Why Its OK to Work on the Weekends 10 Women Explain

Why Its OK to Work on the Weekends 10 Women Explain Not everyone is working for the weekend some of us are working on the weekends.A Gallup poll once suggested that the standard 40-hour week now lasts 47 hoursand, unsurprisingly,a lot ofthat extra working timegets jammed into the weekends. The fact is Over a quarter of Americans work night shifts andabout 30 percent work during the weekends, according to Forbes.And, for some, thats okay. While free time is necessary and a work-life balance is critical to ones health and productivity, some people prefer to work on the weekends or dont mind it when their weeks work spills over.1. You can be flexible during the week.I regularly work weekends, parteely because I love what I do and Im usually very motivated to get the next thing done, but also partly because I take advantage of the flexibility I have during the week, says Camille Lansiquot. I often take time out to attend to my childrens activities or school excursions, and of course tim e for personal appointments. To me, it feels like quite a balanced approach to work fruchtwein days, and adjust based on what else is happening. (The occasional day with no work at all is also nice sometimes though)2. You can spread work out.My small business is now 6 1/2 years old and I continue to believe that its ok to allow work to spill over into our weekends,says Julia Rohan, CEO and owner ofPTO rep at my kids school. And I volunteer in the dog rescue community as well as some other resist commitments. To fit it all in, plus invest in my own selfcare, I have to spread my work on to aSaturday andSunday and I feel really, really lucky to be able to do so.3. You can show respect.Working in public relations, I have to be on at all hours, saysSarah Johnson,the public relations directorfor FitSmallBusiness.com. I have journalists emailing me, sometimes calling me, at various times of the day, night, and yes, even during weekends. Timing is everything in news, so if I miss a call or an email, that means the company that Im trying to get publicity for misses out on a media opportunity. Sometimes the opportunity is with a very high-profile media outlet and, as a rule, I never want to keep a journalist waiting. Why is it ok for my work to spill over into weekends? Earlier in my professional career, I welches a broadcast journalist, then a magazine editor, so I know first hand how crucial it was for PR professionals to get back to me in a timely fashion. I was forever grateful to those publicists. Now that Ive been working in PR for a long time, I try to be incredibly accomodating to those in the media - even if that means answering their emails on weekends, or arranging for my co-founder to be interviewed during the weekend. In PR, its all about the relationships you forge with journalists, and I want to be seen as someone who these people can depend on when theyre on tight deadlines.4. Youcan have mora time with family during the week.My work almost always spill s over on the weekend and its 100 percent okay with me and heres why I work at home and am able to see the kids off to school, have breakfast with my husband, and be home when the kids get home from school, says Nicole Johnson of The Baby Sleep Site. I help with homework, make dinner, and get them to sport practices and games. My days are full, but it allows me to be very present in my familys life while also running a business from home. So, yes, I often have mora work to do on the weekend to make sure I get everything done that needs to. I prefer to work some every day than try to fit it all in during a work week. My business has been around for 10 years now, so I think its working pretty well.5. Its part of the bargain of running ones own business.Whats a weekend? asksAlison Blackman, editor-in-chief of Advice Sisters Beauty, Fashion Lifestyle.I am a writer and I work around the calendar. My husband who runs an economics consulting firm does the same thing. We know were kind of trapped in a work-a-holiclifestyle, but when you run your own business, its part of the bargain.6. You can take other days off.Our world has evolved into a24/7society,says Mary Papaleo, owner, florist and event designer forSaturday orSunday is completely acceptable now. Many prefer to have their days off during the regular work week to avoid congestion better rates at recreational locations. It also makes it somewhat easier to schedule medical and personal appointments when you work on weekends and have weekdays off. One of the ironic advantages of working weekends is that it allows parents to work in the classrooms of their children during the week a luxury that regular work week parents miss out on.7. You canspend your time how you want.Because I work for myself, have a home arbeitszimmer, live alone and answer only to me (and my clients), its totally my choice how I spend my time, saysDr. Gayle Carson. Like being able to go in there any time I want to do the things I like to do. Its my schedule and if I get a brilliant idea, I want to work on it. So for me its perfect as long as I dont let it take over my life.8. Itcan be calming.Throughout my career, I have had to work on weekends and holidays and, at times, even on vacation, saysJesse Harrison, founder and CEO of California Employee Rights Legal Group. For me, being the owner of a small business that is involved in law and client representation, there is almost no time that I can be cut off from everyone. I do not have the option to leave my work at my office my clients have my phone number and Im available around the clock to give legal help. If there are any developments in a case, I have an ethical duty to report such to my clients. Its more than just the nature of the work for me this is rooted in my dedication to my clients and its always been a part of my personality to go above and beyond what some might consider the standard duty expected of them. As such, I have learned to accept that working on the weekends happens sometimes, and it allows me to continue growing my business as Ive done for some time. Further, when I have to go in to the office on a weekend, I find the atmosphere more calming and relaxing I can get more done because there is virtually no hustle and bustle, no distractions, no phones ringing except my own. Ive needed to go prepare cases for trial and gather all sorts of documents to be mailed out, and coming in to the office on weekends makes it a simple taskon Monday. There is no rush and I can be confident that nothing is missing.On the other hand, I believe some workers should always establish boundaries on working weekends. Constantly being asked to come in for overtime can be draining, especially if the amount of work can be completed during the week. Many of my employees are in the office for nine hours a day, and I understand how important it is for them to go home, recharge, participate in their hobbies, and spend time with their friends and famil ies.9. Itcan be fun.My work spills over onthe weekends due to the fact that part of my job is managing social media, saysAlexandra Donlin, a marketing assistant. Since social media doesnt turn off on the weekends, that means Im posting on Saturdays and Sundays. This is totally fine with me because I love my job Its also a very minimal part of my weekend, so I still have plenty of time to decompress and unplug. I do also answer any urgent and important emails on weekends because I want to maintain a good relationship with my clients. If they need something done ASAP, Ill get it done.10. It can be tamer.I work for myself as a freelance writer and blogger, says Tracer Kaler. I often work on weekends because my inbox isnt flooded and I tend to take a break from social media so I can get writing projects finished. I dont love it, but I dont mind it so much either since I work for myself. I would not want to work weekends for anyone else--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solotravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.