Working crazy hours worth it?
- Thread starter R.D.P.
- Start date
I'm a railroad conductor and I average about 90 hours a week. They're tough hours working outside in the elements doing physical work.
I just got bumped off a regular job back onto the spare board which means my hours now are unpredictable. One day I can be working days and the very next I can be working nights so you're constantly dealing with sleep deprivation.
I don't have kids but I never see my wife and I have no social life. Can't randomly hang with friends or have a bunch of beers. The money is great, the benefits are ok and I get a pension after 30 years but it's still a huge sacrifice. Tons of money for car parts but no time to drive the car lol.
With all that being said I love the work and I love my job. I do have a couple of college degrees but being outside, mobile and doing physical work is fulfilling. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
I just got bumped off a regular job back onto the spare board which means my hours now are unpredictable. One day I can be working days and the very next I can be working nights so you're constantly dealing with sleep deprivation.
I don't have kids but I never see my wife and I have no social life. Can't randomly hang with friends or have a bunch of beers. The money is great, the benefits are ok and I get a pension after 30 years but it's still a huge sacrifice. Tons of money for car parts but no time to drive the car lol.
With all that being said I love the work and I love my job. I do have a couple of college degrees but being outside, mobile and doing physical work is fulfilling. My only regret is not doing it sooner.
Let's see in the month of october I'll work roughly 350 hours because I'm training people. Im single so I figure why not?
My regular schedule is I only work 12 days a month.
I'd say working crazy hours is worth it IF there is a break after. Working 7 days a week every week for a year? No way. Work 7 here... 10 there.. Sure
My regular schedule is I only work 12 days a month.
I'd say working crazy hours is worth it IF there is a break after. Working 7 days a week every week for a year? No way. Work 7 here... 10 there.. Sure
I commented that I prefer a quality life at home outside of work. But I do work OT when I have nothing going and I only work my 6th and 7th day. I worked a total of 16 hours of double time and 44 hours of time and half so far this year, haha. Outside of OT I do go to school full time and I do get paid by the GI Bill to attend school and I treat that as OT money. The amount of hours I spend in class and doing homework is minimal about 12-15 hours a week which is nothing.
I hate my life right now. Two weeks and I'm done. I don't care how much extra I'm making.
I was always told why give up the opportunity to make 1 1/2 times what you make at any other time during the week doing the same thing.
I always enjoy the guys that say you work over time but you don't make anymore money....lol. :nonono:
I work around 50-55 hours a week right now which is perfect. However I just got an interview with a large company in the oil industry for refinery operations, and I've been told I have about a 75% of being hired as long as I don't screw up the interview. I'll be working a lot of hours, but with the pay and benefits it will be worth it. I'll make $100k my first year. Right now I make about $80k, but pure commission which can be very stressful, and I have no retirement benefits at all, not even 401(k) matching. My brother works where I am trying to work and even with his long hours and shift work, he seems to have more time to do things than me.
So I guess it depends on how the hours are spread out. Right now, the hours I work aren't crazy but I work 6 days a week and haven't had a friday or saturday off in 6+ years, which sucks. Yes, I've taken vacations, but I only get 10 paid vacation days each year with no rollover. And if I decide to take a saturday off, it can cost me a grand or more due to how busy we are on the weekend. Not to mention I firmly believe that in 20 years, commissioned salespeople at dealerships will be a thing of the past, and will be replaced by a bunch of kids making 10 bucks an hour. In that 20 years if I decide to retire, I would probably have to make $200k a year to save up as much money as a $100k a year job with a pension/401(k) matching/great health insurance benefits. Not gonna happen.
So basically, long hours + good pay + good retirement are worth it IMO.
So I guess it depends on how the hours are spread out. Right now, the hours I work aren't crazy but I work 6 days a week and haven't had a friday or saturday off in 6+ years, which sucks. Yes, I've taken vacations, but I only get 10 paid vacation days each year with no rollover. And if I decide to take a saturday off, it can cost me a grand or more due to how busy we are on the weekend. Not to mention I firmly believe that in 20 years, commissioned salespeople at dealerships will be a thing of the past, and will be replaced by a bunch of kids making 10 bucks an hour. In that 20 years if I decide to retire, I would probably have to make $200k a year to save up as much money as a $100k a year job with a pension/401(k) matching/great health insurance benefits. Not gonna happen.
So basically, long hours + good pay + good retirement are worth it IMO.
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I just left a chemical plant job last month to go back to my Air Force squadron, only took me 3 days to realize working way more hours for close to the same pay sucks. My military job is pretty damn awesome and 36 hour work weeks are great for home life. Not to mention 30 days vacation a year and free healthcare! My opinion is that I value time at home with the wife and (future) children over making a few extra bucks.
No offense man but I would hope you're better off than most of your friends haha.
Anyone making over $25 an hour would pull 6 figures off working 65 hours a week.
It also sounds like you're better off because you're working 7 days a week and have no time for fun stuff haha.
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Depends on what you're getting paid.
I'd say yes it is usually worth it as long as you still find time to enjoy what you're earning.
I'd say yes it is usually worth it as long as you still find time to enjoy what you're earning.
Spent 40 hours since Friday 6:30 AM staring at my laptop. I feel like dying but I'll quickly forget that once the check shows up.
A few years ago when I lived in Cleveland I worked 16 hour shifts mon-sat and 10 hours on sunday. Got paid over time after 40hrs and double time on sundays, I did those hours for 111 days straight.
I made a ton of money and paid off all my debt in 3 months.
I made a ton of money and paid off all my debt in 3 months.
I did it, I'm out. Back to the normal grind. I'm going to feel like I don't even have a job. They tried to hint that they would be open to me doing more of this crazy schedule, but I'm done with it, at least for this go round. Might do a stint again next fall if the same scenario plays out.
Just a piece of advice keep in mind that when you start doing things like working that schedule. Some folks you work for may start to see no problem making things like that a mandatory part of your job. I've been down that road a few times it sucks and I walked away from jobs because of it. Making some extra money every once in awhile is great. Helping out when things are in a tight spot is a great thing to do as well. But sometimes it gets taken for granted you are always open to it no matter what the situation.
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