Which is harder - a labour job or desk job?

[Ne7en]

Agree with most comments. I know that if you work at a desk, then some form of physical activity is 'needed' daily otherwise my body feels much worse than it did after a day of physical labour. Hardest job was when I shoveled snow while in school. Up at 3 AM to check for snow, then out removing 30 driveways of snow by hand all before customers wake. -30 + 30cm of snow gave me anxiety for a couple years after.

[Ashartus]

Both can be demanding, and it depends on the specific job, but in reasonable weather I always found it easier to work a 12-hour day doing physical work than a 12-hour day at my desk job (after about 9 hours I'm mentally exhausted). The desk job doesn't require exposure to extreme weather conditions though.

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

I'm mainly a desk jockey now, but a few times during the week I'll go out back and get my hands dirty working in the warehouse and yard. Remembering what it is like to drive a forklift and load up customers. It is incredibly refreshing.

Wut? I thought you were an airline pilot for some reason.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Wut? I thought you were an airline pilot for some reason.

I thought he was involved in hip-hop, just because hes bigtime.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Sliver

Wut? I thought you were an airline pilot for some reason.

I'm a certified commercial pilot, but got out of the career mode back in 2004.

Originally Posted by Locke

I thought he was involved in hip-hop, just because hes bigtime.

Pop pop!

[troutman]

What if you laboured at making desks?

[Yanda]

How are the 2 even comparable... all office people do is surf the web all day anyways, you all admit it on here.

[Kybosh]

Whichever job I'm doing at the time is hardest. I live in the now and complain like no tomorrow.

[You Need a Thneed]

Originally Posted by Yanda

How are the 2 even comparable... all office people do is surf the web all day anyways, you all admit it on here.

It's more tiring than you think.

[Puppet Guy]

Originally Posted by troutman

What if you laboured at making desks?

...or went into labour on/under a desk?

[Huntingwhale]

Labour jobs are for the poor and unwashed.
Desk jobs are for the wealthy and educated.

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by Huntingwhale

Labour jobs are for the poor and unwashed.
Desk jobs are for the wealthy and educated.

Anyone remember the episode of Frasier with the plumber that went to school with Frasier and his brother?

[Hanna Sniper]

There's a big difference between working hard and hard labour.

[V]

I couldn't survive doing hard labour like my brother, who's a framer, but he would go insane if he tried to do my job.

People are wired differently and each would consider the other job a lot harder than the other.

Of course, days like today that I spend golfing in the sun are about as easy as they get.

[HPLovecraft]

Personally, I find desk jobs wear on me like nothing else. I can take the physical strain of labour; in fact, I almost like the feeling of some hard, honest, heavy work. I go home with a feeling of accomplishment. My mind and body feel stimulated. On the other hand, when working behind a desk, I often end up feeling like just one of the hive. Maybe if I were upper management or something I'd feel differently.

Anyway, point being, I oddly enough feel more purpose when I am out lobster fishing on the East Coast than when I am behind a desk for IBM fixing computers remotely.

[NuclearFart]

Which pays more? That's your answer.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by V

I couldn't survive doing hard labour like my brother, who's a framer, but he would go insane if he tried to do my job.

People are wired differently and each would consider the other job a lot harder than the other.

Of course, days like today that I spend golfing in the sun are about as easy as they get.

Framing is hard labour?

What is your definition of hard labour?

For most trades, generally, they are paid to both do some minor physical work ( ie move material X from point A to point B) and then install it correctly. It is my opinion that unless the 'carrying' part is well over 50% of your job, it isn't 'hard labour'.

Now, there are grunts who could be hauling plywood or other materials all day that I would consider to be hard labour, but I wouldn't consider them framers.

[normtwofinger]

Desk jobs are easier for sure. One reason why is pay.

In an everyday office job, would your boss ever hold back some of your pay because he/she doesn't think you did enough work to earn it? We get held back hours of work all the time, on a whim of the boss.

Some construction companies don't pay proper overtime and vacation/holdiday pay. And it's easy to say, report them and go find another company to work for, but there is not much choice right now with the economy. Would this happen in an office job? No.

[Yanda]

Originally Posted by V

Of course, days like today that I spend golfing in the sun are about as easy as they get.

See.. this here makes your entire arguement invalid. It doesnt matter how "mentally" tired you claim to be after work.

[shermanator]

Slightly off topic, but I have numerous mechanic friends who use the term "c**t hair" as a unit of measurement. Is this frequently used throughout all trades or just some?

I'd love to be able to infuse this into my daily office job...."Your JIBs were off by a c**t hair"