What happened to 40-hour work weeks?

[DougoMan]

Maybe it is because most workers surf the internet all day so it is taking longer to get the same amount of work done.

 

[Engineer]

Maybe it is because most workers surf the internet all day so it is taking longer to get the same amount of work done.

I know you said "most" and I can assure you that not all do that. I would much rather be home surfing than at work longer just to surf.

<------ Working way too many hours now.....thinking about career change just to have easier life. Don't need the money like I once did (or thought I did). Need more time off.

 

[vi edit]

Maybe it is because most workers surf the internet all day so it is taking longer to get the same amount of work done.

It's no worse than the insane of bullshit paperwork and management policies that you have to tapdance through to get anything done.

I love having to spend over 20 manhours worth of time spent documenting, testing, hunting for approvals from business, getting approvals from IT administration for the business approvals and all of the other tedious processes you have to follow for a 5 minute server restart or application install.

 

[mwtgg]

For six months of the year I work 35hrs/wk. I work 40hrs/wk for two and a half months. The other three and a half months I averaged 62hrs/wk this year, with two 70hr weeks and an 80hr week. The lack of OT pay all evens out in the end. I knew what I was getting into when I chose my profession.

 

[Gibson486]

It depends on the company....but engineers are not exactly known for working 40 hours a week, so i am not sure where you got the expectation.

 

[edro]

I try to stick to 40 hours. If something is urgent that needs done to keep my project moving along, I will put in a few extra hours here or there.

At retirement age, are you going to look back and think how proud you were to spend extra time in a cubicle?

 

[Gibson486]

I know you said "most" and I can assure you that not all do that. I would much rather be home surfing than at work longer just to surf.

<------ Working way too many hours now.....thinking about career change just to have easier life. Don't need the money like I once did (or thought I did). Need more time off.

I warned you. Jobs doing engineering services suck. I just got laid off, but honestly, I am so happy because it means no more stress. i was sick of the "you have 20 hours to do this project which needs 50 hours of worth of work...I need it by tomorrow"....then a month passes by and they give me shit about utilization.

 

[rcpratt]

I work 40 hours a week. I might have done 50 once, max.

 

[HybridSquirrel]

everyone I know works about 45 hours a week at the office (or at actually work) and then 10-15 on their own times at home or weekends.

 

[IGBT]

some give you "comp" time but even that is dwindling. It use to be 1hr for 1 hr but now it's 1 hr= 15min. Hardly worth it. Salary will eventually be replaced by piece work. And you work till the project is complete. Welcome to work world.

 

[IcePickFreak]

I warned you. Jobs doing engineering services suck. I just got laid off, but honestly, I am so happy because it means no more stress. i was sick of the "you have 20 hours to do this project which needs 50 hours of worth of work...I need it by tomorrow"....then a month passes by and they give me shit about utilization.

That was pretty much my experience at the last engineering job I worked, and I know I ranted on before about that here before.

Was just me and my manger in the custom products group and we got hammered relentlessly doing job bids - ie. stuff people didn't have to pay for, so we were always buried with almost no support from sales. Then we'd get micromanaged by the engineering boss, who was a piss poor manager & engineer (he asked what 3/8 was as a decimal in a meeting once), as well as the GM. Trying to explain that we already had more work than possible to finish on time never worked of course - everyone needed a proposal in 2 days, here's your 1200 pages of specs for the job. Then of course we could do anything according to the GM, even though we didn't have the capabilities to do it so you would have to waste time explaining that because he wouldn't just take your word for it. I got skipped on a raise I was promised when taking the position, and then they cut our wages at the beginning of 2009. 60+ hours a week on salary and would still get the 'take one for the team' speech. Then they expected me to move to Europe for 1-2 years, on 3 weeks notice, with no raise or any form of compensation other than they'd pay for an apartment and get me a bicycle for transportation (no joke.) They even stated I was at least 30&#37; underpaid in that very meeting, but of course didn't offer me any more money other than another "we'll see what I can do" empty promise. When I said no, he told me I either do it or I'm done working there, so that was my last day there.. 2 days before Christmas.

Was the best thing that happened to me at that place, that job was making me miserable where it was very apparent to my family & friends. I'd honestly go work at McD's before I returned to a similar position & environment.

I'm still in contact with my old manager from there and come to find out they're shutting the doors down to that place by the end of this year.. I would of still been living in Europe.


Cliffnotes: Engineering jobs suck

 

[Gibson486]

That was pretty much my experience at the last engineering job I worked, and I know I ranted on before about that here before.

Was just me and my manger in the custom products group and we got hammered relentlessly doing job bids - ie. stuff people didn't have to pay for, so we were always buried with almost no support from sales. Then we'd get micromanaged by the engineering boss, who was a piss poor manager & engineer (he asked what 3/8 was as a decimal in a meeting once), as well as the GM. Trying to explain that we already had more work than possible to finish on time never worked of course - everyone needed a proposal in 2 days, here's your 1200 pages of specs for the job. Then of course we could do anything according to the GM, even though we didn't have the capabilities to do it so you would have to waste time explaining that because he wouldn't just take your word for it. I got skipped on a raise I was promised when taking the position, and then they cut our wages at the beginning of 2009. 60+ hours a week on salary and would still get the 'take one for the team' speech. Then they expected me to move to Europe for 1-2 years, on 3 weeks notice, with no raise or any form of compensation other than they'd pay for an apartment and get me a bicycle for transportation (no joke.) They even stated I was at least 30% underpaid in that very meeting, but of course didn't offer me any more money other than another "we'll see what I can do" empty promise. When I said no, he told me I either do it or I'm done working there, so that was my last day there.. 2 days before Christmas.

