Anonymous wrote:I owned a retail/service business & worked customer facing 930am-7:30pm mon-fri & 930am-930pm Sat-Sun. That did not include the business side of the business, did that for about 5 years. Cut back to Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun for about 4 more years.

I've known retail employess that work two jobs one 7-3pm and second job 5-10pm. They work 7 days a week, 2 days off each job but not the same day.

Factory workers often work 10-12 hour shifts on 16-day on, 5 days off.

Owning a business is different. The owner of a restaurant I worked in during college regularly worked 10a-10p. But he's getting the profit from scheduling fewer managers during his shift.

I would regularly pick up doubles on the weekends to make more money.

As a salaried employee, I have no incentive to work more than 30 hours / week if I can get he job done in that time. Of course, I have 50-hour weeks that counter-balance that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being at work and actually working are two very different things.

This is true. And very few employers are going to be willing to pay overtime to someone who is just sitting at their desk and doing nothing.

I worked the whole time 12 hours straight...every week day and on some weekends.

My next job involved being to work around 8 or 9 o'clock and staying until 7:30/8:00, working some weekends and being available for work calls at home. I always worked at least 50 hours and often more than that.

I personally knew someone in state government who would work 40+20 hours and get overtime. It was how he padded his paycheck. He was physically there during those times but just hanging at his desk or the cafeteria... and of course we have heard of the metro workers who do/did the same thing. So much overtime was paid out, and for what? Of course it's not that relevant for this discussion since most are salaried, but it is your tax dollars...

I've always worked in private industry. It sounds like some government jobs might work a little differently.

When I worked the extra hours it was because there was an actual need for me to be there.

I've also known people who have worked 3 part time jobs (10+ hours a day). I've seen wait staff at restaurants double and triple shifted. I had a couple of summers like that when I was in college, myself.

It's not just the high powered folks that put in the long hours.

I owned a retail/service business & worked customer facing 930am-7:30pm mon-fri & 930am-930pm Sat-Sun. That did not include the business side of the business, did that for about 5 years. Cut back to Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun for about 4 more years.

I've known retail employess that work two jobs one 7-3pm and second job 5-10pm. They work 7 days a week, 2 days off each job but not the same day.

Factory workers often work 10-12 hour shifts on 16-day on, 5 days off.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being at work and actually working are two very different things.

This is true. And very few employers are going to be willing to pay overtime to someone who is just sitting at their desk and doing nothing.

I worked the whole time 12 hours straight...every week day and on some weekends.

My next job involved being to work around 8 or 9 o'clock and staying until 7:30/8:00, working some weekends and being available for work calls at home. I always worked at least 50 hours and often more than that.

I personally knew someone in state government who would work 40+20 hours and get overtime. It was how he padded his paycheck. He was physically there during those times but just hanging at his desk or the cafeteria... and of course we have heard of the metro workers who do/did the same thing. So much overtime was paid out, and for what? Of course it's not that relevant for this discussion since most are salaried, but it is your tax dollars...

Anonymous wrote:I did investment banking worked 80-100 hours/week. A few times I went home just to take a shower. It was miserable.

+1

I was also in IB and 8 am to midnight M-F (well maybe 10 pm on Friday) plus one full weekend day was pretty standard. More if we were actively pricing a transaction. Did it for three years. I'm actually glad I got that experience, both for the money and for where it took my career, but wouldn't/couldn't do it again.

I have friends in Big 4, and during "busy season" (now), 70-80 hours per week is expected.

Anonymous wrote:I think "I work 60-hour weeks" often means, "I'm in the building for 55 hours and I scroll through email a little before and after work."

There's a LOT of off hours counted when someone checks their email at home.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/stop-lying-about-how-much-you-work/

Anonymous wrote:I mean, come on. More than 10 hours a day every single day? I don't buy it.

I have two friends who are on the partner track at their law firms and yes, they do put in those hours and have been for years.

Is it healthy? hell no. But it really does happen.

Anonymous wrote:I think it depends on the field. That's very much possible in the medical field. Doctors in training, residents, have to work long hours, especially surgical residents. They are on-call around the clock. Nurses have to work mandatory overtime. That's after a 12 hour shift!

I'm a nurse. I have never worked mandatory overtime. I would never work anywhere that demanded this

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being at work and actually working are two very different things.

This is true. And very few employers are going to be willing to pay overtime to someone who is just sitting at their desk and doing nothing.

I worked the whole time 12 hours straight...every week day and on some weekends.

My next job involved being to work around 8 or 9 o'clock and staying until 7:30/8:00, working some weekends and being available for work calls at home. I always worked at least 50 hours and often more than that.

Most people on this board wouldn't qualify for overtime.

My first job involved overtime - punching in/out via a time clock.

My next job was salaried. No time clock, no overtime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being at work and actually working are two very different things.

This is true. And very few employers are going to be willing to pay overtime to someone who is just sitting at their desk and doing nothing.

I worked the whole time 12 hours straight...every week day and on some weekends.

My next job involved being to work around 8 or 9 o'clock and staying until 7:30/8:00, working some weekends and being available for work calls at home. I always worked at least 50 hours and often more than that.

Most people on this board wouldn't qualify for overtime.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno I'm still at work right now..

Yet you're on DCUM instead of working.

If you worked 70 hours a week you'd take breaks every now and then too.

I do, on occasion, although 50 is the norm for me. I never take DCUM or internet breaks at work. I bust my ass while I'm there so I can get out in 10 hours instead of staying 12.

If people are working consistently 60-80 hours a week, then you are earning a fraction of your agreed upon salary. No way would I work at what I do, for half of what I make.

If you're salaried you don't have a set number of hours that you work although you probably have a minimum number hours that you work to be considered full time.

Anonymous wrote:Being at work and actually working are two very different things.

This is true. And very few employers are going to be willing to pay overtime to someone who is just sitting at their desk and doing nothing.

I worked the whole time 12 hours straight...every week day and on some weekends.

My next job involved being to work around 8 or 9 o'clock and staying until 7:30/8:00, working some weekends and being available for work calls at home. I always worked at least 50 hours and often more than that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno I'm still at work right now..

Yet you're on DCUM instead of working.

If you worked 70 hours a week you'd take breaks every now and then too.

I do, on occasion, although 50 is the norm for me. I never take DCUM or internet breaks at work. I bust my ass while I'm there so I can get out in 10 hours instead of staying 12.

If people are working consistently 60-80 hours a week, then you are earning a fraction of your agreed upon salary. No way would I work at what I do, for half of what I make.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno I'm still at work right now..

Yet you're on DCUM instead of working.

If you worked 70 hours a week you'd take breaks every now and then too.

I do, on occasion, although 50 is the norm for me. I never take DCUM or internet breaks at work. I bust my ass while I'm there so I can get out in 10 hours instead of staying 12.

Being at work and actually working are two very different things.