how many hours do you work

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what do you put in?

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probably close to 45 hours a week, though i try to keep it at 40. I have a 2 hour commute on either end of the work day. I'd be willing to do more OT (when it's available) if i didn't have that to contend with.

 
With the current job, I hold steady in the 40-45 hour/week range. Its nice being able to "walk away" from the job once I shut things down for the day.

 
My first gig out of college (6+ yrs) was salary w/ ot & beni's/bonus, pretty close to national rates. This eventually turned into salary exempt, and I'd average 40+ hours in an attempt to appear valuable. Looking back, this felt like a ratrace.

Now I'm a contract engineer, I get pad for the hours I work and none for holidays/sick/vaca etc. no 401k, no insurance, no bonus. One flat rate for the hours I put in a normal 40, and OT gets paid if approved. This is nice for me, and feels more chill. In my case, I figure what all the $-extras-$ are worth to compare it to the previous level of compensation I'm used to. Avg work wk = 35hrs, bi-weekly pay, 8-9's and an 8 schedule, which gives me everyother friday off.

As was said earlier, "to each their own" and this works for me.

 
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I think that the hours ones spends working may be dependent on where they are in life.

In my 20's and early 30's I was very focused on my career doing whatevery it took to get the job done.

10-12 hour days, weekends, holidays, ect...... It was very rewarding to complete these projects and I enjoyed being viewed as a person "who made it happen".

I had my first child at 36 and second at 38, I can't get home from work fast enough now to spend time with them.

I find myself in the office for a strict eight unless something crazy is going on.

I do some work at home, either from my cell of my computer.

I am not a number crunching engineer and my time is rarely billable, I just make schedules and work to anticipate were the tight spots are.

To the kid about income and living: I found in life if you make 50 grand, you spend it but make it work - if you make 100 grand, you spend it and make it work - if you make 150 grand, you spend it and make it work....... enjoy where you are in life and dont become consumed on where you are not.

Good luck

Tim

 
figured I would at least post an update... I'm down to 40 hours, mostly office work, have a very relaxing pace and now that the stress level is down in the office, so are most of the restrictions... although, now we are all having to justify our positions with budget cuts, it's still good....

 
I work at a small consulting firm. There isn't much stress and everyone is laid back. We all work exactly 40 hours/week. We work 9 hour days M-Thur and get off at noon on Friday. I'm pretty fortunate.

 
We work by billable hours so when there are a lot of jobs going on I can be working 50-60 a week. During those times 95% of that time is actual work, 5% BS to keep sane.

When things slow down and not a lot of jobs going on they let us bill 40 hours even though prob. only 20 hours is actual work. During these times though it is kind of understood that if you have to work late one week because a job comes in or you get a call out you still don't bill over 40 as a courtesy thing.

Overall I can usually handle all my work in 40-45 hours, usually only bill 40.

 
I'm at work 40 a week, no more no less, though there will probably be some OT (at time and a half) over the summer. After being abused at my last job (minimum 55 hours, frequent Saturdays, occasional Sundays with the promise of a huge bonus that never happened) I won't work for free again, though if I got paid the fatty money I'd consider a few extra hours here and there.
Did you work at my old company? haha.

I just quit a job in chicago where i did that. i worked 55-60 hours a week on average (in the summer more like 70). I had a HORRIBLE base salary, and i was promised bonuses at the end of each year. the first year i got a small one, the second year i got a BIG one, and then in year 3, 4 and 5, ZIP.

thats when i bailed. my wife got a great job offer in KC and we went for it. Happened to coincide with both of us finishing grad school and now im working a job that is 40 hours and pays me even a bit more than i made the year i got the huge bonus. only been here a couple weeks, but so far so good.

 
How many hours you work? 70-80 hrs/week

How many hours do you really work? 70-80 hrs/week

For how many hours do you get paid? Salaried. But it's made up for when bonus time crops up.

 
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For how many hours do you get paid? Salaried. But it's made up for when bonus time crops up.
Jayman, this brings up what should become another poll. How many people get paid overtime and/or get bonuses. Younger engineers here get their straight hourly pay for anything over 40. A couple of years licensure, on average, is when you get to the level on the career ladder where there is no longer any overtime pay. Just salary, and work as much as needed to get the projects finished. I currently still get straight time for my overtime hours, not sure if they are related in some way, but I've also never seen a bonus check or anything like that. Maybe when they take away the overtime pay, a portion of that comes back at the end of the year in some type of bonus.

What about you all?

 
Since the last time I posted on here, I am in the office again, but the hours have been cranked up. In my last performance review I asked for more responsibility and to be put on some design projects in an assistant or lead mechanical role. I got my wish, since the start of the year I am the lead engineer on a 2MW back pressure turbine project and the assistant on a dual 650,000 lb/hr deaerator project. I have Ben putting in 60+ hour weeks, not really charging OT, trying to maintain budget.

 
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