How much work do you do at work?

[wellyes]

If you WOTH, how many time in a typical day do you spend on real, actual work?

I was thinking about the bit from Office Space:

Bob Slydell: You see, what we're actually trying to do here is, we're trying to get a feel for how people spend their day at work... so, if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?
Peter Gibbons : Yeah.
Bob Slydell : Great.
Peter Gibbons : Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh heh - and, uh, after that I just sorta space out for about an hour.
Bob Porter : Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons : Yeah, I just stare at my desk; but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch, too. I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.

It's funny because it's based in truth. My experience with cubicle-type jobs is that they are easily at least 50% goofing off.

I know that's probably not as true for jobs like teachers and physicians/nurses.

Just wondering what the experiences here are!

[crl]

I have this vague recollection that someone has done studies and most part-time employees do as much work as full time employees. I can believe it. How much I actually worked varied a lot over time, but there were definitely stretches where I did not work anywhere near 40 hours a week, though I was always completing all my assigned work, always there for the full forty hours and often had requested more work.

Catherine

[hellokitty]

This is one reason why I regret not majoring in something that would have ended up being a desk job. When I read about ppl who are on the internet while at work, I think, "must be nice."

[wellyes]

I was always completing all my assigned work, always there for the full forty hours and often had requested more work.

Oh, yup, I was assuming this was the case for most. Employees on good terms who'd be happy to have more to do. Just-- the way work assignments and projects and customers flow, a lot of people end up with a whole lot of downtime. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. The days go sloooooow when there is not enough work, for one thing.

[lizzywednesday]

Originally Posted by wellyes

Oh, yup, I was assuming this was the case for most. Employees on good terms who'd be happy to have more to do. Just-- the way work assignments and projects and customers flow, a lot of people end up with a whole lot of downtime. Which isn't necessarily a good thing. The days go sloooooow when there is not enough work, for one thing.

Can I get an "amen!"?

I find it difficult to stay focused when it's a "slow" period at my job and, yes, I admit to spacing out a fair amount of time, too.

But ... as long as I get my work done, nobody cares. It's when my performance suffers that I get burned! (And, yes, it's my own dang fault for letting goofing off take priority over actually working. Even if it's the 2 seconds it takes to click a stupid button.)

[happymom]

Originally Posted by wellyes

I know that's probably not as true for jobs like teachers and physicians/nurses.

As a teacher, I am ON one hundred percent of the time from the moment I arrive at school until I leave. There is abosultely no down time aside fromy lunch break (which I often spend on prep work anyways). Sometimes I think back to my old desk job (when I was in college) and remember fondly how I would arrive at work and take 15 minutes to check my email/voicemail while I had a coffee. Now, there are days when I arrive at work and am GREETED by a tantrumming child, or a child who threw up on the bus....

[♥ms.pacman♥]

wellyes i wonder the same thing. i know that in engineering (desk job mostly), there is a A LOT of goofing off, browsing the net, facebook, whatnot. my DH is always talking about this or that he read in NYTimes.

i can see how being a teacher or a nurse you get no breaks whatsoever, and you have to be "ON" 100% of the time. as a SAHM i do get breaks when my kids nap (at the same time, which sometimes doesn't happen for several days in a row), but that's about it...it always feels like "go-go-go-go!" from 9am to 9pm...it's exhausting! sometimes i can browse a bit on my phone when they are awake and playing on their own for a bit, but i never write posts then bc it's too hard to do on a phone with little ones around.

i am looking for FT work right now (in engineering), and i am looking forward to having 8 hours a day to sit and my desk, and pee and eat lunch when i want

[lizzywednesday]

Originally Posted by ♥ms.pacman♥

...

i am looking for FT work right now (in engineering), and i am looking forward to having 8 hours a day to sit and my desk, and pee and eat lunch when i want

Ms. P, I hear you!

I may grouse a good bit about the commute, but I find myself looking forward to my in-office days because I get to be with grown-ups!

[codex57]

It goes in cycles. Sometimes, a lot of down time. Sometimes, literally non-stop for way more than 8 hours in one day.

[hillview]

Originally Posted by codex57

It goes in cycles. Sometimes, a lot of down time. Sometimes, literally non-stop for way more than 8 hours in one day.

Some days/weeks I have time to run some errands or pick up the kids from school etc. Other days/weeks I am working 10 hours or more and traveling.