Your working week

[andy jackson]

Good morning all.

 

Having spent the past while working in education I am begining to get a little fed up and am seriously thinking about making the jump back to the 'real world!'.

 

What I was wondering was what is generally accepted as the average working week? As you can imagine at the moment im used to cushy 9-5 and long holidays in the summer!

 

But what do you work? Have you not been able to go to the pub in twenty years because you work all evenings and weekends every week? What does the average technician - if there is one- get off per week/month?

 

Thanks

Andy

[david.elsbury]

When we're busy, I usually get Mondays and sometimes Tuesdays off, if it's particularly quiet/ it's been a big weekend.

 

When we're not, since it's just me and the boss, I can take whatever time off I want. But if there's stuff to be done, I'm usually in at work doing it. Cable repairs, sorting out, cleaning and tidying... stuff like that.

 

I'd love to work in education. That's something that I might have to save for later, though. Give me a venue, & I'll be happy ;) (rather than the company atm, but that's another rant)

 

And I'm 19, so I couldn't care less about the late nights... I just mind tha early starts :wub:

 

David

[TeeJay]

We've managed over the last year or so to get our average week to under the limits set by the Working Time Directive, most of the time.

 

Actual working hours vary dependent on the particular show so while we are almost certain of having a day or two off a week, there's no particular rhyme or reason as to when this could be. Similarly, the call could be just show call of 4 hours (or whatever) to a full day (though I think I've never done more than 14 hours in one stretch. At this venue)

 

The wife, still slumming it in the West End ;) , has a regular six evening shows, Sat matinee, and occasional afternoon maintenance, with extra day shows during holidays.

 

We do get to the pub - but it helps that it has a late licence :wub:

[andyc]

I rarly have a week the same.....

its very often..ill work a 60 hour week one week and then only do a 30 the following (and manage to get out to the pub :) )

....as for hours....im happy to work 12 hour days for a week, aslong as theres a 2 day break at the end!!

 

minimum time worked.....2 hours

maximum time worked 18 hours...(ouch)

[misterbassman]

Slightly different to you theatre people, I work as a sound engineer and do a lot of freelance work. my week vary's greatly from 10-20 ours a week. Upto......well it has been known once for me to get 10 hours sleep in 5 days and spend the rest of the time working. That was a manic 5 days of college balls in cambridge which coincided with the premiere of war of the worlds.

[Pete McCrea]

Technically I'm mean't to be on 9-5:30 i.e. 40 hours a week. However it's usually 8:45 till about 6, then weekends as paid overtime and get lieu. in theory. However due to the demands of the business it usally means I don't get the lieu time.

 

Plus there's the work that I do at home due to not enough time at work (Website, design etc). That probably equates to about 4 hours a week. Some of it is down to the fact that I'm starting Production:av up, so can't do the work when I'm under the employment of my other employer.

 

Fingers crossed in several years time Production:av will be a decent size and I'll be doing 20 hours a week and living in a nice big house.....

[mal421]

Usually start at 09:00 on monday and have been known to finish the week at 02:00 the following monday . Generally 9 to 5 monday to wednesday .Thursday, friday and saturdays generally finish about midnight if it's a pub gig but can be as late as daybreak for an open air festival (small) . During the height of the summer have been known to finish taking down one gig and driving straight to the next to set up finally getting to bed 48 hours later .

[pete LD]

I'm a freelance lampie and I don't think I have ever worked the same hours ever!

I've been on 9am -10 pm the last couple of days. got a show call then a get out tonite then another get out sat nite followed by an in on sun. all this is followed by a nice easy week followspotin on saturday night fever.

so I think it depends on what type of work your looking to get back in to!

I'm of to get some sleep.

pete

[adrenalinjunkie]

My contract has a nice little clause at the bottom saying I opt out of the working time directive and if I disagree they won't employ me! My standard week is 60 hours but I do get two days off a week as well so its not that bad.

[Bryson]

My contract has a nice little clause at the bottom saying I opt out of the working time directive and if I disagree they won't employ me! My standard week is 60 hours but I do get two days off a week as well so its not that bad.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

They were stupid enough to write that down? They need to sack their lawyers right now. You have the right, under law to opt-out. They cannot require that you opt-out. If you're bored of the place, join a union and then sue them, hard.

 

Either way the WTD directive opt-out will be phased out over the next three years anyway. Say hello to 48 hours a week and no more!

 

Anyway, I work, on average, 11-7, Tuesday-Saturday. Once we start the programme, I'll skew that in favour of longer hours at the weekend and probably take Monday-Wednesday off.

[gareth]

My contract has a nice little clause at the bottom saying I opt out of the working time directive and if I disagree they won't employ me!

Do you have a contract that actually says, in so many words, "you must relinquish the protection afforded to you by the EWTD or we will not employ you"? If so, as Bryson has already said, it's a very clear breach of employment law and your employers should be taken to task for it. An employer has no right whatsoever ti insist that you 'opt out' of the WTD regulations - that decision is entirely up to you. If you elect not to, they are in no way permitted to discriminate against you for making that decision.

 

Are you a member of a union (BECTU, for example)? If you are, I'd agree with Bryson's suggestion that you contact your union rep and let them loose on this - they'll be on your case so hard and so fast that your employers won't know what's hit them. If you're not a member of a union, I strongly suggest that you become one - if your employers have the nerve to put something like that into your so-called 'contract', gawd alone knows what else they've snuck in there and made you agree to ...

[Guest lightnix]

The basic rights and protections that the [Working Time] Regulations provide are:

 

A limit of an average of 48 hours a week which a worker can be required to work (though workers can choose to work more if they want to).

A limit of an average of 8 hours work in 24 which nightworkers can be required to work.

A right for night workers to receive free health assessments.

A right to 11 hours rest a day.

A right to a day off each week.

A right to an in-work rest break if the working day is longer than 6 hours.

A right to 4 weeks paid leave per year.

DTI - Working Time Regulations home page.

 

Please note that the WTD does not apply to self-employed freelancers.

[damian666]

WTD may not directly relate to self employed, but think about what H&S or your insurers for your public liability etc would say on your 40th straight hour working if an accident happened. I very much doubt that a defence could be "well, I'm self employed so to hell with sleep!"

How many of us do corporate one dayers in hotels then drive home with droopy eyes, get 3 hours then do it again. should we really be doing it, rules or not.

[Guest lightnix]

The self-employed are supposed to regulate their working hours, ideally using risk assessments to do so. If you were involved in an accident and it could be shown that you were working while dangerously fatigued at the time, then you could be in a lot of trouble.

[adrenalinjunkie]

Hmmm have a copy of my contract somewhere. I will copy out the relevent section when I find it....