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Working Long Hours
简体
Working Long Hours
长时间工作

How to Compare Quantity

Date: Apr 25 2012

Themes: Work

Grammar: Comparing Quantity

Intro

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It’s one thing to be a hard worker and always get your work done. It’s another thing to burn the midnight oil every night at your job. Working long hours can take away from your family time, not to mention your enjoyment of life. But some people feel they have to work overtime in order to show that they’re good employees and get ahead in their company. In the US, the standard work week is supposed to be 40 hours, but many people work far more than that. Find out what Jason and Devan think about working long hours.

它会让你成为勤奋的工作者,并且始终会完成工作。它还意味着每天晚上要熬夜工作。长时间工作会占据你与家人相处的时间,更不必说享受生活。但有些人认为,为了证明自己是优秀的雇员,并在公司中获得成功,必须加班加点地工作。在美国,每周标准的工作时间应该是 40 个小时,但很多人的工作时间远高于此。看看詹森和__如何看待长时间工作。

Dialog

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Jason

Jason

Devan

Devan

Jason:  I think there’s this really annoying competition among Americans to work more hours than each other.

Devan:  You think so?

Jason:  Yeah, have you ever noticed that?

Devan:  Yeah, I guess that’s true.

Jason:  People like to brag about working 60, 70, or 80 hours a week or something.

Devan:  Do you think they really work that much?

Jason:  No, probably not. I imagine they may sit at a desk for that much, but I don’t think they’re working the entire time. See, that’s the thing. I’m all about working efficiently for a shorter period of time, you know?

Devan:  So you don’t usually put in a lot of overtime at your job?

Jason:  No. I mean, the time after work is for things other than working. I don’t understand why people think that that’s a good quality to have, if you work 16 hours a day. That sounds like a bad thing to me. Like, that’s what the labor movement worked to stop from happening. So why would you volunteer for that?

Devan:  That’s true. And I think it also depends on if you work for an hourly wage or if you’re on salary. Because I know a lot of companies will take advantage of people that are on a salary and force them to work more hours than they’re actually supposed to, because they get paid the same no matter what. Whereas, on the other hand, there’s also people that are, like you said, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day on a salary and really only working three of them, ‘cause they know they’re gonna get paid the same.

Jason:  Right. Like I think it’s better to go above and beyond with the quality of the work rather than the quantity of it.

Devan:  I understand what you’re saying. But I think I’m too much of a slacker. I kinda like the idea of just sitting at a desk for eight hours and getting paid for that, but not doing very much work.

Jason:  Oh my God.

 

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Discussion

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Jason thinks it’s crazy when people put in really long hours at work. He doesn’t understand why that is not only acceptable in the US, but often encouraged, or even required. He thinks it’s better to produce quality work quickly than to work really long hours just to prove that you’re a hard worker.

Devan points out that workers who are on a salary sometimes get taken advantage of by their companies. Often they get paid the same amount no matter how many hours they work. Some companies will make their employees feel like they have to work long hours, but won’t raise their salaries or pay them overtime for it.

On the other hand, some employees who are paid on salary take advantage of their companies, too. Since they get paid the same no matter what, they might spend eight hours at work, but not actually get much done. Devan admits that she can be a pretty lazy worker sometimes.

How many hours per week do people work in your country? Do you have to work long hours at your job?

 

Comments

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qazal24iran

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

hi guys.I’m qazal 24 female from north of Iran and I’m here to find a friend in other place with native English speaking, I’m in starter level if you have telegram app , save my number and call me 00989365764283

12:40 PM Jul 02 2015 |

qazal24iran

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

hi guys.I’m qazal 24 female from north of Iran and I’m here to find a friend in other place with native English speaking, I’m in starter level if you have telegram app , save my number and call me 00989365764283

12:37 PM Jul 02 2015 |

qazal24iran

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

hi guys.I’m qazal 24 female from north of Iran and I’m here to find a friend in other place with native English speaking, I’m in starter level
if you have telegram app , save my number and call me
00989365764283

12:32 PM Jul 02 2015 |

TeamoBK2189

Venezuela

i dont know, i dont work so i cant say if ill be like jason or devan but in my perspective i think that might be better to work the necessary hours and dont push your boundaries as much as the company have told you so, because its great to get a promotion only for your production other than the most time you spend working

03:05 PM Jun 30 2015 |

englishbabysaba

Malaysia

working long hours is labourous. i wish i can get 3 days off for 4 days work in a week. even if you really really work for 8 hours, unless your office is so nearby, u still have to spend at least 2 extra hrs travelling to and from office…i think it really nice if the minimum working hours can be reduced from 40 hrs to 32 hrs..  

03:57 PM Apr 26 2013 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

a2020,  at least they work two hours,  in my country many people  working for the government  they only show up  at the end of the month  to  cash their pay check. sucks !!!  

11:50 AM Jan 12 2013 |

Drianyanto

Drianyanto

Indonesia

remember it.


We are working for life not life for working.


