Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

Lynne Level 1

June 30, 2016, 2:19 pm

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Are most of the people on this website working full time for themselves or freelancing full time?

How long have you worked for yourself and would you ever be able to go back to a "normal" 9-5 office job?

What would you struggle with if you were forced to go and work for someone else again?

I know for me the big thing would be having to put my kids into full time day care again. It would crush me to have to do that.

The other big problem I would have is having to ask to leave if the day care called me to say my kids are sick. I don't have to ask anyone anything any more. So asking for a day off or to leave early to look after my kids wouldn't sit well with me.

The other problem is that our standard family responsibility leave here in South Africa is 3 days a year. Can you imagine getting by on that? I have not worked for a boss for nearly 10 years and never while I have had children. Kids are sick all the time, how do parents manage?

Just one tummy bug for one kid once and all that leave is gone! I know some of my friends that are parents have a huge struggle with their work because of sick kids. Some of them are worried they may lose their jobs.

I would lose my job for sure if a boss gave me grief over taking time off to look after my sick kids. I would probably shoot my mouth off!

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CryptoGuru

I honestly do not think I could go back to working for someone else. But if I absolutely had to, then I could suck it up and do it!! LOL I like being home with my wife and children anyways. It gives me more of an opportunity to help my wife with raising them and keeping up with the house. And plus I do not get to miss any milestones that my children hit! Also, there is no way I would want to put my kids into a daycare either, like Lynne said, being scared that a job might fire me or I may not have enough time to take off because my kids are sick, is just craziness!!

10 years ago

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Everett

It does seem crazy that you may get fired if your kids get sick. What if the kids have cancer? Companies are so insensitive that they will rather focus on profit than programs within the company to help families of those that may have these kind of illnesses. It's just utterly despicable. It turns my stomach when people are fired or laid off due to life threatening illnesses. The employee never asked for, nor called upon for such illness however some companies simply don't care and want to replace the ill as soon as possible. I understand the company needs healthy employees, but firing someone due to an illness like I mentioned above is inhuman I think.

10 years ago

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Lynne

Yes that is true Everett. However I had an employee once,... ok it was the worst mistake of my business career so far lol but I won't go into that now...but my business is small, like it is only me. I hired one employee. A single mother. Her son got tonsillitis 11 times in one year. She had so much time off that it damaged my business financially. The cost of that can be crippling for a small business.

I never would have let that influence her employment and I didn't but it really was a problem for me.

I do think it is very different with large companies though.

10 years ago

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Beverly

And, this is why I'm such a huge fan of outsourcing (that is where you assign tasks to your employee who then does the job from their own location, such as home, not the office).
Though some businesses you can't do that. For instance, if you are running a local gift shop, the employee has to be on premises. Unfortunately for a shop clerk type employee (someone who is dealing one on one in person with customers), they really do have to be on the job site, not at home to help the customer.

After 11 absenses, I would have to question whether or not your employee was right for that specific job task. It's unfortunate her child was having so many illnesses in that one year, but at some point you really do have to think what is best for your own business, if you really want to stay in business.

The woman you hired might have been better in a position where she could telecommute from home, such as bookkeeper or administrative assistant and in that way she could be more readily available for her child's needs.

10 years ago

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Lynne

Well she is no longer with me and the difficulty with her sick child is something that I will happily deal with. However there were later problems that have put me off ever employing another person again as long as I live.

The problem I had was that I did open up a little shop with an office at the back, so I needed her there.

I will outsource one day if I get too much work to handle on my own.

10 years ago

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Lynne

The thing is that I am sure I would be fired if I worked for someone now. I would get so angry and resentful having to "suck it up" that I am sure at some stage my mouth would take over....

10 years ago

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augusta

I don't intend to for now.my kids are still very young and I know I need to just take few years off to be with them.So I might return someday but definitely not now.

9 years ago

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Everett

If I had to with no other choice, probably. Would I want to? Probably not. There is nothing really "out there" in the old, "9 to 5" world that really intringes me. I love working online, truly. I can not see myself slaving from day to day at a 9 to 5. I feel more empowered when I work as a freelancer, marketer, or whatever else title you'd want to give me.

