Workload country-wise

[freefightdave]

How many hours per day do you guys work, and what is the standard in your country? Is the trend going towards more hours or less? Here in Finland its 8 hours/day. Also, is it common working more than five days/week?

[Titan]

Sweden is 8 hours. I can stand about 4 hours and then I go home. I work in IT primarily and we've got some workaholics, but maybe it's like that in every segment? What I tend to see here, though, is everyone really stays their 8 hours. They also take like 10 minutes lunches and rush back to work. I don't understand what's so fun about working that you cut lunch short. 5 days a week is what almost every regular worker does, and 4 weeks paid vacation. (Edit: I'd say the trend seems to be giving people the chance to work more, I think even EU decided on something like that recently.)

[freefightdave]

Oh you`re a swede, finlandssvensk här:) Well our countries are pretty identical, I`m more curious about countries like USA and Japan. Here in Finland they want to make people work longer before retirement by giving higher pensions if they work longer.

[Titan]

Well, the US is quite a bunch of states and it varies from state to state. However, I've lived there and from what I could tell, people generally work a lot harder there than here. Some even work several jobs because their minimum wages are really low. Healthcare is not socialized either, but provided through your employer, so there's another reason for working. I'm not sure how retirement plans and all that works over in the US. 40 hours a week from what I saw was minimum for a full-time employee. It was very work-oriented. Anybody I met in management positions spent like 60 hours a week at work. I know some in IT that run weeks where they pull 80 hours a week, but I've done that over here myself so it's probably something in the IT world. For a manager to work Saturdays and Sundays was not unusual. But ... it is also the land of opportunities and with a little determination, you can go a long way in the US. Much, much further than in this socialized country. I really like that country. :-)

[( o Y o )]

In Japan the official 8 hour days are pretty much ignored by all, including the union when it isn`t a suitable time to say anything.

That said, while they do work a hell of a lot of hours, a lot tend to take a lot of coffee/smoke breaks throughout the day as well.

The trend is getting slightly less, and the law is being enforced a little more strictly.

As for me, a typical day is head off to main job leaving home around 5:30. Start around 8am, finish there at 5:30pm, move to next job and generally do 3 hours there, and finally get home sometime between 9pm and 11pm depending on the day.

[freefightdave]

As for me, a typical day is head off to main job leaving home around 5:30. Start around 8am, finish there at 5:30pm, move to next job and generally do 3 hours there, and finally get home sometime between 9pm and 11pm depending on the day.
What do you work with? That`s alot of work! :eek:

[brazilianshiva]

I work at least 12 hours per day. I am taking my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in Japan, Osaka University, and I am considering this my 'work' (I am paid for that, so)... I usually arrives at 6h am a University and I leave around 18h/19h. I also come on Saturday and Sunday, but I work around 6 hours both day. My japanese colleagues arrive around 10h or 11h am and leave around 22h or 23h pm. (the pos-graduate students, the undergraduate leaves between 19h and 21h). I am leaving here next year and going to Europe I hope.

[freefightdave]

Can you people go full power for every day with those schedules?

[nukenin]

Actually in the US it sucks, even though I believe people make more in the US than other countries, there is no government regulation on businesses so alot of people work long or very long hours to survive. Especially recently wiith the economy turning bad, alot of people have to work 1 full-time and 1 part-time job, also students who got to college must work 1 full-time or part-time job and attend college. Many companies dont even offer paid vacation or benefits/ health insurance unless you are upper-management and many people have to work year-round with no or little vacation. Plus with alot of recent company scandals most people dont go with a 401k or company retirement plan.

[freefightdave]

In Finland we have 4-5 weeks of vacation/year:)

[Titan]

Paid vacation, you should add. :-)

[freefightdave]

Oh I took that for granted:)

[freefightdave]

TTT for more input.

[K++s]

I can only speak for Calgary, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario in Canada but in Calgary, it's generally 7:30 - 8:00 to start work (if you start work after 8:30, you're kinda stigmatized) and you work to 5 or 5:30.

That said, i'm in an insane profession so i've done the 7 am to 11 pm for a couple months at a time.

Toronto people usually roll in around 9 or 9:30 and stick around until 7-ish.

[Fozzy]

In Finland we have 4-5 weeks of vacation/year:)

you also have conscription! *sniggers* :P

I don't work so i cant really input... though I go to school for 7 hours a day! XD

Working hours in aus are generally the same as most places 7-8hour days, 5 days a week, not sure about weeks off, depends what your doing really.

~Foz

[zymogen]

I work at least 12 hours per day. I am taking my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in Japan, Osaka University, and I am considering this my 'work' (I am paid for that, so)... I usually arrives at 6h am a University and I leave around 18h/19h. I also come on Saturday and Sunday, but I work around 6 hours both day. My japanese colleagues arrive around 10h or 11h am and leave around 22h or 23h pm. (the pos-graduate students, the undergraduate leaves between 19h and 21h). I am leaving here next year and going to Europe I hope.


Wow, I am also a PhD, but I don't work 12 h every day, just sometimes. I start generally at 8.30 and go home between 6 and 7.
Most people in the Netherlands start between 8 and 9 and go home between 5 and 6.

[freefightdave]

I can only speak for Calgary, Alberta and Toronto, Ontario in Canada but in Calgary, it's generally 7:30 - 8:00 to start work (if you start work after 8:30, you're kinda stigmatized) and you work to 5 or 5:30.

That said, i'm in an insane profession so i've done the 7 am to 11 pm for a couple months at a time.

Toronto people usually roll in around 9 or 9:30 and stick around until 7-ish.
Is this in general or in a certain area? Btw what do you work with?

Seems like 9-10 hours is common in other countries.

[K++s]

Is this in general or in a certain area? Btw what do you work with?

Seems like 9-10 hours is common in other countries.

I really have a hard time speaking to if it's common to all areas.

Toronto and Calgary are business centers where there's a lot of big corporations head quartered there so there tends to be longer hours.

I'm guess (though with no real basis) that if you're working in a city where the government is a bigger employer or is more industrial, the hours could arguably be shorter.

I work in a law firm. Also, i'm a decent way up the corporate chain so my hours have gotten better. When i started i was really closer to 6:50 a.m. to 7 - 7:30....

Wow, i really don't miss those days...

[FieldingMellish]

Working hours in the UK vary and depends alot whether you're in the public sector (local or central government) or work for a private company. I'm employed in the public sector and my official hours of work are around 38 hours a week. It works out as about 7 and a half a day, Monday to Friday. I get Flexi-Time too so as long as I make good later and complete my allotted hours each month I can leave a little early, come in a little late etc. I tend to work from just after 9 til just after 5, with a lunchbreak of 30 - 60 mins in the middle. I could do longer hours, and sometimes do take work home with me, but wouldn't get paid any overtime or anything like that. I get 23 days paid holiday a year, plus all public holidays off.

[freefightdave]

I really have a hard time speaking to if it's common to all areas.

Toronto and Calgary are business centers where there's a lot of big corporations head quartered there so there tends to be longer hours.

I'm guess (though with no real basis) that if you're working in a city where the government is a bigger employer or is more industrial, the hours could arguably be shorter.

I work in a law firm. Also, i'm a decent way up the corporate chain so my hours have gotten better. When i started i was really closer to 6:50 a.m. to 7 - 7:30....

Wow, i really don't miss those days...
Sorry I didn`t make myself clear, I didn`t mean areas as in geography, but different areas of business.