You May Be Pulling More Than 40 Hours In Your 40 Hour Week

The 40-hour workweek is deeply embedded in the American dream. The majority of American citizens graduate from college and dive into a 9-5 work life.

The norm is to check in at work, do the job at hand and 5pm clock out and head home to spend an evening with family or friends.

After working for 30 years on a 9-5, the employee retires and spends the remaining days of his/her life puttering around the garden, golfing or traveling.

The system is entrenched in the American folklore so much that immigrants flock to the United States and work excruciating hours so that their children can get an American education and qualify for a 40-hour workweek. 

A majority of salary jobs pay on a 40-hour workweek basis, and any more ours above 40 are registered as overtime.

Given said system three questions are asked, When did the 40-hour workweek originate? Does a majority of Americans work only 40-hour workweeks? Is the 40-hour workweek idea? Below, we focus on these questions, and our research dug up the following answers:

The 40 Hour Workweek Origin

The United States government started tracking work hours in 1890 after running a survey that determined the average employee worked 100 hours a week. Back then workers used to work an average of 14.5 hours a day for seven days each week.

The gruesome workday was observed by employers who took the advantage of maximizing productivity from their overworked workers.

In 1866, the National Labor Union pushed Congress to pass an eight-hour work week, unfortunately, their request was denied. In 1867, the illinois Legislature invoked a law that stating that employees should work for 8 hours a day.

Employees were aggravated by the law and refused to oblige, a move that led to the massive Chicago employee strike.

President Ulysses S. Grant in 1869 issued a proclamation ensuring that all civil servants received a regular wage for working an 8 hour shift every day. In 1940, Congress amended the Fair Labor Standards Act making it clear that workers should work a maximum 40 hours each week.

Do Most Employees Work 40 Hours Weekly? 

John Maynard Keynes, an economist in 1930, predicted that American workers would eventually work 15 hours a week.

Unfortunately, the 40-hour week was overtaken by the amount of work put in and recent studies show that a majority of the workforce put in 47 hours per week. The extra seven hours amount to a whole extra day each week.

Moreover, the study revealed that 40% of the workforce reported pulling in over 50 hours each week. Salary positions are part of the increase in hours as workers don’t get paid overtime compensation and they have to work until the job gets done.

The study explained why full-time hourly workers work 44 hours weekly compared to full-time salaried workers working 49 hours averagely every week.

Is the $40-Hour Workweek Realistic?

Studies continue to show that a 40-hour week maximizes productivity. They also show that working more than 40 hours lowers productivity significantly. Working more than 40 hours leaves one mentally and physically fatigued, their productivity falls.

Working less than 40 hours a week is the solution to more productivity, unfortunately, not many employers will go for this recommendation.

Employees can maximize their productivity by minimizing workplace distractions and focus on difficult projects during peak hours. Cutting the time spent on social media and email will increase productivity.

Conclusion

You don’t have to be miserable to be successful, working smart as opposed to working hard is a successful and more fulfilling path. Focus on working fewer hours and doing your best to maximize your productivity.    

Landscape Gardening And Mini Diggers

A water feature can be a nice addition to every garden. Besides, if you add some color and motion, you can create an exquisite attraction which is going to become the focal point of your garden. In case you haven't guessed it yet, please find out that we are talking about a fish pond. Whether you are a homeowner wishing to create a pond in your own garden or you are a landscaping specialist who uses to dig water features by hand, you should be aware that you can hire a mini digger to ease your work and speed up the process. These diggers are available for as little as £50 per day.

Brief History Of Fish Ponds

The earliest fish ponds known date back to the third century. These water features originated in Japan and they were created with the purpose of being a food source. Later on, they have become decorative elements of Japanese ornamental gardens. Today, many professional landscaping gardeners use a fish pond to turn an otherwise mundane garden into a charming one. Thanks to advanced technology that makes it easy to insulate such holes, this "water feature with life" has become one of the most desirable landscaping elements.

image:pixabay.com

Digging A Fish Pond Without A Shovel

Large fish ponds are difficult to dig manually, so you should take a look at available mini diggers for sale. Of course, you can always rent one, which is fairly affordable. They are also very easy to operate and extremely efficient, thus enabling you to progress much faster. Such a machine is able to dig a large hole in very little time. Besides, their compact size enables these machines pass through a narrow space between the wall and the fence of a property. You'll also need a skip to get rid of the excavated soil. With these two pieces of equipment, you can dig very large pond holes quickly and without any manual shoveling.

If your plans for this spring include digging a pond, you should consider renting a mini digger, as it provides an excellent value for money.

How To Know What Type Of Digger To Hire

Mini diggers may vary a lot in terms of bucket size and functionality. You have to determine the right type of machinery for your specific project, as this would enable you to come up with accurate budget estimates. Moreover, you have to consider the amount of workload you'll need your digger to do, as this would enable you pick the right equipment for your job. If you get a machine that can't handle the amount of stress required by your project, you may damage it.

Have An Accurate Budget Estimate

By knowing what type of digger you need and for how many days you'll have to hire it, you're going to be able to come up with an accurate budget estimate. It is important to be able to secure the funds needed to complete your project from start to finish, so you should know exactly how much each operation is going to cost you.

