The working week

Today officially celebrates the 40 hour working week.  This is somewhat ironic as studies show 20% of employees now work over 50 hours a week.  But how much is this a problem and are more laws the answer?

I’m one of those who has never worked a 40 hour week, since finishing study. Even when I was an unqualified temporary administrative assistant at age 21, earning only a bit over $10 an hour, I would work longer than 9 – 5.  I saw my job as getting the work done.  I suspect it is partly because of that attitude I got five promotions in four years and I went from a temporary admin assistant to an acting departmental manager.

Not only have I never been paid penal rates for overtime (since uni), I’ve never been paid any rates.   And I suspect most of those who work over 50 hours a week are similiar – they are not getting paid hourly rates at all – but are on a salary.

Now sometimes the situation gets ridicolous.  Certainly at Parliament the hours could be gruesome.  I’ve never minded the odd 60 hour week, but when you are working extended hours like that week in, week out – it does piss you off.  A fairly major reason as to why I left Parliament is the desire for a better work/life balance.  But it wasn’t that anyone was forcing me to work such long hours – I just had the personality type where I would always try and take on extra work, and do more stuff.  No law is going to change that.

Incidentially my record for longest consecutive period of work is 63 hours without a sleep or break (apart from showers) when I was at the final phase of rolling out a major project.  My weekly maximum is 113 hours.  Again not healthy, but was a result of necessity.

Like most people I think those in lower level jobs should get paid per hour, and not to do so is exploitative. But at what level should hourly wages become an annual salary?  At the extreme end, the CEO of Telecom is expected to work more than a 40 hour week and he doesn’t get penal rates if there after 5 pm.

Even if people are on an annual salary, it is unhealthy to be constantly working 50 – 60+ hour weeks.  Sure, every so often for a major issue is fine, but your employer is under resourced if every evening and weekend you have to be in the office.  But again, I don’t think a law is the answer.  You can’t legislate for such different circumstances. I think the best thing is employees themselves being assertive, and making it clear that they will quit and go elsewhere unless their employer hires more staff. You can always threaten them under OSH also, as a safe workplace does include not having an unreasonable level of stress.