Long hours... how do you handle it?

[Uncle Sick]

Alright, I recently got promoted to Account Manager.

This didn't just increase the cash flow into my pockets, it also increased the amount of hours I have to work now. A 10 hour day is standard.. 11, 12, 13 hours every other day.

Put an hour drive home on top of it and figure out when and how I will actually have the time to spend all that cash I am earning now. Hehe

So, anyone else having to work long hours? And how do you handle it?
I am busy enough for the time to fly by but I feel so damn worn out it's not even funny any more.

I might have to fly in Jup to entertain Mrs. Sick... that's how tired I am.





















No, Jup. The last part was a joke. You stay where you are.

 

[throdgrain]

You have two choices.

1.Drugs. Will keep you awake, but your work may suffer.

2. IRC . Will pass the time, but may turn you into a git.




Basically, you're fucked

 

[Rubric]

I used to work long hours when i was younger, now i have a family i think quality time is more important than money.

Of course i am living in rented accomodation and was made bankrupt 18 months ago. No longer own a PC let alone an internet connection and cant remember the last time i went out on the piss.

 

[Guest]

erm

 

[DaGaffer]

When you find the answer, let me know

 

[Embattle]

My job isn't that good, however at least I only do 32 hours a week......no more

 

[Gengi]

I work 42 hours a week every week of the year, but squeeze it into 6 months of 12 hours a day 7 days a week. If you ad in the 24 - 28 hour commute to and from work it pans out a bit more than the straight 42 hours. I cope because I have the rest of the year off (except for bloody courses).
Push your workplace to institute a shift pattern 4 account managers 12 hours on/off for a week followed by a week off or similar, works in the oil industry
(commuting may be a problem though, my commute when at work is 2 minutes down the corridor, via the galley for coffee)

later

 

[anattic]

One thing I'd suggest is that you defend what free time you have. Don't give people at work your mobile-number or home-number, and make sure you leave work at the office. And when you go on holiday, GO ON HOLIDAY! The number of managers I've had who phone in "just to make sure everything is OK".

And you're a manager now - act like one - "work" from home...

 

[Wazzerphuk]

Just get on with it.

 

[Tom]

Cross your fingers and hope for the WTD opt-out to be eliminated, as I am?

 

[Ch3tan]

Heh, sleep well on your days off. Although that does mean you waste your time away from work.

 

[Will]

Cross your fingers and hope for the WTD opt-out to be eliminated, as I am?

He lives in Buttfuck, Maine. So that isn't going to work for him.

 

[old.Tohtori]

If you like your job, suck i up and do it.

If you don't, well suck it up and complain about it....while doing it.

 

[Aada]

whats the point in having a well paid job and no time to yourself? they just don't go together, as someone said i think quality time is more important then money.

Aslong as i have enough money to get by the month and have a few 100 quid to spend after ive paid my bills im happy.

 

[.Wilier.]

When we have a shutdown at work, we do about 4-5 weeks of 12-13hrs a day, 12 days on, 1 off. This tends to be all on-site at the refinery, heavy graft, not sitting around etc. By the time youve done your hand-over to the night super, had a shower and driven home, Im looking at 15hrs a day.

I find it a huge struggle tbh, mainly cos I dont get to see my kids for days at a time, but getting home at 8.30 pm and getting up to leave for work at 0630 next day tends to bring the black bags out a bit.

It sounds daft, but make sure you eat as well as you can and drink plenty of water, stay off the beer and wine, even if you feel it will help you wind down at the end of the day.

And like Swift says, just get on with it.

 

[old.Tohtori]

whats the point in having a well paid job and no time to yourself? they just don't go together, as someone said i think quality time is more important then money.

Aslong as i have enough money to get by the month and have a few 100 quid to spend after ive paid my bills im happy.

10 years of 12-13 hour days with little time but to sleep in between, makes the next 10 years a bloody vacation.

You don't eat crap, drink crap, you rarely crap and you're dead tired. But it pays off in the end.

