“The 9[am] to 5[pm]” is a common term for one’s regular job, on the basis that normal people start work at 09:00 and finish at 17:00. I’ve worked a few jobs and closest I’ve ever gotten to this is 08:00 to 17:00, which I gather is standard.
Are there real jobs where people actually start at 9 and finish at 5?


I work from 8:30 to 16:00 with a half-hour lunch break, so 7 work hours per day.
It’s paid as a full-time job.
If I collect too much over-time, I get a stern talking-to from my supervisor, who could otherwise get in trouble with the works council and the owners (cause they’d get in trouble with the union and the law). So I make sure to go home on time.
I have 42 days of paid time off I HAVE to take, plus unlimited sick days.
I could have made 50% more by chosing a different employer, and 3-4x as much in the US.
But why the hell would I? I’m able to save up 1/3 of my take-home pay as it is, and that’s after pension and healthcare are accounted for.
Wait wait, what type of country treats its citizens like humans?
I live in Germany, but that’s not normal here, either. I deliberately chose an employer with a strong union and high worker solidarity and was lucky enough to switch jobs when my skills were in high demand.