Latest you are willing to stay at work?

loxleynew

How late has everyone here worked past their scheduled time at work? And do you all like it? As in do you get benefits from it? I suppose this is more to salary people because if you are per hour then obviously it is worth it

I guess latest Ive worked past my time was last night until ~ 4am on our exchange server. No real benefits, maybe I can go home a little bit early today.

RTmarc

I stay until it is fixed or until there is a suitable workaround that will give me time to regroup.

tiersten

The longest period of actually being in the office has been overnight until the next day but longest without actually going home is several days with sleep for a few hours in a nearby hotel. If there are major issues then I'll stay until it is resolved. The multiple day events are because of major upgrades/changes which have to be pushed through at the weekend.

If something is broken then I have to stay until it is fixed, it has been passed to somebody else or there is no reason to stay.

I do get overtime however.

msteinhilber

When I was at my old job where I was basically a franchise owner in a way for a PC store (owner took 30% of profit, I got the rest but had to cover my expenses), I would spend many days working from 6 or 7am till 1 or 2 in the morning. Since I liked the extra money of not having the additional people on my payroll I would keep one or two guy's around during the day to handle walk-in's and handling the sales aspects and whatever repair work they could do. I would spend the days typically doing outside sales and trying to bring in business to business sales and/or doing networking/server jobs for small to mid-sized businesses. This often meant working late at night to deal with the consumer side of the repair business.

My current job isn't as terrible, I only come in once every couple of months or so for a few hours at night to handle tasks I can't accomplish during the day. Overall, I'm willing to stay as late as it takes since I think it just comes with the job. If I don't feel like my overall compensation is adequate for the nights here and there that I have to spend in the office I'll look for another job or try to work things out with my employer. I actually kind of enjoy going in and working at night sometimes, it's a bit of a mental break to get out of the house and go in and crank some tunes while you take care of business.

Forsaken_GA

I'm on salary, and I normally do my time, and go home. There are days when, right at or right before shift change, something major happens. When that occurs, yeah, I'm staying late. I'm not going to be the douchebag who hands the incoming guys a messed up situation and says 'bye guys, see ya in the morning!'. I'll stay and help until things are fixed, stabilized, or it's been escalated to folks above my pay grade. I've been called in once when things were really bad and they needed as many hands on site as they could get. And I went, because it was important.

But these kinds of occurrences are few and far between. I don't consider it to be my company exploiting me, I consider it being a good co-worker. If it happened on a regular basis, I'd sit down and have a talk with my boss about it.

WanBoy67

As long as necessary but mostly within the agreed hours in the job description, but if it's longer than normal I expect either time off work, flexible hours or overtime pay. Oh and being nice to me and maybe going as far as grovelling is a requirement because I got the problem fixed and if I didn't it would cost them more in lost downtime than it would cost them to get me to fix the problem. If I caused an issue, blame the hardware, the moon's alignment with the stars something like that, suck it up and get the problem sorted.

whatthehell

Longest so far (and I hope I don't beat this) is starting at 8 am and leaving work the next day at about 9 am. Did not sleep, breaking only for bathroom, and to wolf down pizza provided by manager.

I don't mind staying late and handling something till it is resolved, but putting in really long hours puts a toll on your mind and body after awhile, so a balance is pretty important I feel.

networker050184

I'll stay however long it takes. If something has to get done thats just the way it is. Late nights and long hours are pretty much a given in this line of work.

loxleynew

whatthehell wrote: »

Longest so far (and I hope I don't beat this) is starting at 8 am and leaving work the next day at about 9 am. Did not sleep, breaking only for bathroom, and to wolf down pizza provided by manager.

I don't mind staying late and handling something till it is resolved, but putting in really long hours puts a toll on your mind and body after awhile, so a balance is pretty important I feel.

Ouch what were you doing?

Kaminsky

Here in the UK we are typically on a 9-5 which an hour for lunch. There are more and more shift workers working 10, 11, 12 hour shifts but they get 10%, 20%, 30% bonus pay for it.,..... typically.

What we hear about US companies is that you stay in work a lot longer. I know of one US company over here where they are paid 9-5 but if they go home before 7pm they too many times they are in trouble.... madness ! Work is work.

Of course, if there is a major flap on, our professional courtesey makes us stay until it is fixed. Very typically, however long that may take.

My personal longest has been just over 30 hours. Halfway through the next work day and I threw my boss a look of "don't even think about trying to make me work the rest of the day out".

Slowhand

I try to cut my time back to only 8 hours per day, but I've been known to stay anywhere from 12 to 36 hours at work if there are fires to put out. Yesterday, I came in at 11am, (running late,) and left this morning at 4:30am because of an issue with our backup system. It's all a matter of what you're working on, how important it is, and how dedicated you are to your work. As a salary-employee, I get no bonuses or extra pay for staying late, but I do get to take the occasional day off if I spend all night fixing an issue or stay late several nights in a row.

