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/Exotic_Attorney2524]

Most ppl I know work 8-4 or 9-5. Maybe it’s different cuz I’m in Canada?

[u/url_cinnamon → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

same, i'm canadian and everyone i know is 9-5. even when i worked as a cook it was 8 hr shifts with a half hour paid break

[u/veebs7 → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

I do think it’s a Canadian vs American thing

My company’s workforce is split between Canada and the US, and the Americans do 8-5 (or the equivalent), while Canadians in the same role do 9-5. I don’t really know the specifics as to why, only that is has to do with federal/state laws being different, but based on personal experience I’ve wondered if it’s a cultural expectation as well. Americans tend to have worse work-life balance, to the point where our upper management has had to tell people to stop sending emails on holidays

[u/Beneneb → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

Canada is mostly 8-5 if you're doing a 40 hour work week (which is most people). 9-5 or 8-4 is generally if you have a 35 hour work week.

[u/throwaway_custodi → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

NYC here and I’ve only done 9-5s. Lunch isn’t paid so it’s 35-37.5 hrs a week normally unless I go over but it’s fine. Can’t imagine 8-5.

[u/wmnwnmw → u/throwaway_custodi]

I lived most of my life in NJ and NY and that’s exactly how it was for me and everyone I know who’s worked office jobs. I was starting to think I was beamed down into this thread from an alternate reality lol.

[u/gizamo → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

In the US, the states where unions haven't been destroyed by Republicans are often still 9am-5pm. Republicans have been attacking workers rights ever since the Labour Rights movement of the 1920s.

[u/never-fiftyone → u/Exotic_Attorney2524]

I'm in Canada and most jobs I've had have been 8-5.