Work/Life Balance

[yamihoe]

60hrs a week makes it hard to have any fun. While I ride the FZ almost every day I don't get to have any fun, on or off the bike. I found myself about 10 miles down some muddy powerlines on the fz thanksgiving day just because I had the day off and I wanted to have some quiet.. I have started back into RC cars but I hardly have time for that even...

 

[ChanceCoats123]

I used to play around with RC cars, they are very fun! It can definitely get expensive fast though.

Where do you work (and doing what) that you have to put 60 hours in?

 

[Erci]

I hear you! I've been doing ~70 hours/week for the last 5 weeks. It was SO good to not do any work for the last 4 days, even though I was still expected to work on Thanksgiving weekend.. but enough is enough.

It wouldn't bother me nearly as much if I liked my job and was doing something I considered useful.

I'm happy to say I was able to have a great time snowboarind on Fri and Sat and didn't think about work once. No idea how the rest of the Winter will go though. Chances are my wife will be boarding and I'll be sitting in hotel.. working

 

[lawlberg]

Same deal here guys - haven't been counting my hours, but there have been some 14h/day weeks in the last two months and it really starts to get to you. No time for anything after all of that. Thankfully the project should be coming to an end around the time snow starts melting up here, so riding season should be okay next year?

 

[MattR302]

Screw that. I work to live, not vice versa.
Yeah, I hate what I'm doing now, but I put in my 40 hours, collect the paycheck, and enjoy the time I'm not at work. I'm salary, but even if I did get paid for overtime, it's not worth it to me.

 

[Erci]

Screw that. I work to live, not vice versa.
Yeah, I hate what I'm doing now, but I put in my 40 hours, collect the paycheck, and enjoy the time I'm not at work. I'm salary, but even if I did get paid for overtime, it's not worth it to me.

Ah.. but here's the awesome part: I too am a salaried employee.. so the insane extra hours I'm putting in are "volunteer" work

 

[2nd childhood]

Yeah, I used to average anywhere between 60-80 hours a week (yes, I'm salaried, so no extra dough), but got the opportunity a couple of years ago to move from management back to being an IC (individual contributor). I now work 40-50 hours a week, my commute went from 24 miles (Corporate Headquarters) to 10 miles (Data Center), I no longer have to do between 14-19 performance appraisals twice a year and the no brainer decision maker was, I didn't have to take a cut in pay! Can't say that I like my work as much as I did before, even with all the drawbacks, but another 4 1/2 years and I can call it a day. Can't wait.....

 

[greg]

I've got a new job, better pay, more interesting work. The only downsides are the commute isn't as nice, and I enjoy what I do so I end up working around an hour extra or more each day.

It only works out to 45hrs a week (I get paid for 38), I don't think I could cope doing the 60 or 70hr weeks you guys describe, that's just crazy.

 

[yamihoe]

I am an automotive service manager, I tell all the monkeys what to do and get them what they need. 7 years as a mechanic and a bachelors degree later and now I get to tell them to do stuff

 

[Smersh]

I'm on my fourth month of 16-hour days every day of the week plus a weekend here and there - not fun. Growing company, tons of work, tight deadlines, but I am getting fed up with this - if i wanted to work these hours, I'd go into management consulting or IB - i'd have the same insane hours (+ travel, maybe) but I'd be paid 2x - 3x the amount. I am planning on pulling back on this $h!tshow at the end of January to more manageable 48-60.
To some degree I justify this because it's temporary with hopes of payoff at the end. Also, no kids yet - trying to make the most of the situation (but as I said, i don't think 16 hour days is what I want even medium term)

Barely rode this year - maybe 3 outings total (not counting the Indy trip) :spank:

 

[MattR302]

Ah.. but here's the awesome part: I too am a salaried employee.. so the insane extra hours I'm putting in are "volunteer" work

If you're working for a small mom & pop organization, or if you are higher level upper management at a big place, well then, you knew what you were getting into. But for lowlifes like myself at a larger company, its your own fault if you're letting them work you for 20 hours of "volunteer" time. Once in a while I don't mind staying late if its for something important, but no way am I letting that become the norm.

I've told/reminded each of the new guys we've hired at my job lately, "working hours are 8-4:30, if you start staying later now, they're going to start expecting it"

 

[Erci]

If you're working for a small mom & pop organization, or if you are higher level upper management at a big place, well then, you knew what you were getting into. But for lowlifes like myself at a larger company, its your own fault if you're letting them work you for 20 hours of "volunteer" time. Once in a while I don't mind staying late if its for something important, but no way am I letting that become the norm.

