Is 40 hours a week too much to work?
If you consistently work more than 40 hours a week (or are the manager of employees that do), it's probably time for you to make a change. Overwhelming evidence suggests that work weeks of more than 40 hours are harmful not only to employees, but also to the company as a whole.
Working 40 hours a week has become common for many full-time employees, although different industries have their own standards and protocols that define a standard full-time schedule.
11) Not a healthy schedule.
According to a lot of researchers, 40-hours a week is unhealthy for workers. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that over 745,000 people died from stroke and other heart diseases due to working 55 hours a week.
- Start with your why. The question you have to ask yourself is: Is there anything in your life that you want more of? ...
- Find out where the time goes. ...
- Start each day with a plan. ...
- Do one thing at a time. ...
- Focus on your strengths. ...
- Track everything.
No, you aren't lazy. A 40 hour work week is 8 hours a day, 5 days a week-the standard. Lots of people work more hours than that mainly for financial reasons, but 40 hours is considered as having a full time job.
So if an employee makes $15 an hour working 40 hours a week, they make about $31,200 (15 multiplied by 2,080).
Ideal work hours per day and week
Those who felt like they had the least time overall worked 8.6 hours, whereas those who felt like they had the most time worked just one hour less, or 7.6 hours. So to not feel starved for time, aim for a 7.6 hour workday. That would equate to a 38-hour workweek.
Too much work can be damaging to your mental and physical health. You're more likely to suffer from adverse health problems, including neck, back, or chest pain, stroke, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and anxiety.
If you consistently work more than 40 hours a week (or are the manager of employees that do), it's probably time for you to make a change. Overwhelming evidence suggests that work weeks of more than 40 hours are harmful not only to employees, but also to the company as a whole.
But many of us are guilty of working long hours and not focusing on our health. So how much work is too much? A recent study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health.
What does working 40 hours a week look like?
What Does a 40-hour Work Week Look Like? While there can be variations in the time frames of a 40-hour week in days, the most common and classic full-time work schedule is the 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday, which works up to a 40-hour work week schedule.
The most popular work schedule for non-exempt employees is the Monday through Friday, nine-to-five schedule. This schedule delivers a standard 40-hour workweek for employees to accomplish tasks in a predictable manner. Employees who work this schedule are typically considered full-time.
1926: Henry Ford introduced 40-hour work weeks with five working days with no cut in wages after he discovered that working 48-hour work weeks yielded only a small increase in productivity that lasted a short period of time. This discovery inspired other manufacturing companies to adopt the 40-hour work week.
In giving yourself permission to be lazy, one day a week — this gives your brain and your body a chance to recover. Rest allows for a body in a catabolic state (state of breakdown due to too much stress) to switch over to an anabolic state (state of building up due to a reduction of stress).
Although most full-time employees commit to a 40 hour work week, due to the extra pressures of productivity and efficiency, many companies and individuals resort to an 80 hour work week.
Working 60 hours per week can give your budget a boost, helping you pay off expenses like loan payments, bills or credit cards. You can also stash your extra cash into a pension plan or savings account.
$50,000 per year is approximately $24.04 per hour, but it's not as simple as it may seem to convert annual salary to hourly pay.
Read: How to Build A Financial Plan From Zero
For most full-time jobs, that's 40 hours per week for 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours per year, if you don't take any time off. That means $20 an hour is $41,600 a year.
If we could, we'd realize that $15 an hour amounts to only $31,200 a year, assuming full-time work—about half of the U.S. median income and a painfully small amount for living and raising children in most American cities.” It can be painfully small outside of cities, too.
The typical healthy work week consists of 40 hours or less (A 38-hour week is optimal according to a study by time management expert Laura Vanderkam as relayed by Atlassian), a consistent schedule, and an array of workplace systems that set employees up for success.
How much does the average American work a week?
Key Takeaways. The average hours worked per week in the U.S. was 38.7 hours as of 2021. Men worked an average of 40.5 hours per week, while women worked 36.6 hours per week. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, 24% of workers worked from home, while 38% did some work from home in 2021.
