5 ms·

New grads need to realize $100k/yr gross (~$70k net) at 100 hr/wk is ~ $13.50/hr net. So either get a better comp. package or refuse to work like a slave.

heartbreak 9y ago
Yeah I think I’d start with 100hr/wk being absurd. I’ve worked at startups and 50 was an unusually high number of hours for a given week.
kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago
Most new grads (or employees in general) are NOT working 100 hrs a week, even in startups.
- ben-schaaf 9y ago
  Anecdote, but I currently work ~40 hours at a startup during holidays as an undergrad.
foota 9y ago
I'm a new grad. My comp package is a -bit- cushier than that at 40 hrs/wk
mehwoot 9y ago
Who the hell works 100 hours a week? 14 hours a day, every day of the week?
- brianwawok 9y ago
  * lowers head in shame Actually maybe only 80. Foundin is hard.
- vvanders 9y ago
  Most of the gamedev industry for starters. Did many 80-90hr weeks for 3+ month periods. Back when I was making 35k/yr in Seattle I did the math and could have doubled my take-home working a min-wage job at the hours I was putting in.
  - dahart 9y ago
    I've done 80 sustained for long periods multiple times (3mos - 9mos), in both film and games, over two decades. In my experience, more than 80 is quite rare in both industries, and less than half ever get above 70. There simply isn't much time left to do more for any length of time. At 80 hours/wk, you eat, sleep, and work, and that's it. More than 80 and you're cutting into sleep. One guy I know pulled over 100 for a couple months, but we was definitely sleeping inhumanly low amounts, and was taking prescription drugs to stay awake. The last game studio I worked at measured actual work hours and noted a significant discrepancy between what people thought they worked and what they actually worked. A lot of people over-estimate their load during crunch. Maybe they factor in commutes, maybe they just over-estimate, but a lot of people that though they worked 80 were only in the building for ~60-65. Some people who thought (or at least said) they were pulling 45-50 were actually working 35. Maybe the mental stress of crunch adds phantom hours.
    - jermaustin1 9y ago
      I consider commuting as part of my working hours. If I'm driving to a client, it is billable time, if I'm using public transit it is a reimbursed fare plus I do work on the train/bus for them or another client (so it's billable). Commuting especially in heavily congested cities should be calculated as part of your "work hours". If not to increase your pay, so you know what your hourly rate actually is.
      - dahart 9y ago
        That is great if you can bill for or otherwise count your commute hours. In film and games, that is sadly not the case for any studio I've ever seen. Work hours are usually defined as being physically in the building working on the production. In some studios, lunch is even deducted. If your commute is an hour each way on top of an 80 hour work week, it just means you're away from home 90+ hours per week. I've done this, and it really sucks, there is zero time for family life, social life, exercise or hobbies during the crunch. Even before we get to niceties like everyone counting commutes as working hours in dense cities, it would be great if we could get rid of crunch times altogether.
- pascalxus 9y ago
  engineers at amazon do, the ones who have stockholms syndrom.
  - umanwizard 9y ago
    I worked at Amazon for two years doing typical 40 hour weeks.
- inopinatus 9y ago
  I’ve done this in crunch periods but it’s obviously unsustainable. I recently sustained that pattern for two weeks to deliver a big chunk of work to a deadline. Then I took a holiday. As a younger person I routinely put in 36h of continuous work. Can’t do that no more. Some of us actually prefer to sprint then rest.
- mratzloff 9y ago
  I had an interview recently where the founder asked me if I was ready to work 100 hours a week on an ongoing basis. I laughed.
obstacle1 9y ago
Almost nobody is working 100 or even 80 hours a week.
largote 9y ago
I'd laugh in the face of anyone who asked me to work more than 40 hours for more than 2 weeks a quarter.

heartbreak 9y ago

Yeah I think I’d start with 100hr/wk being absurd. I’ve worked at startups and 50 was an unusually high number of hours for a given week.

kinkrtyavimoodh 9y ago

Most new grads (or employees in general) are NOT working 100 hrs a week, even in startups.

ben-schaaf 9y ago
Anecdote, but I currently work ~40 hours at a startup during holidays as an undergrad.

foota 9y ago

I'm a new grad. My comp package is a -bit- cushier than that at 40 hrs/wk

mehwoot 9y ago

Who the hell works 100 hours a week? 14 hours a day, every day of the week?

brianwawok 9y ago
* lowers head in shame Actually maybe only 80. Foundin is hard.
vvanders 9y ago
Most of the gamedev industry for starters. Did many 80-90hr weeks for 3+ month periods. Back when I was making 35k/yr in Seattle I did the math and could have doubled my take-home working a min-wage job at the hours I was putting in.
- dahart 9y ago
  I've done 80 sustained for long periods multiple times (3mos - 9mos), in both film and games, over two decades. In my experience, more than 80 is quite rare in both industries, and less than half ever get above 70. There simply isn't much time left to do more for any length of time. At 80 hours/wk, you eat, sleep, and work, and that's it. More than 80 and you're cutting into sleep. One guy I know pulled over 100 for a couple months, but we was definitely sleeping inhumanly low amounts, and was taking prescription drugs to stay awake. The last game studio I worked at measured actual work hours and noted a significant discrepancy between what people thought they worked and what they actually worked. A lot of people over-estimate their load during crunch. Maybe they factor in commutes, maybe they just over-estimate, but a lot of people that though they worked 80 were only in the building for ~60-65. Some people who thought (or at least said) they were pulling 45-50 were actually working 35. Maybe the mental stress of crunch adds phantom hours.
  - jermaustin1 9y ago
    I consider commuting as part of my working hours. If I'm driving to a client, it is billable time, if I'm using public transit it is a reimbursed fare plus I do work on the train/bus for them or another client (so it's billable). Commuting especially in heavily congested cities should be calculated as part of your "work hours". If not to increase your pay, so you know what your hourly rate actually is.
    - dahart 9y ago
      That is great if you can bill for or otherwise count your commute hours. In film and games, that is sadly not the case for any studio I've ever seen. Work hours are usually defined as being physically in the building working on the production. In some studios, lunch is even deducted. If your commute is an hour each way on top of an 80 hour work week, it just means you're away from home 90+ hours per week. I've done this, and it really sucks, there is zero time for family life, social life, exercise or hobbies during the crunch. Even before we get to niceties like everyone counting commutes as working hours in dense cities, it would be great if we could get rid of crunch times altogether.
pascalxus 9y ago
engineers at amazon do, the ones who have stockholms syndrom.
- umanwizard 9y ago
  I worked at Amazon for two years doing typical 40 hour weeks.
inopinatus 9y ago
I’ve done this in crunch periods but it’s obviously unsustainable. I recently sustained that pattern for two weeks to deliver a big chunk of work to a deadline. Then I took a holiday. As a younger person I routinely put in 36h of continuous work. Can’t do that no more. Some of us actually prefer to sprint then rest.
mratzloff 9y ago
I had an interview recently where the founder asked me if I was ready to work 100 hours a week on an ongoing basis. I laughed.

obstacle1 9y ago

Almost nobody is working 100 or even 80 hours a week.

largote 9y ago

I'd laugh in the face of anyone who asked me to work more than 40 hours for more than 2 weeks a quarter.