My poor work ethic

[Polar1]

It seems when they say American workers are lazy I'm the poster child. At the meeting went I'm working 60 hours per week,which is a pretty light work load these days. I'm currently getting Saturdays off but I feel somewhat guilty for taking those days off,I could be working those but I don't want to. What's wrong with me?

Heh, yes sometimes these meetings come as negative feedback so that neither you or your peers believe that there is any sensible maximum hours to work.

I'm doing line work (factory) so probably equivalent.

OT is a nice incentive, if you're getting paid any overtime. However, there is a risk of accidents after working many hours. After 8 hours mental focus and muscular motricity deteriorates. As attention wanders there are risks of losing limbs, among other dangers.

Well factory work is not really similar to finance or consulting work for a variety of reasons, even if the culture around hours worked is similar.

I worked for a big consulting firm in the US, back in the '00s, as part of a multinational team, and I can tell Americans are kind of crazy. After working a 70 hour week I got called in on a Saturday at 11pm: they team on site was desperate because they could not find information they needed for a report. The number was right in front of them but since the manager would not let people sleep they could not even see the numbers even if they were pointed out at them.

That was not the only episode: the next weekend the American team decided to take two hotel rooms (one for the girls and one for guys) for a team of 20, and hot-bunk in order to meet a deadline. This was decided regardless that the information available was that the deadline could not be met because of errors in previous year's financial statements of another company. Somehow "hard work" would fix it.

Productivity means working smarter, not working harder. Americans are great at this because of a better educated (on average) workforce and technology available. Somehow this sometimes does not work.

One good 8-hour sleep and stupid decisions are not made.

I don't even really like my job, but it's how I contribute. My wife wasn't crazy about me working Saturday but I feel like I've failed her if I haven't put in as many days as possible.

Think of that Saturday as the day to work on a profitable project or second job. If you do line work you are probably good with your hands. Learn to fix something.

- - - Updated - - -

You're job must really .. miss you.
What kind of job will let you take 4 months unpaid leave a year.
Holy shit this is such a lie.

When I was in corporate I used to have one month paid leave (because laws) and I could take another month off unpaid leave. I saw the inneficiencies in corporate (bureaucracy, procedures, reports that were never read) and designed the work to fit both my lifestyle and the company's bottom line. Nowadays I am independent and I work 8 months a year. There is also a seasonality to the job and I already save enough. I am not going to bust my balls working to sell sand in the desert.

I understand if you can't see it. When I was young I also thought it could be a lie. Mind you, I worked my ass off and studied hours upon hours and eventually learnt. But you have to realize at some point that 60 hour work weeks will only drive you straight from your work and into the coffin.

[Ycarene]

It just seems that if I'm not working every day,I'm shirking my responsibility as a provider and an employee.

[Deleted]

When I was in corporate I used to have one month paid leave (because laws) and I could take another month off unpaid leave. I saw the inneficiencies in corporate (bureaucracy, procedures, reports that were never read) and designed the work to fit both my lifestyle and the company's bottom line. Nowadays I am independent and I work 8 months a year. There is also a seasonality to the job and I already save enough. I am not going to bust my balls working to sell sand in the desert.

I understand if you can't see it. When I was young I also thought it could be a lie. Mind you, I worked my ass off and studied hours upon hours and eventually learnt. But you have to realize at some point that 60 hour work weeks will only drive you straight from your work and into the coffin.

What I think is a lie is if you work for a company (so you are not working for your self) that your manager/boss/whatever will sign off on you being out the office 5 months out of 12.
Why in gods name would he hire you in the first place?

I used to work 50/60 hour weeks but with the new job I been in a year now I work 37.5 hours a week with overtime happening only when projects go to shit.
Earning just as much as I used to making overtime because I switched jobs and a lot happier now in the end.
So I understand what you are saying (my boss would never agree with me being off 5 months a year though, to much work on my desk as it is).

[Balgazarr]

Lol do you work for Kohl's? I didn't know any other company that gave out 6 weeks vacation.

[Mayhem]

What I think is a lie is if you work for a company (so you are not working for your self) that your manager/boss/whatever will sign off on you being out the office 5 months out of 12.
Why in gods name would he hire you in the first place?

I used to work 50/60 hour weeks but with the new job I been in a year now I work 37.5 hours a week with overtime happening only when projects go to shit.
Earning just as much as I used to making overtime because I switched jobs and a lot happier now in the end.
So I understand what you are saying (my boss would never agree with me being off 5 months a year though, to much work on my desk as it is).

Depends, i can make my own roster, so i decide when i´m at office myself. I have to meet the 40 hours a week (that´s breaks included) not per week but extrapolated on the month, so i can take off 2 weeks per month if i wanted too if i then work 80 hours a week.

[Deleted]

OP makes a fundamental mistake: He thinks what matters is the effort you put into your job.

That's good for school, but nobody cares about that past.

The world will have much more sense with the understanding that what matters are the results you achieve, not how you get there.

[Danner]

It seems when they say American workers are lazy I'm the poster child. At the meeting went I'm working 60 hours per week,which is a pretty light work load these days. I'm currently getting Saturdays off but I feel somewhat guilty for taking those days off,I could be working those but I don't want to. What's wrong with me?

I never quite got the mentality that working more gives a better result. Sure, if you're a factory floor worker or a shop clerk then that adds up. But in an office, engineering or bureaucracy space? I do not believe so.

So, I'm an engineer.

After 30 hours of work, my mental accuracy is going down. This is where I start making mistakes. I miss connecting important dots, and things end up working, but not at optimal efficiency.
After 40 hours of work, my mental accuracy is dangerously low. This is where I start making critical mistakes. The things I make may no longer even work, and may have critical flaws in them.