U.S. monthly average working week of all employees 2021-2023
In April 2023, the average working week for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls in the United States was at 34.4 hours. This includes part-time workers. The data have been seasonally adjusted.
Major signs of overworking include having trouble relaxing and feeling like there's not enough time in the day to get everything done. Other telltale signs include never being able to complete a to-do list and seeing our health deteriorate, such as gaining or losing weight.
Making the decision to step away from a job is not always easy or feasible. But when your physical or emotional well-being is suffering and your stress isn't eased by the occasional mental health day, experts say it's generally best to start looking elsewhere.
Working 70-hour weeks can be challenging, but it's also a way for some people to achieve their financial and career goals. By learning strategies to coordinate your work and manage your priorities, you can make this schedule more sustainable and continue pursuing an ambitious career path.
Frequently Asked Questions. $40 an hour is how much a year? If you make $40 an hour, your yearly salary would be $83,200.
The traditional American business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, representing a workweek of five eight-hour days comprising 40 hours in total. These are the origin of the phrase 9-to-5, used to describe a conventional and possibly tedious job.
Working for 80+ hours could be considered an extreme sport, and, as such, you shouldn't do it every day. If you still have to do it from time to time, sticking to a strict routine and blocking your time will help you succeed. Friendly advice: Don't make working 80+ hours per week into a routine.
Overworking can actually be a sign of clinical depression, especially in men.
Burnout's Mental Health Impact
Similarly, overworking has been linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The WHO now considers depression the leading cause of disability.
How do I stop myself from overworking?
- Understand that overwork is not necessary for success.
- Be clear on your values.
- Reject hustle culture. Instead focus on deeper goals and your craft.
- Learn from role models.
- Ignore requests to overwork.
Therefore, some studies may determine that an optimal schedule would be from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, with a break around 1:00 pm for lunch.
$15 an hour multiplied by 8 hours per day is $120 per day income.
With a 4/10 work schedule, employees have three days off to look forward to each week. Because of this, employees will inevitably have more free time to unwind and reduce stress. This could also lead to increased productivity, as you may come to truly value the time you have during work.
Increased Employee Productivity: Of companies who have tried a four-day workweek, many noticed that the productivity and performance of their employees increased. Even though they're working the same number of hours, that extra day off each week gives them more time to rest and recharge.
The two most common are: 5-4/9 in which you work 8 9-hour days and 1 8-hour day in the pay period and get an extra day off. 4-10 in which you work 4 10-hour days each week of the pay period and have an extra day of each week.
Accountemps discovered that Monday and Tuesday are the two most productive days of the week for employees. Specifically, 39 percent of human resources managers think employees get the most done on Tuesdays, while 24 percent believe productivity peaks on Mondays.
Working 80 hours a week for a short period, or intermittently, may well aid you in reducing work time stress and pressure affecting your mental state by letting you get out in front of big projects or catch up quickly when you're behind the ball.
How many people work more than 40 hours a week? The average full-time employee works about 44 hours per week, according to a 2021 Gallup survey, which also found that roughly 41% of employees work 45 or more hours a week.
While working seven days a week can affect your mental health and long-term productivity, there are several ways to manage this type of work schedule. Understanding the various ways to do this can help you avoid burnout and may grant you greater job satisfaction.
Is it OK to be lazy once a week?
Having a lazy day gives your brain a break and your body a chance to recover. It also reduces stress which could help you make more productive in your non-lazy days. It is also an easy way to prevent burnout and being susceptible to chronic diseases. "If you don't pick a day to relax, your body will pick it for you.
The bottom line
Even though everyone has days when they feel exhausted, constantly feeling run down and tired isn't normal. Many possible factors cause chronic fatigue, such as underlying medical conditions, nutrient deficiencies, sleep disturbances, caffeine intake, and chronic stress.
Musk claims he regularly works 80 to 100-hour workweeks, with most of his skillset being focused on design and engineering work.
