When do you work?

[musey]

I'm just curious!

 

[musey]

I tend to think of "normal" as being the 9-5 or 9-6 on weekdays schedule, even though the vast majority of people I know fall into the "project-based" or "variable-shift times" categories.

I fall into the project-based category... I''ll work 14-16 hours per day for anywhere between 2-6 weeks, then I''ll have usually 2 weeks to 1 month off (depending, of course, on what pops up). I''m feeling a little bit grass-is-greener lately, watching FI in his dependable 9-5 Mon-Fri schedule, wishing I could go to work knowing exactly when I''d be coming home! The last 2-4 hours are always the hardest, after it crosses the 8pm mark and I start crossing my fingers for a 10pm release.


Anyway, there are certainly things to love and hate about any job, and I''m not complaining by ANY means, but I do get a bit jealous of a steady schedule every now and then!

 

[musey]

I should have put a "I don''t work, I''m a lucky bird!" option at the end

 

[monarch64]

I''m just a shade off the "standard" 9-5...I work Tuesday through Saturday from 9:15 to either 4,5, or 6 p.m. I don''t have the "standard" Saturday/Sunday weekend, but I have Sunday/Monday off, so it''s still nice to have a retail position with two consecutive days off and a "routine" schedule!

 

[iheartscience]

I chose other because my job''s kind of project based/variable because of travel, but during slow times it''s more of a 9-5 kind of thing. (Really 10-7 because I''m not a morning kind of girl and now I have class from 9-9:50 am two days a week so I have another excuse!

)

 

[TravelingGal]

I work the standard hours, although since I work from home I am always accessible and on the computer. TGuy tells me I have to leave my computer and blackberry at home when we go on vacation (although he''s more used to it now).

And speaking of "don''t have to work", that would be TGuy. He is ENJOYING this life of leisure as a kept man. Must be nice....

 

[zoebartlett]

I work standard hours. My contracted hours are M-F 8:15-3:15 (I''m a teacher), but I''m always at school by 7:00 and although I try to leave by 3:30, I often bring work home. I try not to bring work home on the weekends, but I find myself doing that occasionally.

 

[Haven]

Date: 9/25/2007 9:55:20 PM
Author: zoebartlett
I work standard hours. My contracted hours are M-F 8:15-3:15 (I''m a teacher), but I''m always at school by 7:00 and although I try to leave by 3:30, I often bring work home. I try not to bring work home on the weekends, but I find myself doing that occasionally.

Isn''t that the truth, Zoe--I''m a teacher too, my contract hours are 7:25 to 3:25, but I''m at school from 6:45 to 5 (at the earliest) and then I ALWAYS have a few hours of work to do at home. And then I grade ALL DAY every Sunday.

Oh, I coach Speech Team so technically I also work Wednesdays until 7 pm, and about every other Saturday all day for tournaments. Ugh, and this doesn''t include committee meetings and curriculum meetings--throw in another two evenings a week until 8:30!

When I type this out it all looks just as gruesome as it feels! Depressing.

HOWEVER, I only work 36 weeks a year, but I get paychecks year round, so it''s worth the crunch during the school year. And I get to meet loads of incredible adolescents, and talk about literature and the great ideas. And I get to eat cafeteria food.

I love these job threads, they are so interesting!

 

[monarch64]

Zoe and Haven, you guys epitomize one of the reasons I admire those who go into the teaching profession so much: for all those who say "oh, they take the entire summer off, so big deal" I wonder if they understand that you dedicate most of your leisure time (and extra slumber) to lessons, grading schoolwork, etc. and are always available to help after or before hours.

Kudos to teachers, I think it is one of the noblest professions.

 

[decodelighted]

Date: 9/25/2007 8:07:25 PM
Author: musey
I fall into the project-based category... I''ll work 14-16 hours per day for anywhere between 2-6 weeks, then I''ll have usually 2 weeks to 1 month off (depending, of course, on what pops up). I''m feeling a little bit grass-is-greener lately, watching FI in his dependable 9-5 Mon-Fri schedule, wishing I could go to work knowing exactly when I''d be coming home!

MEEEE TOOOOO. For about 10 years now. And it is WEARING on me. I love the actual work when I DO work ... but I don''t love the feast/famine income, the constant search for new clients, the worry that I''m always judged by the LAST thing I''ve done ... so every one has to be "the best ever". OY. Its a constant pendulum of AWESOME/SUCKITUDE.

