walk away. Oh yeah, and the social aspect of it. Hell, I probably wouldn't give up this job even if someone offered me a deal like you were offered (wasting so much time on travel to the other end of the city, longer hours, industrial work area) and it came with 50% pay increase. Double the pay, I'd consider it... not take it, but consider it.