Time Off

Sunny Disposition

I'm in a privileged position where I have got a good bit of time off work, just wondering how people who work very long hours cope.

I finished at 3pm on the button today, would normally be closer to 3.30pm by the time I get out, but was a bit lucky today. Also have what would be considered long holidays by private sector workers.
Just thinking about it this evening as I passed offices where hundreds of people are still going. Is any job worth giving say 45 hours a week to with only four weeks off a year? It surely can't be good for you, but a lot of people in the private sector are doing it and even more at times.

dashoonage

well dont you have a sunny disposition on life.

whomitconcerns

All very easy to say when you have working hours such as yours. Other people usually don't get to think if is worth it or not

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It depends on the pay, career prospects and the commitments individuals have.

SusieBlue

Some people don't have a choice.

marvin80

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

It surely can't be good for you, but a lot of people in the private sector are doing it and even more at times.

The majority of people have no choice if they want to get by.

What's your occupation? Teacher?

Rubberchikken

i work 48 hours a week always at night. the tiredness can be brutal at times but as the nights are rostered with different days off its better than always weekends off. more variety

amcalester

I'm paid for 37.5 hours per week so that's what I do. I get in at 7:30 and leave at 4. If something is urgent or needs finishing I'll stay but 9 days out of 10 I'm finished at 4.

I prefer to eat at my desk when it is busy, so actually doing more than 37.5 but not much more.

Pauliedragon

This thread is either the worst troll or the best wind up.

topper75

How do we cope. Fair question. Ignore the snide 'responses'.

I barely cope. Things often don't get done at home. Sometimes important things even go by the wayside. Birthdays are forgotten. DIY tasks can take up to a year between problem ID and an ultimate fix. My wardrobe if full but of junk like old t-shirts. Sometimes a day maybe composed of work, a little grocery shopping and maybe one TV show before bed and the harsh beeping of the clockradio at the start of another repetition. I tumble on from week to week like a matchstick down the rapids and hope for the best. Many days I come in to work I am dog tired and get little done. I heard a TU guy on the radio this morning saying their movement will now be focusing on a 4-day week. I can see it happening in our lifetimes. When it comes through, possibly first though the public sector and later filtering into private industry, we'll wonder why it wasn't always thus and will shudder at the thought of the 5-day week the way we nowadays look upon our 19th century forbears toiling all days but the sabbath.

Sunny Disposition

SusieBlue wrote: »

Some people don't have a choice.

TBF everyone has a choice at the start, although I would acknowledge that if you are a bit older and have a mortgage it can be complicated. But there's no need for anyone to go into a career where you work 45 hours or even more.

magic_murph

totally depends on the job, location, what the sacrifices are, what are the rewards, do you enjoy the work and the people you spend so much time with.

SusieBlue

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

TBF everyone has a choice at the start, although I would acknowledge that if you are a bit older and have a mortgage it can be complicated. But there's no need for anyone to go into a career where you work 45 hours or even more.

With the exception of teaching, there are almost no careers that would allow a person work short hours, yet still be able to afford to pay rent or get a mortgage, let alone living expenses.

If there were options, people would take them. There is a reason that the majority of the workforce work a minimum of 37-45 hours a week, and its because its the only choice they have to get by.

With the exception of teaching, how would a person working 22 hours a week get approved for a mortgage or pay €1500 a month in rent?

Sunny Disposition

Teaching is a good option, but there are other ways I'm sure, obviously teaching has quite good time off, although it is very tough going.

Sunny Disposition

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

Teaching is a good option, but there are other ways I'm sure, obviously teaching has quite good time off, although it is very tough going.

I'm starting to doubt your sincerity.

Strumms

magic_murph wrote: »

totally depends on the job, location, what the sacrifices are, what are the rewards, do you enjoy the work and the people you spend so much time with.

This, you can have a nice 8-4, Monday - Friday. Good cash, like the work, good holidays and not far from home...all that but if you are working with lazy gormless twats and a **** boss it’s not going to be worth it.

I was in a scenario where I was payed quite well for the type of work but with lazy cûnts and a supervisor who I didn’t get on with at all..got out of there despite the good cash, best thing I’d ever done.

