Typical work hours?

[Katy Belle]

Hello all! I'm originally from the USA and now living in Qatar. I have a question for you.... What are typical work hours in the UK?

In the USA I'd say 8-5 is about typical, with many, many people putting in extra hours after 5.

Here in Qatar the local businesses run 8-noon and 4-8pm. With a nap at home between.

So what hours are typical in the UK? I have a friend and her DH works for the British Embassy, he gets off work at 2:30. I don't know what time he goes in...maybe he does have to be there at 6?

Katy

 

[Dimplenose]

It varies so much these days. Traditionally I'd say 9-5 for offices but that said DH works 8-4:15. I'd expect shops to be open 9-5:30 with small supermarkets open from 8-6 and larger ones 8-10 and some open for 24 hours.

When I worked as a civil servant we worked flexi-time as long as we did our 37 hours a week and were there for the core hours 10 - 12 and 2 - 4 we could more or less pick our times between 8 and 6.

Libby

 

[Chilly]

0900-1700 is typical in the UK but more and more companies do flexi time which means as long as you are there for the core hours say 1000 to 1600 you can come in early and leave early or vice versa as long as you complete your contracted daily hours, which is normally 8 hours.

A lot of hotter countries such as Spain do what you have described though, shutting in the middle of the afternoon when it is at its hottest and working later when it is cooler.

 

[Tron[ADS]]

I work flexi-time, and I do 05:45 till 15:30, 4 days a week.

 

[Goofyish]

8:30 til 5 here with 1 hour lunch. Although the company I work for is very flexible and we have a certain amount of 'unofficial' flexitime, so as long as we do a minimum 37.5 hours a week and the project work gets completed to schedule we have some flexibility.
I also do work at home in addition to me normal hours and we are contractually expected to do a 'reasonable' amount of overtime if the project schedules/workloads demand it (un-paid).

I know that in hot countries they do tend to have hours that are designed to avoid the hotest part of the day, so they have an extended siesta in the early afternoon.

Traffic in London is a big problem, so I would imagine that it would be an advantage to be able to vary your hours there to avoid rush hours. I have visited offices in London where they start quite early and finish early.

 

[DisneyB2B]

Hi!

I am the same as you Goofyish 8:30 - 5 pm with alot of time working past this with no overtime and also come in at the weekends and take work home all unpaid but as long as our projects go in we can have an hour here and there and they dont mind.

 

[mikki.young]

When I was working my paid hours were 9-5 but actual hours were a lot longer. 8-7 was common and there were far too many 16 hour days. Thats not even counting all the work done at home for the office!

 

[jen_uk]

8:40am till 3:50pm at the college I work at but then I usually have to do planning and marking at home as well

 

[emily1982]

I start at the school at 8am and tend to finished around 4:30-5pm depending on the day.

 

[wayneg]

I own a florist business, open 9-5, closed weds and Sat PM and all day Sunday so work 39 hours most of year. Just next week will be crazy for Mothers day, will work upto 120 hours Mon-Sun (glad its only 1 week a year)

All our friends in US take very few vacations. Some not allowed to take 2 weeks together, another only getting 3 weeks total a year. One friends boss has not taken a day off vacation in 6 years
DW gets 6 weeks a year and claims back for meetings and courses so can actually take about 8 weeks a year, I close the business the same 8 or 9 weeks a year.
We would love to move to US but dont think their working conditions would suit us.

 

[lexie32]

My dh's offical hours are 9.15am to 5.15 pm but he usually works 8.15 to 6.30pm but hopefully it will payoff in the end!

I lived in Quatar for a couple of years when i was a kid, amd i remember my dad working 8 to 12 and 4 to 8 then our school hour were 8 to 12 for proper lessons and 3 - 5 for extras ie swimming, gymnastics, cookery ect


it was great we saw much more of my dad when we lived there.

Alex

 

[fatdave42]

I do 04:00 to 12:00 - 16:00. I drive a HGV so never know when I will finish.

 

[Enright78]

I teach in an FE college. I am in at 8am most days and seldom leave before 6pm. Then there is prep and work at home.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Don't forget us shift workers. i either work alternate shifts 7 - 7 days and 7 - 7 nights. On the following shift pattern

2 days on 3 days off
2 days on 2 days off
3 days on 2 days off

So next week its monday, tuesday night shift off wednesday, thursday. Friday saturday sunday day shift. Wee after is wednesday thursday night shift and the weekend off. So if I book a wednesday thursday night shift off I get 7 days clear holiday only using 2 days holiday (I have done that for 3 weeks, I have 22 days holiday 9 used in august for 3 weeks off and 7 at christmas for 16 days and 6 for an extra 3 weeks)

 

[Goofyish]

Don't forget us shift workers. i either work alternate shifts 7 - 7 days and 7 - 7 nights. On the following shift pattern

2 days on 3 days off
2 days on 2 days off
3 days on 2 days off

So next week its monday, tuesday night shift off wednesday, thursday. Friday saturday sunday day shift. Next week wednesday thursday night shift and the weekend off. So if I book a wednesday thursday night shift off I get 7 days clear holiday only using 2 days holiday (I have done that for 3 weeks, I have 22 days holiday 9 used in august for 3 weeks off and 7 at christmas for 16 days and 6 for an extra 3 weeks)

Do you actually remember what day of the week it is LOL

 

[PaulaSB12]

Do you actually remember what day of the week it is LOL

not always, it does get easy to forget so carrying a calander is vital.