Report: One-third of tech workers admit to working only 3 to 4 hours a day

“How many real hours of work do you put in each day?”

That was posited in a survey by Blind, a community platform where workers can anonymously post replies to survey questions and review their employers.

The thing is, it’s a fraught question during a time when people say they are still working longer hours than they did before the pandemic upended businesses of all kinds. Those who are lucky enough to still have jobs have reported that they’re logging many more hours when working remotely (thanks, in part, to not having a commute or anywhere to go), and essential workers are putting in longer hours as retail and healthcare facilities have experienced surges in demand for services. All this has boosted productivity—alongside anxiety and burnout—particularly for women in tech who are not only working more hours than ever while also handling caregiving, but fear that the extra time spent on the job won’t translate to keeping their position.

Apparently, they’re not among the 31% of professionals from 42 tech companies who weighed in on the question on Blind’s survey and said they’re only putting in between three and four hours a day. Additionally, the survey found, 27% of tech professionals said they work five to six hours a day, and 11% reported only working one to two hours per day. In contrast, 30% said they work between seven and 10 hours per day.

The survey did not ask the workers to self-report productivity, which we know is very different for everyone.

Although the responses within the companies surveyed were anecdotal, one Amazon employee commented, “Amazon requires at least 10 hours a day, with exceptions and maybe less work on Fridays or more work on weekends. I’m working way more during COVID-19, calendar’s full back to back, leadership is asking for more.” Meanwhile, a professional at Facebook reported, “If meetings count then 9-10. If they do not…<1,” bearing out the fact that the pandemic has not impacted everyone equally.