OldMrBrennan83

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Had a lot of time off the last few years and been using it to try set myself up with the fabled four-hour workweek. Hopefully I'll get there some day.

Time off is important. More important than material possessions and a new car anyways.

To some.

I've never found anything I like doing so I don't need more time. I'd take the possessions any day.

sk8erboii

Isnt it a bit depressing when your entire life revolves around working? Especially when its soul crushing and meaningless.

This thread kinda opened my eyes. No wonder Afterhours is full of bitter people

Sonny noggs

sk8erboii wrote: »

Isnt it a bit depressing when your entire life revolves around working? Especially when its soul crushing and meaningless.

This thread kinda opened my eyes. No wonder Afterhours is full of bitter people

How is the leaving cert study going?

OldMrBrennan83

sk8erboii wrote: »

Isnt it a bit depressing when your entire life revolves around working? Especially when its soul crushing and meaningless.

This thread kinda opened my eyes. No wonder Afterhours is full of bitter people

For a lot of people it has to. What else are they going to do, go outside and pick money off the magical money tree? You looking down your nose at working people just because you had a bit of luck along the way is a far bigger example of what people are like.

Kirby

SusieBlue wrote: »

With the exception of teaching, there are almost no careers that would allow a person work short hours, yet still be able to afford to pay rent or get a mortgage, let alone living expenses.

Postal operatives (postmen) work short hours. I know because I've done it. Most are in at 6-7am and are home by 12-1pm. It's sort of merit-based which is novel enough. If you are a fast sorter and know your route well.....you'll be home in jig time.

If you have a heavy route or are slow you won't be but the majority are and still get paid for the 40 hours.

sk8erboii

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

For a lot of people it has to. What else are they going to do, go outside and pick money off the magical money tree? You looking down your nose at working people just because you had a bit of luck along the way is a far bigger example of what people are like.

Thats a lot of projection mate. Notice how i wasn’t criticizing working people at all, only BITTER people.


Also, I work for money like everyone. But unlike most people ‘with no options’ i dont spend it in the pub.

Red Lightning

SusieBlue wrote:

With the exception of teaching, how would a person working 22 hours a week get approved for a mortgage or pay €1500 a month in rent?

Teachers work a lot more than 22 hours a week. They have unpaid cover, majority have a **** load of correcting in the evenings and secondary school teachers bring their students in on their own time to help prepare them for exams.

OldMrBrennan83

OldMrBrennan83 wrote: »

To some.

I've never found anything I like doing so I don't need more time. I'd take the possessions any day.

Enjoying your possessions is something you like doing. It's just more expensive than a lot of other hobbies.

OldMrBrennan83

sk8erboii wrote: »

Thats a lot of projection mate. Notice how i wasn’t criticizing working people at all, only BITTER people.


Also, I work for money like everyone. But unlike most people ‘with no options’ i dont spend it in the pub.

That's some contradiction there. You're just basically making assumptions and looking down your snout at people.

sk8erboii

sk8erboii wrote: »

Thats a lot of projection mate. Notice how i wasn’t criticizing working people at all, only BITTER people.


Also, I work for money like everyone. But unlike most people ‘with no options’ i dont spend it in the pub.

Criticising people in the same conversation as acknowledging where their problems stem from, and then saying that most people who have financial problems are in that situation because they spend it on alcohol.

Ignorance really is bliss at 23 years old I suppose.

Sonny noggs

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Criticising people in the same conversation as acknowledging where their problems stem from, and then saying that most people who have financial problems are in that situation because they spend it on alcohol.

Ignorance really is bliss at 23 years old I suppose.

23? I thought he was still in school?

Gimme A Pound

topper75 wrote: »

How do we cope. Fair question. Ignore the snide 'responses'.

What snide responses? (Quote marks unnecessary).

The post just looks like an exercise in "I get to work really short hours with long holidays, and you don't - naana!" They can protest all they want. Of course not everyone has a choice - even at the start. Very few jobs have the short hours they describe. It's pretty rude to be saying "why can't everyone just get a job with short hours like I did?" Because somebody has to do the jobs with long hours.

