July 29, 2009 at 11:13 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item More Can Come From Less
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July 30, 2009 at 6:31 am
I think this is a good and timely editorial, and I think its equally good to encourage people to have balance in their lives, but I also think today's generations have a much bigger problem that did not get mentioned. Here is what I mean...
A couple months ago I was in an airport waiting for my flight while across from me a young family of four (Mom, Dad, 2 kids) were also waiting for the same flight. Looked like they were heading home from vacation, but the scene troubled me. There was both Mom and Dad "thumbing" away at their Blackberries, while the young girl was lost in a daze with her iPod, and the young boy was mildly "acting up" trying to get some attention. I kind of shook my head watching all this thinking yet again, "here is another hip generation using their digital devices to be anywhere but the moment they are in..." Must have been a great "family" trip - IF you consider the "family" is really the gadgetry, cause from where I was sitting, the humans didnt matter.
This week a report from the Virginia Tech department that studies American transportation noted that people who text while driving have 23 times the likelyhood of being in, or causing a crash. People talking on cell phones - even hands free - are 4 times as likely to be in, or cause a crash. Thats the same amount as a person driving drunk.
Here's my point... We encourage, indeed I encourage (my own staff) to "have a life outside of work". To focus on your family, your hobbies, whatever - just get your head out of work so you can come back refreshed and ready for the challenges.
But these generations who are now truly addicted to gadgets, gizmos, devices, and web sites often take time off and then spend literally hours "away" from the very moments they are in either on the cell phone, pounding at the Blackberries, lost in the iPod, and so on....
So yes, take time off - find balance in your life - give time to your family, your hobbies, your interests...
But DONT take that time and then just "remove" yourself with all the gadgetry. That is NOT time off. Shut off the cell phone. Shut off the Blackberry. Shut down the computer. Park the iPod. And whatever you do, DONT text or talk while you are driving!!!
Live in the moment you are in, in the place that you are in it. After all, your life is built minute by minute and what good are minutes with your family if in fact, your mind is buried in some useless texting or cell phone calling? That is hardly what I would call "family time".
July 30, 2009 at 6:52 am
Balance in Life? How about a life to begin with? Many companies have cut staff and increased workload and use the threat of the economy to squeeze their remaining staff. I've seen this in my city among my peers. Until owners and management stops treating people as replaceable, disposable parts, it's not gonna change.
:crazy:
July 30, 2009 at 9:43 am
Man, do I agree with that. I just turned down a huge offer from a company because they actually expected a 55 hour work week.
Managers and owners, wake up... learn how to estimate and schedule. Remember that if you "want it real bad", you'll likely get it that way. 😉
Steve, great article.
--Jeff Moden
July 30, 2009 at 10:04 am
Are you hiring, Steve? 😀
July 30, 2009 at 10:19 am
I think I may have a solution to businesses that think salaried people should be expected to work 40+ hours all the time. With the exception of C-level, President and VP level personnel, make us all eligible for overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a week.
I think there would be a change in attitude when they find themselves paying almost everyone OT.
Either that or there would be a lot more off-shoring.
Personally, I can understand the occasional need for OT to finish up a project. Things happen that can cause things to slip and require additional effort to meet a specific deadline. But to say that since you are salaried professional an working 55 hour weeks is expected, that is not really acceptable. Many of us do have lives outside of work. We don't live to work, we work to live.
July 30, 2009 at 10:25 am
Lynn Pettis (7/30/2009)
I think I may have a solution to businesses that think salaried people should be expected to work 40+ hours all the time. With the exception of C-level, President and VP level personnel, make us all eligible for overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a week.I think there would be a change in attitude when they find themselves paying almost everyone OT.
Either that or there would be a lot more off-shoring.
Personally, I can understand the occasional need for OT to finish up a project. Things happen that can cause things to slip and require additional effort to meet a specific deadline. But to say that since you are salaried professional an working 55 hour weeks is expected, that is not really acceptable. Many of us do have lives outside of work. We don't live to work, we work to live.
I agree... the occasional "all night death march" can be expected in any walk of life... but not as the rule rather than the exception.
