Jamie Oliver tells the truth!!!

HAMISH_MCTAVISH

PasturesNew wrote: »

I've never understood why bosses are so proud to have workers working 100 hour weeks.

It's a test.

Only the strong, committed, and talented survive.

The rest quit.

Which is the point.

Why not have double the staff and work them for 50? You'd get more out of them.

But you don't.

A truly talented employee will be more productive even at 4am on their third all-nighter in a row than an average 9-5 desk jockey would be after a holiday and a full nights sleep.

Migrants have a different position: our minimum wage is a fortune to them, so it's easy for them to come over when young and work their nuts off, then go home after a few years and buy a house outright..... and live in HMOs with fellow countrymen of the same ilk.
.

Sorry PN but I don't agree.

Immigrants are the lifeblood of this economy and mostly do the jobs Brits are too lazy to do.

nonnatus

Jamie does amuse me! I found the same thing - Kitchen porter work is HARD. The Polish Guys and Gals do it well and without complaint. They take orders calmly and don't mistake criticism as personal attacks. Fabulous to work alongside and if I had the choice, I'd employ ONE Polish porter over TWO English Porters any day.
My last English KP was 20yrs old, hung-over every morning, took too many fag breaks and when he didn't fancy working, would get his mummy to call me to say he was poorly.

It's just astonishing. It's like the English lads are 10 years less grown-up!

I have a strapping 15yr old son and am dragging him into the world of work by "volunteering" for my business! I just make sure he learns from the hard-workers, not from the English

vivatifosi

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

I worked regular 100 hour weeks when I was younger, and even more as an unpaid intern while in Uni.

We all did.

In fairness, I still do on occasion, and within the last year I've worked youngsters half my age into the ground while working more hours then they seem able to cope with on projects.

In our industry, it's more a metaphorical kitchen rather than the literal one with Jamie, but if they can't take the heat....;)

Same here which is why I find it offensive. Tbh I don't do 100 hour weeks, but through most of my early career did 60-70. Not sure how many I do now as I have 5 jobs, probably about 45+ on average, but that's me taking my foot off the gas.

I do think firms need to be careful, there is a point at which people burn out and become stressed or ineffective. However this could be at way more than 48 hours in most jobs. Also there could be some jobs that are so full on that 48 hours may really wear you out. In general, this happens only in short bursts, whether to complete a project at a higher career level, or to say work in the Next sale at a lower one. We all know this happens - it is why we aren't on MSE from time to time. If we were that busy we wouldn't be on here. Which reminds me.... must go to work, bye all.

exarmydreamer

I was on call 24 hrs - 7 days a week in the Army at 18 yrs old. Also when on operations, I worked for 6 months with a 2 week break inbetween. There are plenty of teenagers working to better themselves, you can't tar everyone with the same brush.

We have not all been brought up by better off parents who pander to their childrens every need, it is those spoilt by their parents who are struggling with the world of work. These are the ones who expect everything on a plate because their parents never said, 'work for it' or 'No, I can't afford it, you will have to save up'.

misskool

the quality of the 48 hour or 100 hour weeks is the important bit.

I know management consultants who sit and surf the internet until 8-9pm so they won't be the first one to leave the office even though they've finished the project as it's the culture. I go to work at some weekends and spend 8-10 hours but only if there is something that desperately needs to be finished. But I also leave early if there is nothing else and I need a break. However, these hours are for my own benefit as they improve my career

It's about working hard for the right reason. Why should a minimum wage worker work 100 hours @ £6.19 if there is no job/career progression? I don't appreciate those without a good work ethic (if you are at work, you are at work. No using mobiles, no endless fag breaks etc) but I can see why they wouldn't be knocking themselves over to work such long hours for not much reward at the end of it.

zagfles

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

In our organisation I'm one step below C-level and still do 100+ hour weeks a dozen or more times a year, with a 60 hour week as a bare minimum.

I'm on call 24/7, I work at least 3-4 hours a day on weekends, and I check emails daily on holidays. My bonus however, regularly exceeds my base salary, and my share awards will allow me to retire very comfortably at 50 if I keep this pace going.

As a junior I did 100+ hours all the time, week in and week out, for the best part of a decade.

And the juniors of today who wish to progress in our industry still do.

I absolutely do not understand the 9-5 Monday to Friday culture.

If that's what you want go and work in the public sector or some useless Quango.

But don't moan about the fact you can't afford a house.... (not aimed at you, just a general rant against the 'entitlement generation')

Progression and financial rewards in the real world takes blood sweat and tears.

And sacrifice.

Career comes before family, personal life, and self-gratification.

There is time to be self-indulgent later..... But the first 20 years out of School or Uni you pay your dues and earn respect and prioritise work above everything.

Here endeth the rant.:o

My friend's dad did that. Worked ridiculously long hours all his working life, aimed to retire at 50, which he did. He hated retirement (he knew nothing but work) and died less than 2 years into his retirement.

zagfles

misskool wrote: »

the quality of the 48 hour or 100 hour weeks is the important bit.

I know management consultants who sit and surf the internet until 8-9pm so they won't be the first one to leave the office even though they've finished the project as it's the culture. I go to work at some weekends and spend 8-10 hours but only if there is something that desperately needs to be finished. But I also leave early if there is nothing else and I need a break. However, these hours are for my own benefit as they improve my career

It's about working hard for the right reason. Why should a minimum wage worker work 100 hours @ £6.19 if there is no job/career progression? I don't appreciate those without a good work ethic (if you are at work, you are at work. No using mobiles, no endless fag breaks etc) but I can see why they wouldn't be knocking themselves over to work such long hours for not much reward at the end of it.

Sometimes working long hours can be bad for your career. In my previous job I used to work with a stroppy bunch who'd never do any unpaid overtime, we worked closely with another department (in the same company) where they had a culture of long hours and unpaid overtime. When there was a round of redundancies, the other department was hit far harder than ours. Reason was the company knew the remaining mugs would work even longer hours to get the job done, they knew our lot wouldn't!

wymondham

Should people be proud for working 100 hours a week?

Great if that's your thing and you're happy, but surely the idea is to work less and earn more? ie be a politician?

PasturesNew

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

...

But have you been "lucky". If you'd lived, say, elsewhere, would you have ever got the job you have? Have you had to move hundreds of miles away from family/familiarity to pursue something? You've kept your job.

How'd you have fared living elsewhere, not getting the job you did (or even knowing it existed), not having access to decent jobs with progression, and - for good measure - a good sprinkling of having to start all over again (say 5-6x) as companies closed down and/or you were laid off?

Not everybody has a straight forward line through life, through no fault of their own.

MacMickster

HAMISH_MCTAVISH wrote: »

Career comes before family, personal life, and self-gratification.

There is time to be self-indulgent later..... But the first 20 years out of School or Uni you pay your dues and earn respect and prioritise work above everything.

Why would you ever put a career before family? Why do you actually work?

When running my own business for over 20 years I initially worked some very long hours out of necessity. Once the business was established however I employed extra staff to take the strain. There were times when peaks of work meant that long hours were necessary, but the majority of the time after the first 3 years I rarely worked more than a 30 hour week.

Of course I could have made far more money by doing more of the work myself, but I had sufficient to live the lifestyle that I wanted and to devote my time to my family.

I would certainly never regularly work long hours as an employee, nor would I expect my employees to do so.