 

[yaruar]

Just get on with it.

yup, that's always unfortunately been my way of dealing with it.

Currently my work isn't too bad, 9:30 - 5:30 with a bit more sometimes and occasionally weekends. Previous job i was doing over 50 hours a week which blew, but as stated i just kept myself busy and got on with it.

I think the key is to keep busy and if it gets too much the only option i usually see is to look for work elsewhere.

Although i once did 12 hours a day 7 days a week for 2 months and that practically killed me.

 

[caLLous]

I do 4 days of 10am-5pm and 3 nights of 8pm-3am (or whatever time we finish). It generally works out to about 50 hours a week. Thursday and Friday tend to be the hardest 2 days of the week - 10-5 and 8-3 on the Thursday and then the same on Friday. Let's just say I look forward to the lie-in on the Saturday.

It's a struggle sometimes, especially when the club opens for more than the 3 nights a week, bank holidays being a typical example. Between Wednesday 25th and last Saturday, we were open for 10 of the 11 nights and I only had 1 of those 10 nights off, on top of the 4 10-5 daytimes.

I've slid into the habit of taking a week off after every bank holiday, which makes for some incentive to keep pushing you through the long hours.

 

[TdC]

hmm. contractually I have to work 36 hrs per week. depending how many projects I run and what exactly I have to do this can grow to 50-60-70 etc.
this doesn't happen very often of late, but when it does I make sure I compensate by taking plenty of days off (powered by the overtime), and mornings and afternoons too. there is nothing better than an afternoon off.

on busy weeks I don't do much more than work and sleep. as mrs tdc is usually as busy or more so than myself this is ok most of the time. I try to force myself to keep going to the gym because this keeps my energy flowing reasonably well.

also, take mini-breaks! a weekend+1day is very good for keeping your energy up imo. also kind of a reward for say....completing a difficult task on time or a long term project to a successful close. once done, run off for a weekend away with the mrs/kids/mates. have a couple beers, swim, ski or do something you've never done before.

when I find myself bogging down (I used to actually deny that this could happen to anyone) it's hard to get out of it (at least, I find it so). vege out on the couch with a dvd and some munchies, go to a sauna, take a couple of hours off and have a long lazy breakfast with the mrs/kids. try and keep up your time outside. go for a long walk on the beach. go out in a storm (wear good clothes!) and let yourself get rained on. helps put things back in perspective

good luck! I work very closely with managers of all kinds, and some actually manage (sic) to stay sane

 

[Gumbo]

I work 54 hours a week at the moment, and that is normally 10 hours at my desk with maybe 10 minutes tops away from it in the day. That includes quick trips to the loo. I've been doing this for almost 2 years, and I'll be honest, it's starting to get to me. It's all very well people saying, take your lunch, or leave on time, but really the only way to be successful in my game is to be among the hardest working. It is working, there is a good chance my bonus will be higher than my salary this month, and my salary aint bad, but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to do it for.

When we were stocktaking the other week, it fell on my Saturday on too, plus a late night or two preperation beforehand. I worked out I'd done just a little over 80 hours in 7 days. I've also developed some pretty horrendous insomnia this year, so you can imagine that week I wasn't looking so good

The European working time directive sounds great, it would be like an extra day and a bit off a week for me, but I can't imagine companies willing to pay their employees the same for 16 hours less work a week, so it worries the crap out of me.

Ah well, that was a nice rant.

I have no idea how you handle it, I just seem to, if I had a wife and kids there is no way I would do it. People say work to live, don't live to work, but at the moment work is what I have. It pays for my car, which is my diversion, but I am missing out on other stuff. There's going to be a few big changes in my home life fairly soon, which whilst fairly sad, will open up some doors to me too, so maybe in a year or two I will be able to work in shorts for 40 hours or so a week, and be a bit more chilled, every cloud...

 

[Milkshake]

I know it's difficult time wise, and probably different from what you are talking about, but I'm reaching the end of my third year at Uni and am averaging 70 hour weeks at the mo.

