Join Early Retirement Today
View Poll Results: What is/was your average work week (including comute):
20-30 hrs/wk 2 2.25%
30-40 hrs/wk 7 7.87%
40-50 hrs/wk 40 44.94%
50-60 hrs/wk 22 24.72%
60-70 hrs/wk 8 8.99%
70+ hrs/wk ... extreme 10 11.24%
Voters: 89. You may not vote on this poll

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 10:08 AM   #1
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
tryan's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,592
Extreme Workers

Here's the skinny on the latest extreme worker ....

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...8A119217734%7D

__________________
FIRE'd since 2005
tryan is offline   Reply With Quote
Join the #1 Early Retirement and Financial Independence Forum Today - It's Totally Free!

Are you planning to be financially independent as early as possible so you can live life on your own terms? Discuss successful investing strategies, asset allocation models, tax strategies and other related topics in our online forum community. Our members range from young folks just starting their journey to financial independence, military retirees and even multimillionaires. No matter where you fit in you'll find that Early-Retirement.org is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!

You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with our members, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create a retirement blog, send private messages and so much, much more!

Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 12:19 PM   #2
Administrator
Gumby's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 22,923
Re: Extreme Workers

..
__________________
Living an analog life in the Digital Age.
Gumby is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 12:39 PM   #3
Full time employment: Posting here.
My Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 837
Re: Extreme Workers

I can relate, but I I'm retired now and I don't want to second guess the decisions I made even though it took a toll on my and my family. It's in the past, I now look towards the future.
__________________
Newbie
My Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:05 PM   #4
Full time employment: Posting here.
CCdaCE's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 897
Re: Extreme Workers

I work 60 hr. weeks in the summer, since the Contractor usually works from sunup to sundown. But, outside of this, I don't understand why people have to work 70+ hr. weeks?

Is it the volume of work (employer needs to hire more staff)? Worker inefficiency?

I've seen how worker efficiency plummets after about 50-60 hrs., it seems. To me it just doesn't pay to pay employees after 50 hrs. or so, unless it is mundane/mindless/etc. work. Even then, simple errors are made.

-CC
__________________
"There's those thinkin' more or less, less is more, but if less is more, how you keepin' score?
It means for every point you make, your level drops. Kinda like you're startin' from the top..." "Society" - Eddie Vedder
CCdaCE is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:08 PM   #5
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,085
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by CCdaCE
But, outside of this, I don't understand why people have to work 70+ hr. weeks?
Firm culture in many cases. Investment banking, traders, research people, etc. are expected to work pretty much around the clock in many firms. Part of it is competition, since even the biggest bonus pool has to be doled out in some fashion. Part of it is the nature ofthe work - you wanna be the one to tell your client that you can't get his IPO done in time because you didn't want to work over 40 hours? Part of it is just idiot face time crap.
__________________
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

- George Orwell

Ezekiel 23:20
brewer12345 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:11 PM   #6
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
REWahoo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Texas: No Country for Old Men
Posts: 50,000
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by CCdaCE
I work 60 hr. weeks in the summer, since the Contractor usually works from sunup to sundown. But, outside of this, I don't understand why people have to work 70+ hr. weeks?
Note that the 70+ hour figure includes commute time which could easily add 15 or more hours to the weekly total.



__________________
Numbers is hard
REWahoo is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:14 PM   #7
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Goonie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: North-Central Illinois
Posts: 3,228
Re: Extreme Workers

I do a 40 hour week....and a TOTAL commute time of < 1 hour per week.....2 miles from my driveway to my parking space. About 3.5 minutes in a.m., and 6 minutes in the p.m.

If it wasn't for those loooong commutes, I wouldn't be leaving to FIRE in April.
Goonie is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:23 PM   #8
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 113
Re: Extreme Workers

One of the reasons that I like my company so much is that it allows for a balanced work life. I work 40 - 45 hours. The employee who works the longest might log 50 during a busy week. That seems rare for a financial company. Since it is the norm here my compensation does not suffer from lack of face time.
boutros is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 02:40 PM   #9
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: May 2005
Posts: 17,194
Re: Extreme Workers

With the commute, I fall into the 50 to 60....

But, when I was young and at a big 8 accounting firm, it was not unusual to put in 80 to 100 chargeable hours a week PLUS the 10 or so hours of cummute... that is why I left..
Texas Proud is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 03:36 PM   #10
Moderator Emeritus
Nords's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Oahu
Posts: 26,855
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by tryan
Here's the skinny on the latest extreme worker ....
'
Where the $%^& were these people when I was trying to write a submarine duty watchbill?
__________________
*

Co-author (with my daughter) of “Raising Your Money-Savvy Family For Next Generation Financial Independence.”
Author of the book written on E-R.org: "The Military Guide to Financial Independence and Retirement."

I don't spend much time here— please send a PM.
Nords is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 06:54 PM   #11
Recycles dryer sheets
Arc's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 372
Re: Extreme Workers

Adding the commute hurt me - 10 hours a week minimum in the car. Using tapes and CDs, I've learned a ton in my 400-500 of annual commuting time.