I work 42.5 hours a week, including lunches and breaks. I cope fine because it's completely standard.

gozunda

SusieBlue wrote: »

With the exception of teaching, there are almost no careers that would allow a person work short hours, yet still be able to afford to pay rent or get a mortgage, let alone living expenses.

...

The only other one I'm aware of tbh is local goverment. The local county council employees are normally finished around 3 - 3.30 with a 9 am start. They also get a very nice holiday arrangement ...

con___manx1

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'm starting to doubt your sincerity.

Good teachers do alot of work outside school hours such as correcting and class planning. I used to think the same as you but i have seen this first hand. A teachers work doesnt finish at 3pm. There are alot of hours done that they are not paid for.
This is where there hollidays come in i supppse.

Sonny noggs

con___manx1 wrote: »

Good teachers do alot of work outside school hours such as correcting and class planning. I used to think the same as you but i have seen this first hand. A teachers work doesnt finish at 3pm. There are alot of hours done that they are not paid for.
This is where there hollidays come in i supppse.

I thought all teachers corrected?

myshirt

con___manx1 wrote: »

Good teachers do alot of work outside school hours such as correcting and class planning. I used to think the same as you but i have seen this first hand. A teachers work doesnt finish at 3pm. There are alot of hours done that they are not paid for.
This is where there hollidays come in i supppse.

Good f*cking god.... are you really trying to drive people over the edge?

Teachers are one of the most vastly overpaid and underworked professions in the country. I say this coming from years of experience working with organisations on operational effectiveness and performance.

It's a very noble profession and a good teacher is a gem, but as to the teachers qualified pre 2000 they rightly f*cked their younger members and are beyond doubt the most vastly overpaid and underworked for what they do.

You are truly having a laugh with that post.

myshirt

myshirt wrote: »

Good f*cking god.... are you really trying to drive people over the edge?

Teachers are one of the most vastly overpaid and underworked professions in the country. I say this coming from years of experience working with organisations on operational effectiveness and performance.

It's a very noble profession and a good teacher is a gem, but as to the teachers qualified pre 2000 they rightly f*cked their younger members and are beyond doubt the most vastly overpaid and underworked for what they do.

You are truly having a laugh with that post.

I don't really understand this. Are you aiming your vitriol at teachers who got into the profession before 2000?

That was 19 years ago. Do you think new teachers are overpaid and underworked?

Gimme A Pound

con___manx1 wrote: »

Good teachers do alot of work outside school hours such as correcting and class planning. I used to think the same as you but i have seen this first hand. A teachers work doesnt finish at 3pm. There are alot of hours done that they are not paid for.
This is where there hollidays come in i supppse.

Yip. Myshirt is talking bollox (imagine my shock).

They work well beyond their classroom hours (and the short classroom days and long holidays are for the pupils) - as they should do in fairness. But they aren't on big salaries at all. Not bad pay but not over paid either - they are responsible for several children's education and they are in loco parentis. I couldn't do it. In schools that are under resourced, they have an even bigger workload. Especially principals.

Hector Savage

I guess you work for the civil service op

myshirt

myshirt wrote: »

Good f*cking god.... are you really trying to drive people over the edge?

Teachers are one of the most vastly overpaid and underworked professions in the country. I say this coming from years of experience working with organisations on operational effectiveness and performance.

It's a very noble profession and a good teacher is a gem, but as to the teachers qualified pre 2000 they rightly f*cked their younger members and are beyond doubt the most vastly overpaid and underworked for what they do.

You are truly having a laugh with that post.

Absolute gutter, teaching is a very hard job only a person with zero experience of it would say a teacher is “underworked” (I’m not a teacher btw). It’s also underpaid for the importance and difficulty of the job.

Sunny Disposition

Teacher bashing as usual. Those who complain are just bitter because they didn't go into it and are now caught working until 5pm for ten and a half months a year. It was their decision.

Noveight

I'm a secondary teacher. It's a grand job.

Upsides:
Hours are nice. Holidays are too.
Pay isn't half bad, considering.
Very sociable job.

