What are the typical work hour expectations for FSQA managers in manufacturing settings?

Hi all,

Just looking for some insight, recently got turned down for a FSQA manager position (a sideways step for me, increase in pay but same responsibility) primarily because I couldn't commit to a 50 hour workweek which was apparently their standard for their managers.  Couldn't do it with a 1 1/2 year old and another one in the plans.

Just wondering what y'all see as standards/expectations for managers in a manufacturing setting.

I see mostly in the area of 55 hours. So 50 is reasonable.

I really depends on the size of the organization and how your QA department diffuses its responsibilities. 10-hour work days seem normal for a business that is establishing itself, but it seems off to me that an established operation would need the QA Manager present 10-hours a day. Even if you're a 24/7 facility, you should have QA supervisors on shift who can relay information to you. 

I would consider 40-45 hour work weeks normal with the stipulation that QA managers are available to call at basically any hour while production is running. For 24/7 facilities it's reasonable to be woken up in the middle of the night sometimes (but hopefully not often).

Like others said - depends on the size of the plant and risk of the facility. 

Current position - I work 45 hours/week plus more on busy weeks/months which is like 3/4 of the year. 45 hours is standard for all management positions. We work 5 days/week and 1 shift. So 50 hours doesn't surprise me, especially in the USA. 

I've also worked at a very small facility that was low risk. Once I had the FSMA programs put into place, I was bored sometimes at 40 hours. I could have gone down to 30 hours easily. I just did other things like help out in production to stay busy. 

In my experience...

• I've only worked at one 24/7 facility where I was expected occasional weekend work, but it was usually 40-hr weeks. 
• My prior role, I technically worked 37.5-hr weeks, but it was a small operation with one shift. The lack of knowledgeable staff meant all kinds of stuff fell on my lap, so it felt like 80-hr weeks, because I somehow became responsible for QA, maintenance, HR, and a bunch of other stuff the owner was too cheap to hire additional staff for.
• Currently I work 40-hr weeks with seasonal production. It's incredibly chill (and my skin is no longer flaking off in huge chunks).

If I was expected to be at work 50-hrs a week, the compensation and benefits better be top-notch. 25% over full-time hours better mean 25% more salary, haha.

For managers and specialists a little over 40h week average is pretty normal.  On top of that there are messages and calls occasionally at late hours and weekends to support supervisors and leads on all shifts for a 24/7 facility. 

Having the standard hours be 48+/week, it had better come with a premium benefits package, but its not unheard of.

Hi Alex,

Hours will vary from organization to organization depending on the size, hours of operation, complexity and extent of the team in support of the position. 50 hours wouldn’t be unusual if the role is considered a Senior Management position.

Also, an organization with very a small QA team is likely to expect a bigger commitment in terms of hours and also will struggle to cover members of the team taking maternity leave. Although people won’t admit to it, this is more than likely taken into consideration when considering candidates.

Kind regards,

Tony

I work at a fairly large company and our manager had a 40-hr work schedule, however it was understood that he was basically always on call and would come in early/stay late as needed. I normally will see the manager working at least 5 10-hour days per week at his own preference.

I've worked at small, medium, and large companies in QA Management, on a good day I was onsite 9 hours and 10-11 on a bad one.  Always on call though as most sites had a 24/7 schedule to cover operations and sanitation over the weekends.  Always had/have onsite support that would call after hours and walk through issues, etc.  Also compensated for the always on call aspect. 

Nothing like being at Disneyland (last day with family flying back that night) when the VP of Op's calls and says the FDA is here!  Or being at a conference and skirting out the back door to review a product disposition.  Good times and job security I say! 

Job security - yes. How did/do you balance work/life being on call always? 

I've worked at small, medium, and large companies in QA Management, on a good day I was onsite 9 hours and 10-11 on a bad one.  Always on call though as most sites had a 24/7 schedule to cover operations and sanitation over the weekends.  Always had/have onsite support that would call after hours and walk through issues, etc.  Also compensated for the always on call aspect. 

 

Nothing like being at Disneyland (last day with family flying back that night) when the VP of Op's calls and says the FDA is here!  Or being at a conference and skirting out the back door to review a product disposition.  Good times and job security I say! 

Job security - yes. How did/do you balance work/life being on call always? 

A very patient life partner and the fact that I had technicians, leads, and supervisors trained on proper protocols which didn't always require my direct oversight at the moment.  When i started with these companies calls all the time, then it tapers off to once or twice a month for a late night call once the site understands my expectations/standards for cleaning, product dispositions, holds, etc.  Also that I do not compromise on anything related to food safety which sets the tone.  

Fairly manageable actually for life/work balance.