I go to bed at 11, and am up at around 7. I exercise (run unless it's cold and wet) have a biiig brekkie and am at Uni for 9:30.

Work pretty much the day through, then when I get home later on I've got time to spend with the gf and the computer.

So my answer to stress and being worn out is a regular sleeping pattern and exercise. Dunno if it'll help others, but that's what I do.

 

[tankgirl_ni]

after abbey made me redundant and before i got my job with fujitsu i was workin 67 hours a week in a local taxi firm.... (and it was only a fiver an hour!) booking taxis.. i didnt know there was 67 workable hours in a week up til that point.. after a month it near killled me tho. that same 15 second conversation with thousands of people every day.. long hours when you've got stuff to do aint bad.. but long hours that are repedative and dull are awful!

 

[DaGaffer]

The European working time directive sounds great, it would be like an extra day and a bit off a week for me, but I can't imagine companies willing to pay their employees the same for 16 hours less work a week, so it worries the crap out of me.

It does indeed. Its also one of the worst ideas ever.

 

[Tenko]

I'm broke

All the time, havent had a holiday where I went away somewhere for years. Can't afford a car or to eat out more than once or twice a month.

I work 37.5 hours a week with full flexi time and very versatile working hours and I'm very happy with my life.

I spend lots of time with my family and my children plus I can allways take time off to attend kid's parties or xmas plays. I get to eat with them and if need be I can flexi to take them to or from school. For me, I have enough money to indulge my great hobby (gaming!) and the time to enjoy it and to share it with them.

Now my father was a work-a-holic who I would only see if the shift he was on co-incided with me being awake. My parents grew apart as they had no time for each other and he hardly knew me. Frankly it made me angry not to have him as a more integral part of my life.

I vowed I would not do that to my children, no matter the cost.

Thing I would ask my self is do you need the money? Do you really enjoy working those hours? Remember the thing about money is if you've never had it you don't miss it as much! Once you start to work more hours for more money you may find it's too late to stop as the bills have gone up along with your new income.


Sorry to sound so serious, but to answer your question, How do you cope? I'd say "by not doing it in the 1st place".

 

[Jupitus]

I'm broke

All the time, havent had a holiday where I went away somewhere for years. Can't afford a car or to eat out more than once or twice a month.

I work 37.5 hours a week with full flexi time and very versatile working hours and I'm very happy with my life.

I spend lots of time with my family and my children plus I can allways take time off to attend kid's parties or xmas plays. I get to eat with them and if need be I can flexi to take them to or from school. For me, I have enough money to indulge my great hobby (gaming!) and the time to enjoy it and to share it with them.

Now my father was a work-a-holic who I would only see if the shift he was on co-incided with me being awake. My parents grew apart as they had no time for each other and he hardly knew me. Frankly it made me angry not to have him as a more integral part of my life.

I vowed I would not do that to my children, no matter the cost.

Thing I would ask my self is do you need the money? Do you really enjoy working those hours? Remember the thing about money is if you've never had it you don't miss it as much! Once you start to work more hours for more money you may find it's too late to stop as the bills have gone up along with your new income.


Sorry to sound so serious, but to answer your question, How do you cope? I'd say "by not doing it in the 1st place".

[counter argument]

I work pretty long hours when you include my commute into London (2 hours or so each way), I earn a decent salary, but I'm also always skint That said, I work the hours I do in the location I do so that I am able to afford to bring my kids up not lacking any of life's luxuries I felt I missed out on when I was young (single parent family, 4 kids, etc etc etc). True, I don't get to spend the time you do with your kids, and yes I envy you that in many respects, but I like to think they have a good quality of life as a result, and that is what drives me (note, I am NOT suggesting your kids don't have a good quality of life )...

