Now, I understand that these totals may be skewed down by a variety of factors (furloughs, part-time work, medical leave, etc), but don't those totals still seem low to anyone? Especially viewed through the lens of a lab scientist - I'm pretty sure we fit under "private nonfarm," but most of us don't work those hours!The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged in June at 34.5 hours. In manufacturing, the workweek increased by 0.1 hour to 40.9 hours, and overtime was unchanged at 3.3 hours. The average workweek for production and nonsupervisory employees on private nonfarm payrolls was unchanged at 33.7 hours.
The three totals average out to ~36 hours / week.
Let's Play a Game: Write in, and tell me when you finish your "average" work week. For context, please provide a general job description and industry. For example:
See Arr Oh - Ph.D. chemist at a small biotech company. Thursday morning.
(That's my generic position, industry, and the point in the work week where I reach 36 hours.)
I'm very curious to see how the totals change among jobs* and between industries. Looking forward to your submissions!
Happy (?) Friday,
SAO
*Educated Guess: Betcha most grad students get to 36 hours by Wednesday. (sigh)
Does it say anywhere that this is full time? I'm pretty sure numbers are skewed low by part-time workers of various stripes. Considering they track teenagers' hours, I'm a little surprised this isn't lower.
ReplyDeleteI think it does include part-time (PT), as I indicated above.
DeleteUniversity of Biological Chemistry professor hits 36 h by Wednesday: 60-70 h/week typical, a big push makes this go up to over 100 h. However on grants we have "Full Economic Costing" or FEC in the UK, which has a full time week at 37 h for PIs.
ReplyDeleteUm, there's a large disparity in those numbers! What leads granting agencies to be so ill-informed?
DeleteMSc chemist (analytical) at a medium biotech company. Thursday night, unless you count a half day Sunday as the start of the week, in which case, Thursday morning.
ReplyDeleteOh, I most certainly count Sunday, if you're at work : )
DeleteChemistry postdoc at Canadian University. Usually Thursday late afternoon or Friday morning.
ReplyDeleteI think the working ridiculous hours as a grad student is most pronounced in the US. I've worked in reasonably big universities in three countries (NZ, Canada, UK)...and I would think most grad students worked between 35-50 hours a week at all of those. Not the 70-80 hours that seems to be common in the US.
AR&D bench chemist at pharmaceutical firm. Haven't left work yet today, and I'm at 44.5h for the week. I reached 36h yesterday. Typical.
ReplyDeleteBench medicinal chemist, big pharma. I typically work 40-45 hours a week. This seems typical for most others in similar setting at my company. So I usually react 36 hours on Friday...
ReplyDeleteNon-US grad student, hit 36 by thursday afternoon. Feeling slack.
ReplyDeletePostdoc, major U.S. research institute. I usually hit 36h on Wednesday morning, with average 75h/week ± 10h/week. When I started, I was ordered to sign a timesheet every other week declaring that I had worked no more than 80h over the prior two weeks. When I evaded signing it, the admin started just signing my name to it instead.
ReplyDeletePh.D. Student UK, I reach 36 h by thursday morning, typically 50-60 h a week.
ReplyDeletehere are some more interesting statistics re:working hours of phd's and postdocs http://chem.chem.rochester.edu/nvdcgi/dayinlife.cgi
ReplyDeletePhD, R&D bench chemist for large chemical manufacturer. Myself and most other chemists here usually work 40-hour weeks, so I reach the 36th hour on Fridays. Can't work in lab during off-hours.
ReplyDeleteGrad school/post-doc (2005-2012) I typically worked 40-45 hour weeks on campus, no weekends, and worked 10ish hours per week at home either grading, studying or writing.
Degreeless laboratory associate, R&D labs of a large chemical manufacturer, typically hitting 36 by Wednesday evening.
ReplyDeleteLot of shoveling to do, you know.
Sorry, late to the party. PhD, patent law (but not a lawyer). Reach 36 hrs spent at work by Thursday morning, which includes eating lunch or having random head-scratching moments/off-topic conversations. Maybe they don't count those times? If I don't count those times, I reach 36 hours by Friday afternoon.
ReplyDeletePhD analytical chemist, large specialty chemicals company. Friday afternoons. I typically work about a 38 hour week. I just worked a weekend morning for the first time in over a year.
ReplyDelete