Usual length of working day?

elsien

I'm used to a 38 hour week with no formal breaks as it was care so I had to stay on the premises and get a cuppa or a meal as and when. Which was fine and worked for me.
I've just had a draft contract through for with another job with the working hours given as 8.30-5 with half hour paid lunch break. I just wondered what the norm was for offices etc, and what most people consider to be a normal working day, as I have no point of comparison.
Thanks.

Nicklt

8:30 to 5 is pretty common, bit stingy on the 30 min break but then again it is paid.

My contracted hours are 9-5, although its quite flexible where I am and can come in late or leave early if I so wish.

MrJester

elsien wrote: »

I'm used to a 38 hour week with no formal breaks as it was care so I had to stay on the premises and get a cuppa or a meal as and when. Which was fine and worked for me.
I've just had a draft contract through for with another job with the working hours given as 8.30-5 with half hour paid lunch break. I just wondered what the norm was for offices etc, and what most people consider to be a normal working day, as I have no point of comparison.
Thanks.

Hi there. There's not really a normal, as companies can be wildly different depending on their own core values. But a normal working week for most is between 37.5-40 hours, that's pretty common.

Me personally, I work in an office and do 37.5 hours a week. I get an unpaid hours lunch. So I technically work 7.5 hours each day. 9-5:30.

sammyjammy

As has been said there is no norm, I work a 37 hour week over four days so 9hrs 15 mins not including a lunch break. We work flexi time but I usually do 7am to 5pm.

MrJester

sammyjammy wrote: »

As has been said there is no norm, I work a 37 hour week over four days so 9hrs 15 mins not including a lunch break. We work flexi time but I usually do 7am to 5pm.

Out of interest how do you find that? The extra day off worth the long hours?

liney

My office hours were 8am - 5pm with 30 mins unpaid for lunch.

My DH works 8am - 4.30 or 8.30am - 5pm depending on the project, with 30 mins unpaid.

Your hours seem normal enough.

anamenottaken

liney wrote: »

My office hours were 8am - 5pm with 30 mins unpaid for lunch.

My DH works 8am - 4.30 or 8.30am - 5pm depending on the project, with 30 mins unpaid.

Your hours seem normal enough.

What's not normal is that the lunch break is paid.

Then again, it might be normal in the sector in which the organisation operates.

MrJester

anamenottaken wrote: »

What's not normal is that the lunch break is paid.

Then again, it might be normal in the sector in which the organisation operates.

I just don't think it's that common nowadays. I have had a previous job where I was paid for an hours lunch. It was pre 2010 approximately but I have had it.

Elfbert

I'm contracted to work a 40 hour week. It's all done on the clock, so when we turn up and leave is up to us, but there's a basic expectation that people will be in between 0900 and 1700, and then some come in at 8, others don't leave until half 6. We get a paid 20 min teabreak around 11am, and an unpaid lunch, which we clock off for. It's up to us when we take lunch, but most of us usually stop between 1330-1400 for half an hour or so.

Most of us also work between a 45-50 hour week, though. We get paid by the minute, so it's just up to us to get the required work done.

xx

Dayman

9-5:30 with an hour for lunch is normal for outside of london. 9-5 in London.

topaztiger1983

I work at KFC & I did 9am-5pm today (With 30 min UNPAID break), I am doing the same on tomorrow & Friday, 12pm-6pm Saturday & 4pm-10:30pm so not particular normal working day for me