Claymoore

37 hours straight once when we moved our office and only closed for one work day. Start Thurs 7 AM at DR site - then new office - then old office - then back to DR site - then back to new office - then go home at 8 PM Fri. Follow that with 18 hours on Sat and 12 hours on Sun. Fortunately I was contracting and billing hourly, so I got a nice HDTV after that weekend.

Went perm later that year and had no overtime, but we could unoffically flex some time. Had a major Exchange problem the week after I got back from vacation and worked 20 hour days that week fixing it. Got back almost all the vacation time I just took.

New job I get 1-1 comp time match over 40 hours, so I'll stay until the balance between the client's happiness and the wife's unhappiness becomes to much to manage. This job demands some strange hours, and fortunately the wife is very understanding of that. It helps that we had only been dating a few weeks when my old company moved it's office.

Plantwiz

loxleynew wrote: »

How late has everyone here worked past their scheduled time at work? And do you all like it? As in do you get benefits from it? I suppose this is more to salary people because if you are per hour then obviously it is worth it

I guess latest Ive worked past my time was last night until ~ 4am on our exchange server. No real benefits, maybe I can go home a little bit early today.

???

Don't understand what you are looking for?

I get hired for a job, I'm responsible to finish the job, period. That includes both hourly and salaried jobs I've held.

The benefit it is, I keep my job or contract. Everytime I 'DO' something "I" get experience. And word gets out that I'm good for my word. NOTHING, NOTHING beats that for me. Honor and integrity are super important in my book...to me...and how others perceive me.

Then again, this swing in the younger generation seems to think that there is entitlement for one small ounce of 'exception' an employee makes to complete a task they were hired to do.

I have worked with a few people who complain they worked 1 hour past when they 'thought' they should leave. Even had one insist that we paid for his dinner because he couldn't eat with his wife. Boohoo...one night, she'll live and so would he.

1. when hourly...you get paid...and depending on the industry, you get OT (Agriculture doesn't pay OT).
2. when you are salary...you get paid. And you'll likely find some down time at another time of year and your boss won't ride your butt because you have opted to work special pet project.


Generally, salaried individuals make good consistant pay and that is a perk in and of itself.

Cut-backs come, and it is real easy to let hourly people go or cut them further to make the salaried folks fill in the voids. SO there is some 'security' in being salaried. HOWEVER, nothing more secure then being self-employed!

Plantwiz

Claymoore wrote: »

37 hours straight once when we moved our office and only closed for one work day. .....

Beat me. I had a 32 hour.

If you count trade shows and the drive from show to show over night and setup....36 without sleep and being on the road or setting up the booth.

tiersten

I work in the financial industry and working late if needed is the norm. If systems aren't available due to scheduled or unscheduled downtime then the company will be losing money. If it means you're going to be missing the rest of your evening or weekend then that is just what is going to happen.

arwes

Latest I've worked to is around 2:00 AM, and that was on a Friday evening so no big deal. Backplane died on our file server/DC. Last night we put in an addition UPS in the rack and the Exchange server absolutely did not like its static IP address, but it works fine with any other IP address. Around 10:00 PM we found that the problem was apparently with the Neverfail stuff we're testing so we've got a call in to them to fix it. I may lose some sleep, but it's fun figuring out how to fix this stuff.

eMeS

Plantwiz wrote: »

Then again, this swing in the younger generation seems to think that there is entitlement for one small ounce of 'exception' an employee makes to complete a task they were hired to do.

Socrates wrote:

The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.

Attributed to SOCRATES by Plato, according to William L. Patty and Louise S. Johnson, Personality and Adjustment, p. 277 (1953)

Please be clear that my comparison of your words to those of Socrates is not intended to be a compliment.

These are misguided generalizations (and you've made statements like this in other posts). There are variances in work ethic and expectations amongst individuals in every age group, period.

MS

Bert McGert

39 days straight, left my desk once to poop.

Jordus

About 13-14 hours.

I would consider that a mild case, Ive heard some horror stories.

I didnt HAVE to stay, but noone else was willing to fix it and if i didnt get it back up then about 200 people would have been screwed on working the next day, so i volunteered myself.

2000 DC was biting the dust, had to seize the FSMO roles and fix some other issues and bring up a 2003 DC in its place.

cnfuzzd

Plantwiz wrote: »

???

Don't understand what you are looking for?

I get hired for a job, I'm responsible to finish the job, period. That includes both hourly and salaried jobs I've held.

The benefit it is, I keep my job or contract. Everytime I 'DO' something "I" get experience. And word gets out that I'm good for my word. NOTHING, NOTHING beats that for me. Honor and integrity are super important in my book...to me...and how others perceive me.

