4 ms·

Who's not tired of working overtime?

collyw 8y ago
Me. I think I am underpaid (actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid) so i don't do it with the exception of when I made a major cock up and the team was waiting on me.
- kevas 8y ago
  Serious question: why do you think you're underpaid? Why do you feel you should be making more. The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X. So... why think you're Y?
  - Micrococonut 8y ago
    Why would you assume that what he is being paid is his current market value? It's entirely possible that he is being paid well under his market value, thus creating feelings of being underpaid.
    - monsieurbanana 8y ago
      He said "actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid".
      - mayniac 8y ago
        They also said the words "cock up" They're very likely in the UK. They are very likely getting underpaid for dev work, unless they're a contractor. Our salaries are definitely lower here than in the states.
        collyw 8y ago
        I am from the UK working in Spain, I think the UK pays better than here, though depends on the location.
      - kurtisc 8y ago
        Then you're discussing different markets. There are very significant barriers to moving between countries in the global market.
  - hindsightRegret 8y ago
    People are often underpaid compared to market rate because jobs are not a perfectly liquid market. This is due to a number of factors: family situation, workplace social bonds, confidence in one's abilities, fear of change. It is very naive to believe that the labor markets are efficient. This is why some companies are able to take advantage of employees and get away with underpaying them.
  - s73v3r_ 8y ago
    "The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X" Has it? Seriously, who is this all powerful "market" that one can go ask and get an exact answer? What does "market" have to say about employers simply giving anemic raises, if they give any at all, to employees they believe will have trouble finding new employment? Someone's current wage is not correlated with the market wages for their current position.
  - econochoice 8y ago
    I'd agree with your premise if each side in a negotiation had perfect information, there was no power asymmetry between parties and humans were perfectly rational actors 100% of the time.
  - collyw 8y ago
    I see what people in other places earn. Last time I mentioned I was in Spain a number of people said that the salaries sounded low. Still the quality of life is decent here or I would move. Its often the case that nurses and teachers are considered underpaid as well. While bankers are overpaid. Would you agree with that?
ecshafer 8y ago
> Who's not tired of working overtime? I never work overtime unless necessary. I've worked around 5 hours of overtime in 2 years, and I made up for it later.
jimmy1 8y ago
People who get compensated for it.
- gaius 8y ago
  My experience of shift work is that if time-and-a-half or double-time is offered, there are plenty of volunteers. There will always be someone saving for something who can use the money. It only becomes a problem if it’s the “new normal”.
dev_north_east 8y ago
Is it expected of you in your job often? I've been in my current role for a year and a half, I did overtime exactly once (because the train I relied on was very very delayed and it was snowing out). Other than that nothing, and most people are out of here by 5 at the very latest each day. Same in my previous two roles, although the one before tried to bring in "on-call" but were quickly beaten back :)
tdb7893 8y ago
I don't really work overtime (and if I do I take some hours off to compensate so it's not really overtime), it really depends on your company culture

Me. I think I am underpaid (actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid) so i don't do it with the exception of when I made a major cock up and the team was waiting on me.

kevas 8y ago
Serious question: why do you think you're underpaid? Why do you feel you should be making more. The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X. So... why think you're Y?
- Micrococonut 8y ago
  Why would you assume that what he is being paid is his current market value? It's entirely possible that he is being paid well under his market value, thus creating feelings of being underpaid.
  - monsieurbanana 8y ago
    He said "actually I think most devs in my country are underpaid".
    - mayniac 8y ago
      They also said the words "cock up" They're very likely in the UK. They are very likely getting underpaid for dev work, unless they're a contractor. Our salaries are definitely lower here than in the states.
      - collyw 8y ago
        I am from the UK working in Spain, I think the UK pays better than here, though depends on the location.
    - kurtisc 8y ago
      Then you're discussing different markets. There are very significant barriers to moving between countries in the global market.
- hindsightRegret 8y ago
  People are often underpaid compared to market rate because jobs are not a perfectly liquid market. This is due to a number of factors: family situation, workplace social bonds, confidence in one's abilities, fear of change. It is very naive to believe that the labor markets are efficient. This is why some companies are able to take advantage of employees and get away with underpaying them.
- s73v3r_ 8y ago
  "The market has said that you're currently worth/getting paid X" Has it? Seriously, who is this all powerful "market" that one can go ask and get an exact answer? What does "market" have to say about employers simply giving anemic raises, if they give any at all, to employees they believe will have trouble finding new employment? Someone's current wage is not correlated with the market wages for their current position.
- econochoice 8y ago
  I'd agree with your premise if each side in a negotiation had perfect information, there was no power asymmetry between parties and humans were perfectly rational actors 100% of the time.
- collyw 8y ago
  I see what people in other places earn. Last time I mentioned I was in Spain a number of people said that the salaries sounded low. Still the quality of life is decent here or I would move. Its often the case that nurses and teachers are considered underpaid as well. While bankers are overpaid. Would you agree with that?

ecshafer 8y ago

> Who's not tired of working overtime? I never work overtime unless necessary. I've worked around 5 hours of overtime in 2 years, and I made up for it later.

jimmy1 8y ago

People who get compensated for it.

gaius 8y ago
My experience of shift work is that if time-and-a-half or double-time is offered, there are plenty of volunteers. There will always be someone saving for something who can use the money. It only becomes a problem if it’s the “new normal”.

dev_north_east 8y ago

Is it expected of you in your job often? I've been in my current role for a year and a half, I did overtime exactly once (because the train I relied on was very very delayed and it was snowing out). Other than that nothing, and most people are out of here by 5 at the very latest each day. Same in my previous two roles, although the one before tried to bring in "on-call" but were quickly beaten back :)

tdb7893 8y ago

I don't really work overtime (and if I do I take some hours off to compensate so it's not really overtime), it really depends on your company culture