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I am salary and am at a managerial level, but I still would never work more than 8 hours a day on average. Work is not, and never will be, my top priority (unless I ever own my own business). Even then, money is just money. My personal life and my "living time" always takes top priority. If I was ever told that I needed to work more than 40 a week, I would move on and find another job. Even when I used to be a teacher, I made sure that I streamlined my grading habits and such - to ensure that I was never pushing over 40-43 a week. At my current job, my superior practically lives at work, and is easily there 10 hours each day. Nuts, I tell you. I voted for 8, as that's what I do right now.
I am salary and am at a managerial level, but I still would never work more than 8 hours a day on average. Work is not, and never will be, my top priority (unless I ever own my own business). Even then, money is just money. My personal life and my "living time" always takes top priority.
I can understand your sentiment, and only you can make that kind of priority choice.
I will make the comment that you shouldn't be surprised when a layoff comes and you're part of the group that gets the axe or when you get skipped over for a promotion or other advancement. That's especially true when you're a salaried manager as you say you are. As long as you understand and accept that as the flip side of your choice, you should be fine.
Work is not my top priority (my family always will be), but to be successful, you must make some sacrifices and you must know when it's important to get the job done. The reward is a better standard of living for you and your family, and your personal time becomes more rewarding. Just my $ 0.02.
I will make the comment that you shouldn't be surprised when a layoff comes and you're part of the group that gets the axe or when you get skipped over for a promotion or other advancement. That's especially true when you're a salaried manager as you say you are. As long as you understand and accept that as the flip side of your choice, you should be fine.
Work is not my top priority (my family always will be), but to be successful, you must make some sacrifices and you must know when it's important to get the job done. The reward is a better standard of living for you and your family, and your personal time becomes more rewarding. Just my $ 0.02.
It seems from his or her comment, that would be fine as he says if he was required to work more than 40 hours per week he would move on to another job. And notice he/she said "on average", which I take to mean a job that consistently requires more than 8 hours a day.
The reward for more work is not always a better standard of living. There are people on salary working 60 plus hours a week and their standard of living is about the same as others who work a 40 hour work week.
More money leading to a higher standard of living does not make personal time more rewarding.
I did notice, but there is a "never" (underlined) and an "always" which to me implies that this is something held with very firm conviction. To get an "average 8 hour day" you must work days less than 8 hours to average for those more than 8 hours. That type of schedule for a manager is not a great career enhancer, and the attitude I got from the comments was essentially someone commited to a 9 to 5 work day.
The reward for more work is not always a better standard of living. There are people on salary working 60 plus hours a week and their standard of living is about the same as others who work a 40 hour work week.
More money leading to a higher standard of living does not make personal time more rewarding.
Sure, working more hours for the sake of working more hours doesn't make you more productive, but getting more work done or using that extra time to train or network is highly productive. It makes a difference what field you work in, but I can tell you that in the high tech field that I work in, more hours can directly contribute to more and higher quality delivery, and that can and does contribute to tens of thousands of dollars in performance bonuses. Those bonuses pay for vacations, time with family, and a higher standard of living for me and my family. YMMV, but in my case, my effort has a direct reward in my pocket and my personal life.
Sure, working more hours for the sake of working more hours doesn't make you more productive, but getting more work done or using that extra time to train or network is highly productive. It makes a difference what field you work in, but I can tell you that in the high tech field that I work in, more hours can directly contribute to more and higher quality delivery, and that can and does contribute to tens of thousands of dollars in performance bonuses. Those bonuses pay for vacations, time with family, and a higher standard of living for me and my family. YMMV, but in my case, my effort has a direct reward in my pocket and my personal life.
I don't know what YMMV means, but I am glad things work out for you the way they do.
And true with the "average" comment.
However, employers expecting people to work long/extra hours and people being willing to do it has contributed to this situation. I feel bad for people that have to work more hours than they are supposedly being paid for to get the job done well. It's just too bad.
I admire that persons dedication to not letting work overtake his or her life. I don't work now but when I did I had to stay late a considerable amount of time, and it seemed very important each day that I stay and finish what I was doing. But it is also extremely important to recognize when the staying late is happening more often than not, and what you are giving up in the same time period. (dinner with the family, children's activities, homework time---most of these things are related to kids) I sure wouldn't be willing to work more than 8 hours a day consistently if it meant consistently missing dinner with my children, unless I really needed the money.
I am a salaried Software Engineer who is supposed work 40 hours a week. These days I do actually end up working 40 hours a week usually. I voted for 8 hours a day, however I actually a work different schedule that makes up mine 40 hours. I am scheduled as 9 hours x 4 days + 4 hours Fridays. Last 3 weeks though I worked extras on M-Th and did only 2.5 hours on Friday, it is kind of like getting an extra weekend
Note sometimes when there is extra work, I end up working over 40 hours. A Few month back I regularly working 50-60 hours a week. Luckily, though department I am in does PAID overtime so I get money for working those hours I know many people in my company and of course in other area has to work unpaid overtime. I personally wouldn't like to do unpaid overtime and prefer to take on a contract that has paid overtime included. Of course I do prefer to just work 40 hours usually. Like said before I am really liking only working 2.5 to 4.0 hours on Friday!
I will make the comment that you shouldn't be surprised when a layoff comes and you're part of the group that gets the axe or when you get skipped over for a promotion or other advancement. That's especially true when you're a salaried manager as you say you are.
Oh definitely. And I will agree except on this one point ... just because I refuse to work a job that requires you to put in over 40 a week consistently - does not mean that I am lazy or do sub-par work. I have always applied myself and have gotten consistently great reviews, in both professions that I have worked in. So, if I ever get laid off due to my priorities and not due to how well I contributed each day ... then I would be better off working somewhere else anyways.
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As long as you understand and accept that as the flip side of your choice, you should be fine.
That's the key. I do accept it.
Thing is, I am lucky. Have a bachelors and masters where one lends itself to the world of education and the other lends itself to the business world. And in case the economy is so bad that I cannot find a position in either government or business (worst case scenario), then I am completely able to suck up my pride and become a waiter or janitor or something - and enjoy it. I am not after nice houses, nice cars, and golf club memberships (I know, I am stereotyping ), so building a big successful career is not my intention. My first priority is simply having a job that pays well enough to take care of myself and my wife (or my 70% portion that I provide financially) + provide a little savings. The second priority is that I do something I enjoy and do not let work take over my life.
Of course, if someone's first priority is to build an extremely monetarily successful career through much personal sacrifice - then kudos to them. Everyone decides what they want to do. I am not saying my way is the right way, but it is my way.
I am salaried and on average work from 8:30 to 5:00 sometimes taking a lunch hour and sometimes not. I do work late from time to time if needed and it doesn't bother me a bit because I am one of those rare people who has a job that I love more than almost anything so it doesn't always feel like "work" thank God. After my teen years and early 20's of working my butt off in all sorts of retail jobs I feel blessed to do what I do now and have a boss who is one of my best friends. I wish everyone could feel this way about their job. I truly do. Just don't tell my boss I said that lol
1.0 waking up and going to work
9.5 hours at work
0.5 driving home
1.5 hours for dinner
4.0 hours for school work (recently spent towards tax time)
6.0 to 8.0 hours for sleep (depending if im scratching, weird dreams, or unable to breath)
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