5 ms·

Why can't your job be one of those? Why do your employers feel entitled to free labor?

by s73v3r 11y ago

johnward 11y ago
Because that is the expectation in the US for any salaried employee.
maximilianburke 11y ago
I can't speak to the others but my mind will often continue chewing on problems when I'm outside of work, like if I'm driving home, over dinner, etc. There's also a nagging bit that says "the wife and kids are asleep, there's nothing stopping you from sending those emails/working on the fixes you were looking at earlier". Then one email becomes four, a feature is completed/tested/checked in, and it's midnight. It's not that my employer feels entitled to free labor, it's that my brain can't stop thinking about work. My job has somehow become my hobby.
- TranquilMarmot 11y ago
  This happens to me, too... I'll have a problem that gets stuck in my head that I can't stop thinking about. In the car... making dinner... exercising... the whole time it's there, in my head, hanging over me. Sometimes to take my mind off of it I go work on other programming projects, but I am worried about burnout from programming 70+ hours a week. I've looked for other hobbies, but so far programming is the only one that I thoroughly enjoy and can stick to for an extended amount of time.
reddit_clone 11y ago
Can't avoid it sometimes with distributed teams. I have a meeting at 3:30 AM Pacific tomorrow morning (I kid you not) because there are people in the meeting from 5 wildly different timezones (and I drew the short straw since I am the only one in Pacific timezone)!
- Symbiote 11y ago
  UK law requires a minimum 11 hour break between working periods. I'm not sure how that situation would work (it's rare, given the UK's timezone). A friend in Sweden is sometimes on call overnight, but is expected to sleep. If he's called, he gets the rest of the day off, because of Sweden's implementation of the EU law these rules implement.
- s73v3r 11y ago
  Right, but why would you work free overtime for that? Re-arrange your work day so the meeting is during it.

Why can't your job be one of those? Why do your employers feel entitled to free labor?

by s73v3r 11y ago

Why can't your job be one of those? Why do your employers feel entitled to free labor?

johnward 11y ago

Because that is the expectation in the US for any salaried employee.

maximilianburke 11y ago

I can't speak to the others but my mind will often continue chewing on problems when I'm outside of work, like if I'm driving home, over dinner, etc. There's also a nagging bit that says "the wife and kids are asleep, there's nothing stopping you from sending those emails/working on the fixes you were looking at earlier". Then one email becomes four, a feature is completed/tested/checked in, and it's midnight. It's not that my employer feels entitled to free labor, it's that my brain can't stop thinking about work. My job has somehow become my hobby.

TranquilMarmot 11y ago
This happens to me, too... I'll have a problem that gets stuck in my head that I can't stop thinking about. In the car... making dinner... exercising... the whole time it's there, in my head, hanging over me. Sometimes to take my mind off of it I go work on other programming projects, but I am worried about burnout from programming 70+ hours a week. I've looked for other hobbies, but so far programming is the only one that I thoroughly enjoy and can stick to for an extended amount of time.

reddit_clone 11y ago

Can't avoid it sometimes with distributed teams. I have a meeting at 3:30 AM Pacific tomorrow morning (I kid you not) because there are people in the meeting from 5 wildly different timezones (and I drew the short straw since I am the only one in Pacific timezone)!

Symbiote 11y ago
UK law requires a minimum 11 hour break between working periods. I'm not sure how that situation would work (it's rare, given the UK's timezone). A friend in Sweden is sometimes on call overnight, but is expected to sleep. If he's called, he gets the rest of the day off, because of Sweden's implementation of the EU law these rules implement.
s73v3r 11y ago
Right, but why would you work free overtime for that? Re-arrange your work day so the meeting is during it.