I also believe the old job system is dying. More and more people are trying to work remote these days. People are getting tired of the same old working stress, days, commute, scheduling, holidays, and other negative aspects of working at a 9 to 5. So for me, i would try my absolute hardest not to work at a 9 to 5.

Do what makes you happy, live your life.. it's YOUR life.. not your 9 to 5 bosses.

10 years ago

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Lynne

Yes I feel the same way. I don't think any normal job will ever appeal to me again, no matter how well paid it is.

10 years ago

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CryptoGuru

I agree but sadly it does happen! Thanks for the reply!!

10 years ago

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EliteWriter

I totally agree with you. When you have kids you cannot manage to work on a full time basis with so little leave. As you said kids are often sick, and there are other issues too such as timing when to leave home to arrive to work in time, and still manage to pick up the kids in time. It is too hectic for my liking. I have got used to this now and would not imagine going back to work at a normal 9 to 5 job unless it was really impossible to keep up with day to day expenses.

10 years ago

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Lynne

Yes and I can only imagine the stress of trying to dress a 2 year old and still get to work on time. Some mornings I have my kids at play school at a normal time, other days I only manage to get there at 8h30am, imagine I had an office job? I think I would be late more than once a week...

10 years ago

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ajlancer

Hi ?Lynne thanks for your such importance question. I know you are very busy person in personal and profession. Especially when you are becoming as mom duties beside general work. It is a big responsibility not only for a mom but also a father. As a full time freelancer I am not giving much time for my family but I can realize what a hard working have to do by my wife? I understand your scenario it is very difficult to do 9-5 normal office job. But, my parts is something different and you may know I have been working as outsource contractors over 7 years and it is my complete profession and normally I working in office for long. So, for look after of my family and my son most to the responsibility has taken my wife. I just supporting from back.

Regards by Ajlancer

10 years ago

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Lynne

Yes that is true Ajlancer, but I am sure if your wife and children needed you home for something you would make a plan to be there and you would have a lot more flexibility than if you had a boss!

10 years ago

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CryptoGuru

Absolutely not! lol i was working 60-70 hours a week just making ends meet, now i work 10-15 hours a week and i make the same. When you have kids working for yourself or from home is a must. i couldn't imagine having to go back to a commute and working away from them all day. Plus 9-5 jobs don't pay much unless you have a degree, OR more years in experience than you been alive. Working to make someone else rich is crazy we are all humans we have it in us to create a job for ourselves. This post makes me appreciate where i am and what i have become!

10 years ago

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Lynne

Yes I agree with you there. I look now at other families with both parents slaving away to make ends meet and their kids sitting on day care from 7am to 6pm every day and I really feel awful for them.

Yes my kids go to day care so I can have a quick break every morning and some peace and quiet to get some work done... they also get some interaction with their peers in the morning which they love. Then they come home for lunch and mommy time.

I really agree with you there Jkeyz2 it is important to take a step back and really appreciate what you have in life, you will probably find yourself a happier person doing this regularly simply because you probably have it better than 90% of the people in this world as do I. Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

10 years ago

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TommyCarey

I honestly don't think I could. I've had a taste of freedom over the last 10+ years and I never want to go back Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

I actually got laid off from my last job and that's when I started to go full time online. I was working online for a few years prior to being laid off, but I was never doing 10+ hours a day. It was normally a couple hours a night trying to learn how to do stuff Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

If I were to be put in a 9 to 5 job I'd probably get fired for telling a manager how to do stuff. I would always butt heads with the managers at my last 9 to 5 because I think they all had an IQ of 60 or lower Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

They would constantly ask me for help and how to do stuff, but if I were to chime in when they didn't ask, it was all out war lmao.

