@roethlisburger There is a lot of variance with the factors you note. Some people have much longer commutes than others. Depending on the job, you can also get work done during commutes. That will vary by job and location. Don’t want to review docs necessarily on NYC or Chicago trains during rush hour but not an issue at all around where I live. You can also make work calls while driving. Cooking and eating? We typically had lunch brought in and ordered carry out for dinner so we didn’t cook. And time needed to eat was less than 30 mins combined. Showering and getting dressed is 20 mins. I can’t sleep 7-8 hours. Ever. Function totally fine on 3-5. 6 is max.
Issue with saying x hours is a max is people and jobs are different. I know a lot of people who need downtime (to just decompress before they can really do anything with family, household tasks, etc) when they work more than 4 hours in a day. Working more than 40-50 hours a week will be huge challenge for them and the likely will lose productivity. But not everyone is like that. Helps if you enjoy your job. Not everyone does. As the saying goes, do what you like and you will never work a day in your life. Or something like that.
@my3girls Given that your post implies that I am lying about the hours I work, I have to respond. I haven’t and don’t. Have to keep track of time in 0.1 hour increments (was easier as an accountant as we kept them in 1/4 hour increments and I think they may now have gone to full hour increments). Subject to sanctions, fines and loss of meal ticket. Not worth it. Are there people who do? Sure. You can read about them in state supreme court discipline reports (back in the day when paper reporters went out weekly, we used to read them to see what people were willing to do that caused them to lose their ticket). If someone has a salaried job and has to report hours internally, I can understand instances of overreporting time worked.
@yucca10 Its great when different people make different choices about high school and college. I am not so happy when choices some people make (you know those smart, talented, well rounded kids getting into “elite” schools) become expectations for everyone else. This works both ways.
Different companies/industries operate differently. There are posts here with employers who operate differently. Doesn’t mean all will. As I tell our associates, if you think we are paying you the salary we are (and our clients are paying our hourly rates) for you to work 9-5 with a full hour for lunch everyday, no weekends and an expectation you will respond whenever it works for you, you are wrong and won’t last long. A lot of people don’t. And given pyramid structures of staffing at firms, attrition is fine (and actually necessary). Not all jobs are for everyone. There are a lot of different ones out there so that works too.