Downsides:
Some parents can be needlessly testy.
Teenagers can be twerps at times.

Overall, the good outweighs the bad by quite a distance.

Red Lightning

I've worked as a SNA in a secondary school and those who say teachers have it handy really don't know what they are talking about. They have some massive upsides to the job but to be a good teacher ya have to put in a massive amount of work.

c68zapdsm5i1ru

Some really bitter begrudgers on this thread.

Thelonious Monk

Fair play to school teachers, I wouldn't do it. I quit the rat race a couple of years ago and now have a middling income working for myself.
It's ridiculous really, we could all work a lot less, if we just slowed down the pace of life in general in the world. Slowed down the economy, slowed down consumption, had shops open less, back how it used to be before 24 hour everything.
But no Government is going to push for that.

ednwireland

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Fair play to school teachers, I wouldn't do it. I quit the rat race a couple of years ago and now have a middling income working for myself.
It's ridiculous really, we could all work a lot less, if we just slowed down the pace of life in general in the world. Slowed down the economy, slowed down consumption, had shops open less, back how it used to be before 24 hour everything.
But no Government is going to push for that.

poland are restricting sunday trade in large shops - started this year (dont agree with anything that current gov. is doing -apart from that )

SusieBlue

Red Lightning wrote: »

Teachers work a lot more than 22 hours a week. They have unpaid cover, majority have a **** load of correcting in the evenings and secondary school teachers bring their students in on their own time to help prepare them for exams.

I'm sure some do, some weeks. I don't think every teacher does, every week of the school year. Like other jobs, there are busier periods (exam time) and quieter ones, where they only work their actual teaching hours.
I fully support teachers btw, and don't begrudge them a bit. I don't think they're overpaid or any of the usual anti-teacher gripes.

I don't think it can be denied though that the teaching profession allows an extra dimension of flexibility that other professions simply don't have.

I used to live with a primary school teacher who used to finish school at 1:30pm each day.
One day a week she'd stay on until 3pm or so doing corrections, lesson planning, research & whatever else needed doing.
Every other day of the week she'd be racing out the door the same time as the kids, without exception. I don't think its that uncommon.

maccored

gozunda wrote: »

The only other one I'm aware of tbh is local goverment. The local county council employees are normally finished around 3 - 3.30 with a 9 am start. They also get a very nice holiday arrangement ...

where does this happen? Standard is 8.30/9.00 - 4.30/5pm

c68zapdsm5i1ru

maccored wrote: »

where does this happen? Standard is 8.30/9.00 - 4.30/5pm

I know people who work in Co Councils. I've never heard of any of them regularly finishing at 3 or 3.30.

SusieBlue

SusieBlue wrote: »

I don't think it can be denied though that the teaching profession allows an extra dimension of flexibility that other professions simply don't have.
.

People don’t forget or realize how inflexible teaching is outside of fixed holidays though. Most people have no issues getting a day off or a week off when it suits them but teachers can find it very difficult and usually have to lose a days pay or even pay for a sub teacher if they want to get a day off during the year. This is very awkward as there are lots of reasons people what or needs days off at random times during the year.

greenspurs

topper75 wrote: »

How do we cope. Fair question. Ignore the snide 'responses'.

I barely cope. Things often don't get done at home. Sometimes important things even go by the wayside. Birthdays are forgotten. DIY tasks can take up to a year between problem ID and an ultimate fix. My wardrobe if full but of junk like old t-shirts. Sometimes a day maybe composed of work, a little grocery shopping and maybe one TV show before bed and the harsh beeping of the clockradio at the start of another repetition. I tumble on from week to week like a matchstick down the rapids and hope for the best. Many days I come in to work I am dog tired and get little done. I heard a TU guy on the radio this morning saying their movement will now be focusing on a 4-day week. I can see it happening in our lifetimes. When it comes through, possibly first though the public sector and later filtering into private industry, we'll wonder why it wasn't always thus and will shudder at the thought of the 5-day week the way we nowadays look upon our 19th century forbears toiling all days but the sabbath.

+1 …….