Whatever the reason, working 16 hours a day is achievable. But like a lot of other things in life, trying to do too much can have some negative consequences on both your physical and mental health. The good news is that there are some things that you can do to help get through those long and grueling days.
- Remember to Take Breaks. LeoPatrizi / Getty Images. ...
- Keep Up With Your Exercise Routine. T.T. / Getty Images. ...
- Make Time for Fun. ...
- Drink Plenty of Water. ...
- Limit Your Caffeine Intake. ...
- Avoid Working Seven Days a Week. ...
- Don't Overdo It With Junk Food. ...
- Get Enough Sleep.
WARNING SIGNS OF TOO MUCH OVERTIME
One of the first indicators of excessive overtime is your wage bill. If all or most of your employee's actual wages are consistently 30–45% higher than their salary, alarm bells should be going off – especially if it's every month.
- Keep your mental focus sharp. ...
- Streamline your workflow. ...
- Structure your day for maximum productivity. ...
- Take periodic breaks. ...
- Stick to a healthy diet. ...
- Get enough sleep. ...
- Reflect on the big picture. ...
- Set healthy work-life boundaries.
If you make $60 per hour, your Yearly salary would be $124,800. This result is obtained by multiplying your base salary by the amount of hours, week, and months you work in a year, assuming you work 40 hours a week.
The schedules that average 40 hours a week always use five 8-hour shifts per week or four 10-hour shifts per week.
Because of the accumulation of cerebral fatigue, working all this time is connected to lower results in both cognitive and intellectual tests. Being in the office for more than 8 hours a day is associated with poorer overall health an with a 40% higher risk of developing heart disease or stress related diseases.
How much is $12 an hour 40 hours a week?
40 hours x $12 = $480 per week.
So how much work is too much? A recent study by the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization shows that working more than 55 hours a week can have negative effects on your health.
Frequently Asked Questions. $40 an hour is how much a year? If you make $40 an hour, your yearly salary would be $83,200.
The traditional American business hours are 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, representing a workweek of five eight-hour days comprising 40 hours in total. These are the origin of the phrase 9-to-5, used to describe a conventional and possibly tedious job.
The 9-to-5 workday used to be standard for all employees, but that's quickly changing. Freelancing and self-employment are on the rise, and there's been a rapid shift toward remote work. According to Gallup, at least 45% of full-time employees work remotely at least part of the time.
In the old days, many businesses had working lunches. People brought lunch to the office, and they worked while they ate. 9AM to 5PM meant eight working hours, including lunch. It is quite common now to have an hour “off” from work to eat lunch wherever one wishes to.
During the Industrial Revolution, which took place between 1760 and 1840, the working man had one goal—increase factory output as much as possible. In other words, industry leaders wanted their operations functional 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
By Diane Fogle
To figure out how much $20 an hour is per year, multiply $20 by how many hours you work. For most full-time jobs, that's 40 hours per week for 52 weeks, or 2,080 hours per year, if you don't take any time off. That means $20 an hour is $41,600 a year.
$20 an hour is how much a week? If you make $20 an hour, your weekly salary would be $800.
$30.50 an hour is $61,000 a year in annual income.
If you earn an hourly wage of $30.50 an hour and work for an average of 40 hours a week for 50 weeks a year, you'll earn a yearly salary of $61,000.
Is it OK to work 70 hours a week?
Working 70-hour weeks can be challenging, but it's also a way for some people to achieve their financial and career goals. By learning strategies to coordinate your work and manage your priorities, you can make this schedule more sustainable and continue pursuing an ambitious career path.
Working for 80+ hours could be considered an extreme sport, and, as such, you shouldn't do it every day. If you still have to do it from time to time, sticking to a strict routine and blocking your time will help you succeed. Friendly advice: Don't make working 80+ hours per week into a routine.
Taxes for your overtime pay are calculated by your income tax bracket, not how much time you work. Do you lose money working overtime? No. You won't make as much if your overtime pay pushes you into a higher tax bracket, but you will still make more than you would without overtime.