 

[Tenko]

[counter argument]

I work pretty long hours when you include my commute into London (2 hours or so each way), I earn a decent salary, but I'm also always skint That said, I work the hours I do in the location I do so that I am able to afford to bring my kids up not lacking any of life's luxuries I felt I missed out on when I was young (single parent family, 4 kids, etc etc etc). True, I don't get to spend the time you do with your kids, and yes I envy you that in many respects, but I like to think they have a good quality of life as a result, and that is what drives me (note, I am NOT suggesting your kids don't have a good quality of life )...

Actually you're right as well!

And I bet my lad goes that way when he grows up, for most of those reasons too (or ends up on an ASBO, I do live in Salford ).

Still I'm a civil servant, the wages are lousy at every grade but the conditions don't get worse even pretty high up, so if I stay where I am I can reasonably double my wages and possibly earn 4 times as much as I do now for no longer hours.

It's a double bind and I know for a fact many of my friends think I'm mad for not leaving my job for a better paid one and if it was just me or just me and the wife I'd probably agree with them.

I'm gonna shut up now before the conversation turns into that Python sketch with the Rich Northerners, go'in on about how they had it tought when they were little

 

[`mongoose]

My aim is to have enough to support my wife if we have kids so she doesn't have to work.

I am now earning enough to support our current lifestyle when we get lucky so she has the freedom to decide what she wants to do. Either way I am confident we will survive.

I won't look to leave my job because whilst I might easily earn more elsewhere, I will be leaving behind a cushy number. An excellent pension (local government), 9-5 working (most of the time - when things are bad I work til it's fixed but things are normally very good), and 37 days a year holiday.

I don't earn mega bucks but I do earn a decent salary that pays the bills and gives me plenty of cash for going and doing things. At the end of the day I guess it's down to where your goals are. My brother in law plans to retire at 50, and looking at how hard he's working he will do. He's worked hard for it and I am glad for him that he will achieve his goal. Me, I'm happy to potter along doing what I do.

The moral is - if you're happy - go for it, if you're not - find something that makes you happy or gives you more time to spend with your family doing the things that you want to do.

M

 

[Uncle Sick]

Very nice replies so far, guys. Thank you.

Well... I am going to end up with a 60 hour week or so this week - and I am sure 60ish hours will be standard.

I come home at 9pm when my two oldest kids have to go to bed because of school... then I have 4-5 hours (depending on how tired I am) to spend with the little one, who's an insomniac just like daddy, and the wife before I have to hit the sack.

Now I have Thursdays and Sundays off guaranteed - so that's my quality time for my two oldest kids. Doesn't make me too happy.

But my new, improved salary with overtime pay (can't take the time off, since my company is too busy) enables me to offer my family pretty much all the luxuries of life they want and I still have two full days to spend on quality time.

We're also in the process of buying a house... and I don't know how it works in the UK but my new income basically doubled the amount of the approved mortgage.

My dad was a cop for 25 years and I hardly ever saw him except when he was on vacation. That didn't make me too happy and I know it's a strain on my two oldest kids.

So damned if you do and damned if you don't.

What I will do is, get the missus her own car so that my son can still go to soccer practice and my daughter to her art class... wait. She'll get the Forester and I'll finally be able to get a new car. edit: ... something like... yes....

Now my job? I am loving it (so far). I am extremely busy, so time rushes by.
I feel like I am getting to work and leaving already... wondering why it's getting dark.

Just gotta figure something out family time management wise.

... and boy am I neglecting my little gnome mage on WoW. Heh.

 

[Gumbo]

I won't look to leave my job because whilst I might easily earn more elsewhere, I will be leaving behind a cushy number. An excellent pension (local government),*snip* and 37 days a year holiday.

37 days!

That's pretty obscene. Can I have a job please?

 

[MYstIC G]

I regularly (4 days a week) work from 9am to 10/11pm (generally with no lunch or other breaks), 3 hours travel on top of that (that's if the trains are running on time). Figured out a couple weeks back that I basically on average after work and sleep maybe get an hour a day to myself.

The only way I cope is because it's a family business and I'm doing it to hopefully provide a decent future for my girlfriend and my siblings.