6 ms·

Really, I just want a 9-to-5, instead of a 9-to-8 + "oh hey quick question" notification from Slack at 11.

by chris_7 10y ago

jboggan 10y ago
Don't answer.
- mistersquid 10y ago
  I've taken to signing out of Slack on my mobile phone every evening and signing back in in the morning. Works like a charm.
  - TomMarius 10y ago
    I simply don't have slack on my personal mobile phone. Works even better.
    - mistersquid 10y ago
      That does work even better. In my case, my personal and work mobile phones are one the same (company pays for data), so I'm expected to be at least Slack-responsive during business hours.
      - TomMarius 10y ago
        Same in my case, but 99% when I'm able to respond during business hours, I'm sitting in front of a computer. If it's an emergency, a phone call is more suitable anyways. Sure there was this one time when I had to use Slack from my phone browser (set to desktop mode), but it's a small sacrifice.
mjfl 10y ago
Seriously, 9-5 is the dream. This article is so filled with naive melodrama. Does this person realize how much effort it takes to kill, pluck, and dress a single chicken? to grow a single ear of corn? Things you might eat in a single meal? Someone has to "slave" themselves away to grow that for you. They can't just quit and become a poet, if they did the author would starve. That attitude is the definition of childish because it always assumes that someone is going to be there to provide for you, whether it is the state, some rich patron, or your actual parents.
- lapsock 10y ago
  No, you just lack breadth in your understanding of life. People have different personalities, Bukowski clearly had a personality that caused him to despise the 9-5 work environment. He grww up with people telling him if he didn't work 9-5 he would be a dirty bum hippie. That explains his hatred for the 9-5.
  - damontal 10y ago
    Well he was kind of a dirty bum.
    - intrasight 10y ago
      And a dirty old man
- chillwaves 10y ago
  You do realize that efficiencies in agriculture means our country alone has more than the capacity to feed the entire world? Second consideration, no one opts in to capitalism. You are simply born into a situation with scarce access to natural resources (fenced off by the rich and powerful). Now, it only seems fair to me that a person has to ability to opt out, if we wanted to level the playing field between workers and owners. That is the price of civilization.
  - mjfl 10y ago
    So who's going to grow your food while you "opt out"?
    - nothrabannosir 10y ago
      The people who labeled the earth we were given as their property, and who deny us access to it? I'm a staunch free market supporter, but OP is right: you're lucky if you like this competitive society we were born in. If you don't like our rules, we screw you. You can't just up and move to a fertile plot of land without anyone bothering you, anymore. The least we can do is recognize that.
Swizec 10y ago
Turns out that if you create an excuse to leave on time (kids, gym class, whatever), people will generally let you leave on time and won't question it. If you disable notifications you won't feel the urge to reply to messages. You can't reply to what you can't see. If anyone questions your loyalty, explain that jobs come and go, but you [and your family etc] are forever. If they keep pushing, explain that you will gladly behave like a cofounder in exchange for a paltry 20% stake in the company. They usually leave you alone after that. Caveat: this only works if you're good at what you do and difficult to replace.
- learc83 10y ago
  I managed to do it when I was a lowly Geek Squad employee during college. I always had an excuse prepared ahead of time in case someone asked me to stay late, and I was just generally prepared to say no to ridiculous requests.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- flukus 10y ago
  > Caveat: this only works if you're good at what you do and difficult to replace. So it only works for a minority of people then. I'd also say "or difficult to replace", the ones that are good at what they do tend to make themselves replaceable.
  - Swizec 10y ago
    You'd be surprised. Just knowing how the org works and knowing the internal lingo makes you really annoying to replace. Onboarding people takes a lot of time and effort. Finding ones you're even willing to onboard is even harder. But if you're just stacking boxes, you might not have enough leverage. Everyone who reads HN probably has enough leverage to set boundaries.
    - TheSmiddy 10y ago
      "Everyone who reads HN probably has enough leverage to set boundaries." I'm reading this at work while installing windows updates on a desktop PC for a client, don't be so sure.
losteric 10y ago
I realize it really depends on individual situations, but let me just say this: I have no problems managing a 9-5:30 work-life at Amazon. Employers, customers, and coworkers tend to overestimate the importance of their issue. Employees tend to underestimate how much they can push back, prioritize, or say "no". The answer is not long working hours. If everyone is accustomed to your 9-8 work hours, it might take time to roll back... but it can be done. And if your company refuses to give you a reasonable work-life balance? Leave.
Vinkekatten 10y ago
Hell, I love my 9-5 dev job in government sector. Almost never overtime, decent pay, great colleagues and I get enough say and time to shape my work a little.

