What is the definition of 40 hours per week?

[MitchT]

Does 40 hours per week typically mean 40 hours of actual work per week, i.e., you're in the office for 45 hours per week if you take an hour for lunch each day, or 40 hours per week in the office with your lunch breaks counting as part of those hours?

What's the general consensus on this?

[Scrump]

40 hours of work. Lunch breaks not included.

[edc]

It should be in your contract. Lunch breaks and sometimes even tea breaks may be specified as unpaid.

[MitchT]

edc said:

It should be in your contract.

I wasn't meaning in my current employment - I know what's what with that. I'm just looking around at jobs and was wondering what the broad consensus is on this.

[Superleg48]

I would suggest that a job advertised at 40 hours per week is 40 paid hours. Typically this would exclude lunch breaks, possibly tea breaks, but not necessarily.

Also, just saying 40 hours per week, could mean shift work.

Need more info.

[Alex Z]

Hours worked, usually excluding lunch but including shorter breaks throughout the day.

[AndyAudi]

Our guys worked 40hrs week

07:45 -16:45 with an hour for breaks

[MitchT]

Cheers guys - looks like I've got a unanimous view there.

[Evoluzione]

Daft question to ask on here where it's typically 10 hrs of work and 30 spent posting shyte on PH on how to paint your garage or whatever.

[MitchT]

Evoluzione said:

Daft question to ask on here where it's typically 10 hrs of work and 30 spent posting shyte on PH on how to paint your garage or whatever.

Well, yes!

[Saleen836]

Evoluzione said:

Daft question to ask on here where it's typically 10 hrs of work and 30 spent posting shyte on PH on how to paint your garage or whatever.

5 hours of work, 30 spent posting shyte on PH and 5 hours taking fag breaks (if you are a smoker of course)

[klan8456]

In my experience 40 typically actually means 70 - 80

[Jockman]

I think it means the hours you will be paid but not necessarily the hours you will be in work.

[Countdown]

klan8456 said:

In my experience 40 typically actually means 70 - 80

You're lucky. It's rare that I do less than 120.

[echazfraz]

Countdown said:

klan8456 said:

In my experience 40 typically actually means 70 - 80

You're lucky. It's rare that I do less than 120.

120? You don't know you're born.

I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing 'Hallelujah.'

[crofty1984]

Saleen836 said:

Evoluzione said:

Daft question to ask on here where it's typically 10 hrs of work and 30 spent posting shyte on PH on how to paint your garage or whatever.

5 hours of work, 30 spent posting shyte on PH and 5 hours taking fag breaks (if you are a smoker of course)

Smoking is stupid.
It cuts into your posting st on PH time.

[Oakey]

Evoluzione said:

Daft question to ask on here where it's typically 10 hrs of work and 30 spent posting shyte on PH on how to paint your garage or whatever.

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.

[deckster]

Oakey said:

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.

Jesus. Slow down, you're making the rest of us look bad.

[Evoluzione]

It does make me wonder how much production has suffered since the advent of mobile phones and the internet.

[valiant]

echazfraz said:

Countdown said:

klan8456 said:

In my experience 40 typically actually means 70 - 80

You're lucky. It's rare that I do less than 120.

120? You don't know you're born.

I had to get up in the morning at ten o'clock at night, half an hour before I went to bed, drink a cup of sulphuric acid, work twenty-nine hours a day down mill, and pay mill owner for permission to come to work, and when we got home, our Dad and our mother would kill us, and dance about on our graves singing 'Hallelujah.'

You were allowed cups?

fking luxury!

Had to drink our acid straight from the tap and pay for the privilege.