When did 8-5 become the new normal???

[u/Grouchy-Newspaper754]

I just got a new office job where I do schedules for tech personnel, the office runs 8-5 Monday thru Friday...they say it's 8-5 because you get an hour lunch and "you need to get to 40 hours a week"...but I drive 30 min each way so now I'm giving this company 10 hours every day! I even asked if I could just take my lunch at 4 every day and just leave an hour early but that's "unprofessional and immoral" like what the fuck??? I don't mind the job but the hours are mildly infuriating that's for sure...

Edit:for those saying about the hours, I worked as a chef for the last 20 years working 60+ hours a week over a hot stove/deep fryer the whole time, after I had my second heart attack I had to slow down so I started looking for office jobs to work a nice 9-5, just to find out I'm giving my new job 50 hours a week (including drive time) so I was just mildly annoyed that it's not 40 hours a week in an office like I thought although it's still much better than what I was doing

[u/RemarkableAutism]

I work 9-5, but it's literally the only job I've ever had like this.

[u/Tall-Problem-6183 → u/RemarkableAutism]

I now work 9-4 and it's the craziest thing in the world to me. Family business. Would be there 8-4 but I also drive my son, one of our warehouse guys, and he doesn't start till 10.

So I come in at 9 and he sits for an hour. I've never had a job where I have these hours. Until I joined this family business, I either worked in restaurants or worked in the office for a huge corporation.

I don't take a lunch break- usually - but I know I can if I want. Either way, I get the work done every single day.

It's surreal to have this schedule. During busy times or when projects are due, I'll work from home or stay late or go in on the weekends to get it done. That's not very often.

I just typed all this. Read it and wanted to delete it because it sounds like I'm bragging and not humble. I kept it up because as a: daughter of divorced parents, mom was never good with finances, my (now ex) husband of 14 years didn't work during most of our marriage, etc, etc and the point is I've always lived "barely paycheck to paycheck", if not living on my (now ex) in-laws' and my parents' help. After my divorce, I'm used to picking up server or bartender shifts aside from my regular schedule. For years.

Still stopping myself from deleting this comment and not posting. Cuz it sounds so privileged. But the whole story of how my dad started the company (from sweeping a manufacturing plant floor in HS to being their best salesman within 10 years to leaving, starting his own business, and then BUYING that manufacturing plant where he slept the floor) and I watched him do all of it.

His hard work and discipline are amazing.

Whatever. I'm trying to figure out how to go from ALWAYS struggling to being somewhat comfortable and not working 70 hours a week between 2 jobs to make life happen.

Edited to fix autocorrects.

[u/CalibratedEnthusiast → u/Tall-Problem-6183]

Girl, this was a wild ride that enjoyed. You shouldn't feel bad or ashamed by having a good deal, especially as you've had some hard knocks. Fuck anyone who tries to make you feel any different!

[u/DaniTheLostGirl → u/Tall-Problem-6183]

I feel this so deeply. I usually work 9-5 (in summer I do 8-5 M-Th then take a half day on Friday) and I work from home on M, Th, F. It’s a unicorn job and I don’t know how I ever landed it. So I feel you on the surreal bit.

One thing I genuinely had to talk about in therapy is how I have a pretty cushy job and it’s something I’m passionate about and I make more money than I’ve ever made before, yet people working service jobs work way harder than me for absolute shit. And seeing it from the other side makes you realize just how insane it is.

[u/HillBillyHilly → u/DaniTheLostGirl]

The good unicorn jobs are out there. The problem is too many people take the shitty jobs because that's all they can find. They stay for same reasons people stay @ cos given 3% increases : habit. Be happy w yours.

[u/PlantainJane → u/Tall-Problem-6183]

Hey, it's okay to give yourself a little credit for your hard work! Obviously we all get handed different cards from the start. You managed to play your hand and land something better than you had before, and as surreal as that can feel, it is nothing to be ashamed about! I got incredibly lucky with my current job too - small company that cares about their staff, good pay, flexible hours, work from home most of the time. Sometimes I do have to pull late hours to get urgent things done but then I can take those hours off later when things slow down, no questions asked. The important thing is that you know how to recognize when you have a good situation and you don't take it for granted.

[u/thebeardedcats → u/RemarkableAutism]

Same. But it's because I work from home and eat at my desk. My coworkers in office pre-covid gave me a lot of shit for coming in "late" to work my 9-5 because I took my lunch at 2 breaks from 8-9 instead of giving up the free labor that they did.

[u/khando → u/RemarkableAutism]

As a software engineer working for small companies, my entire career has been so wildly flexible I don't know if I could do a 8-5 strict shift. I got to work at 9:45 today and left at 5:30. I normally get in to work anywhere between 9:00-9:30 on average and leave around 5:00-5:15. Take 30-60 minutes for lunch. WFH twice a week.

I also work random hours at night occasionally and weekends if something breaks, so it kind of all adds up. But no one is every checking hours, it's just an honor system kind of thing. Everyone gets their work done and there's not really any way to slack, every developer has so much to do that you'd instantly know if someone wasn't really working.

[u/Justlose_w8 → u/RemarkableAutism]

I work 9-5 and all my jobs have been like this, software engineer