Ask HN: Do you work nights/weekends?

[AskHNWeekends]

This question is aimed at folks with "traditional" full time jobs.

Those at a high-growth startup or other such scenario, I understand there's intrinsic motivation/expectation to make as much progress as possible. But that's a particular type of role. As well as contractors with multiple gigs, and anyone side-hustling, I imagine odd working hours are common.

Those making a reasonable salary as a full-time developer, do you regularly work nights/weekends for that employer? Do you do it because you enjoy the work? Do you do it because you feel obligated? I'm just trying to get a sense of what people do, in various types of roles. Maybe you work nights/weekends, but take time during weekdays for yourself. Maybe you work as little as possible to get the job done. Just trying to start a conversation around what people's working schedules are like.

[ironlake]

Full-time software developer with a traditional employer (not a startup).

I don't work nights and weekends. I would have no problem with the occasional extra labor in special circumstances, but if it was a regular thing I would just find another job.

If I worked all weekend, would the CEO be grateful? Would he come over and mow my lawn while I was working? What if I volunteered my labor around his house for the weekend? Would he be grateful enough to properly staff the engineering department of his company?

Working nights and weekends deprives your peers of the opportunity for a job. Every hour you work is one less hour ownership has to pay for. You are suppressing your wage and the wages of your peers.

[CodeWriter23]

I am in a startup. When necessary, yes I will put in extra hours.

What does ‘necessary’ mean? I report directly to the big boss and he always insists I don’t have to work outside of regular hours.

But there are times when other team mates are depending on me for something and through external forces (customers, opportunities) they have an expedited timeline, I’ll choose on my own to kick some ass for a few days and help them meet their goals. I am abundantly compensated for my efforts by the company. And the big boss has always recognized my contributions and sweetened the deal for me.

There are also times in normal mode where we have planned things and I underestimated time requirements I will kick in to maintain my reputation. Other times team mates can wait longer and they recognize our dynamic environment and they’re chill about me being “late” on something.

[DANmode]

The key is feeling attached to the goal by both appropriate or generous compensation, and camaraderie.

It can get tough without one or the other!

[pknomad]

As Ron Swanson says, “Give 100%. 110% is impossible. Only idiots recommend that.”

I used to spend 80 hours a week at past startups because that was required and I wanted to move out of help desk support. There were various moments during my stint at Peloton where that number jumped to 120 hours a week.

I'm now at Federal and spend good 30-35 hours/week at work. I'll work nights but only if I took the day off in the morning without taking my PTO. I am able to enjoy life outside of work and I am a better person for it. There's nothing inherently wrong about working extra hours or nights, but do it for yourself or someone you care about at work, never for the organization.

[null_shift]

When I was younger I routinely worked late nights (I’d work normal business hours, then go grab a subway and come back to the office and work until 10-12. I enjoy working alone at night, and I wasn’t using that free time productively, so I figured why not. It did help my career trajectory significantly.

As I’ve gotten older and have better uses for my time I find myself working a ~40hr week and checking out. Occasionally if I have a challenging problem that requires deep focus I’ll log on at night, but only because I like the satisfaction of “the grind” every now and then.

[qup]

Out of curiosity, what better uses for your time did you find as you grew older?

I may be an outlier, as I'm a bachelor (not much family/relationship time allocated), but I've found myself diving hard into work again as I come into my 40s, after really taking it easy in my 30s.

[VoodooJuJu]

As a solo business-owner who will likely start hiring down the road, this thread is inspiring in a bad way.

It's crazy to see all these workers who value my time and my business more than they value themselves. Some guy said he worked 120 hours/week at Peloton, lmao. I'm calling bullshit on that one, but the premise remains - there are a non-trivial number of people willing to invest a lot more time and effort than what they're paid for, and for what? A socialwidget? A newtechgrift? The modern economy is bullshit jobs galore. You guys aren't even the cogs in the machine - you're the grease. You want to spend your would-be leisure time lubing up the machine?

[082349872349872]

I've worked many nights and weekends, but only by my own decision (never on call or firefighting) and usually balanced that by taking time off during traditional working hours. (Back in the 20th century, we believed being salaried meant we were being paid to solve problems, not to be in an office during specific hours)

[fuzzfactor]

I like to build and run chemical laboratories which are capable of operation at any time around-the-clock. After-hours surcharges can often be more lucrative than the base lab fees I invoice. Naturally I like to compensate the operators who perform the after-hours work quite well so enthusiasm is enhanced. On top of their regular daytime hours, or instead, it pays to be flexible.

But the 8 - 5 period during the 5-day workweek is so precious for communication with office people of all kinds, from clients to suppliers, within my time zone. Most of the 24/7 week occurs outside these 5 narrow windows, or 10 even narrower ones if you count lunch. Plus lots of times Mondays and Fridays can be easily lost to a good extent.

A lot of businesses need "normal" business hours to be focused on the business itself. Sometimes more so than focusing on engineering during that time even if it's an engineering company. That's the "normal job" 5-day week part that's always habitual for me. The easy part has to be showing up consistently enough that you take off less often than everyone you interact with.

So I prefer to have most physical work, infrastructure building, instrument commissioning & calibration, things like that done "after hours" whenever possible.

With enough of that behind me, I can make the most of it 8 - 5 for a while until the next growth effort, which will have as much of its activity occur after hours also, leaving the 8 - 5 period intact to maintain continuity. As if no new projects are being undertaken until proven viable. It's worth the extra hours.

Long ago I became comfortable with the concept that you can operate a lab like this 5 days a week, but it really needs to be built or grown nights, holidays, and weekends. In our case it's a bonus to be able to also operate when most businesses are closed as well.

