Anyone else think the work-day is too long?

[RachelEllen]

I think this is one of those "grass is always greener" things.

I went to med school before hours restrictions. I was working 100 + per week. Regular 36 hours shifts. It was horrid.

Then came hours restrictions. I was limited to 80 hrs/ week and max 24 hrs in a row. It felt like heaven for about a year. Then it was awful

Then came fellowship. I was regularly just putting in 6-8 hrs/day with overnights once or twice a week. Again, awesome for a year.

Then I graduated and got a full time job. 7 days on (10-14 hr days) 7 days off. It was also wonderful for a year.

Now I have a baby and switched to a part-time job. 3 days a week plus one overnight a week and one weekend a month. Love it. But the thought of going back to full time in a year (Just 4 days a week + the call and weekend) seems awful!

 

[LoraJ]

I'm just thankful that I have a job.

 

[manning]

consider yourself lucky. My grandfather in the '50s worked 5 1/2 days. I think the military still does.

 

[PirateChef3300]

I'm a chef and my work days SUCK. Even when I got to work 9-5, it took me 2 hours to get there and 2 hours to get home. AND i worked in a hotel so when we had the dallas cowboys and the st louis rams there i stayed at the hotel either clocked in or on call for 3 straight days. plus we did the VA inaugural ball and i had to stay 2 straight days for that.... yeah long work days suck.

 

[Snow_White]

Figure out a way to be self-employed. No more worries about hours.

 

[princessdaisy]

I went back to school (2yr program) to become a respiratory therapist (neonatal intensive care unit) and work three days, 12hour shifts at Children's Hospital. I love all the extra free time and the money is great!

 

[debden]

Figure out a way to be self-employed. No more worries about hours.

That's what my sister did.She took a year and a half course in Medical Transcription and now she works from home and pretty much sets her own hours.
It's a good,steady,reliable job and she gets all the hours she wants.Their always busy.
I wish I could do that but it cost her $3,000 for that course.Wow.Too much for me.
Debbie

 

[kid-at-heart]

Not only do I think the work day (and week) is too long (6-7 hours per day, 4 days a week would be nice), I really, really think our children's school year is too many hours per day, too many days per year. Geeeze, most kids are in school 7-7 1/2 hours a day, not including bus time, and then have a couple of hours of homework to do...

 

[wdwfan16]

Not only do I think the work day (and week) is too long (6-7 hours per day, 4 days a week would be nice), I really, really think our children's school year is too many hours per day, too many days per year. Geeeze, most kids are in school 7-7 1/2 hours a day, not including bus time, and then have a couple of hours of homework to do...

Really? I think kids should go to school year round with longer days. I would eliminate homework and have it done as part of the class except for readings X minutes (based on the child's age) per school night (Sun-TH). Homework should only occur when you cannot get the concepts or you fooled around in school and did not get your work done. I also believe that a child should graduate at 16.

 

[pooh4evr]

That doesn't seem bad to me- Dh leaves for work by 545- and is lucky to be home by 8 pm- and we live 10 minutes from his office- most days he doesn't gat a lunch break or time to do much of anything else but work- no to mention the 1 night a week and 1 weekend a month he also works. He would LOVE hours like the OP's it would be a vacation!- he is a Dr (internal medicine)

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I'm not a doctor but I would kill for some of these hours (not the doctor hours - those are just plain crazy!!!)
I normally leave home at 5 a.m. to catch the 5:22 train. I work from 7 am until I'm done, hopefully around 5:30 but have been known to stay until 7 p.m. or later. Then I take the train home and do it all over again the next day. I'm usually home about 7:15 p.m. I see my DD for less than 2 hours a day. I value every stinkin minute of the weekend and vacation time. So if someone asks me to do something that takes time away from my DD, I really have to be committed to it to say yes.

 

[Chicago526]

Figure out a way to be self-employed. No more worries about hours.

Not always! My DB owns his own IT business. Basicly on call 24/7 though his clients don't tend to call at 3 AM, fortunatly. He takes his laptop on vacations, in case something comes up that his employees can't handle and can't wait for his return.

Also, while it's great to try and find companies that offer flex time or say "sure, you guaranted to only have to work XX hours a week", the reality is that they can change that at any time, with little or no notice. And in this economy, you can't just change jobs at the drop of a hat.

My co-worker, for instance, had a part time job at a department store, just for some extra fun money. She only wanted 10-15 hours a week, though she was willing to work a bit more during holiday months or to cover a vacation. But for most weeks for most of the year, really she wanted 15 hours max, after all she had a full time job already. She was 100% up front about that when she applied for a job.

By the time she quit she was working 30 hour weeks EVERY week, they would NOT listen when she said she had no interest in working that much. So instead of accomadating a good employee, they drove her to quit and had to hire two people to replace her, instead of one person to take on some of her hours. Crazy I tell you!