MPs reckon they work on average 85 hours a week when Parliament is sitting. How much of that time is spent snoozing in the Chamber or out on boozy lunches I'm not sure (it did include travel/commuting time). Of course my ears pricked up on hearing this
They're voting on how much of a pay rise they're going to reward themselves and obviously feel that they deserve a big pay rise because they work such long hours.
Apart from rushing up to the House of Commons and offering them all time management courses ... can you really have a life when you're working an average 80 hours a week? That's 16 hours a day, so not a lot of time for eating, sleeping and socialising.
We're renowned for working longer hours in the UK than our counterparts in Europe. As many people here run their own business - do you work longer hours than you would if you were working for someone else because it's your own business or are you happy with the hours you're working. You chose your hours, you have the lifestyle you want and have plenty of time for family, friends and to enjoy the rest of your life? Many people who run their own businesses feel that in order to make a success of the business they have to put in long hours in order to make it work.
Even in the corporate world there's an unwritten expectation that if you're only working 9-5, you're not working hard enough. Eyebrows are raised or tutting occurs if you attempt to leave 'on-time'. The threat of job cuts and redundancy means that if you can give the impression that you're working really hard (because obviously if you have to come in at 7.30am and leave at 7.30 every day - you must be) then you'll be so indispensable your name won't be on the list should the worst happen. Say yes to everything the boss throws at you - of course you can handle it - you'll just stay a couple of hours longer. It doesn't have to be this way - unless of course you enjoy working 60-80 hours a week (does that include weekends?).
Learning to say No - whether to the boss or to yourself (the boss) is one way to start cutting back.
Plan your time - appropriately and effectively.
Obvious - but how many of us actually do it or are you just reacting to things as they come in - dealing with them on a first come first saved basis or whoever or whatever shouts the loudest?
Get control of your time and you can reduce your hours.
Time management solutions for busy people - organise your business, your life and have fun.
4 comments:
I don't work massively long hours at the business, but that's just because I have children.
I feel fairly certain that I'd happily work about 50 hours a week on the business alone if I only had the opportunity. That's because I enjoy my work and enjoy developing my business and want to spend as much time at that as I can.
However I don't think I'd let myself go beyond that...it would probably be detrimental to obsess about one solitary thing like this.
I'd prefer to have a more rounded life with lots of different interests rather than just one that overtakes everything else.
sorry for my ignorance, what is MPs, the blog is cool, i subscribed to it
Good point Anne - they're Members of Parliament here in the UK
MPs should be made to do a 48 hour working week like the rest of us.
Mums should also only have to work 48 hours a week ;-)
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