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Cutting your salary by 40%

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Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#341

Post by billforsternz »

jcadam wrote: post #148
megaduck wrote: post #50

I enforce a militant "40 hours only" policy for my employees, and it's incredible for productivity. When you work longer hours defect rates increase, code quality drops, and things are on fire all the time. You also lose really good people due to burnout. Sustainable pace is super important for creating and maintaining high performance teams. Crassly, it's just a more profitable way of doing business. I wish more man…

Pfft. A man-hour of labor is a man-hour of labor. Which is why I fully understand why my employer is requiring me (and the others on my team) to make up the 48 hours of labor I lost when I evacuated due to Hurricane Irma (even though the office was of course closed for much of that time). I'm spending the extra hours perusing/posting on HN and looking at job listings :|

I enjoyed this +1 but sadly and inevitably there are replies saying essentially "no no, all man hours are not equal". Why doesn't the intertube get satire/sarcasm/irony ?

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#342

Post by aidenn0 »

LogicFailsMe wrote: post #46

Unless he's paying seven+ figures annually, all working 70 to 90 hours a week will get you is a broken relationship/marriage and utter social isolation with little or nothing to show for it in the end when you realize what a mistake you've made and unplug from The Matrix, probably 20 to 30 pounds heavier than when you started. Work hard. Study a lot. But take a breather now and then. Life is short.

mid six figures would get me to work 70 hours a week because I could retire in under 2 years.

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#343

Post by kzisme »

Interestingly enough I've been asked a few times to start coming in on weekends. I've also heard the phrase thrown around: "We'll have to start putting in extra hours during nights/weekends".

I don't think these sort of things _work_ for companies, but to appease a manager they likely have to be done at some point. Long-term I don't think this is a viable solution, but sadly it will keep happening for the time being :/

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#344

Post by jnordwick »

notyourday wrote: post #340
taysic wrote: post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What does your comment have to do with OP's boss being willing to give him responsibilities beyond just being a coder - despite being rude?

OP's position is: "I'm valuable, just ask my boss. He sings praises for me" It is a very naive position that needs to be eradicated If it is not, then "take 50% off your salary and be happy about it" would be a norm. In our society money and power are proxy for the value. People get promoted to one level above their competency because at the top level of their performance they do well which means that they are promot…

I always found the Peter Principal very interesting even if not entirely compelling.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#345

Post by jnordwick »

s73ver_ wrote: post #290
jnordwick wrote: post #162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Like a lot of people in financial technology and HFT, I dont work outside projevrs very much. I get a lot of my experience with newer tech inside my job and as well have to deal with some fairlt heavy secrecy issues. But aren't you just trading the location of work for the most part? I get that experience from within my firm on projects I'm working on while others still work on their skills just outside their employm…

"But aren't you just trading the location of work for the most part?" No, because I have complete control over what I do, what tech I choose, and how long to put in. If, for example, I decide one day I don't feel like doing it, I can blow it off and go fishing. If instead, those hours were dedicated to the company, I wouldn't be able to do that.

But it's still work and those working many extra hours like me always have the choice to work fewer amy particular day or week and triage.

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#346

Post by padobson »

Pharylon wrote: post #283
adambmedia wrote: post #222

I often think about Arthur Rubenstein, the phenom mid-century pianist, for whom a lot has been written about his mission in early life to "practice as little as possible." There's a lot of hyped up romanticism in these quotes and anyone who plays at his level has spent a lifetime playing piano, period. Regardless, his guidance about spontaneity, creativity, and the relationship to practicing too much, which I equate…

My brother is in a bluegrass band. They've been around for 10 years now, and there's a lot of music they've played so many times I'm sure they could do it in their sleep. There are a few songs that I really do think they used to do better, back when they were just starting out. Specifically, some of the fast, most technically difficult songs that they used to play right up until they were at the edge of what was poss…

A bum note and a bead of sweat will do. - Roger Daltrey (Pete Townshend?)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/rockandjazzmusic/36...

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#347

Post by jnordwick »

s73ver_ wrote: post #292
jnordwick wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your excessive is my right amount. There are things that need to be done and just hiring nor people doesn't work. Peopleb aren't commodities - some things only I can do at a certain level much because I might have put myself into that place by learning all the prices of the puzzle. I don't like the judgmental attitude against those of us who decide to make different judgement calls in life.

"Your excessive is my right amount. There are things that need to be done and just hiring nor people doesn't work." That's a complete lie. "I don't like the judgmental attitude against those of us who decide to make different judgement calls in life." Because it's not just your judgement call. By you doing that, now the expectation is on everyone else. Especially because you set the bar by working for less pay, dragg…

Lol. I definitely pull the pay scale up but I also do increase expectations. And you think that is a bad thing?

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#348

Post by [deleted] »

megaduck wrote: post #50

I enforce a militant "40 hours only" policy for my employees, and it's incredible for productivity. When you work longer hours defect rates increase, code quality drops, and things are on fire all the time. You also lose really good people due to burnout. Sustainable pace is super important for creating and maintaining high performance teams. Crassly, it's just a more profitable way of doing business. I wish more man…

[deleted]

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#349

Post by movedx »

I wake at 0600 and commute to work, to be in for 0700 at the latest (I cycle 6-7km.) From 0700 to 0800 I work on personal development such as reading a book or doing some online study (or sometimes I just catch up with online news as I am now.) From 0800 to 1130 I work. From 1130 to 1300 I dine and take a walk/socialise. From 1300 to 1500 I work. At 1500 I go home.

Essentially I work for 5.5 hours -- my fingers are on the keyboard, I'm in a meeting, or I'm thinking through a problem for 5.5 hours per day. We also have the concept of the eight hour day in Australia (which I believe is a matter of law, in fact): eight hours of work; eight hours of social time; eight hours for sleep.

I do this everyday. It gives me a lot of freedom to do the things I want to do when I get home at about 1530 and makes me feel great. I feel healthier for it. I can innovate when I get home and work on a project, or spend more time with my fiancé.

If I ever find my self in a position with a company that the boss(es) don't like this setup, then I simply show my self the door and find another job. Life is way too short to be putting my employer before my own life, health, wishes, and dreams.

Also, I aim to find a job in which I'm solving real social problems (even in a for-profit manner) and not just doing it for the sake of it or the wage. I think this is important too.

Re: Cutting your salary by 40%

#350

Post by okreallywtf »

movedx wrote: post #349

I wake at 0600 and commute to work, to be in for 0700 at the latest (I cycle 6-7km.) From 0700 to 0800 I work on personal development such as reading a book or doing some online study (or sometimes I just catch up with online news as I am now.) From 0800 to 1130 I work. From 1130 to 1300 I dine and take a walk/socialise. From 1300 to 1500 I work. At 1500 I go home. Essentially I work for 5.5 hours -- my fingers are o…

Could I ask where you are in your career and when you started this regimen? I would like to adopt something similar, I'm not sure if I have the willpower just yet but I'm seeing one of two options: following your approach or burning out gradually.
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