HOW "TRUE" ARE JW HOURS ? (page 2)

ignorance is strength

I know that many people incluse coffee break into 45 min then round it off to a full hour. The problem is that people don't really see an incentive to it... it doesn't make you feel good especially since you knock on empty doors all the time.

arancia

I can say in all honesty that I was always very correct and scruple with the hours ,so they were true. But I got very disappointed when I find out even ministerial servents abused the system and got away with every thing.Never came in mine mind to take such advantage.My husband & I have had (almost in the same time )a major operation that keep it us sick for sometimes and we could not go out in service.To make symple again,when we returned to our meetings my husband lost the privileges,for have been inactive. Did I prove my point? ARANCIA

jws

I don't remember fudging entirely. I wouldn't report 10 hours if I only went out 2 mornings. But, I do remember sort of "rounding up" quite a bit. I'd generally count time from the moment we left the service meeting until I got home. I might take out a coffee break, but I'd round down the minutes. A 20 minute coffee break became 15. I was always afraid somebody else might be keeping score and I'd get caught.

I do think I lied about the magazines at times. Like maybe my brother and I were at the door and we placed a set. We'd each count 2 magazines.

But that was just me. I think on the whole there's been more pressure to do more, but fewer and fewer mental rewards for your efforts. Eventually you burn out and can't do more, but the pressure is still there so you get pushed into lying. Once you do, it gets easier and easier. You realize that doing all that work just isn't worth it if you can get away with just saying you did the work.

I keep hearing of signs. Congregations merging (because of dropping figures), circuits, and even districts merging. Yet the figures usually climb every year. How? Lying?

Big Tex

HOW "TRUE" ARE JW HOURS ?

Not very. One year ago, the secretary in Nina's congregation asked for her time. When she said she hadn't been out in service for several months, the elder said, "Well do you read the Bible with your children?" When she said yes, the elder said, "See? That's 4 hours right there. I'll put you down for that." and he promptly hung up.

He hasn't called back since then (neither has any other elder). I can only deduce that Nina is still a regular publisher getting in 4 hours a month even though she hasn't been at meetings since June 2002.

Undecided

It's been 30 years since I was in service, but I can't remember anyone not being accurate with their time. We never took a break at some fast food place. The time in service did include sitting in the car while someone else was taking his turn out in the country, we loved the country service as we only had to go to the door every fourth or fifth time, depending on how many were in the car.

I see them at McDonalds sometimes now though. The urgency factor is gone since the 1914 date has changed and the young pubs arn't interested in door pounding anymore, so said an old timer in the congregation here. So to please the borg. I guess they do fake service time.

Ken P.

Dimples

Not accurate at all. I know some who would count time to sit for an hour stuffing their faces with doughnuts and coffee. Oh, this is a good one, let's not forget counting time for stopping and browsing at garage sales.

Dimples

minimus

My wife's friend told her yesterday that the car group will regularly visit with an elderly person. My wife asked her, "Do they count their time?". She said, "I don't know about them, but if I'm out in service, I count EVERYTHING, even break time."....She regularly aux. pioneers throughout the year......There's no such thing as "TRUE" JW HOURS.

SM62

I've never lied about my hours. If I did 20 hours, I'd say so. If one month I did one hour, I'd put that down too.

I know some people that do sort of round them up. I know my husband NEVER lies about his hours. If anything, he will round down rather than round up.

I suppose all JWs are individuals. Just because some congregations fiddle their hours, it doesn't mean they all do.

Having said that, the hours spent door to door are pretty worthless. All my husband does is record not-homes for about 3 hours every Saturday and Sunday. In your average 3-hour stretch, he may get to speak to 2 or 3 people. He would be better off staying at home and talking to me

Terri

Room 215

In my experience, it isn't so much that JWs lie outright about the number of hours spent; it's more that they diddle away the time by a variety of slow-motion tactics, i.e., riding around aimlessly, two or three sitting in a car while one or two others do a ``return visit," slow walking, standing immobile in a parking lot or street corner for hours, stopping for overlong coffee breaks, standing around the corner chatting or checking the territory map. And then, when they work in pairs, both count the time, in effect cutting the per-hour productivity in half. If JWs were as unproductive on their jobs as they are in "Jehovah's work," they would be in danger of being fired.

calamityjane

I would lie about my hours, just to get the hounds off my back.

cj

HOW "TRUE" ARE JW HOURS ?

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