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When I was working, each week I regularly did 50% overtime or more, I am sure many of my colleagues did the same. ALL unpaid. This adds up to far more than 5 extra weeks a year; given I rarely took my holidays either, this adds up to nearly 25 weeks a year.
On one occasion whilst in a traffic jam on the M25, I found myself calculating the time I spent travelling to and from work and this equated to often over 5 hours a day or about 1.5 out of 3 working years, allowing for travel elsewhere.
OK, I was a workaholic, but I never reached the echalons of consultancy status, nor a bullet proof guaranteed pension. In fact quite the opposite when it comes to the latter.
My roles were to try and ensure that pharmaceutical companies worked more efficiently, ran R&D in a more effective ways, and strategically planned for the future, including portfolio planning. Large pharma still have the same issues they had many years ago, but middle and senior management are not necessarily that different to doctors with regard to pay and hours; and please remind me of any strike action they have ever taken?
If one is dedicated to one's work or wants to move up the ladder in today's world and that of the recent past, one has to work for it or be incredibly effective in quick time.
Whilst this is probably all difficult to prove, because most of us did not clock in and out. I believe it is reality.
Re: Doctors are working five unpaid extra weeks a year, claim leaders
When I was working, each week I regularly did 50% overtime or more, I am sure many of my colleagues did the same. ALL unpaid. This adds up to far more than 5 extra weeks a year; given I rarely took my holidays either, this adds up to nearly 25 weeks a year.
On one occasion whilst in a traffic jam on the M25, I found myself calculating the time I spent travelling to and from work and this equated to often over 5 hours a day or about 1.5 out of 3 working years, allowing for travel elsewhere.
OK, I was a workaholic, but I never reached the echalons of consultancy status, nor a bullet proof guaranteed pension. In fact quite the opposite when it comes to the latter.
My roles were to try and ensure that pharmaceutical companies worked more efficiently, ran R&D in a more effective ways, and strategically planned for the future, including portfolio planning. Large pharma still have the same issues they had many years ago, but middle and senior management are not necessarily that different to doctors with regard to pay and hours; and please remind me of any strike action they have ever taken?
If one is dedicated to one's work or wants to move up the ladder in today's world and that of the recent past, one has to work for it or be incredibly effective in quick time.
Whilst this is probably all difficult to prove, because most of us did not clock in and out. I believe it is reality.
What is so special about doctors?
Competing interests: No competing interests