A matter of time: young professionals’ experiences of long work hours

an article by Jane Sturges (King’s College London, UK) published in Work Employment & Society Volume 27 Number 2 (April 2013)

Abstract

This article examines young construction industry professionals’ experiences of working long hours from the perspective of the meanings that they ascribe to work time and how these influence the hours that they work.

It considers how such notions of ‘qualitative’ time spent on work may shape attitudes and behaviour relating to ‘quantitative’ work hours.

The findings show that, for the interviewees, work time has meanings chiefly associated with enjoyment, being professional and being part of a work family.

The article contributes to the long work hours literature by broadening our understanding of how young professionals experience long work hours, why they may not always view them negatively and how the meanings that they attach to them can lead to particular patterns of work hours. It also highlights gender differences in this regard.

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