Why do people consider 40 hours per week to be some kind of magical "work life balance" number? (2014, jobs)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Seems like I read it was Henry Ford who came up with the 40 hour work week as optimal (supposedly.) I work 4 10 hour days, which can get long sometimes, but it's worth it to have 3 day weekends every week.
I like what I do, though, so it doesn't always seem like work.
There are also a lot of office workers who may be in the office for forty hours, but aren't working nearly that much. Are most of us who post on here during the day working too hard?
I don't believe work/life balance can be measured by hours worked.
For example: Lets say I work 10 hours a week, but I ONLY work when my children have soccer/baseball/dance/music recitals, etc. I'd say for a person with children that work/life balance SUCKS!!
Example #2 - I average 70 hours of work a week, but I never miss any of the above life events. I do some extra work when they are asleep. If a kid needs to be picked up early and taken to the doctor, I can do that.
I'll take example #2 all day, even for equal money!
That's how I would define "Balance" for me. Others will define it differently, but I can't picture hours ever really working as the sole barometer of "balance".
I don't believe work/life balance can be measured by hours worked.
For example: Lets say I work 10 hours a week, but I ONLY work when my children have soccer/baseball/dance/music recitals, etc. I'd say for a person with children that work/life balance SUCKS!!
Example #2 - I average 70 hours of work a week, but I never miss any of the above life events. I do some extra work when they are asleep. If a kid needs to be picked up early and taken to the doctor, I can do that.
I'll take example #2 all day, even for equal money!
That's how I would define "Balance" for me. Others will define it differently, but I can't picture hours ever really working as the sole barometer of "balance".
True - to an extent. I could work from home an additional five hours a week, and could still easily have the same net amount of free time (lack of commuting, ability to do chores like cleaning/laundry during workday) as I do now.
Most of my friends have forty hour weeks, sit at a desk on Facebook for half those hours and then complain about not having enough vacations and too much work. Most people are never satisfied. The whole idea of balance is bs. Get a job you like, or accept working something you don't like for better money and don't have kids you don't have time for. Boom. Problem solved. Just make good choices and stop complaining.
Most of my friends have forty hour weeks, sit at a desk on Facebook for half those hours and then complain about not having enough vacations and too much work. Most people are never satisfied. The whole idea of balance is bs. Get a job you like, or accept working something you don't like for better money and don't have kids you don't have time for. Boom. Problem solved. Just make good choices and stop complaining.
LOL. That reminds me of some guys from college. Every time I saw them, they were either playing video games or browsing on Facebook. And then they would complain that they never had enough time to study or work on their homework.
Balance doesn't mean equal, it means the right percentage of various things for an optimal outcome.
^^^ That.
Maybe if we were paid an hourly wage for commute times, your definition of balance would come closer to logical. Add to that that some people favor one type of work/non-work ratio ... and someone else may favor another.
I worked 6 days last month, 8 in Dec, 7 month prior. I don't know how you folks do it. I make around $100k + 16% 401k match.
Yeah I could make another $30k more working 18 days a month but why?!!
It's all about living within your means to enjoy the max time you can make for yourself. Screw the corp, and the boss. You're only young once, the key is to enjoy your young age.
Please tell us what you do and who you work for if this is true. I almost have to call BS on this.
I worked 6 days last month, 8 in Dec, 7 month prior. I don't know how you folks do it. I make around $100k + 16% 401k match.
Yeah I could make another $30k more working 18 days a month but why?!!
It's all about living within your means to enjoy the max time you can make for yourself. Screw the corp, and the boss. You're only young once, the key is to enjoy your young age.
Amazing!
especially since just a year ago, you were starting a new job that paid $35,000 a year!
But I suppose I prefer your fantasy life to the OP's, where was are supposed to be literally working 50% of the hours in a week if we want to achieve balance.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