09:32 AM Nov 06 2012 |

davis jack

davis jack

China

in our country, it’s general that employees are forced to work long hours. lucky, i don’t have to do this in my company, even if it happens we wanna get paid for it.Cool

03:45 AM Jul 19 2012 |

AppleRome

AppleRome

Antarctica

@yifangwang:  We are human, living freely in the free wold. We should not be locked up in a cage or by any circumstances. We must RUN, we must JUMP, we must COMMUNICATE GOOD each other, we must do something VARIOUS, we should EXPLORE this world. 

Human’s life is far than doing work everyday. Because we’re human, because we have one thing that no creature have, MIND.
With mind, we can think & DECIDE what’s the best for our self, to appreciate it.

I believe  good life would make good human. Good life doesnt mean you must have enough money to afford it.

02:02 AM Jul 19 2012 |

yifangwang

China

Do you realize that we have so much complain when refering to the working hours? Did it show that,actually,we are not happy with our job,with our boss,and with our salary,with our working condition ? There are a great many things we want to complain.We are nervous and under heavy pressure when working.We become uncomfortable even when entering the company.


Is that a problem of the society?How to resolve?If not well being resolved ,what seriously result will lead to? As a worker ourselves,what kinds of things we should do to imporve our enjoyment in the working?


All of us should consider seriously.

06:04 AM Jul 17 2012 |

1 person likes this

AppleRome

AppleRome

Antarctica

I am not born for workingggg!!! I am a princess Laughing .. teeehee!!


SPARTA!

10:53 PM May 28 2012 |

mavjuda

Uzbekistan

i am a student for me time is important coz i am preapering to my final examinations now. In my country usually people work 12hours but all of them have to work more than 18 hours every day except weekends.For example my dad.he is a businessman,i rarely see him at home coz when i go to the university at 7 he sleeps and when i back,he has not at home untill i go to bed.sometimes i tell my mum. i don’t remember when we have gone somewhere to take a rest reacently,get away busy,stress life.i know everyone needs to work or to do something 4 improving their life but don’t forget to be with ur lovely family

09:53 AM May 28 2012 |

alsayadi

alsayadiSuper Member!

Saudi Arabia

I am lucky too because my duty time in my job ( pilot) is controlled and limited by international aviation law 8 h actual flying for a single pilot per day but our duty can go up to 32 h continuos for double crew my last flight from Jeddah to Dacca and retarn back toke me 22 h duty but I flown only 6 h and 30 min

10:14 PM May 02 2012 |

lulahill

lulahill

Spain

Im very lucky!  I have my own business and my working hours allow me time with family and friends.  I know others are not so fortunate.  Its important for me that the people who work with me have quality time to spend how they wish as it helps the company to have happy employees. 


The brave man carves out his fortune and every man is the son of his own works - Miguel de Cervantes

06:57 PM Apr 30 2012 |

cinchf

cinchf

Philippines

Working long hours is okay as long as you get paid for it. I’ve  done that because there were tons of workload but few staff to handle,  and the company is at greater risk of losing an important client. It’s a  matter of loving your work as well as the company your in. Sometimes, you’ll realize your getting paid for the things that you love doing. 

05:17 PM Apr 27 2012 |

fabsir

fabsir

Brazil

Putting in over time at one´s job is common place in my country as well. In many companies you will come across as an efficient employee if you do overtime. There are also companies that have comp time. It means if you work for an hourly wage and put in the hours you will not get paid overtime. You can take off the amount of overtime you did to stay at home or do other things.

11:49 PM Apr 26 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

NFRTARY,  This is new to me, you work  11 hours per day and then take  five days off. Sounds good. suturday and sunday are included in the five days  or is from monday to friday , then  counting  the weekend you have 7 days  free. WOW

04:58 PM Apr 26 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Dear Devan ,to be a slacker is a sign of a dull mind  so I   want  to believe that you  were not serious when you  commented that you are a slacker  and prefer most of the time  to seat idle during the working hours. That is what people do  in most of our  government´s offices, they know that working or not  at the end of the month  will anyway  receive the salary  and  let the people wait  for their petitions to be cleared.   Yell

04:16 PM Apr 26 2012 |

nfrtary

nfrtary

Egypt

well 


i work under weired sytem her in my country but it`s acceptable to me and love it , it`s pretty tiring but it`s good for me.


the system is you work 11 hours per day for 5 dayes then you wil take 5 dayes holiday that mean i`ll work 55 hours then 5 days holiday.


i love this systemd because i cabable to do whatever i want in these 5 holiday and i`d rather this system than the regular systme her 40 hourse per week and 2 days holiday.

01:25 PM Apr 26 2012 |

Irene Forever

Ukraine

I’m so lucky with my work. How much I love it! As I’m a private teacher,  I work on my own. I don’t have any boss, and my students are mostly children. You will never have so many sweet smiles untill you work with kids. Therefore I think myself a happy person.♥


I work about 50 hours per week , but I have such an advantage as correcting my schedule in the case of necessity. Generaly my working day begins at 2 P.M., and it’s very convenient to me, as I have lots of free time to do whatever I wish.


I can’t stop being grateful  to God for  such  bliss as my brilliant job.

12:44 PM Apr 26 2012 |

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