Carefully Inspect Available Equipment

It's a good idea to ask for a detailed inspection of the equipment before hiring it out. You have to make sure your mini digger is going to run smoothly, at the expected operating standards and without any glitch. You might also want to ask whether one of the employees could try the mini digger before you hire it, in order to make sure it doesn't have any mechanical defects.

Ways To Customize Your Dock

If you want to truly stand out from the crowd and you own a property with its own pontoon dock, customization as you would design your home is the way forward. Below we offer you with a number of ideas to turn a normal boat dock into something that will make it an amazing place to hang out with friends and family.

Adding Hammocks To Your Dock

There is no better way to spend a leisurely weekend in the comfort of your own hammock. You can buy customized sizes that can fit more than one person and will hang over the edge of your deck above the water. It is the best way to relax and unwind from the stresses of modern-day life. To add a hammock to your dock it will need a frame to mount it and then once set in place it will hang safely from the eye hooks.

Adding A Water Slide To Your Dock

One of the most fun customizations you can add to your dock is adding a water slide, especially if you have children or are a kid at heart. There is a huge choice of different types of choose from that include; winded, covered, uncovered or straight.

Adding A Grill To Your Dock

There is no better way of spending a day during the hot summer months than taking your boat for a cruise and then coming home to your dock to cook amazing food on your docking grill.You do not need to make a mess indoors and you can take in the amazing smell while you are cooking. There are many different types on the market but one of my favorites is the built-in grill on a countertop. Adding one to your dock will make it the perfect place to hang out, enjoy the view and eat fantastic food.

Adding Lighting To Your Dock

Adding lighting to both your boat and dock are vital if you want to spend the evening on either. With boats, it is extremely important as you want others to be able to see you and there are laws in certain parts of the world that require you to do so. There is a large choice of lighting options that you can add to your dock to add to the ambiance. You can choose lights such as underwater LED lighting or one that hangs around the docking pontoon. If you want to take it a stage further you can even download an app which will allow you to control them from your mobile phone.

Conclusion

If you have the money to buy a house on the lake, then you should be able to afford to customize it to stand out from the crowd. One of the most important things to add first if corner buffers to your dock so that your boat or the dock does not get damaged. After you have installed those there are so many options to choose from so it is down to your personal preference which ones to add but adding them will certainly improve the fun, ambiance and make it the perfect place to relax or enjoy spending time with friends and family.

Tips on Buying a Second Hand Car for your Home

Purchasing a car is tricky enough. But buying a second-hand one is even more difficult, especially if you live a third world country like the Philippines. Steel tubes, mufflers, and other parts have to be properly checked first and foremost to ensure you are going to get your money’s worth.

Here are some tips for you to follow when it comes to buying pre-loved cars or vehicles.

The seller’s disposition

Meeting up with the vehicle’s seller is important. Set a long meeting with the car’s current owner/seller where you can ask them all kinds of questions. Do not hesitate in asking direct questions like whether it crashed in the past or had been flooded. Look them in the eye while they are answering to tell whether they are lying or telling the truth. If their eyes are shifty, then they are most likely lying to you.

Test drive

Always ask to test drive the car you are planning to buy. You can learn about the car’s state by doing so. Carefully listen for tugging or knocking noises while steering the wheel into a full left/right lock. This could indicate issues with the vehicle’s steering. Other sounds you should be on the lookout for are the ones coming from the transmission and engine when performing a full-throttle acceleration. Also, check the brakes by doing a simulated panic stop.

Service records

It is also vital you ask the seller for the car’s service records. It should be a collection of receipts or a detailed log that will tell you how many times the car has been maintained in the past.

Thoroughly check the vehicle

Thoroughly checking the automobile’s interior and exterior should always be a prerequisite when it comes to purchasing second hand cars. Some of the things you need to check are windshield, wipers, A/C, lights, gauges, seatbelts, seats, tires, and paint. The most important thing you have to inspect, however, is the engine bay. If it shows any signs of filler, then it most likely means that the car has been involved in a serious head-on collision.

Research

Another prerequisite when it comes to buying used cars is research. Research the model you wanted to buy. Check Google to learn the car’s reputation. Go to other various used-vehicle dealerships to check how much they are selling this particular brand/model. Research about the parts it has and see if a nearby shop sells these car parts.

Two budgets

It is ideal for you to prepare two budgets before you buy a used vehicle. The first one is for the initial purchase of the car, while the second one is for maintenance to make it roadworthy. By doing this, you can avoid stress in the long run. This means that you are prepared to pay for the vehicle if something goes wrong with it. You may want to consider having at least 20% of the procurement price for your second budget.

Check the mileage

Keep in mind that you are going to need more part replacements if the vehicle’s mileage is higher. Usually a car starts to need replacements in parts once they reached the 60,000km mark. You could end up paying for new parts like an A/C compressor, a new radiator, transmission overhaul, fuel filters, and brake pads.

Remember these tips to make purchasing a second hand car as painless as possible! 

About the author:

Katrina is your average gal living inside the metro who has passion for writing, travel and photography. She admires nature at its finest and always wanted to become one of them. Dreaming to have the Cinderella life one day, humming with the birds, dancing with the clouds.