This is not some well-funded research outfit, I have to make a profit here.

[monero-xmr]

I work consistent 60 to 70 hour weeks with two young children. My wife is stay at home mom and I like to stay up very late. I have been doing entrepreneurial stuff for several years but even when I was an employee I worked long hours. It helped me learn very quickly and avoid layoffs compared to my peers.

I think a lot of people want to work-to-live rather than live-to-work. I don't take anything for granted, I am always hustling and trying to provide more for my family and a better life than I had growing up. I see free enterprise as satisfying the wants of people voluntarily, which is the most noble way you can help people IMO. So I work long hours with the personal opinion that I am helping society the best way I possibly can.

[eldavido]

You and I seem to have a lot in common. Been employed, done entrepreneurship, don't mind long hours.

I find it interesting how people navigate these tradeoffs. I'm 38, married with two kids (one 3, the other 6mos). It's BUSY. Especially because my wife has a good career, which for better or worse, is a big part of her identity and something she'll never not do (building architecture). Given that we'll always have her salary, I manage a couple rental properties part time, plus have taken a few swings at getting bootstrapped products out the door with mixed success.

I honestly don't know whether you or I have it "easier". I have friends with stay-at-home spouses. I envy their ability to just go to work and focus. I spent today (Sunday) fixing our dryer, going to the grocery store, and doing other chores a stay-at-home wife might handle during the week. I work almost every weekend doing either housework, tax prep, or other stuff. On the other hand, I know we'll never not eat, so the financial stress is a lot less than a one-income household trying something entrepreneurial. Unless you're either really rich or have saved a lot (and willing to risk it), it's hard seeing how someone in that position, especially with kids in a high COL area, can make it work without taking a big salary out of the company (and getting financing to do it). It seems borderline impossible.

I think raising two kids is at least one "full time job", probably more because it's not just 9-5 Monday-Friday. If you're in a two-working spouse family with kids, I think it's very difficult to work more than 45-50 hours/week, and that's assuming you have daycare. There's just SO MUCH to do. Laundry, groceries, dishes, and meal prep are easily 15-20h/week for a family of four. Add to that taking kids to/from childcare/school, putting them to bed, bathing them, keeping them entertained on the weekends, doctors' appointments, and the rest, it gets tough to work more than 50h/week with a working spouse. I think 70 is basically not doable unless you're OK going days at a time not seeing your kids, and even then, only one spouse/partner can really do it.

[millzlane]

I'm at two companies, and work 7 days a week. Days, evenings and weekends. I do it because I don't make 6 figures, and I need to save for retirement and for a rainy day.

[deadmutex]

Please be careful. This may not scale into the future.. as you may have to give more attention to family (kids, elders, etc)

Getting a higher paying job by building more skills (instead of a second job) may be a better long term strategy

[meghan_rain]

don't you feel overworked sometimes?

[Kuraj]

If it's to fix something I fucked up, yes.

We also take rotations on product releases that must happen outside business hours, but it's planned work and not much of a nuisance.

[BunnyOSteele]

Working as a dev for a rather large retail chain. My girlfriend is an MD, working shifts (early, late, nights) and on weekends on a regular basis. I keep my working hours aligned with hers, so have "time off" during the week where possible. Working undisturbed on weekends/late hours/night is very productive for me, plus the benefit of "work/life balance"

[readwriterick]

At my last company I worked way more than 40 hours a week during the ~5 years until we sold. However, even when I was often working 10-12 hours a day, plus many hours on weekends, I would take advantage of the flexibility afforded me by being a partner in the business -- mostly by taking random mornings/afternoons/days off to pursue hobbies, etc.

[adamquek]

I am currently doing a research project to fulfill my MSc capstone project requirement. As this involved collaborating with another department (i.e. not my work KPI), I am mostly working on them on non-official timing, e.g. after work or weekends. It's only for another couple of months, but that experience has already created lots of connections.

[DanielRaid]

After six years, I left the Venture Capital path which I detested. Although I still work on weekends and into the late night as a freelancer/advisor, I now take pleasure in my work because I know it holds greater significance.

This leads to the inevitable question: what holds greater significance for me? The outcome or the prestige that comes with the job.

[guyrap]

Yes. Arriving ~8:30, leaving ~15:30, working nights/weekends to make ends meet. As far as I'm the one putting my kids into their schools and taking them out at the end of the day, I am happy. I wanted to do this since I was a kid and my dad would leave to work at 06:00 and return home 18:00. Yay, psychology!

[runjake]

I'll often work some time on nights and weekends and take the appropriate comp time off in the following days.

Eg. "work 2 hours tonight, come in 2 hours late tomorrow morning."

People rarely ask me to work off-hours, it's more a "I should do this (update|configuration change|thing) tonight during off-hours."

[sarah_eu]

I prefer to work for between 2 and 4 hours on Saturday and Sunday. And it's always work for myself, not an employer. I'm always fresh for a few hours after I wake up, and enjoy it. Never regretted fewer hours more often. Often regretted more hours in a single sitting (ie. I don't work late).

[jareds]

I work some nights but that's usually because I take time off during the middle of the day to exercise. When I was working a job where I felt under pressure to work nights and weekends I did so. I also left that job after less then a year because I felt the workload and expectations were unrealistic.

[kingkongjaffa]

I work in peaks and troughs.

With the blessing of fully remote work sometimes my troughs happen during the work day and I don’t get much done… and that’s okay.

I do sometimes make up for it by doing deep solo work on the evenings, or solo individual contributor stuff or strategic planning stuff on Sunday nights to kick off the week.