Lucy Jane
I had this very same report about Ben in his first year. He barked from the moment I left until the moment I got home according to the neighbours - life was hell for several months with me getting stressed having to work for a living (part time) and then negotiating traffic on the way home with my eye on every red light

I invested in a cheap MP3 player so that I could record Ben for the supposed complaint made to the council. The complaint never came

Ben did bark but not for the whole 5 hours (especially as my Dad came here for the first few months) - this calmed down by the time he was 12 months so that we are now in a routine. He is left for 6 hours a day for 4 days a week without a peek other than Ben turning and settling.
I do understand that a dog barking on and off will seem constant to a stay at home neighbour but you need to hear the evidence for yourself. Get a cheap recorder and then spend fruitless hours with an earphone in

I did

Please don't panic just yet

Give Charlie a chance to learn that you only come into the room when he's quiet (ignore the impulse to go in if he's still barking) wait until he's quiet for a few seconds before announcing your return - he will learn that barking gets him nowhere
