I found the issue, the game was freezing, and since i leave my browser at home running, i kept forgetting to close the tab, so i was seeing '10 hours' when in fact the production had already completed.
I would do the 8 hour option, however my job doesnt have a set schedule (im an understudy for a Resource Management consultant firm actually, difference between me and an intern is interns dont usually end up covered in poison ivy, animal waste, and wasp/bee stings at the end of the day) Some days i work 10 hours, some days i work 14, i typically choose the 24 hour options because i know i wont work later than 11pm, so setting the 24 hour cycle at 2 am means i will be sure to be home for it. I dont always have cell reception when on site at the jobs, since a lot of the jobs are in the middle of nowhere.
My only continuing issues are my defensive troops vanishing, and being attacked upwards of 20 times in a single day. I get plundering is an important part of the game, but as i said, i just got really unlucky with my first neighbor, and ended up as on of the bottom 10 players, with about 40 or so who use plundering as a farming system.
Tactically, its intelligent, it reduces over all cost for the attacker in terms of goods production, unfortunately, until i unlock Processions (im only 7 dye short) i can advance no further tech wise. (then i need archers to unlock military tactics)
I seem to have gained a slight reprieve however, since its been almost 5 hours since the last attack on my Langendorn city. Perhaps some of those who were plundering me hadn't realized i was getting hit so hard so often, and saw this.