 

[Dandi]

I''m a variable girl

I work 10 hour shifts (which usually stretch into 12 or so

) which can either be 7-5, 8-6, 9-7 or 12-10pm, depending on what my theatre lists are like, what time they start, how much preparation the case requires/how major the surgery is etc. (I''m an operating theatre scrub/scout/anaesthetic/recovery nurse). I don''t mind the change of shifts cos we have to have a 10 hour break in between, or if we don''t, we get double pay, which I can live with

I''m also on call from home 2 nights a week which impacts on my shifts, cos if I get called during the night I don''t have to work the next day (but obviously still get paid for it, nice deal

) Can be hard yakka though, but man, I love it!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''m on a standard 9-5 schedule, but I''m usually at the office by 6:30 and I don''t leave until 5 or later most nights. This is mainly because FI and I commute from Providence to Boston and he has to be at work by 7. In the fall we''re out at 1pm on Fridays...YAY!

 

[denverappraiser]

Work? You folks work?

I get paid to play with diamonds all day.

Neil Beaty
GG(GIA) ICGA(AGS) NAJA
Professional Appraisals in Denver

 

[musey]

Ohh just rub it in, DA

 

[bee*]

Im in college all day and then I work Wednesday and Friday evenings from 2-9 and one and a half weekends per month. I used to work every evening so it''s nice having three evenings off to study this year

 

[basil]

I voted other.

Usually at work at about 6:45...then leave whenever things are done. About 5:30-6 most nights. I work a 24-30 hour shift a little more than once a week on top of that, and I''ll work about half the weekends this year.

I study about 1 hour per night.

I work a lot, but not as much as my fiance

 

[AmberWaves]

Well, I''m a bookkeeper for an oil company. A small, family owned one. I am supposed to work 8am-5pm. I get in at 7am. And sometimes leave at 2:30. I also get left alone a lot, so then I sleep. Not bad.

 

[ephemery1]

I have done the M-F 8-5 thing, and it does NOT work for me. I turn into a miserable, nasty, zombie-like nightmare during the remaining hours of my life... spending every evening and weekend just dreading the following day. My poor (but wonderful) DH finally said he doesn't care if we're living in poverty, just as long as I'm doing something that makes me happy. (Did I mention he's wonderful?)

So right now I'm working as a psychotherapist in a women's therapy center... I see 10-12 clients a week (plus meetings, paperwork, etc), which translates to 15-20 hours of work, but I'm MUCH happier knowing I can set whatever appointment times I prefer, and come and go as I please. I'm also babysitting about 10 hours a week to earn a little extra income (and de-compress after stressful therapy), and doing some consulting work for a family business. None of it pays me a fortune, but I am FAR happier than I ever was in a more lucrative 45 hrs/wk 8-5 job.... well, until the next big career idea comes along.

 

[Girlrocks]

I own my own business and my partner and I both work out of our homes. I work while the kids are at school/napping, on the weekends, after they go to bed from 9pm-2am most nights. I work on site at the office of one of my clients 1 day a week for 4 hours, I visit another client for 1/2 hour another day of the week.

 

[Harleigh]

I''m with the other teaching gals...contract hours are from 8:00-3:05, but I tutor after school 2 days a week, teach another class one day a week and attend horrifically long Staff meetings every Wednesday. I am usually at work by 7 AM and don''t leave until about 5-6 PM daily. Some days I don''t leave until 7 or after, and it stinks! I DO try to leave work no later than 4 on the Fridays I get to see FI...we rarely get to see one another due to our schedules, so when I get to see him, I get there as fast as I can!

I have finally STOPPED bringing stuff home with me unless absolutely necessary...I am trying to save some of my "home" time to work on wedding stuff and as an attempt to keep what sanity I have left

. As I''ve said before, had I known I would be planning a wedding for next summer, I might not''ve changed grade levels this year, and this is one of the toughest groups of kids I''ve had in a very long time!!! Aaahhhhhh!

 

[Picos]

There''s 5 7.5 hour shifts I can work a week (some are split between days, others are one full day). I think I once worked all 5 in a week. Mostly, I work 4 of those in a week. The least I''ve worked is 3 of the shifts.

Of course, there''s also the difference between contract hours & "times when I''m at work". Needless to say, there are many "times when I''m at work."

Part of me longs for the 9-5 but I do love that sometimes my day doesn''t start ''till round 4pm. Of course, I''m the only person to say "no" to going out in the evenings because there are days when my day starts at 6am.

That and everyone bugs me about getting a real job. Um, it''s a real job.

 

[Sabine]

Date: 9/25/2007 9:55:20 PM
Author: zoebartlett
I work standard hours. My contracted hours are M-F 8:15-3:15 (I''m a teacher), but I''m always at school by 7:00 and although I try to leave by 3:30, I often bring work home. I try not to bring work home on the weekends, but I find myself doing that occasionally.

Ah, Zoe, if only I could get in ONE weekend a year where I didn''t have to bring work home, I think I would be ecstatic with my 7-3:30 teacher hours. I also bring work home every night, but I don''t mind it on the weeknights, it''s the HOURS of work on the weekends that have me dragging already!