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Comment by mi100hael | Hacker News Reader

How many people out there really keep working on the weekends voluntarily as the author seems to suggest? I'm pretty clear with my coworkers/boss that the only time I'm going to work after-hours or weekends is in case of rare, extreme emergency. There's no expectation that I work weekends, so I'm definitely not going to do it voluntarily. I like programming and like learning new things so I often do work on a side-project of some sort, but that's firmly my time, not my employer's.

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I don't know how many other people do, but I do, since I'm in a startup and I'm my boss. I'm worried that I might get fired any day now by myself for not working hard enough. ;)

Seriously though, it's harder to avoid in startups, and this forum is more or less dedicated to startups, so I'd expect quiet a few people here do land in this boat. I'd also guess side projects that involve programming probably count as work, as far as what the author intended, and everyone here has side projects going.

Keep in mind that there are plenty of managers that subconsciously reward extra time, and plenty of workers that will put in a little extra to get ahead. It's not fair or good for work/life balance, but it happens. Drawing your own hard line is a good thing, and nobody should be expected to put in unpaid time, but sadly it doesn't work the same for everyone everywhere, and being too vocal about extra work can have unintended consequences.

I have worked a few weekends in a row for a few hours. I opted to not work one weekend and my PM went to my manager to raise concern about getting deliverables out in time for a client.

That's great if you are working for a single employer regularly month after month. But lots of people work for many different employers/clients. They go through some months with no work, and others with far too much. Sometimes the only way to stay afloat is to work like a maniac when you can and hope that you have a few bucks to spend when the downtime comes. It isn't healthy, but is how you pay the rent.

I've found this is a culture that's easily visible before hiring—perhaps people who value work/life balance avoid it.

As an intern I definitely did work week ends, and as a relatively fresh employee (almost a year) I did it quite often, but I'm doing it less and less. I'd say when the work is good, it tends to overflow in your social life. Some jobs (not all) are mind consuming and can't be left alone so easily when going back home. Although if you're doing it because your boss tells you, then you should find another boss.

I work almost every weekend, but there's also plenty of days where I don't start work until noon. I prize flexibility far above absolute number of hours: I'd rather work 60 hours a week than be forced to work 9-5 every day.

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