So no, I can't imagine myself going back to a 9 to 5 since I've been a CEO for the last 10+ years at the company I founded. I would go crazy watching people do stuff and I couldn't tell them they were wrong. I also don't like slackers and I'm sure I would be with a ton of them knowing my luck Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

10 years ago

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Lynne

Razzy I just laughed out load when you said you would be telling the managers how to do things. I totally get what you mean by slackers. Every company I have worked for have had a nice load of those and I think that is what makes us able to do what we do. I don't slack off. I work my ass off.

10 years ago

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hitmeasap

I work full time online. I've been doing this for the past few years. I believe it's 4 or 5 years now. I can't tell exactly as I've worked with friends and such a bit here and there during this time. However, I would go back to a 9-5 job.. And I've had thoughts of doing that multiple times already. Mainly because of my income. I find it hard to generate enough income a couple of months per year and those hard times are often extremely hard.. I've had months during my career when I've earned less than $750, and still managed to pull through.. (My rent is $750.)

With that being said, the first reason I haven't quit my freelancing career is because I love working online, doing whatever I do and I feel very comfortable. I appreciate the feeling of being my own boss and it suits me well.. The second reason, is because I can't get a 9-5 job at this specific time in my life.. Due to panic disorder. I suffer from panic anxiety and I've been doing that for the last 3 years now, ever since my father died. It's a huge obstacle & it makes my life miserable at times, so I just can't get a 9-5 job at this point. But I actually wish I could, and, I truly believe I will, later on in my life, if I can't come up with some solid solutions to generate enough money online so I truly can manage the hard times that comes every now and then.

The future will tell.

Best Regards,
hitmeasap

10 years ago

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Everett

I can totally relate to the panic disorder you have. I have high anxiety at times, this is mostly due to being around people. A friend of mine suggested that it may be slight aspergers syndrome, which could totally be it. However, I have not really been diagnosed for aspergers, but I do have social anxiety.

Sometimes I get panic attacks and have to leave area that are crowed with people, even if I know all of them. It's quite odd at times. If you mix this in working with the public, then it can get progressively worse. This is another factor that I love about working online. Less anxiety!

10 years ago

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Lynne

Oh man that must be tough to handle. Have you read the book F**k It The UItimate Spiritual Way? It is a great read and might help you a bit. I read it last year and it made a massive impact on me.

Regarding mental health.... well I can certainly relate to how it impacts my life. I have bipolar disorder but I have learned how to live with it. I have learned how to manage it well but also how to manage my life according to what stage I am in.

When I am manic well I work like mad. I save up posts in drafts and leave them there for my down periods when I can barely make a cup of coffee.... then all I have to do is press publish. It is really tough at times.

Maybe I am too positive at times and sit with my head in the clouds, but I believe anything is possible if we just keep working towards our goals. Life has a way of working out.

10 years ago

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Everett

Anything is potentially possible, if you set your mind to it. You need to have the will power to accomplish basically anything. And if you don't think you have enough will power, let's just realize that we are all alive, and had the will power to make it this far. Not matter what obstacles you face in life, it'll somehow keep presenting itself to you, and you'll have no other option to overcome the obstacle.

For myself, I have gotten better with my anxiety. I actually go out to bars, or clubs and hang with friends in large crowds. Before I could never do this, and I somehow found the will power, without even trying to find any. This world works in odd ways, as does life itself. And yes, it'll all eventually work out. Could you ever go back to a 9-5 Job?

10 years ago

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Barida

I combine both my offline and freelancing work and I must say that it has not been easy working as both a freelancer as well as managing the offline duties at the office. I work more than 7 hours at my workplace and uses the freelancing work as a stepping stone in what I do.

9 years ago

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Corzhens

I still have the so called 9-to-5 job that is the source of my livelihood. My freelancing is part time and just a preparation so that I will have an occupation when I retire. Let’s say I will go full time with my freelancing because I have retired and after a year, I would be offered another 9-to-5 job, maybe I can go back as long as the pay is much better than what I am earning in my freelancing. It’s not nice to say but money is the object. When the offer is good then I will take it whether it is an office job or a freelancing job.

9 years ago

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