DILEMA

Rag_It · Post by **Rag_It** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:41 pm

Short sleeved shirts also count i hear for accountants!!!!!

Honestly just go for it!!!

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:42 pm

Rag_It wrote:Short sleeved shirts also count i hear for accountants!!!!!

None of them either!

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Wed Nov 29, 2006 11:52 pm

I used to work lots of hours, sometimes even 7 days a week (although to be fair it was not really like proper work and was good fun .. but it did have to be done). Now I work about 15Hrs / week and life is much more enjoyable. No doubt there is a happy medium for everyone but 'working to live' rather than 'living to work' has its place every now and again.

Jim

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:13 am

ed wrote:I'd speak to current employer, address current concerns, if not what you want to hear leave.

ps i used to 100+ hours a week!

What did you do Ed?

NR

dezzy · Post by **dezzy** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:27 am

Get out of your current job as soon as you can Rob. That's ridiculous!

I do have to do a bit of overtime every now and again when project deadlines are coming up and stuff, but my company has this cheesy (but true) saying: Don't work long hours, because long hours don't work!

They don't! You'd be better doing 37.5 quality hours of work than 70 hours of work where the last 30 are useless because you were so tired.

I'm not saying I never do overtime, but our company keep a close eye on it and pull up your line manager if you're doing long hours all the time. I'm also lucky in getting paid for the overtime.

I say go for the new job. Sounds like a much better deal. Life is too short to spend most of it killing yourself for some ar$ehole boss who doesn't give a toss about you!

Stu160 · Post by **Stu160** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 12:40 am

100 hours a week!!!!!

Bunch of light weights.......try working for yourself

Stu

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 8:24 am

NOOPS 160 wrote:
Stu160 wrote:100 hours a week!!!!!

Bunch of light weights.......try working for yourself

Stu
Exactly.

You get to kill stuff tho!
Try doing 70hours glued to an abacus! Now that's what i call fun!

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:10 am

dezzy wrote:I do have to do a bit of overtime every now and again when project deadlines are coming up and stuff, but my company has this cheesy (but true) saying: Don't work long hours, because long hours don't work!

They don't! You'd be better doing 37.5 quality hours of work than 70 hours of work where the last 30 are useless because you were so tired!

Cheesy but correct.
I am on a 37.5 hr week and usually do at least 4-5 hours paid O/T per week. Once you start hitting 50+ hour per week it begins to take its toll after a while, your health will suffer and stress levels will go through the roof.

I cant believe you are even considering a 70 hour week without paid O/T. Madness!

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:13 am

kenny wrote: Once you start hitting 50+ hour per week it begins to take its toll after a while, your health will suffer and stress levels will go through the roof.

Yeah - and you start becoming a fat bloater - because you never cook - I've put on about a stone and a half in the last year!

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:28 am

Rob,

I feel your pain and am in a similar profession so hope I would have the same concerns etc. You have to take a few factors into account - life/work balance, experience (i.e. for future CV embelishment), money and your ego.

You've only just qualified, so I would say stay put for at least a year - it doesn't look good to fly the nest so soon. Then, if you want the red braces and the 7 series, head to the top 5 firm and work yourself to death for 5 years. Any small/medium firm will bite your arm off to take you on after that, and prob straight in at associate (even partner) level. However, that's not even a certainty so you could flog yourself for nothing.

If your ego isn't the size of a house, then head to the medium size firm after a year where you are, work 9-5, enjoy years more of hair, and hair that's the colour it should be.

I simply changed teams in the Firm I'm in and it had the same effect without the hassle of moving jobs - is that not an option?

mac · Post by **mac** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:28 am

I work 6 days out of 7 and the occasional 7/7 some of which at 12 hrs but can and have been up at the 18-19hr mark.

I'd only do the hours I do if I get paid for them. I'm in a similar position that I'm being pushed to go management (and therefore no O/T). My stance is that if you want me to work the hours then pay me for them!

Personally - I ditch the current crowd and go with the smaller fish. That way if you do need to work similar hours at least you'll have funds for upgrades

Mac

RDH · Post by **RDH** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 9:42 am

GregR wrote:Rob,

I feel your pain and am in a similar profession so hope I would have the same concerns etc. You have to take a few factors into account - life/work balance, experience (i.e. for future CV embelishment), money and your ego.

You've only just qualified, so I would say stay put for at least a year - it doesn't look good to fly the nest so soon. Then, if you want the red braces and the 7 series, head to the top 5 firm and work yourself to death for 5 years. Any small/medium firm will bite your arm off to take you on after that, and prob straight in at associate (even partner) level. However, that's not even a certainty so you could flog yourself for nothing.

If your ego isn't the size of a house, then head to the medium size firm after a year where you are, work 9-5, enjoy years more of hair, and hair that's the colour it should be.

I simply changed teams in the Firm I'm in and it had the same effect without the hassle of moving jobs - is that not an option?

Cheers Greg -
My ego ain't the size of a house - I don't suit red braces and really don't like 7 series BM's. I do like the idea of having more of a life outside the office!
I looked at changing teams - but the field I want to move into (CF) is virtually impossible to break into - so I think it's time for a move!

Thanks for all your input guys!

Post by ed » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:18 am

jammy get!

We used to work on my old mans farm during the summer for the harvest etc. Used to start at 7 finish at 9-10 and once didnt have a day off for 4 weeks. How things have changed!

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 10:36 am

I generally agree with the fact that you shouldn't be working more than 40 or so hours a week regularly because of the effects on your health. Of course people vary in their ability to handle it. A lot depends on age too.

When I first started in a proper job it was totally normal to do 60-70 hours a week and spend a good deal of the rest of the time in the pub. We enjoyed what we did, had no other commitments really and so that was the way it was. If I hadn't enjoyed what I did, I expect I would have watched TV all day and not gone to work at all

Later you end up with more responsibilities both at work and at home and the stress multiplies quickly. It's at this point you need to be brutal in prioritising and that should include everything (sleep, family, friends, fun, work, ...). These days (20 years later) I still work around 40 hours a week and enjoy what I do most of the time, but you lot and the family consume a lot of the rest of the time, and I almost never go to the pub

BTW, you have a 3rd option - start working the hours you are contracted for and make it clear that's what you plan to do. I don't know much about employment law but I would hazard a guess that it would be illegal to either dismiss or discriminate based on reluctance to work 2x the number of contracted hours for no pay. It would be a good wake up call for their outdated working practices; they no doubt mistake working 70 hours a week for "good work ethic"

Best of luck whatever you decide ...
Robin (be happy faction)

Lazydonkey · Post by **Lazydonkey** » Thu Nov 30, 2006 11:00 am

Ah if only i got paid for overtime