I've told/reminded each of the new guys we've hired at my job lately, "working hours are 8-4:30, if you start staying later now, they're going to start expecting it"

Can't argue with you, but unfortunately I'm the "it's your own fault" guy. Huge company and I'm not a senior manager.. just team lead.

Started looking for a new job few weeks ago, but now's a really bad time.. highly unlikely to get hired before the end of holiday season. Oh well

 

[lawlberg]

If you're working for a small mom & pop organization, or if you are higher level upper management at a big place, well then, you knew what you were getting into. But for lowlifes like myself at a larger company, its your own fault if you're letting them work you for 20 hours of "volunteer" time. Once in a while I don't mind staying late if its for something important, but no way am I letting that become the norm.

I've told/reminded each of the new guys we've hired at my job lately, "working hours are 8-4:30, if you start staying later now, they're going to start expecting it"

Yeah, Salaried here, and not at the small shop or the high level management either. Lucked into an awesome project that just happens to have a firm release date significantly ahead of what is feasible if you look at the amount of work remaining. But it's software and that's the way things work sometimes. I like what I do, and while I'd like to be doing more living and less working, this project is setting me up for that later.

 

[Botch]

I was offered the Chief Engineer position for the ICBM Missile Maintenance Group here at Hill AFB five years ago, right after the nuclear sh*t hit the fan (B-52 live nukes flew from ND to Texas, ICBM parts shipped to Taiwan), and I put in 60-hour weeks (salaried) consistently for 14 months, working as a GS-13 in a -14 position, extremely high-stress, only to get stabbed in the back and tossed.
Very bad 2, 3 years after that. Things are a bit better now, but I no longer go "above and beyond" nor will I ever accept that kind of position again. Three more years of this dysfunctional crap (assuming I live that long), and I can take early retirement and go work for a decent organization, maybe even part-time (home was paid off 4 years ago :thumbup.
I've played the game, and I lost. No biggie, retirement is, maybe, achievable...

 

[FinalImpact]

46hr working, 14hr commuting....

After that I don't care to run errands unless it involve walking or the bike.
1/10 scale RC gas trucks, Electric planes, and a cpl of electric Heli's. The heli sits A LOT cause I wreck it every other time its up! That adds up fast!!

Speaking of layoff's! Dec 19 will be my last day after 15years w/the co. Shutting it down and moving it to another border...
What to do....

 

[Botch]

Speaking of layoff's! Dec 19 will be my last day after 15years w/the co. Shutting it down and moving it to another border...
What to do....

Damn, that sucks FinalImpact. Nice Xmas present, huh?

 

[Monica A]

I'm a teacher so, I get so much time off. work 9 months a year, off at 3:00pm every day, right? wrong!!! My contract is 8:30-3:30. I usually work 7:45-5:00 (5 minute lunch break) then go home and do another 2-3 hours of work at home and I barely keep up head above water. Weekends I do a minimum of 2 hours usually more like 3-4. Hubby loves that. Not!! And the pay is amazing! I have 10 years experience and a Master's degree. My daughter just graduated from college. Her first job she makes almost as much as me AND she got a Mac Book Pro as a "signing bonus". Obviously I picked the wrong profession.

 

[Botch]

Obviously I picked the wrong profession.

Like a military career, I'm betting it was a Calling, not a "profession", and we thank you for doing a thankless but so-important job. :thumbup:

 

[Monica A]

When I see the lightbulb go on over the little buggers heads, I think all my extra efforts are worth it. AND I hope my efforts will translate into, someday, all of my students will become productive tax-paying citizens (not living on welfare-food stamps like their parents).

On a funny note: one of my students told me on Monday morning (after 5 days off for the Thanksgiving holiday) that I needed to go on a long motorcycle vacation. :rockon: I agreed and asked him if he would tell my principal and husband that. lol I had just told the class that I had spent Sunday preparing lessons and activities for the week. Out of the mouths of babes, eh?

 

[Monica A]

Speaking of layoff's! Dec 19 will be my last day after 15years w/the co. Shutting it down and moving it to another border...
What to do....

Suggestion: Sell everything (but motorcycle), jump on said motorcycle and hit the open road. Oh, maybe that's just a dream I have.

Just kidding. I am sure a smart hard-working cookie like you will get a job easily.:cheer: