Working in a full-time job, how long is a "normal" working day for you?

I'm a programmer in the uk, I find that if I'm fully supplied with requirements and prerequisites I can reasonably sustain about 6 hours genuinely productive work per day, usually 2x 3hr bursts.

If there are meetings, emails, general admin bollocks to fill out the remaining 2 hours a day I'm contracted for, then so be it. If there aren't, I've long since stopped feeling remotely guilty for skiving thought remaining hours. Similarly if the requirements and prerequisites aren't sufficiently available, despite my constant best efforts at 'managing upwards', for me to do 6 hours proper work then I've stopped considering it my problem and will just work less.

If there is an occasional peak/trough aspect to the workload I can put in some 9-10 hr days to meet a deadline, but I expect time off in lieu during the trough. If there is a constant peak/trough cycle I would consider it bad management and ultimately leave, but thankfully that hasn't happened yet.

/r/AskMenOver30 Thread