{"id":2405,"date":"2022-03-11T20:03:55","date_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:03:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=2405"},"modified":"2022-03-11T20:03:55","modified_gmt":"2022-03-11T20:03:55","slug":"bankers-hours-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/bankers-hours-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Bankers Hours - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Are you looking for a way to describe a short workday? If so, you could say that you're working \"bankers hours<\/em>.\" This post unpacks the origin and meaning of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The meaning of the expression \"bankers hours<\/em>\" is short working hours. For instance, you start at 9 am and finish at 3 pm, which is the typical operating hours of a bank.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The phrase describes a workday that starts late and ends early, giving you more time in the evening and afternoon to enjoy your after-work activities or hang out with friends and family.<\/p>\n

When people talk about banker hours<\/em>, they're referring to a lifestyle of working less than 25-hours a week. Some people may use the expression to refer to people taking a half-day from work or working on a contract where they only come into the office for a few hours each day.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\"I got a new sales job and its shift-work. We only have to go into the office for five hours a day, and I feel like I'm working bankers hours<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

\"Jim is working bankers hours<\/em> today; he has a doctor's appointment to remove his cast at 3pm this afternoon.\"<\/p>\n

\"I wish I had a job where I could work bankers' hours<\/em>. Right now, I'm working 9\/9\/6, and it's killing my energy and mental health.\"<\/p>\n

\"Does the sales department ever do any work? I never see them in the office; it's like they're working bankers hours<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n

\"I'm envious of those professionals that get to work bankers hours<\/em> while we slave away nine to five.\"<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of \"bankers hours<\/em>\" comes from the banking industry. From the 1800s to the late 1900s, banks would open to the public from 10 am to 3 pm. Banks would open late and close early to balance the daily transactions in time to allow employees to go home at 5 pm.<\/p>\n

However, times changed as the financial system went digital. Banks now extend hours up to 4 pm, with some opening as early as 9 am. The phrase moved into the social culture, describing any job requiring minimal hours a week.<\/p>\n

By the 1980s, it was common for people to work a \"9 to 5<\/em>\" job entailing 40-hours a week. \"bankers hours\" would refer to jobs requiring 25-hours or less a week. The phrase is still common in modern language, and you probably hear it from time to time or use it yourself.<\/p>\n