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"I have never had a problem about the volume or difficulty of work in any job I've ever had. In fact, some of my favorite memories of work have been sprints to finish something, whether in software, retail/distribution, or food service."

I'm sure if I put you on a 120 hour week for a few months you'd change your opinion about that, even if you were to ship something at the end of it.

I don't think it's a good idea nor particularly ethical given the situation under discussion to boast about how you've never had a problem with overwork.



120-hour week for a few months? Shipped at the end of it?

Is that a real project you worked on?

If so, and if it happened a couple years ago in Colorado -- I was one of your coworkers.

And I left just a couple weeks after the rest of you guys.

That was some crazy shit but in the end we did ship. And on time, even.

But I can't even pass that freeway exit any more without feeling a sense of dread.


Haha no thank Science just a theoretical situation, my word I feel for you man - that sounds horrific. I don't think I'd be able to cope. Games industry?

The point is that edw's comment on hours sits ill-at-ease with the rest of his post. As if overwork isn't a MAJOR factor in burnout.

I don't disagree with his other points, rather we mustn't pretend like working ludicrous hours isn't bad for you.


120-hours for multiple weeks? Is that even possible? Why would anyone without substantial ownership stake even do that?


Who said there wasn't substantial skin in the game?

And actually I remember it as 110 hour weeks (though it's possible that I was the slacker of the bunch).

Yeah, we had something like 3 months of working 15 to 18 hours per day, 7 days per week.

Totally possible.

Totally stupid.


Ah ok, that changes the tradeoff a bit. Your response was in a thread talking about lack of ownership so I had assumed that was your case as well.


Nah - just saw a mention of a death-march that so closely matched my most horrendous war story that I thought it must have been made by someone who had been in the trenches with me.


Is that legal?!


Is it legal to work long hours?

I guess.

I live in the US, where what is or is not legal plays second fiddle to what is or is not good for shareholders.


Anything after 40 hours per week is considered overtime in the states, apparently. I don't know if there's an actual maximum number of hours you can legally work.

I've heard that working hours for truckers is very strict in Europe but not as strict in north america. I wonder how that relates across other industries. For truckers it's mostly for physical safety, but cognitive stress can be just as dangerous.




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