Was the best thing that happened to me at that place, that job was making me miserable where it was very apparent to my family & friends. I'd honestly go work at McD's before I returned to a similar position & environment.

I'm still in contact with my old manager from there and come to find out they're shutting the doors down to that place by the end of this year.. I would of still been living in Europe.


Cliffnotes: Engineering jobs suck

Well, it's engineering services that suck....

But yeah, you and I speak the same language now. I thought my g/f was going to be worried that I got laid off. I called her right after. She just said, "Good....that job was a curse". It was just me coming home every day pissed off and not in a mood to talk.

I am not going to miss being blamed for projects that I had no business being blamed for at all. So, really, it's my fault that you underbudgeted the project because you had no business budgeting it in the first place? That you had no idea how to define the scope? Or how the PM you assigned never wants to make a decision? or how the big dog constantly create a smoke and mirrors show to make the client think he is gonna get something that we do not agree with as a firm and when things do not work I get the shaft? or maybe how you took away my 1 good mentor that I had? Or maybe even how my word never matters because the higher up engineer makes excuses so he will find a way to blame me even though I had no involvement with that part of the project? man, i could vent for hours....but i do not want to get pissed again.

 

[duragezic]

At my job (I'm an engineer) its similar, though if you make over $95k you no longer get overtime after 45 hours. If you work over 50 hours in a week my boss usually tracks you down the following week and makes you pick a day to take off.

Yep. Same deal when I worked as a software engineer for a large defense company. First five ours of OT was "casual" and unpaid, and anything after that (more than 45 hours/wk) was paid at regular hourly rate. At a certain high pay grade, there was no paid OT.

Several times, for several weeks, everyone on the team or project was on required 50 hour/wk OT. The rest of the time, most people worked pretty much 40 hours/wk.

 

[Leros]

The norm from what I've seen is 40 hours in the office plus 10-20 hours remoting from home.

 

[JimmiG]

Four people working 10 hours overtime each means one less full-time position is required, which means one more person at the unemployment line. So you're not just ruining your own personal life, it's affecting others as well.

I would never take such a job, but then again I don't think I can because of rules and regulations here.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

The last engineering company I worked for had the policy that lower level engineers were paid OT for anything more than casual overtime. However, I worked 60+ hour weeks many times and never saw a penny. Thats why it can be better to be a contractor if you can deal with the instability. That way they have to at least pay you for the overtime.

 

[dquan97]

It's a give take game that only the employer wins. Some employees gave it because they feel like they need to do it get ahead..and the employer takes it. Some do it because they have no life outside of work...and the employer takes it. Some do it because they hate their family life...and the employer takes it. Some do it because they feel their employer will fire them if they don't. So the employer takes it. And it doesn't cost them a dime extra.

Only way to "win" is not to play the game. Set your boundaries early on and don't give your employer any free time.

Agreed. I work 40hrs/week and that's all. I have other more important priorities aside from work.

 

[techs]

The 40 hour work week was the result of the power of unions.
Since unions are on the way out, so is the 40 hour work week.

Next out the door will be company health care, pensions and vacation pay.

 

[stargazr]

I worked in the manufacturing industry for 26 years, mostly at one company. As long as we had the work, it was 50 hours per week (five 10 hour days). When we were really busy they would ask if you could work 5 hours Saturday also.

For a machine shop, once all the machines are turned on they might as well take advantage of it and add a few hours. I hated 10 hour days. It really wears you down after a few decades, but the OT sure was nice.

During slow times, we would step down to 8 hour days and, starting at 7:00 AM it seemed like working half a day.

 

[edro]

The 40 hour work week was the result of the power of unions.
Since unions are on the way out, so is the 40 hour work week.
Next out the door will be company health care, pensions and vacation pay.

Unions support substandard employees and breed laziness.

 

[pcgeek11]

I am graduating with my BS in Mechanical Engineering, and therefore applying for positions left and right. It seems like whenever I go on an interview, the engineers are working 50+ hours per week. And they are getting paid salary, so no overtime. Is this the norm now, since the job market is so competitive? I don't want to work 50 hours a week and get paid no overtime, that doesn't seem right to me. I like to have a life outside my job, there is no point in working if you don't have time for play. Am I thinking about things the wrong way, or is that just how it is now?

Go to Mcdonalds.

 

[sourceninja]

I used to work lots of extra hours. I'd come in early, I'd leave late. Then one day the company got on me because I'd sometimes come in an hour early and leave an hour before everyone else. I pointed out that I worked double the hours most everyone else did. They told me that's now how it works. I was paid to be there between 8 and 5.

Now I'm here between 8 and 5. I don't work late. I won't answer my phone at home. Last review, they complained that my work had suffered and I need to work extra to get to the performance I had last year. I reminded them that I was only to work 8 to 5.

 

[stargazr]

Unions support substandard employees and breed laziness.

Yes that's the other side of it. I first saw this on a tour of the Budd Company in Philadelphia. They used to do metal stamping for Ford. Coming from a family owned small company, I couldn't believe all the guys sleeping as we went through our tour. I mean, laying down flat sound asleep at work!

 

[khon]

It depends on the company....but engineers are not exactly known for working 40 hours a week, so i am not sure where you got the expectation.

I'm an engineer, and I work 40 hour weeks. But then I work in Europe...

I also have around 8 weeks of vacation each year

 

[Vette73]

no one works 40 hours/week anymore.

I do and so does my wife.

Guess we are not bitchs that lay down like other chumps that work for free.