A recent survey says that we are experiencing the demise of the “9 to 5” work day, particularly in the financial services sector — a sentiment found among the vast majority of NAPA Net reader-respondents!
Among this week’s respondents, 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. were the most common start times, with approximately a third each reporting that time. However 9% were “at it” before 6 a.m.; another 8% had started by then. Just over 1 in 10 were at work by 9 a.m., with the remainder starting at 10 a.m. — or later.
As for their day’s end, roughly a quarter each called it quits at 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., while just over 12% said it came at 7 p.m., and a similar number cited 8 p.m. Only about 8% ended their day at 4 p.m. As for the remaining 18% — they chose the “I’ve got to get a life” option.
Work ‘Weak’?
What does that mean in terms of the work week? Just under 35% say they are putting in 50-60 hours a week, while 30% are clocking in at a more temperate 40-50 hours, and 1 in 10 are managing to keep it at 40 hours. Roughly 4% are working less than 40 hours. The rest? Well, they chose the “I’ve got to get a life” option.
“Our standard work week is 37.50 hours but don’t think I’ve ever put in that amount in my career — it’s always been a significantly higher amount,” noted one reader.
We also asked readers if they worked longer hours than their boss; 16% said “yes,” while another 17% said “most weeks, yes.” That left 18% who said “no,” and a similar number who said they had no earthly idea. However, just over 30% said they were the boss!
The good news is, the boss is aware — 39% said their boss knew, while another 10% said most weeks they did. However, about 8% said that either their boss didn’t know (or didn’t most weeks), and 12% said they had no idea. Oh, and 30% were the boss…
The Beginnings
As for how those shifts happen, one reader noted, “I started working longer hours to get through a rough patch but I ended up getting more and more to do because I got it done. I should have learned to say no much sooner, especially since I knew that most others in the office were not making the same time sacrifice that I was (including the boss).”
“I worked six days a week and much longer hours, especially the first three years that I was establishing this business,” noted another. “Slowed down somewhat between years 5-15. Slowing down again as I prepare to transfer my business to my associate.”
“I manage a group of employees and it’s interesting to see how they view work-life balance. For some, it’s having the total autonomy to come and go as they please in order to fit in children activities,” explained another. “Others make sure they plan their work day so that they don’t leave until they finish the day’s work. Others devote so much time to work that I wonder if they even have a personal life.”
“I’m no longer in a position which has billable hours goals but when I was, the hours goals were ridiculous and extremely difficult to achieve. Bonuses were tied to attainment of those goals though so you did whatever was necessary to try and achieve them,” reported one reader.
Generation Gaps?
Another recalled, “When I was in my 20s, 30s, even 40s, I typically worked 60 to 70 hours per week. At the same time, I was studying for actuarial exams in my 20s, and beginning in my 30s, I was on the board of 3 not-for-profit organizations, becoming president of two of them for two years each. I just turned 60 and have scaled back my hours considerably, but I do not see the younger folks who work for me putting in anywhere near the kind of time I worked at their ages. There has definitely been a shift in the paradigm over the generations. There is a sense of entitlement among younger adults these days and long hours are unheard of. I worked extra hours without ever having to be asked. Now, very few employees work even one extra hour of time without being asked. And if I do ask for extra time, even during busy hours, they sometimes refuse, or make it seem like it is a huge imposition and they are martyrs.”
That sentiment was echoed by another who said, “The Millennials in the office don’t believe in coming in early (show up at 7:33 for a 7:30 start time) nor do they believe in staying late.”
On the other hand, one Millennial commented, “Just because my boss works 23/7, doesn’t mean I want to.”
Other Comments
As for some other comments on workdays, workday beginnings and endings, work-life balance or work in general, we got the following insights:
- I have been available for participants from 6 to 6. Have let them know that if they need me I wanted to be had by phone or txt or email. Not so much anymore, I am available for plan sponsors from 6 to 6 if they need decisions made. I express that if they need me call, but if they call, they better need a decision made. Staff handles service work.
- My hours working are very flexible, and I can move things around to accommodate life activities, but all the hours do add up.
- Our company has a 37-1/2 hour work week, with employees able to work 7-1/2 hours M-F anytime between 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Getting employees to put in this time requires far too much policing. Most employees like to come in early and leave early, but they still don't get the 7-1/2 hours of work. If they come in at 8, they are out the door at 4 on the dot, but they still take a full hour for lunch. This is true of many of the younger workers; and with the older employees, the males generally work more hours than the females, but there are exceptions.
- I spend way too much time working and studying for tests. My boss works maybe 5 hours a week — sometimes 5 hours a month.
- Who has a life outside of work? Sad.
- I don't know that there is work-life balance unless you’re working at a level that requires payment of overtime or, at the opposite end of the spectrum, are the owner. People say don’t work the hours but it is the clients that suffer and that’s difficult to accept in a service industry.
- In addition to the regular workweek, I spend a good portion of time working on the weekend as well.
- There will be weeks during review season where I have three meetings in a day, followed by a night of emails. Working on making a better balance.
- I do have flexibility to come in late, leave early or take time out during the day for my personal life, but in general all of these hours are made up at some other time. This year I have already worked well over 100 extra hours and am on track to have in essence “made up” all of my vacation time (which I will take) by the end of the year.
- I think you need to add in some commute time to measure a true workday, which for me is an extra 10 hours a week.
- Balance??? What’s that?
- I work on vacation, before I go into the office, and after I leave. That said, I’m actually “in” my office about 30 hours/week. But there are networking events, happy hours, coffee, and even grocery store run-ins that I end up “working” at every week.
- Typically start returning email and strategic planning for the day over breakfast at 5:30. At the office by 6:45. Leave the office typically by 5, but frequently have meetings with clients over dinner which last until 9 or so.
The ‘Best’ for Last
My favorite comments were:
- One guy I used to work with worked all night to get a project finished. He got pulled over by a policeman as he was driving home. He had fallen asleep and was drifting. When the policeman got to his window, he thanked him for waking him up.
- Running a 9-5 business is long gone. As owners of retirement plan practices, that has been gone for a long time. Recently, several of us went to Alaska to get “off the grid” to plan on the huge industry changes. Now that is a long way to go for a planning meeting. Last thing, my emails working late are very dangerous :) but I do love this!
- The best is when the boss calls on a Sunday evening to make sure you know what you have to do at work the next week.
- If you include the before & after-hours emails, the work day never ends.
- If I could get a ‘part time’ job where I only had to work 40 hours a week, it would feel like a vacation.
- All I know is sometimes when I just work normal hours, it feels like I’m slacking.
But this week’s Editor’s Choice goes to the reader who reminds us that, “There are more important things in life than work, and whatever pressing client issue that ‘needs to get done’ can wait. However it’s tough to pause and recognize that truth. For me it happens when I come home to my 9-month old baby girl’s smile and a hear her screech ‘Da-Da’ (her first words). That puts work/life balance into perspective for me!"
Thanks to everyone who participated in our weekly reader poll!
Got an idea for a reader survey? Post it in the comments below, or email me at [email protected].
