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Poll: Overall, do you work more or fewer hours than friends and family with 9-5 jobs?
Thread poster: ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
ProZ.com Staff
SITE STAFF
Nov 23, 2018

This forum topic is for the discussion of the poll question "Overall, do you work more or fewer hours than friends and family with 9-5 jobs?".

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Ashiqur Nishat
KIDANE ZIGTA
 
neilmac
neilmac
Spain
Local time: 23:27
Spanish to English
+ ...
Other Nov 23, 2018

I actually voted "more or less the same", but it's possible that I do work more hours. The thing is, most of the people I know in so-called "9-5 jobs" aren't usually interested in doing more work outside of their normal working hours. However, I enjoy my job and actually prefer translating to other activities that other people might consider leisure pursuits. Somebody who works from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday will value their weekends as their own time. However, I like being able to, for example, g... See more
I actually voted "more or less the same", but it's possible that I do work more hours. The thing is, most of the people I know in so-called "9-5 jobs" aren't usually interested in doing more work outside of their normal working hours. However, I enjoy my job and actually prefer translating to other activities that other people might consider leisure pursuits. Somebody who works from 9 to 5 Monday to Friday will value their weekends as their own time. However, I like being able to, for example, go shopping during the week, when the stores are quieter. And I don't mind working weekends unless there is something special going on that I would rather be doing... which doesn't happen to me often, at least not in winter.Collapse


Mr.Q
Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Ashiqur Nishat
Ricki Farn
Mariana Borio
Gibril Koroma
Vi Pukite
 
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida
Maria Teresa Borges de Almeida  Identity Verified
Portugal
Local time: 22:27
Member (2007)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
I'm not sure Nov 23, 2018

Most of my family and friends don’t work 9 to 5: they are either small business owners, liberal professionals or… happily retired.

Yetta Jensen Bogarde
Panna Kakuszi
 
Mr.Q
Mr.Q  Identity Verified
Netherlands
Local time: 23:27
French to English
+ ...
9-5: only for Dolly Parton? Nov 23, 2018

Few of the people I know in a 'graduate job' actually stop working at 5 p.m.

Most of them have targets and their employers don't mind how they reach them.

Last year a friend worked from 8:30 to 6:00 a.m. the following day to ensure a project was completed on time.

She'd like to rename the company Burn Out inc.


 
Ricki Farn
Ricki Farn
Germany
Local time: 23:27
English to German
I have no idea Nov 23, 2018

One of my reasons for going freelance is that I didn't feel like tracking my time any more.

As I have already mentioned elsewhere, I'm a pre-industrialised personality. I get up when I'm done sleeping, I go to bed when I'm tired, and I work when there is work to do. And I certainly wouldn't want to measure how often I get up to open the door to the parcel man, say hello to the squirrels and robins, or goof off on the internet.

I like to claim that if I managed to track
... See more
One of my reasons for going freelance is that I didn't feel like tracking my time any more.

As I have already mentioned elsewhere, I'm a pre-industrialised personality. I get up when I'm done sleeping, I go to bed when I'm tired, and I work when there is work to do. And I certainly wouldn't want to measure how often I get up to open the door to the parcel man, say hello to the squirrels and robins, or goof off on the internet.

I like to claim that if I managed to track my actual working time, it would be roughly an FTE, but I have pulled this number entirely out of thin air.
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Mariana Borio
 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 23:27
Member (2006)
German to English
Much more Nov 23, 2018

And I am not really bothered because I have a lot meore freedom than them.
Not only that, in 5 years our flat will be paid off and then I can start heading for retirement☺


Mariana Borio
Mario Freitas
KIDANE ZIGTA
 
Christopher Schröder
Christopher Schröder
United Kingdom
Member (2011)
Swedish to English
+ ...
Way fewer, isn't that the point? Nov 23, 2018

Michael Harris wrote:
Much more ... And I am not really bothered because I have a lot more freedom than them.

Discuss...


 
DZiW (X)
DZiW (X)
Ukraine
English to Russian
+ ...
translation + researching + biz = m or e Nov 23, 2018

It's really when people mistakenly take "irregular working hours" for "free/flexible working hours"

 
Michael Harris
Michael Harris  Identity Verified
Germany
Local time: 23:27
Member (2006)
German to English
Hi Chris Nov 23, 2018

Chris S wrote:

Michael Harris wrote:
Much more ... And I am not really bothered because I have a lot more freedom than them.

Discuss...


Nope, not until my flat is paid off. When that is done than I will be cutting my hours down to 40% and enjoying life. Like I said, its only a few more years and I am still quite young.
But the costs of living over here in Germany are going up as well. But I am definately not overdoing it though.


Christopher Schröder
Mario Freitas
 
Gibril Koroma
Gibril Koroma  Identity Verified
Canada
Local time: 18:27
French to English
+ ...
More Nov 23, 2018

I certainly work more than my friends in 9-5 jobs but I enjoy what I do. When there is work to do.

[Edited at 2018-11-23 14:55 GMT]


 
Anton Konashenok
Anton Konashenok  Identity Verified
Czech Republic
Local time: 23:27
French to English
+ ...
Less and more Nov 23, 2018

I have two different freelance careers and the third one is a low-priority business undertaking. Each of them takes significantly less than 9-to-5, but all the three together amount to significantly more than that.

 
Mario Freitas
Mario Freitas  Identity Verified
Brazil
Local time: 19:27
Member (2014)
English to Portuguese
+ ...
More, no doubt Nov 23, 2018

In terms of working hours, there is no doubt I work a lot more than anyone who has regular working hours.
However, in all other aspects (I mean ALL), it's incredibly better not to have regular working hours. The number of hours worked is the least to be considered against all other huge advantages.


 
Jennifer Forbes
Jennifer Forbes  Identity Verified
Local time: 22:27
French to English
+ ...
In memoriam
Travel time Nov 23, 2018

When assessing the number of hours "worked" per week, month, etc. by people with 9 to 5 jobs, it's important to remember the time the worker spends travelling to and from work, the cost of train and bus tickets and how tiring, stressful and even sometimes dangerous rush-hour travel can be.
As most freelance translators probably work from their own office at home, they do not have to spend time, money and energy travelling to and from work. It could therefore seem that they "work" fewer hou
... See more
When assessing the number of hours "worked" per week, month, etc. by people with 9 to 5 jobs, it's important to remember the time the worker spends travelling to and from work, the cost of train and bus tickets and how tiring, stressful and even sometimes dangerous rush-hour travel can be.
As most freelance translators probably work from their own office at home, they do not have to spend time, money and energy travelling to and from work. It could therefore seem that they "work" fewer hours.
For me, not having to commute to work is one of the many great advantages of freelancing from home.
Collapse


Michele Fauble
Michael Harris
Ricki Farn
Davide Leone
Rachel Shaw
 
Gianluca Marras
Gianluca Marras  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 23:27
English to Italian
more Nov 23, 2018

Definitely more

 
Vanda Nissen
Vanda Nissen  Identity Verified
Australia
Local time: 08:27
Member (2008)
English to Russian
+ ...
More Nov 23, 2018

I think, generally, small business owners like us, translators and interpreters, work more, and we also work more intensively. Corporate and public employees at least in Australia have numerous coffee breaks, chats etc.

 
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Poll: Overall, do you work more or fewer hours than friends and family with 9-5 jobs?






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