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Subject:Re: Anyone work 4-10 hour days? From:"Wing, Michael J" <mjwing -at- INGR -dot- COM> Date:Fri, 31 Oct 1997 17:17:40 -0600
> > There are people at this company who work 10+ hour days on a regular
> 5
> > (or 6) day basis. Why should I reward someone with a day off for
> > working 40 hours in 4 days when the ones that work 60+ hours in 5
> days
> > continue without a day off?
>
> It seems to me that if you have to consistently put in 10+ hour days
> (and I mean consistently -- everyone does it occasionally), then you
> either don't manage your time very well or you have been given more
> than
> one person's job. But I work for the state, so... ;-)
>
> Tracy
>
I'm not quite sure how to take this. If the emphasis is on HAS to
consistently put in 10+ hours, I may agree. In this case, the extra
hours are forced on the person because 1) they mismanage their time or
2) are overburdened. If, however, this statement is a whitewash applied
to anyone who works over 40 hrs/week voluntarily, I disagree.
I consistently put in 50+ hour weeks. I'm not forced to, I actually
enjoy the work. I have enough variety between writing, programming, and
developing a pilot project in dynamic HTML, that the time passes
quickly. I know that it is "in vogue" to shun work and maintain the
stiff "they're not going to get me for more than 40 hours" upper lip.
This attitude is often shown by those who are afraid that if anyone
works extra hours it will reflect poorly on themselves.
I empathize with anyone who is trying to juggle too much in their life
or works in an atmosphere of antagonism. But not everyone who puts in
the extra time is doing so because they are overburdened or because they
mismanage time. Some of us use it to increase our skills. I know I do.
A musician, athlete, artist, and so forth enjoy their work. Does anyone
claim that they should stop at 40 hours?
Mike
P.S. Didn't we have this conversation last February in the "How not to
attract staff" thread?
