The pay is good and I can walk to work. - John F. Kennedy



Have you ever thought about how much you work in a year?

If I work 40 hours per week, year round, I’m working 2080 hours per year. We’ll subtract 240 hours per year for holidays and vacation and that leaves only 1,840 hours per year working. I have a graph that shows the U.S. average at 1,770, so that’s pretty close.

I’m alive 8,760 hours per year. That means I work roughly 21% of the time I’m alive.

If I sleep six hours per day I’m awake 6,570 hours a year. That means I work roughly 28% of the time I’m awake.



That’s not terrible, considering what I do at work is funding everything my family does and everything I do outside of work, which is no small task. I have a short commute, a larger office and for the most part really like my compadres in arms.

According to some shotgun web searches, workweek lengths vary according to what country you call home. Workweeks in the U.S. are about 40 hours. If you don’t like to work so much, try the Netherlands as they average about 25 hours per week. Korea is the slave driver at 46 hours per week.

There’s an argument out there that reduced work hours per week actually improve productivity and also promote more leisure time which is supposed to translate into more consumerism. I’d like to put my signature on that petition, please.



Also, I’m not digging ditches and I’m employed. Considering 15 million or so wage-earners in the U.S. are currently without a job, I’m fortunate. I’m beyond fortunate.

So, why do I sometimes fantasize my way into other careers? I don’t consider myself a big wanderlust type of guy. But as I’ve said, I’m not used to having a career for longer than 7 years.

Is it possible to have a 7-year itch in regards to your job? I’m itch-free after 15 years with my love, so it just doesn’t seem to be in my nature. And yet, and yet, and yet… ado, ado, ado…

Is this Much Ado about Nothing? Probably.

Maybe.



I do an Amazon Books search for “changing careers” and I get 8,693 hits, as high as #17 on their top sellers.

There’s a site called The Conference Board with a study of 5,000 U.S. Households showing only 45% of Americans are happy with their job, which is down from 61% in 1987.

So I’m not alone.

So what?

Am I not alone in whining?

Shut up SLC and go to work. You’re lucky you have what you do. Others would cut off pinkie toes for the gig.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, I believe the dwarves had it right.

Cheers,

SLC

Comments

  1. wendysito17/2/10 06:33

    I think you think too much. :) (I know, I'm one to talk... hush!)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Casey Freeland17/2/10 06:57

    I think you're right. (And I won' tell....)

    ReplyDelete
  3. ♥ Braja17/2/10 07:32

    Yep, too much thinkin' :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. CiCi17/2/10 09:14

    It's in the air in California! Smile.
    The last job I had in CA before we came here to NE was longer hours than I wanted to work but they would not change the way they had it set up. We worked 9 to 10 hours each day and lots of Saturdays. Way too much work and people got burned out. Which cut into the actual production. There was quite a turn around in employees there too. Sounds like you have a job you don't have to work hard to keep or not interesting enough?? Hey, the book Dalia's Fire is on top of my list of books to start when I finish the one I am reading now. Yay!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Casey Freeland17/2/10 12:41

    I wish TB. I have to work extremely hard, it's very stressful and I have a ton on my shoulders. I often go in to work at 6 or 6:30, so 10 hour days are not uncommon. It is interesting, but very negative right now as an industry. High Burn Out factor, like you said.

    I'm so glad you are reading D.F. Very curious to hear what you think.

    Cheers,

    SLC

    ReplyDelete
  6. Joanna Jenkins17/2/10 21:58

    A seven year itch for a career, hum.... I have no idea what else I would/could do. I'll be thinking about that one for a while.

    Other than owning my own business, I've never worked for the same company for more then 6 1/2 years. I have friends who have spent the last 30 years at the one and only company they've ever worked for. THAT is something I could never imagine doing.

    Hang in the there, the weekend is almost here.

    jj

    ReplyDelete
  7. Casey Freeland18/2/10 05:35

    Hey Joanna. Your comment is great. You wonder about a 7 year itch and then go on to say you've never worked for the same company for more than 6 1/2 years. hardy har. I think you just proved it. Yeah 30 years is a long time. That could be the majority of your working life. But many folks are cool with that.

    Thanks for reading.

    Cheers,

    SLC

    ReplyDelete
  8. Unknown19/2/10 05:26

    Ha ha ha. You whine a lot and got too much time in your hands :)

    Yes, be happy with what we have. I am thankful that I got the job that I always want, although sometimes I pondered what the hell am I doing, screwing up the innocent minds of children :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Casey Freeland19/2/10 06:55

    I do whine. I do. I should change my blog name to

    Whining Tones on Angst-Covered Smarmy Scripts.

    Hey, that was pretty good off the cuff.

    I'm sure by the time you get them they aren't all that innocent. Not like they're 10 or anything. Hardy Har.

    Cheers,

    SLC

    ReplyDelete
  10. Mervat19/2/10 14:41

    I say your thinking too much too...however, too much thinking landed me in a position where I can work from home and be there for my family (Disclaimer: Darling husband who works fulltime; Downside: miss my work colleagues, miss talking face-to-face with people and miss a regular routine and a good cafe coffee!). So, stop thinking!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Mervat19/2/10 14:44

    That should be 'you're'...see what a change in career will do to you?!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Casey Freeland19/2/10 17:29

    Stop thinking... got it.... um... what were we talking about? Hey it's working, thanks!

    Cheers,

    SLC

    ReplyDelete
  13. Mike13/3/10 15:38

    Whoever told you the average workweek in The Netherlands is 25 hours is nuts.

    25 hours is part-time here and I can't name a single person in my network that works part-time. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Casey Freeland13/3/10 18:26

    Sorry Mike. Meant no offense. :) I think I got it here off Wikipedia.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_time

    Certainly doesn't make it true, but that's where it came from I believe.

    Gross generalization, of course as are most statistics.

    Cheers,

    SLC

    ReplyDelete

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