Really, I just want a 9-to-5, instead of a 9-to-8 + "oh hey quick question" notification from Slack at 11.

by chris_7 10y ago

Really, I just want a 9-to-5, instead of a 9-to-8 + "oh hey quick question" notification from Slack at 11.

jboggan 10y ago

Don't answer.

mistersquid 10y ago
I've taken to signing out of Slack on my mobile phone every evening and signing back in in the morning. Works like a charm.
- TomMarius 10y ago
  I simply don't have slack on my personal mobile phone. Works even better.
  - mistersquid 10y ago
    That does work even better. In my case, my personal and work mobile phones are one the same (company pays for data), so I'm expected to be at least Slack-responsive during business hours.
    - TomMarius 10y ago
      Same in my case, but 99% when I'm able to respond during business hours, I'm sitting in front of a computer. If it's an emergency, a phone call is more suitable anyways. Sure there was this one time when I had to use Slack from my phone browser (set to desktop mode), but it's a small sacrifice.

mjfl 10y ago

Seriously, 9-5 is the dream. This article is so filled with naive melodrama. Does this person realize how much effort it takes to kill, pluck, and dress a single chicken? to grow a single ear of corn? Things you might eat in a single meal? Someone has to "slave" themselves away to grow that for you. They can't just quit and become a poet, if they did the author would starve. That attitude is the definition of childish because it always assumes that someone is going to be there to provide for you, whether it is the state, some rich patron, or your actual parents.

lapsock 10y ago
No, you just lack breadth in your understanding of life. People have different personalities, Bukowski clearly had a personality that caused him to despise the 9-5 work environment. He grww up with people telling him if he didn't work 9-5 he would be a dirty bum hippie. That explains his hatred for the 9-5.
- damontal 10y ago
  Well he was kind of a dirty bum.
  - intrasight 10y ago
    And a dirty old man
chillwaves 10y ago
You do realize that efficiencies in agriculture means our country alone has more than the capacity to feed the entire world? Second consideration, no one opts in to capitalism. You are simply born into a situation with scarce access to natural resources (fenced off by the rich and powerful). Now, it only seems fair to me that a person has to ability to opt out, if we wanted to level the playing field between workers and owners. That is the price of civilization.
- mjfl 10y ago
  So who's going to grow your food while you "opt out"?
  - nothrabannosir 10y ago
    The people who labeled the earth we were given as their property, and who deny us access to it? I'm a staunch free market supporter, but OP is right: you're lucky if you like this competitive society we were born in. If you don't like our rules, we screw you. You can't just up and move to a fertile plot of land without anyone bothering you, anymore. The least we can do is recognize that.

Swizec 10y ago

Turns out that if you create an excuse to leave on time (kids, gym class, whatever), people will generally let you leave on time and won't question it. If you disable notifications you won't feel the urge to reply to messages. You can't reply to what you can't see. If anyone questions your loyalty, explain that jobs come and go, but you [and your family etc] are forever. If they keep pushing, explain that you will gladly behave like a cofounder in exchange for a paltry 20% stake in the company. They usually leave you alone after that. Caveat: this only works if you're good at what you do and difficult to replace.

learc83 10y ago
I managed to do it when I was a lowly Geek Squad employee during college. I always had an excuse prepared ahead of time in case someone asked me to stay late, and I was just generally prepared to say no to ridiculous requests.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
flukus 10y ago
> Caveat: this only works if you're good at what you do and difficult to replace. So it only works for a minority of people then. I'd also say "or difficult to replace", the ones that are good at what they do tend to make themselves replaceable.
- Swizec 10y ago
  You'd be surprised. Just knowing how the org works and knowing the internal lingo makes you really annoying to replace. Onboarding people takes a lot of time and effort. Finding ones you're even willing to onboard is even harder. But if you're just stacking boxes, you might not have enough leverage. Everyone who reads HN probably has enough leverage to set boundaries.
  - TheSmiddy 10y ago
    "Everyone who reads HN probably has enough leverage to set boundaries." I'm reading this at work while installing windows updates on a desktop PC for a client, don't be so sure.

losteric 10y ago

I realize it really depends on individual situations, but let me just say this: I have no problems managing a 9-5:30 work-life at Amazon. Employers, customers, and coworkers tend to overestimate the importance of their issue. Employees tend to underestimate how much they can push back, prioritize, or say "no". The answer is not long working hours. If everyone is accustomed to your 9-8 work hours, it might take time to roll back... but it can be done. And if your company refuses to give you a reasonable work-life balance? Leave.

Vinkekatten 10y ago

Hell, I love my 9-5 dev job in government sector. Almost never overtime, decent pay, great colleagues and I get enough say and time to shape my work a little.