# Workin' 9 to 5...or 8 to 4? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 22, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043 "2010-04-22T23:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/1 "2010-04-22T23:05:29Z")
A poll to see which set of hours is more common. If neither, feel free to explain in a post. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/2 "2010-04-22T23:10:58Z")
I work 8:30 to 5:30. I don’t get paid for lunch (but I have to take one. By law. Stupid state of California looking out for my own health and making me work late!) I could probably work 8:30 to 5:00, but I work close enough to home that if I take the full hour I can go home at lunch for a bit and relax. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/3 "2010-04-22T23:11:43Z")
7:00 to 3:30. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/4 "2010-04-22T23:13:18Z")
What, no 10 to 6? That’s what I usually work. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/5 "2010-04-22T23:15:20Z")
I said 8-4, although it’s really more like 8:30 to 4:30. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/6 "2010-04-22T23:20:39Z")
I’ve always worked 8 to 5, which is 8 hours of work and 1 for lunch. or 8:30 to 5:30, but those aren’t in the options in the poll. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/7 "2010-04-22T23:21:15Z")
7:30 to 4 generally, unless my boss is in the office. Then it’s 7 to 5 or later. ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/8 "2010-04-22T23:24:26Z")
Roughly 7-5, but usually longer. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/9 "2010-04-22T23:25:09Z")
8 to 5 is “working hours” Honestly though, I work anything from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm or from 9:00am to 4:00 pm depending on what is going on that day and how many calls overseas I have. ---
**Author:** ![Tamex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ccd318/32.png) [@Tamex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamex)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/10 "2010-04-22T23:27:23Z")
7:30 to 4. Lunch is unpaid. ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/11 "2010-04-22T23:28:00Z")
Whenever I want, as long as I’m in no later than 9:30 and put in 8 hours. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/12 "2010-04-22T23:31:37Z")
0830 to 1700. Get (unpaid)1/2 hour for lunch but we take an hour, so I guess I’m getting a 1/2 hour for free. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/13 "2010-04-22T23:34:21Z")
9-5:30. Except once a week I work 1-9 and every third weekend I work 9-6 on Saturday and 1:45-6 on Sunday. If I work the weekend I have Friday off and a half day the following Tuesday. I am beyond incensed that you didn’t have my option there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/14 "2010-04-22T23:37:06Z")
8 to 5 with an hour lunch, or 8:30 to 5 with a half hour lunch. (unpaid lunch) Just depends if I can/feel like sleeping in a little. Could do pretty much anything from 6-3 to 9-6, my boss is pretty laid back about that kind of stuff. ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/15 "2010-04-22T23:39:03Z")
9-6 on early days, but 11-9 is much more common. Unpaid lunch/dinner hour is built in. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/16 "2010-04-22T23:42:36Z")
At the summer job I’ve had the past few years, between 8 and 8:30, traffic depending, to between 5 and 5:30 (or whenever the KLM flight lands in Montreal, whichever comes sooner). I rolled my lunch and breaks into a longer lunch “hour”. Working near the runway was useful. Swissair usually indicated that it was nearly time to go to meetings. ---
**Author:** ![lezlers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/258eb7/32.png) [@lezlers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lezlers)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/17 "2010-04-22T23:47:46Z")
I work from about 8:15 till anywhere from 5:00 to 8:00 depending on my caseload. I usually leave between 5:30 and 6:00, though. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/18 "2010-04-22T23:49:53Z")
My work hours are 7:40 to 3:05. But I’m usually on campus from 6:30 until 3:30 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Rand\_Rover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/db5fbb/32.png) [@Rand\_Rover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rand_Rover)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/19 "2010-04-22T23:59:36Z")
Tax lawyers have pretty sweet hours (compared to other big-firm lawyers). I typically work 8 to 6 (or 7 or 8 depending), and answer emails all night from the deal guys, and go to the office on Sunday morning like once or twice a month. ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2010, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043/20 "2010-04-23T00:03:55Z")
7-4 with an unpaid hour lunch and two paid 15 minute breaks. My commute is much nicer than when I previously worked 8-5 and my department was still in our old building further away on a busier highway. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/workin-9-to-5-or-8-to-4/537043.md?page=2)