Then again, this swing in the younger generation seems to think that there is entitlement for one small ounce of 'exception' an employee makes to complete a task they were hired to do.

I have worked with a few people who complain they worked 1 hour past when they 'thought' they should leave. Even had one insist that we paid for his dinner because he couldn't eat with his wife. Boohoo...one night, she'll live and so would he.

1. when hourly...you get paid...and depending on the industry, you get OT (Agriculture doesn't pay OT).
2. when you are salary...you get paid. And you'll likely find some down time at another time of year and your boss won't ride your butt because you have opted to work special pet project.


Generally, salaried individuals make good consistant pay and that is a perk in and of itself.

Cut-backs come, and it is real easy to let hourly people go or cut them further to make the salaried folks fill in the voids. SO there is some 'security' in being salaried. HOWEVER, nothing more secure then being self-employed!

lol old people


john

msteinhilber

Plantwiz wrote: »

Then again, this swing in the younger generation seems to think that there is entitlement for one small ounce of 'exception' an employee makes to complete a task they were hired to do.

And I could say that the older crowd thinks they are owed the world because they have been around longer, or that they assume the younger people don't know much or don't have good ideas.

I'm younger (2 but I have a very strong work ethic. Hell, I've had my salary cut, vacation reduced, 401k matching eliminated, and 8 hours taken out of my work week but I still continue to put in about the same hours as I did before. I do this admittedly partly because if I didn't still put in the same hours, my work week would be so much more stressful (because of the lack of things being accomplished and people in turn complaining) but I also do it because I feel obligated to finish the job properly even if I'm getting far less than I was before for it.

blargoe

I was hired to, among other things, ensure all Windows systems, mail flow, storage, critical applications are stable and online. Most of the time, no problem; sometimes, long hours. Sometimes, I have critical input on a project that has close deadlines and I'm staying late or working from home. Occasionally for long stretches of work or a grueling long weekend I'll get comped somehow. Usually not. It's part of the job.

If it gets to be more than I'm willing to give, if the costs outweigh the benefits, I'll find a different job. You and I have that right, you know. But it's part of the deal in IT. If you want a strict 9-5, stick to the call center.

dynamik

I did about a week of 18 hour days. It wasn't this pansy IT stuff though. It was back when I worked at a sign company, and we had to paint hundreds of 3' long pieces of 1/4" aluminum. It should have been a 2-3 person job, but other people were sick, so I got the privilege of handling it all by myself (hence the long hours). That's the most I've ached in my entire life; the stuff I have to deal with nowadays isn't even comparable.

msteinhilber

dynamik wrote: »

I did about a week of 18 hour days. It wasn't this pansy IT stuff though. It was back when I worked at a sign company, and we had to paint hundreds of 3' long pieces of 1/4" aluminum. It should have been a 2-3 person job, but other people were sick, so I got the privilege of handling it all by myself (hence the long hours). That's the most I've ached in my entire life; the stuff I have to deal with nowadays isn't even comparable.

Those are the best experiences in life really, I haven't had it THAT bad but I routinely put in 60-70 hour work weeks Monday through Saturday and often went in Sundays to play catch up at my prior job. I did that for just about 5 years, enough was enough. The occasional busy week with long hours doesn't phase me one bit generally now, that's the up side to having bust my rear for so long - that and the great pay I brought in during those 5 years because I didn't have to throw a bunch of money at payroll

Plantwiz

msteinhilber wrote: »

And I could say that the older crowd thinks they are owed the world because they have been around longer, or that they assume the younger people don't know much or don't have good ideas.

It's not assumed. It's been proven, time and time again over that last 25+ years in different companies and industries. IF it doesn't apply to you. Good for you and congrats to your parents for teaching you something about responsibilty.

You are correct, there are slackers all around, but the biggest group to take time off for 'sniffles, headaches, or just being tired.. is this lastest upcoming pampered brats fresh from college of a few years out of college. Mommy and Daddy worked their butts off to give junior and jane EVERYTHING except how to survive in the working world.

If the comments don't apply to you personally, then don't worry about it. My comments are from my own experiences...not some made up hypothesis. Right now, I've seen and dealth with too many slackers in the under 30 group...and a fair share 30-40...but with different reasons.


The author of the thread (I believe was NOT yourself) was inquiring how long people work and whether intended or not...it read very clear like "it sucks my employer actually expects I'll finish the job I agreed to do". And then looking for sympathy for others who work 'too' long.

My comments, as many others here too have responded, is that there is no lenght of time too long...if that is your responsibility, period. I'd say the majority young and old, responding here will work to complete the task based on their response. Those who don't respond,....we'll not know their thoughts.

msteinhilber

Plantwiz wrote: »

You are correct, there are slackers all around, but the biggest group to take time off for 'sniffles, headaches, or just being tired.. is this lastest upcoming pampered brats fresh from college of a few years out of college. Mommy and Daddy worked their butts off to give junior and jane EVERYTHING except how to survive in the working world.

