3 answers
robert
Student
Rancho Cucamonga, California
1
Question
3 answers
William Vvuko
Retired engineer
245
Answers
Moyo, Northern Region
Updated
William’s Answer
Hi Robert,
Thank you very much for this thoughtful question.
It's useful for us to first look at the general requirements for working hours. Labor laws provide for this - the laws may vary from one country to another. United Nations, through it's International Labor Organization (ILO) provides fundamental guidelines too. The overriding consideration is the safety, health & well-being of the employee. The 40 hours/week normal working hours is the direct result of this consideration. Overtime is paid at higher rates for hours in excess of the weekly normal working hours. In my country, working for more than 56 hours a week is not allowed if such excess hours cannot be reconciled to comply with the law within the same month. Besides, paid annual leave is provided for so employees can have adequate time, off work, to rest and recover.
Working hours for engineers not only vary from one organization/institution to another but also within the same organization based on roles and seniority.
I spent most of my career in the beer industry where factories operate 24/7. Shift engineers rotate with their respective shifts from one week to the other, based on shift configurations - they are required to support the maintenance crew during planned maintenance outages, when appropriate. Section engineers - the most senior engineers in process departments - largely operate autonomously in ensuring safe, reliable and economical operation of production facilities. Their normal working routines normally span over 10 - 12 hours each working day - they are on standby to attend to emergencies during after hours though. A good section engineer ensures efficient and effective maintenance work takes place so incidents of breakdowns are greatly minimized - it's the best way to guarantee adequate sleep for the maintenance crew and success for the organization.
Head of engineering oversees all maintenance operations within the facility, doubles as projects manager and is the custodian of engineering standards. When I was in such a role, my routines would run from 06h00 to 18h00 each working day. Routines are structured to cover all critical aspects of operations from one day to the next and over the week, month, quarter, half-year & year. Broadly speaking, the entire financial year is planned for. Break-ins do occur however. Procedural modalities are in place to deal with contingencies that arise.
I do hope this provides adequate foundation for you to build on.
Best of luck in your career.
Thank you very much for this thoughtful question.
It's useful for us to first look at the general requirements for working hours. Labor laws provide for this - the laws may vary from one country to another. United Nations, through it's International Labor Organization (ILO) provides fundamental guidelines too. The overriding consideration is the safety, health & well-being of the employee. The 40 hours/week normal working hours is the direct result of this consideration. Overtime is paid at higher rates for hours in excess of the weekly normal working hours. In my country, working for more than 56 hours a week is not allowed if such excess hours cannot be reconciled to comply with the law within the same month. Besides, paid annual leave is provided for so employees can have adequate time, off work, to rest and recover.
Working hours for engineers not only vary from one organization/institution to another but also within the same organization based on roles and seniority.
I spent most of my career in the beer industry where factories operate 24/7. Shift engineers rotate with their respective shifts from one week to the other, based on shift configurations - they are required to support the maintenance crew during planned maintenance outages, when appropriate. Section engineers - the most senior engineers in process departments - largely operate autonomously in ensuring safe, reliable and economical operation of production facilities. Their normal working routines normally span over 10 - 12 hours each working day - they are on standby to attend to emergencies during after hours though. A good section engineer ensures efficient and effective maintenance work takes place so incidents of breakdowns are greatly minimized - it's the best way to guarantee adequate sleep for the maintenance crew and success for the organization.
Head of engineering oversees all maintenance operations within the facility, doubles as projects manager and is the custodian of engineering standards. When I was in such a role, my routines would run from 06h00 to 18h00 each working day. Routines are structured to cover all critical aspects of operations from one day to the next and over the week, month, quarter, half-year & year. Broadly speaking, the entire financial year is planned for. Break-ins do occur however. Procedural modalities are in place to deal with contingencies that arise.
I do hope this provides adequate foundation for you to build on.
Best of luck in your career.
Tom McCaffrey
Management
23
Answers
Smyrna, GA
Updated
Tom’s Answer
Engineering hours can vary a lot because the work itself is always changing. Many jobs start with about 40 hours a week, but this can change based on the industry, the project stage, and your specific tasks. When deadlines get tight, systems have issues, or a design review is near, engineers often work extra hours. This isn't about overtime pay, but rather meeting the job's expectations since most engineering roles are salaried. Some weeks feel balanced, while others are longer when needed. Ultimately, engineering hours are not the same for everyone; they depend on the job, the team, and what's happening in the project.
Brian Swain
Mechanical Engineer
65
Answers
Modesto, California
Updated
Brian’s Answer
Hi Robert,
It depends on what exactly you are doing. If you're job is traveling to customer sites, you may have odd hours and often work overtime. But it really depends on the specific company/industry/position. I personally have almost always worked around 40 hours a week ( 5 days a week, hours a day)
. hope this helps.
Best regards,
Brian
It depends on what exactly you are doing. If you're job is traveling to customer sites, you may have odd hours and often work overtime. But it really depends on the specific company/industry/position. I personally have almost always worked around 40 hours a week ( 5 days a week, hours a day)
. hope this helps.
Best regards,
Brian
I will use this advice as I prepare for my career.
Landon