How many hours are you working a week, and what city do you work in?

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I remember once when I was about 25 I was brought in as a freelance AD to work on an adidas campaign for a top agency in London. I worked for 50 hours straight although I did get a few hours sleep at my desk. I couldn't do that now as I'm 47 but after 8 hours I was on double time then after 16 hours on triple time. I think I earned over £4000 in the end for the gig plus they sent me home in a limo with a bottle of nice champagne. I was a very happy bunny and I then slept for 24 hours. 50 hours is a long shift though I was probably tripping due to the lack of sleep but that sort of money in 1999 was amazing. Like I said I think it would kill me now though.

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I was in a job where we were severely understaffed and there were a few weeks I logged 80+ hours and regularly logged 60 hours. No one said a thing. I had clients who would tell me if they were regularly in the office past 5pm HR would call them in and try to figure out why, if they were overworked and needed help. Our HR couldn't care less. Agency HR are generally powerless jobsworths who serve the C suite and don't give a crap about the workforce anyway, they're a joke.

It took too long but eventually I had enough and moved. Now I log 40 hours on average, get paid more and work with people who aren't complete assholes. Chicago.

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At the worst: 70+ hrs (shoot / pre-pro)
At the best: No work for weeks on end.
On average: 40-50 hrs a week

At my last job I once went 4 months with no days off. Even weekends. Won’t name place.

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Wait so is your comment pertaining to your work hours at WK now? That’s a decent one if it is! Thought it’s a sweatshop.

Some of these hours are absolutely crazy, noticing much of that is at pitch time. WHY? Is it due to the concepting and iterative nature of pitch work? Why is this not planned for better? Pitch work should be like any other work we do and planned for accordingly. Without that we see the serious abuse of creatives. Anything past 55 hours is a hardship in my mind, and to sustain that for any length of time compounds and has disastrous effects on personal lives, family and health. At one point in my career several years ago, I worked all nighters about once a week to keep pace and occasionally logged 60-70 hours a week and no one at work acknowledged it or cared. Absolute WORST time of my life, traumatic to me and my family. Would love to hear ideas in this thread on how crazy hours can change for the better in our industry.

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Spent fourteen minutes reading this reply. AD4, turn it back to your writer.

funny

If you’re in Verizon the limit doesn’t exist 🥴

likefunny

You guys are crazy ^^ In France, you are supposed to work only 35hours and even the key folks in an agency won't work more than 50-55 hours a week. I now actually work for my own business and work "only" 60-65 hours a week… And i tell you, working more than 60 hours a week, even when you are self-employed, even in advertising activity and even in pitch times, this is uncommon in France. I know we are more lazy than the rest of the world but in my opinion you are doing too much, your brain need some passive times to ingest information.

likesmart

69, Portland

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Nice

likefunny

NYC 25-70

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For y’all working 50+ on a regular basis…you okay?

45 most weeks….planning season 50 is typical. The week before a pitch (I work in business development) easily 60+

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35-40 SF

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About 30 hours on average. Charlotte, NC.

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40-45 nyc

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Average 45-55h Toronto

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Same

Easily 60-70 every week for the past year...
🇳🇱

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I don’t understand these hours people are posting. Everyone on your team works this much? Doesn’t even seem feasible

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Not really, I feel creatives get specially squeezed out

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45-60. 60 is rare though, usually only if I’m traveling for work that week. Around 48+ it starts to take a toll on cognitive function for me. NYC agency.

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i try to keep it to 40 at my agency out on detroit, but sometimes i’ll do 50 or more, depending on how much i take on/am given

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40-50 hours, NYC small agency under large holding company. Similar to another poster, fewer hours post-pandemic (2019, 50 hours regularly 60+ around pitches or big deadlines)

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40ish a week in nyc

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40-45, Toronto

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40 hours a week, 9 months a year, nyc

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No lies detected.

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Have a great day everyone! Things will be ok.

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Is anyone at a job they really, truly enjoy that also pays competitively (and has good benefits)? In my experience, I haven’t found anything that satisfies both. Either I love the job and I’m grossly underpaid or the job is totally mediocre but the money is great. Is it really possible to have it all or do I need to lower my standards? Maybe it’s just the way this industry is?

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