I'm just grateful you didn't inlcude time spent on work e-mail from home. I would have cried.
Arc is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-12-2006, 07:25 PM   #12
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Leonidas's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Where the stars at night are big and bright
Posts: 2,847
Re: Extreme Workers

Didn't have much of a commute. Work day usually started at 10 (our motto was "we fight crime, not traffic"), and the drive to the office was about twenty minutes at that time of the day. Of course, the work day might not end for three or four days, but most times I was home around 0200-0300. Averaged 75 + hours a week for 10 years, and a "light" week was 60 hours.
__________________
There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is having lots to do and not doing it. - Andrew Jackson
Leonidas is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 06:21 AM   #13
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 117
Re: Extreme Workers

I think we should make it our duty to ask those extreme workers:

"What do you *DO* all day?!?"
slepyhed is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 06:23 AM   #14
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,085
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by slepyhed
I think we should make it our duty to ask those extreme workers:

"What do you *DO* all day?!?"
Build extremely detailed spreadsheets to understand how companies generate cash and guess at how much they will generate in the future.
__________________
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

- George Orwell

Ezekiel 23:20
brewer12345 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 08:31 AM   #15
Full time employment: Posting here.
My Dream's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Ontario, Canada
Posts: 837
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by slepyhed
I think we should make it our duty to ask those extreme workers:

"What do you *DO* all day?!?"
Well I'll tell ya, I was self employed and if I didn't work I didn't get paid. First rule of thumb for me was, never let the competition in ( as well as know the comp.).
When it got to busy for me to handle, I tried hiring through newpaper, word of mouth, placement & employment agencies, etc. I didn't have a lot of people to chose from so I picked the most qualified. Bottom line I tried my best to train but let them all go. Let it be know that my best employee was my wife, although she couldn't take the pressure or work load (construction industry). I put in as many hours as need to get the job done. It took such a toll on me and my family but at least now I'm retired.

__________________
Newbie
My Dream is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 09:16 AM   #16
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
retire@40's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,670
Re: Extreme Workers

When I was at my busiest, I never had time to figure out how many hours I was working.

I would put in 12 to 16 hour days, 7 days a week for a long stretch. My life felt like one continuous day. The only good feeling I had is that I was busting my hump for myself, not for an ungrateful company. And I got to keep 100% of the profits, making myself rich.

Made lots of money and saved lots of it, mostly because I didn't have time to spend it.

PRO: Almost no stress now. Put me well ahead of most people in terms of wealth and has allowed me to semi-retire and enjoy the next few decades while I'm still young. More QUALITY time with family and friends, expansion of hobbies, more time to exercise.

CON: Sucked up lots of my young life and caused me to burn out early. Maybe even shaved off a few years from my life (unless stress damage is reversable).

No regrets though.
__________________
No man is free who is not master of himself. --- Epictetus
Enjoy Yourself (It's Later Than You Think). --- Guy Lombardo
retire@40 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 06:14 PM   #17
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
martyb's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Bossier City
Posts: 2,183
Re: Extreme Workers

Normally 40 hrs per week, and 1 weekend per month at 18 hours for the typical weekend. My commute time each way is <20 minutes.
__________________
“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.”
-John F. Kennedy

“Hard work never killed anybody, but why take a chance?” - Edgar Bergen
martyb is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-13-2006, 07:25 PM   #18
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,505
Re: Extreme Workers

No wonder why so many of you want to quit ASAP.

Counting leave and federal holidays, mine comes out to 35.5hrs/week average.
azanon is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-14-2006, 05:55 AM   #19
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso)
Give me a forum ...
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 18,085
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by Azanon
No wonder why so many of you want to quit ASAP.

Counting leave and federal holidays, mine comes out to 35.5hrs/week average.
Must leave you lots of time to stare in the mirror, spout bullshit, and cheat on your wife.
__________________
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."

- George Orwell

Ezekiel 23:20
brewer12345 is offline   Reply With Quote
Re: Extreme Workers
Old 12-14-2006, 07:43 AM   #20
Recycles dryer sheets
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 117
Re: Extreme Workers

Quote:
Originally Posted by My Dream
Well I'll tell ya, I was self employed and if I didn't work I didn't get paid. First rule of thumb for me was, never let the competition in ( as well as know the comp.).
When it got to busy for me to handle, I tried hiring through newpaper, word of mouth, placement & employment agencies, etc. I didn't have a lot of people to chose from so I picked the most qualified. Bottom line I tried my best to train but let them all go. Let it be know that my best employee was my wife, although she couldn't take the pressure or work load (construction industry). I put in as many hours as need to get the job done. It took such a toll on me and my family but at least now I'm retired.
Yes, you were busy and worked long hours. But what were you *doing* during those hours?

Brewer said he's making spreadsheets. This I can understand because I make spreadsheets, but I guess not nearly as many.

I've looked into being self-employed, and its always the same thing: You'll work around the clock. But doing what? That's the mystery...
slepyhed is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Extreme saving followed by extreme ER Sam Other topics 32 10-07-2010 08:38 AM
Extreme ER "Whaddya DO all day?!?" Nords Other topics 0 01-14-2007 11:49 AM
42% of workers working on Labor Day Kronk Other topics 10 09-03-2005 11:15 AM
Young Workers Not Saving Article Mountain_Mike FIRE and Money 59 07-12-2005 12:02 PM

» Quick Links

 
All times are GMT -6. The time now is 10:56 PM.
 
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.