Now, I could sit another 20 hours that weekend and harp on the problem.
Heck, I might even solve it given enough effort.

But I can't focus on a problem that hard for that long. I'm not 14 anymore. My body gets physically tired. My brain slows down and I can't concentrate at peak performance for more than 4-5hours in a row. There's always meetings, discussions and email to fill my day, but I can't actually work at peak performance for more than 4-5 hours. The work I produce after that point in time is bad work.

If I work overtime during the weekend to meet a critical deadline - it happens - then I am broken the entire next week.
If I am on a roll, and stay at work having so much fun solving problems that I am overriding the signs my body sends that I am getting tired - it happens - then I am broken the next day.

In both situations, I end up stealing time from the future. That's what overtime is. Stealing time from the future. If you have a critical deadline to meet, that's sometimes fine. But every day, every week? You're not gaining anything! You're just lowering your performance for no reason. I promise you you would get MORE work done by not staying in the office until 10 PM. I can spend 2-5 hours solving the problem as overtime today... or I can solve it in 10 minutes tomorrow morning.

For some reason, american companies love people who pick option A in this situation, and look down on people who pick option B.
I just don't get it.

[Azmaria]

I get told all the time I'm lazy because all I wanna do with my free time now is sleep.
Totally has nothing to do with working 80+ hours most weeks at a high stress job, or that it happens to be a night shift job. Nope just a lazy bum apparently .

[Deleted]

Depends, i can make my own roster, so i decide when i´m at office myself. I have to meet the 40 hours a week (that´s breaks included) not per week but extrapolated on the month, so i can take off 2 weeks per month if i wanted too if i then work 80 hours a week.

So can I to a certain degree.
Working 80 hours a week will fuck over your work as you won't be productive for the 40 hours after the first 40 and you will make a lot more mistakes.
That will fuck over your employer that is giving you the freedom to make your own choices.
Thats a pretty big dick move.

[Mayhem]

So can I to a certain degree.
Working 80 hours a week will fuck over your work as you won't be productive for the 40 hours after the first 40 and you will make a lot more mistakes.
That will fuck over your employer that is giving you the freedom to make your own choices.
Thats a pretty big dick move.

I´m glad you know what my work is and how 80 hours a week would impact my work. Not that i do it, just was an example of how i could get on over half a year of vacation per year.

[Deleted]

I´m glad you know what my work is and how 80 hours a week would impact my work. Not that i do it, just was an example of how i could get on over half a year of vacation per year.

ANY work you will do worse after your first 20/30/40 hours (depending on the person).
No matter if you are a systems engineer or work on a belt in a factory.
There is only so much of consistent focus your body can handle before you get weaker and weaker.

Nothing to do with you personally, its all of us.

[Mayhem]

ANY work you will do worse after your first 20/30/40 hours (depending on the person).
No matter if you are a systems engineer or work on a belt in a factory.
There is only so much of consistent focus your body can handle before you get weaker and weaker.

Nothing to do with you personally, its all of us.

Yeah, i don´t have to work for 3, 4 or even 1 hour straight, i have my own office and decide what to do and when, heck i can even take naps in between to get some needed rest on long days.

[The One Percent]

Here is some pity and attention.

Now get back to work.

[Deleted]

I work to live, i don't live to work.

100000 times this.

[Ycarene]

There's a narrative that if you're struggling, not only is it all your fault, but part of it is that you're lazy and not working (hard enough).

[Deleted]

OP makes a fundamental mistake: He thinks what matters is the effort you put into your job.

That's good for school, but nobody cares about that past.

The world will have much more sense with the understanding that what matters are the results you achieve, not how you get there.

This is so true. Smart work matters, not hard work or the hours.

[Celista]

There's a narrative that if you're struggling, not only is it all your fault, but part of it is that you're lazy and not working (hard enough).

I think you should find a better job, to be honest. Your pay is probably not great and the culture sounds like shit.

[DarkAztaroth]

You're job must really .. miss you.
What kind of job will let you take 4 months unpaid leave a year.
Holy shit this is such a lie.

Call center job.
I'm allowed to ask for unpaid vacations. There's a limit of course though :P I can't really take more than 6 months a year.
A colleague of mine took 6 months off last year to go back to his home country.
I have that weird reputation of being that guy that goes off on vacation to play wow expansions when they release xD
I take more often shorter vacations to be able to watch my money xD A few months unpaid really sinks your bank account xD
(And I have to pay my insurance when I come back <-<")

Mind you I'm not super rich, taking that much vacation leaves me with only a bit more money than someone who works minimum salary all year. ... I wish I'd be able to do overtime but I'm too lazy, some of my colleagues rack up 2 weeks worth of salary in a day or 2 sometimes :'( (we have the option to turn those into more paid vacations too.. I do think that's a bit weird to pay an employee more for a day and them let take more vacation time which forces more overtime but uhh... whatever I dont manage their finances.)

What I think is a lie is if you work for a company (so you are not working for your self) that your manager/boss/whatever will sign off on you being out the office 5 months out of 12.
Why in gods name would he hire you in the first place?

My manager only cares because when I'm there his "stats" are better (which leads to him being paid more) his boss... doesnt care about one employee... now one that take care of the finances for the boss of the boss of that boss might care, but then again, its in our convention so whatever... Not everyone takes that kind of vacation, most people need or care about money more and only a certain % of people can be off at the same time for this kinda leave. ... never been told no yet however.

I realllyyyy wish I'd be able to unlazy myself though, I'd like buying a house someday, but it's not gonna happen when I have trouble keeping more than 6k in my bank account xD