I spent a number of years letting myself become upset while witnessing some of what you describe, but I eventually realized it did no good to get upset about it. All it did was make me angry, but it did nothing to affect those that spurred my feelings. I work with an individual who fits the taking time off for sniffles, minor tummy ache, hangover or what have you. He's lazy, he hasn't kept his skills up to speed and is essentially limping along on the same level of knowledge he's had for the past 5 years. It doesn't bother me though, because I get the real opportunities to implement projects at work that help me pickup new skills because he either has no interest in said projects or simply is far too behind to jump aboard the present. He will eventually be weeded out no doubt, and somebody else will take his place. He's also 40 years old, and he carries around himself an attitude that he is entitled, and the person who I replaced was in their mid 40's and had very similar problems.

My hypothesis is that each and every age group will very likely look down upon the upcoming generations and say "wow, would you look at that lazy bunch of slackers" or "oh boy, those are the future leaders of this country... we are screwed". I can admit that I used to say this about those in their late teens as I witness some of their actions out in public. But then I decided I was going to finish up my bachelors degree, and I am at the older end of the age of students in my college with the majority being fresh out of high school. I have to admit that the past few years participating in classes with these people has been eye opening. There are a LOT of very bright people, those who have great ideas and those who might not have the best ideas but carry themselves forward with a strong desire and motivation to learn. There are of course the handful of those that you simply dread to have participate in a group project with you, because you can count on them producing minimal results towards your goals but that happens as you said with any group.

The paradigms change, but the people who grew up prior to the change tend to not change with it. As a result they look back and many probably share some of the views that you have.

Paperclip

Plantwiz wrote: »

Mommy and Daddy worked their butts off to give junior and jane EVERYTHING except how to survive in the working world.

Junior and Jane are in the wrong field if it's IT, lol. Maybe they could try marketing or something.

I don't even want to revisit some of the hours I have spent enough to post about it. I used to be the only IT person in a company.

Where I am now, I have less responsibility (for as much pay) and also a support system of coworkers. I will stay until the crisis is over, always. I work at a non-profit, so if overtime is not pre-approved, it can be tough getting paid for it, so I don't even put in for an hour or two here and there. If it was chronic I'd bring it up, but it's not, and I like my company and don't mind taking some for the team to the degree that I do.

eMeS

Plantwiz wrote: »

It's not assumed. It's been proven, time and time again over that last 25+ years in different companies and industries.

Please, share this proof.

Plantwiz wrote: »

My comments are from my own experiences...not some made up hypothesis.

That's pretty much the definition of 'anecdotal'.

I'm not sure if I fall into the range of what you consider that young generation (I'll soon be 39). What concerns me though is that the average age of the membership of this board probably does fall into the range you are deeming youthful. My educated guess is that the average age here is between 23 and 25.

Why is it acceptable to stereotype an entire group on some basis that cannot be demonstrated?

How is what you're saying about young people any different from racial, religious, or other stereotypes?

IMO, you're way out of line.

Here's what I know, those that are younger than us are our future.

To the OP: FWIW, the longest I've worked was around 36 hours, and that was about 20 years ago. Even these days I sometimes pull some 24 hour days if I have many things that need to get done or a tight deadline.

MS

Mrock4

Once every week I work a 24 hour day, by the time I get to sleep I'm usually at 30 hours, and I usually sleep for about 3 hours before I head back for 12 hours. Last week my time spent sleeping over the period of 3 days was 7 hours..I did eventually crash on the 4th day, and slept for 6 1/2 hrs..which felt great.

I have done 36 a couple of times before, was in Iraq, had a large network outage. It was well worth it though, this happened 2 weeks before I came home, so I didn't care how long I had to stay up.

It's also worth a mention that my shift varies by the month (usually), one month is 7:30pm-7:30am, the next is flipped around, then it repeats, but it's always 12 hour shifts.

Pash

Its funny, they never tell you in college or when you are training that IT is probably one of the most time demanding jobs going.

I honestly have worked sick hours over the last couple of months, and you would have to question what is the point in earning extra money if you can't enjoy it......which is a fair point.

I do enjoy what I am doing but sometimes everyone just needs a break from it

I got a few late ones coming up, 10am to 2am next day kinda work, but the management are fair, taxi back home, day off after the project work is done.

Like others have stated above, I stay until stuff is fixed or until I hit a brick wall, in which case I may need another brain to pick or I just genuinely have to wait until the next day.

Lee H

As a contractor I am always willing to do more hours which of course would mean more wonga

As a permenant member of staff on a salary, providing the late hours worked were paid as a bonus then same as above, if not then I would at best be home for tea with my kids

Nuff said

Lee H