The US Workweek

Rockie · November 2002

I heard something interesting on the radio on the way in to work this morning. The United States has the longest work week of any developed nation. Most employers in the world work an average of 30-35 hours per week and have an average of 30 days of vacation a year. How can we get this across to US employers? Maybe we would have a happier and less litigious workforce if we came up with a shorter workweek!

By the way, what's the average number of hours you other guys in Human Resources put in in an average week?

Down_the_Middle · November 2002

Rockie: Nice thought, but I doubt the U.S. will sacrifice "production" in exchange for a shorter work week. Some employers have done this and then supplemented the hours with other staff, but total hours are unchanged and production is maintained. Keep in mind that many countries have less labor supply and therefore schedule people fewer hours to retain them.
My avg workweek is probably 55 hrs per week.

Gillian · November 2002

I don't think that it can be changed - it is part of our culture, as is the litigous system that we have. My hours are 35 - 40 per week.

Renie · November 2002

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 11-07-02 AT 03:58PM (CST)[/font][p]I put in my 40 hours. Luckily I am an assistant so I get paid for my overtime, which is rare, unlike my boss's schedule. She is the HR manager and works non stop. She always tells me this is what I have to look forward to!

Do these countries with a shorter work week compensate their employees the same? I would be curious to know what the benefit is of working less. Besides of course... working less x;-)

I wouldn't give up life in these here United States for any amount of work hours!

cebudragonlady · November 2002

Rockie:
And also in those other countries , it is not just the workweek- but WHO gets
to work OUTSIDE the home. Lots of people have to stay home and work. I have been there, done that. At least in the United States, never mind the hours 45+ here, I can get outside my home and see people.

Chari

Don D · November 2002

I wish I had Gillian's hours; but, I am almost always here by 7:10 a.m., rarely leave for lunch and try to get away by 5:30. So that's probably a typical week of about 52+. As with all of you, there's the fairly frequent night meeting, the 6 a.m. 401k presentation or the 11pm shift safety meeting. (Let's don't tell them how addicted we're becoming to the Forum or somebody will recommend backing that out of our pay).

ritaanz · November 2002

Just give me 14 days - 2 weeks - vacation at one time. Paradise!

We work a 4 day work week, 10 hours a day. A typical day for me starts at 6:00 am and ends around 5:30 pm with a half hour lunch. So now I log in about 44-45 hours. When we ran 8 hour work day, 3 shifts, Monday through Friday, it was still a 11 hour day but 5 days a week. Although a 35 hour work week would be marvelous, it would still take 44-45 hours to get the work done.

Paul in Cannon Beach · November 2002

I average about 40-50 depending on the time of year. We have different "seasons" and some are busier than others.

Here is how my 40 hours breaks down:

5 hours - Answering e-mails
2 hours - Playing jokes on co-workers
6 hours - Meetings
5 hours - Checking the weather on the internet
2 hours - calling my wife back
6 hours - thinking of witty comebacks to Don D's posts
1 hour - explaining my internet usage to our network coordinator
3 hours - actual work
3 hours - either drinking coffee or in the restroom
2 hours - preparing my "MASTER LIST"
5 hours - delegating to my assistant

Paul

Don D · November 2002

So you worked 34 hour weeks before I came along?? Nice work, if you can get it.

ritaanz · November 2002

Paul: How refreshing! Finally an HR person who admits his assistant does all the work.

Pork · November 2002

Like Paul and Don my work week is about 55 hours a week. Pre-this-forum I spent all hours doing real work. In 2002 I gained the payroll activity back and the outstanding payroll clerk, who is now recognized as my HR assistant. She has assumed many of the HR administrative activities, we went direct deposit this past spring and I gained another work day that used to be used to hand deliver all Payroll checks to all 11 seperate work sites. I now have the "MIS" director personally watching my time on the computer and the activities generated on the forum. I have received one verbal and one written notice of excessive personal use of the internet. Both were generic, however, since my assistant does not have the internet the transmission of warnings is directly ment for me. I have got to break my "addiction". Maybe HRero will form an association or maybe I can claim a "mental stress related W/C". I just can't get through the day without at least reading all of the posting of "Dandy Don"! I am forever doomed to spend most of my day right here. I have even noticed my reactions when I am here and someone comes in I quickly turn my screen away or turn it off. Never do I close out, I find myself rethinking the information past and present and how could I helped a young or up-start HR with my posting.

See, when I started to letting my fingers speak to you guys my plan was a very clear 55 hours and most of it on this forum. I wonder will I loose my exempt status under FLSA because now my 80% of time is typing, looking up stuff in order to prepare a factual posting? A lost soul, Pork

Rockie · November 2002

Pork: Who died and left your MIS Director in charge? Does he pull rank over you. I think time on the Forum falls under "Professional Development" myself. I'll bet if someone monitored the MIS Director, they would find his fair share of time on the Internet also. SHEESH!

