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Comment by enraged_camel | Hacker News Reader

I manage a team. The reason I don’t promote or give raises to people who overwork is because I don’t want to encourage behavior that inevitably results in burnout.

What I instead do when people overwork is I give them extra paid time off. Stayed in the office for a couple of extra hours yesterday helping a customer? Great, please make sure to take Friday afternoon off. You had to work extra last week to meet a deadline? Apologies, that was my fault for not managing your workload properly and distributing it better (and also not setting a reasonable deadline). Second, again, please take the equivalent amount of time off.

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I think that's a great approach but I think the people predisposed to working longer and doing overtime are often the sort of people who won't willingly take that time off. Do you have to encourage it or it's welcomed?

I've worked in companies that did this and if those people refused to take time and insisted on working late it was viewed as a bad thing and they were told as much. People who work hard are generally ambitious so telling them it's hurting their career makes them reevaluate pretty quickly.

You sound like a great manager/team lead. I think the obsession with 9-5 and whatever else it takes to get the job done is absurd in today's world.

Maybe I misunderstand your comment, but aren't "9-5" and "doing what it takes to get the job done" contradictory?

The one is having fixed working hours and, as in the parent comment, compensating with extra leave if those hours are overstepped.

The other is working overtime whenever there is extra work that has to get done.

I mean, ALWAYS 9-5, in addition to whatever it takes to get the work done. One or the other can be totally fine but it leaves little room for wiggling with comp time.

Ah! I understand your comment now, by

> obsession with 9-5 and whatever else it takes

You mean an obsession with "working 9-5 ALONG WITH whatever else it takes", not an obsession with "9-5" and a separate obsession with "whatever it takes".

Yeah. I could have used a better conjunction, haha. Thanks.

There is always extra work that needs to be done.

If you are looking longer term, avoiding burnout and employee satisfaction will be a net positive. If you are looking short-term (12 months at most, but 3 months is more of a burnout limit), you may benefit from overworking people.

A rare but cool approach. Surely tracking extra time in such a way is a bit of extra effort?

Much less than dealing with an employee that has burnt out...

Is it rare? That's not good to hear. It's certainly how I used to try to operate.

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