35 hour workweek

[Yeeek]

I invite you to read the wiki article if you don't know what is this about : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/35-hour_workweek


Had a long discussion at work today about salary. It went about the infamous 35-hour working week in France compared to the 40 Hours in Switzerland. And how Swiss (according to my co worker, i'm not even sure if they have a 40 hour working week in Swiss) have more purchasing power because of it.

So my question is, how many hours you work per week? What is the law in your country?

 

[puglover]

I'm fresh in the working world, my current job being my very first. I work only 10 hours a week.

 

[warpus]

I work 35 hours a week.. or was that 37.5.. hmm

 

[ShannonCT]

In the US, there is no limit to how much a person can work per week, or be asked to work per week by an employer. If you are an employee paid a fixed salary, you work for as many hours as it takes to get your job done, usually 40 hours minimum. Some young employees in highly competitive fields may work 80+ hours per week. If you are an employee paid by the hour, you are paid 1.5 times your regular rate for any hours worked over 40, in most states.

I am self-employed and work about 20-30 hours of billable time + a few hours of non-billable time + extra travel.

 

[ComradeDavo]

As i'm part time with no fixed hours I work somehwere between 15 and 40 hours a week depending on whats needed. I should really start trying to get a job where i'm doing at least 35 hours a week every week.

 

[Bugfatty300]

Two years ago I usually worked about 60 hours a week on a 9 hour shift on week days and 10-12 hours on saturday. I miss my money.

 

[ComradeDavo]

Two years ago I usually worked about 60 hours a week on a 9 hour shift on week days and 10-12 hours on saturday. I miss my money.

I'd miss my life if I worked that much You gotta be pretty hardcore to do that dude.

 

[Masquerouge]

I have to say that my personnal experience of the 35-hour week was that I had 10 more days of vacations per year. The real beneficiairies are people like me, who make a decent amount of money and thus can enjoy the bonus free time they have.
For people barely able to make end meets, working less is a bummer.

 

[ComradeDavo]

I have to say that my personnal experience of the 35-hour week was that I had 10 more days of vacations per year. The real beneficiairies are people like me, who make a decent amount of money and thus can enjoy the bonus free time they have.
For people barely able to make end meets, working less is a bummer.

Hence why there should always be a good minimum wage.

 

[Rhymes]

I'm an accountant and we'r in march, so I'll be working 60-70 hours a week untill the end of april. I also have two evening classes. So right now the only thing I do in my free time is sleep Usually it goes between 35 and 45 depending on how much job there is to do and how I feel.

 

[Phlegmak]

I work 75 hours per week!

 

[JerichoHill]

Manding maximum work hours tends to depress wages and employment, paradoxically. And remember, the minimum wage is a bandaid, not a cure, and shouldn't be treated as such.

As a US Federal Government Employee, I work an 80hr biweekly schedule which is (44/36) so that I can take every other friday off. I would say that practically speaking, I sometimes work up to 50 hours a week, but do so mostly uncompensated except for extra time off.

Then again, at my salary, I could really care less. I make more than enough

 

[Bugfatty300]

I'd miss my life if I worked that much You gotta be pretty hardcore to do that dude.

The good thing was that after 40 hours in a single week you got payed overtime so I was taking home $600 or more a week.

Now I work 20 hours a week at UPS and the work is 10x harder and the pay is $2 less an hour.

 

[Paradigne]

I work 50-60 hours a week.

 

[Masquerouge]

Actually the general questions about the 35-hour week are:
1. how much of a cut on your pay would you be willing to accept for how big an increase in your paid holidays? (for instance, you would accept being paid 10% less but have 5% more vacation days)
2. supposing the elasticity is on a 1:1 basis (meaning if you take x% off your pay, you then have x% more vacation days, but if you take x% off your vacations, you're paid x% more), how much would you be willing to work?

 

[Xanikk999]

Is this recommended or maximum?

You french sure are lazy if most of you only work 35 hours on full time jobs. I regularly worked 25 hours a week on my part time job! Tons of people here work longer then the standard 40 hour work week. And thats because they have to to make enough money.

 

[PrinceOfLeigh]

I work 42.5 hours per week although I get a lunch each day which lowers it to 37.5.

8.30 to 5 each day, no weekends = bliss compared the the horror regime I was on when I worked the Supermarkets

 

[Xanikk999]

8.30 to 5 each day, no weekends = bliss compared the the horror regime I was on when I worked the Supermarkets

That was the job i worked at part time when i said 25 hours a week.

If you have a choice NEVER be a courtesy clerk in a grocery store, it stinks beyond beileif.

 

[Masquerouge]

Is this recommended or maximum?

You french sure are lazy if most of you only work 35 hours on full time jobs. I regularly worked 25 hours a week on my part time job! Tons of people here work longer then the standard 40 hour work week. And thats because they have to to make enough money.

Way to not read the posts in the thread. I specifically stated that the 35-hour week benefited most to people earning enough money to be able to enjoy their free time.
Also, lazy? What is the right amount to work full-time, and why is that the right amount? Do you realize people back in the 19th century would think that your 25-hour part-time stint is the epitome of laziness, when they worked 12 hours per day, 6, if not 7, days a week?
So I guess we're all lazy.
Additionnally, explain to me why I should want to work more when the money I earn is more than enough to satisfy my needs? (that includes health care and retirement, mind you).

And finally, please realize that just because you're used to something doesn't mean it's the best thing, or the only thing, there is.

 

[Xanikk999]

Way to not read the posts in the thread. I specifically stated that the 35-hour week benefited most to people earning enough money to be able to enjoy their free time.
Also, lazy? What is the right amount to work full-time, and why is that the right amount? Do you realize people back in the 19th century would think that your 25-hour part-time stint is the epitome of laziness, when they worked 12 hours per day, 6, if not 7, days a week?
So I guess we're all lazy.
Additionnally, explain to me why I should want to work more when the money I earn is more than enough to satisfy my needs? (that includes health care and retirement, mind you).

And finally, please realize that just because you're used to something doesn't mean it's the best thing, or the only thing, there is.

I wasnt serious when i said you french were lazy. Theres plenty of lazy americans also.