Don D · November 2002

Seriously guys, I have a large problem with someone defining our participation on and learning from the Forum as PERSONAL USE OF THE INTERNET. Scuse me but Bull S---! Any professional who has access to tools that help him/her better function in their role for the company's benefit, should feel compelled to use them, whether the tools be notes, a shelf full of resource manuals, resource guides one has saved over the years, periodicals, news articles, the various publications one subscribes to, seminars, on and on and on. Your IS director seems to be guarding the system as if it were his/her own toy and it's not.

Crout · November 2002

Hear-Hear! Well said, Don.

SandiF · November 2002

>Hear-Hear! Well said, Don.

My thoughts precisely!

Damien · November 2002

I'll second that! I'm taking the PHR exam next month and this forum has given me a solid foundation for my studies. I've only been in HR a few years, and have greatly benefited from reading the crazy situations and the responses from all the HR Gurus in this forum.

Thank you!!

ritaanz · November 2002

Dear Pork: I find your posting most troubling. To receive warnings for excessive use ..... is ridiculous. What you are doing is a public service. Who else can keep Don D on his toes? Lord knows I've tried. I frequently print out a thread for my bosses to read and ponder. My advise to you is to tell your IT person that s/he should do the job they were hired for or I will be happy to send you resumes of IT professionals that can. You also have my permission to give him/her my email address if they have anything further to discuss. x:P

Gillian · November 2002

That MIS person should be reminded about what his or her job really is, and it isn't monitoring professional development activity of others. Whoever wrote the warnings doesn't understand the value of this forum either. It is nothing more than an on-line version of going to an HR conference and talking with a bunch of friends about work related problems.

Nani · November 2002

I work about 45-50 hours a week in the office and about 2 hours per night at home just to keep up on the reading.

Paul in Cannon Beach · November 2002

I too feel that my time spent in HR Hero is well spent because I am either thinking and refining my thoughts on various HR issues or learning from others who have more experience.

I also can usually get faster answers here than almost any other resource.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another." Proverbs 27:17

nsn · November 2002

I am not officially in Human Resources. I manage a small casino, 109 employees. Our Human Resources Director is in charge of 4 properties, ours being the only one with no HR person on site. I have found this forum extremely helpful as I stumble through and try to do things right. I am scheduled to work 4 10's but usually put in between 60 to 75 hours a week. I have no LIFE.

Don D · November 2002

nsn: Isn't it ironic how many among us would consider it indeed a 'fun part of life away from work' to rush out to a casino, and you would consider it a 'fun part of life away from work' to rush AWAY from one? x:-)

Terri B · November 2002

Rockie:

I currently put in about 42 hours a week as a Generalist in a corporate HR office (1,700 ee's) with an office staff of 7. In my former life as a field HR manager (me and an assistant) for a field office with 300 ee's for a VERY large corp. I put in 60 hours, plus every fourth Saturday.

A lot of European countries are going through some immigration pains now, just like we are. I would bet the unions in Europe are doing their best to keep immigration low to reduce the chances of companies finding cheaper labor.

Terri

bamahr · November 2002

Typically a 40 hour week, I use to work from home in the evenings and still work a 10 hour day. A new baby stopped the long days and working in the evenings. I do it occassionally but not as a habit.

Frenchie · November 2002

I've read that Europeans work to live, and Americans live to work. Based on the responses I've read in the forum, that is probably a true statement. I have cousins who are french. Their average workweek is 35 hours. Any hours worked over 35 are compensated with additional paid vacation. When I was there in July, my cousin had just had a baby. She had six months off with pay!! Granted, most European countries will never be as rich and powerful as the USA, but I wonder if their people in general aren't happier and healthier.

I try not to work more than 40 hours a week. However, it took several years of my sacrificing family and friends to get here.

Holly · November 2002

Amen, Frenchie!!!!!!!!!

I try for 40, usually put in 45. But like Paul, our business is seasonal. But when all is said and done, and we're sitting in the ol' HR home, who else is going to remember that we put in 50-75 hours?

And who's going to care? Except maybe our families?

djacobs475 · November 2002

Frenchie: You're right of course. Europeans do know how to live and enjoy life better than we do. It's a well known fact that Europeans know quality of life, Americans know only quantity of life.

I work about 40 hours at work, then another 4 hours to catch up at home on all the HR reading.

J R Hartley · December 2002

Please do not base the European workweek on solely the French! They have a law that says you cannot work more than 35 hours a week along with lashings of holidays and the crap economy that comes with it. In the UK they have longer holiday entitlement on average than the US, but the working weeks are longer with British middle management working longer hours than the Japanese according to statistics. I am not even going th mention the super efficient Germans!

I have worked in the USA now for 2.5 years and am still struggling to meet someone who has only two weeks paid leave! Are you including the five days for bereavement, 2 personal days, 2 charity days, public holidays (inc state holidays)etc etc?

Along with the 30% higher wages for the similar European job I don't think US workers have it so bad....

Terri B · December 2002

J R:

Since a lot of European countries are more socialistic than we are, don't forget the higher tax bill they must pay. That 30% more that they earn doesn't go far when they don't get to spend it.

The US Workweek

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