For US salaried developers here, a young soon-to-be employed graduate has a question...

When it comes to salaried work, is it just a matter of work "close to 40 hours but really just get your work done" or should I be trying to fill a seat for 8 hours a day even if I don't have anything to work on? And if I'm non-exempt (elligible for overtime over 40hrs), is it reasonable for me to be here 9 hours a day, or should I be capping it off at 8?

I know these are questions for my employer but it's gonna be a bit before I actually start work and I'm curious.

I usually work 9hrs a day and then 4 on fridays but it depends on the employer

@sharktits cool thanks for frame of reference

Coming from operations, I am required to work at least 40 hours a week. It would seem that most places are like this with salaried employees while a few others are "just get your work done".

Not for on the USA but I have to work forty hours a week. How I do it is up to me. If I work 16 hours on Monday I can take the day off on Friday.

@Codex404 interesting. I normally work like 6-7 hours a day a few days a week, but I'm also in school right now. I figure I'll probably work 8-9 hours a day and either take a short friday or big paycheck because of overtime

Depends on the employer. I'm salaried and work 8-430 with one hour lunch a two 15 minute breaks. Leave at 4 on Fridays during the summer. They focus on work-life balance so I rarely work outside those hours and it's only if the issue is critical, which doesn't happen often as we practice TDD.

If you’re contracted to work 40 hours, you need to work 40 hours. It’s very simple.

You’re place will either be flexitime, where can somewhat come and go as you please but must make up all your hours at the end of the month, or it’s not flexitime and you will have a start and finish times.

Your mileage will vary. Current employer wants 40 hrs/week and there’s plenty of work, but pretty lax as long as you don’t get below 36 or so and your stuffs done. Easy going about lunches too. But that is not any kind of guarantee

@Crazed just discuss with your boss about the possibilities, a lot is possible when discussing, some things may not be legal because you have to have breaks every x hours etcetera, but since I work and eat at the same time I basically skip my break and leave an hour early. But on paper I will have had the break and I will have stopped working an hour later. Just make sure that these things are always your choice and that a break can never be taken away from you if you need it.

(I skip breaks because at the end I would have worked in my break either way because of the amount of questions)