What constitutes "reasonable" overtime?

D9Male

I am a Director of a multinational financial service company. I have worked in senior roles in investment banking, a US multinational conglomerate and financial services consulting for a Big 4.

Life is too short to be working hard at the expense of spending time with your loved ones, reading a book or going for a walk. We all have work to do, but it's more important to have fun.

Enter name here

D9Male wrote: »

I am a Director of a multinational financial service company. I have worked in senior roles in investment banking, a US multinational conglomerate and financial services consulting for a Big 4.

Life is too short to be working hard at the expense of spending time with your loved ones, reading a book or going for a walk. We all have work to do, but it's more important to have fun.

And you've done all this working 7.5 hrs a day, without checking emails or taking teleconferences after hours all while working in an international market with varying time zones.

D9Male

Of course not. For instance, I worked late this evening. But overtime is an exception. And only if there's no other choice. Most things can wait until tomorrow.

Kids in the office brag about how hard they work. It is soul destroying to listen to, and creeping into our culture more and more the past few years.

There are extremes of working cultures. I am way more inclined to work at work and leave it there where possible.

lapua20grain

I work as a senior manager in my company my direct report is the MD and his expectations are that you don't bring work home with you, the office closes at 5 and he leaves about 5 past 5. This bull shyte saying that you must work 12 hours a day is wrong believe me I've done it and you get fcuk all kudos for it. Work life balance is key, remember if you were to die tomorrow they replace you in a heartbeat so don't flog yourself to death for a company that will take everything you give and spit you out the other side.

irishgrover

I'm a reasonably senior manner and get paid reasonably well.
I work between 5 and 15 hours overtime a week regularly, sometimes more and I also travel a fair bit.
I work OT because I got into a bad habit when I young and ambitious. It is poor self management that I still do it. Although to be honest, realistically I don't consider anything less than 45 hours a week to really be overtime.
Would I be as senior and well paid if I had not gotten into that habit? Not sure to be honest, possibly not.
Would I be skinner and healthier and possibly happier if I did not spend so much time in an office or traveling. I strongly suspect I would.
Work/life balance is very much down to the individual and driven by personal wants and needs.
I would advise that people are at least self aware of how much they work and the potential impact, both good and bad....

Jamaican Me Crazy

Additional responsibilities and therefore work hours often seem to accompany middle / senior management positions.
I read the OP and I thought ‘8 - 12 hours OT, big deal’ and I actually hate that I’m like that now.

I work Mon - Fri 9 - 5.30 in theory. I had 1 day of annual leave this week and I have already worked 6 hours of unpaid OT in the 2 days I have been at work. We have deadlines and that’s just the way it is. I do try to keep some balance and on quieter weeks I make sure to finish on time so maybe the
OP could discuss that with his partner.

I would also say I have improved massively since the start of this year. The big changes I made was stopping monitoring work emails when I was at home and I very rarely bring my laptop home. At least I know my time at home is quality.