--Jeff Moden
July 30, 2009 at 2:49 pm
Jeff Moden (7/30/2009)
Lynn Pettis (7/30/2009)
I think I may have a solution to businesses that think salaried people should be expected to work 40+ hours all the time. With the exception of C-level, President and VP level personnel, make us all eligible for overtime pay for hours worked over 40 in a week.I think there would be a change in attitude when they find themselves paying almost everyone OT.
Either that or there would be a lot more off-shoring.
Personally, I can understand the occasional need for OT to finish up a project. Things happen that can cause things to slip and require additional effort to meet a specific deadline. But to say that since you are salaried professional an working 55 hour weeks is expected, that is not really acceptable. Many of us do have lives outside of work. We don't live to work, we work to live.
I agree... the occasional "all night death march" can be expected in any walk of life... but not as the rule rather than the exception.
When I was a kid my dad told me I should get a salaried position because as long as I get my work done each week, it doesn't matter how many hours I work. If you can get it done in 30hrs, you don't have to show up for the other 10. And, you rarely work more than 40 anyway.
That may have been true in the 1960's but not anymore. It wasn't even true when I started in I.T. in the late 1970's. I feel fortunate to have a job where I'm semi compensated for overtime. I get compensatory time off. And, yes, they really do let me take it off.
July 30, 2009 at 3:04 pm
We're not hiring for now, at least not here at SSC. Not sure about the rest of Red Gate, but you'd have to move to the UK.
I've taken jobs with the expectation that I'd typically work 40-45 hours a week. I've said that in the interview, and never really had an issue. The few people that have disclosed in phone interviews that they expected over 50 hours a week have me thanking them for their time and moving on.
I think there are plenty of jobs that don't expect regular overtime, but they do expect it at times for projects. However at the same time, if you want to only work 40, make sure you get a good amount of work done. I've seen plenty of people complain about the hours at my jobs that didn't really work very hard. Not implying that of anyone here, just saying I've seen it in my experience.
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July 30, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Our shop expects 50+ hours per week, but we're a small company treading closely to the mid-size category ( I think ). Are you (Jeff, Lynn, Steve) in a smaller, mid-size, or larger company?
I really struggle with the amount of time we're expected to work because I feel like I burn out somewhat frequently doing 50+ hours per week as well as checking in on the weekends, days off, and holidays to make sure things are running smoothly.
This is my first DBA job so I really don't know what I should be expecting, even though I've been at this for over a year. This is also my first professional endeavor out of college. One thing that has dramatically lessened the burn-out and checking in is automating my routine tasks. Thanks SSC for that!! Is there anything else you guys do to keep your (relative) sanity? 🙂
July 30, 2009 at 3:23 pm
For the last 4 years I have been working for a Public School District. We are not a 7x24 hour shop, I don't worry about being on-call (but I do take the time at night to verify that some of our processes run successfully).
I also have interests outside of work. I am a volunteer with AYSO 1225 (a youth soccer organization) as well as officiating youth and high school soccer. I try to do things with the family as well when we manage to get on the same page. With one daughter off to the military, one in high school, and a third in her last year of elementary school we are constantly on the go.
July 30, 2009 at 3:39 pm
I am so happy to be consulting these days. The only time I work a 50 or more hour week is when I've misjudged the workload, so I only have myself to blame. It's a lot more risky than a salaried position (no work = no income), but the ability to (mostly) set my own working hours makes up for that (in my opinion)
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 30, 2009 at 5:06 pm
I am a single mum so I can only work a maximum of 40 hours a week in the office due to child care centre hours but there isn't a salary high enough to get me to sacrifice time with my daughter for work. I try to not even turn the PC on at home when she is awake (she is only 22 months old). She is growing so fast and I already miss so much having to work full time.
I am very fortunate that my company is very flexible on when and where staff work their hours and they don't expect more than 40 hours a week unless there is some urgency to a particular project. I think I have only worked extra time 3 times in the 5 years before my daughter was born.
Cheers,
Nicole Bowman
Nothing is forever.
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