Comment by epa | Hacker News Reader

Comment by epa | Hacker News Reader

Consider the industry you are going into before complaining about overtime. I am expected to work long over time hours on a regular (daily) basis during busy seasons without extra compensation and this is what I expected going in. Highly skilled individuals who have extensive training will be 'put to work' in order to derive the benefits of this training by their employer.

You are willing to put up with this behavior because you believe that one day your training and experience will lead you to a very high paying job. Lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, the professionals, all understand that there is a necessary grind in order to prove your worth.

If you are not cut out for it, there is always work as a desk clerk making above minimum wage working 9-430. Yes, some employers have very relax policies relating to getting work done. But who are the ones producing the highest quality innovative work? The people working hard on a daily basis.

You're confusing "a necessary grind" with "a necessary period where your employer exploits you for longer hours with no additional pay." You can (and almost certainly will have to) pay your dues at some point in your professional life but your mistake is thinking that you shouldn't be compensated for it.

It has very little to do with being "cut out for it" and more to do with not being exploited. And yes, there's a whole host of exploitation of various degrees even in modern workplaces and many people have had or still have to go through with it but that doesn't mean it's a good thing whatsoever (unless, of course, you're the employer).

What a disgusting post. "Pay your dues just like I did". Just because you chose to be exploited with the hope that you'll some day get compensated for it doesn't mean the model is right. And your quip about where the highest quality innovate work comes from is unproven and probably unprovable.

Maybe the issue here is that I know 100% that the effort I put in now will lead me to success in the future.

If you "know" that then you're wrong. Success isn't a guarantee even if you work hard. Ask Nikola Tesla.

>without extra compensation

That right there is the crux of the issue. You don't work for free. Period. If it is expected that you'll be working long hours during busy seasons, then the initial salary offered should reflect that. If two people are getting paid the same salary but only one is expected to take overtime constantly, one of them is getting screwed.

Considering the norms of the particular industry would be good advice, but there are often choices within the industry. Dressing up False Choices in machismo not only obscures reality, but plays right into the hands of managers inclined to take advantage.

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