SusieBlue

Javion Thoughtless Peon wrote: »

People don’t forget or realize how inflexible teaching is outside of fixed holidays though. Most people have no issues getting a day off or a week off when it suits them but teachers can find it very difficult and usually have to lose a days pay or even pay for a sub teacher if they want to get a day off during the year. This is very awkward as there are lots of reasons people what or needs days off at random times during the year.

But a lot of other professions have the same problem, without the luxury of the nice holidays teachers enjoy.
For example, my company doesn't offer any sick leave. So if I or my child is sick, I have no choice but to take it unpaid.
Its just how it is. Many, many other companies are similar.

When I was in my early 20's I worked in pubs, clubs & restaurants. Getting time off at the weekends was out of the question, never mind Christmas/Bank Holidays etc.
It was just part of the parcel. Unfortunate, but something I knew going into the job.

There aren't many occasions during the year where a teacher would need to take more than a dew days off outside of school holidays.
The odd Friday for a hen/stag, a midweek day for a confirmation, & other than that I'm struggling to think of any other potential reasons for days off.

Doctors/dentist appointments & banking (three things I struggle to get time off for, when needed) can be done after school hours, so again, no days off needed.
I think taking a day or two like that unpaid over the course of the year is justified tbh.

And again, I don't begrudge teachers, I think they deserve every cent they get and the good ones are worth their weight in gold. I think their contribution to society is vastly undervalued.
But I do think they (rightly) reap many rewards for this hard work, and that it should be acknowledged.

2/3 unpaid days off a year on top of the extensive holidays they already get is a fair sacrifice, I think. I'd gladly take it.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

SusieBlue wrote: »

But a lot of other professions have the same problem, without the luxury of the nice holidays teachers enjoy.
For example, my company doesn't offer any sick leave. So if I or my child is sick, I have no choice but to take it unpaid.
Its just how it is. Many, many other companies are similar.

When I was in my early 20's I worked in pubs, clubs & restaurants. Getting time off at the weekends was out of the question, never mind Christmas/Bank Holidays etc.
It was just part of the parcel. Unfortunate, but something I knew going into the job.

There aren't many occasions during the year where a teacher would need to take more than a dew days off outside of school holidays.
The odd Friday for a hen/stag, a midweek day for a confirmation, & other than that I'm struggling to think of any other potential reasons for days off.

Doctors/dentist appointments & banking (three things I struggle to get time off for, when needed) can be done after school hours, so again, no days off needed.
I think taking a day or two like that unpaid over the course of the year is justified tbh.

And again, I don't begrudge teachers, I think they deserve every cent they get and the good ones are worth their weight in gold. I think their contribution to society is vastly undervalued.
But I do think they (rightly) reap many rewards for this hard work, and that it should be acknowledged.

2/3 unpaid days off a year on top of the extensive holidays they already get is a fair sacrifice, I think. I'd gladly take it.

But, like, those days can be impossible to get off for teachers sometimes. My sister’s wedding was on a Friday and one of my cousins who is a teacher could not get the day off to attend. He had to cross the country straight after work to make it to the dinner and only just about did. That day off for a wedding, hen/stag or confirmation might simply not be given. There’s not many jobs where that is the case.

Red Lightning

SusieBlue wrote:

I used to live with a primary school teacher who used to finish school at 1:30pm each day. One day a week she'd stay on until 3pm or so doing corrections, lesson planning, research & whatever else needed doing. Every other day of the week she'd be racing out the door the same time as the kids, without exception. I don't think its that uncommon.

I get that but I work as a GAA coach in primary schools and all the teachers that have junior and senior infants that will finish at that time have an incredibly draining age to work with. The time is obviously brilliant to be done for the day but one teacher in particular has probably one of the toughest classes I've ever seen. They could genuinely do with 3 extra resource teachers/SNA's in that class alone but he's doing it on his own. A lot of kids are under observation for special needs. I'm with them for 45 minutes once a week and I'm wrecked after it.

OldMrBrennan83

ednwireland wrote: »

poland are restricting sunday trade in large shops - started this year (dont agree with anything that current gov. is doing -apart from that )

That sounds like an awful idea. Dark ages like above in Northern Ireland.