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Comment by ChristianMarks | Hacker News Reader

I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects. Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

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I made the decision not to get married or have children so that I would have time for side projects.

Same here.

Unfortunately, single people are often expected to stay later to enable those with family obligations to leave earlier.

I just don't do that shit... to hell with expectations. You only get one life, and I don't know about you, but I have my own dreams I'm chasing.

Maybe parents are just more likely to have the guts to stand up to this kind of abuse.

You're expected to work overtime? Refuse. Quit. There are no other healthy options. I do occasionally work overtime, but it's my own choice, and I get the time back when things cool down again. Becoming a father didn't change my approach one bit.

This. When I became a parent the decision to say know got easier to make. I didn't really notice a difference in what was asked of me. I just wouldn't put up with shut anymore. My time became wayyyy too important. Literally every extra minute at work was a minute I wasn't raising my son to be awesome.

This--makes it all the more difficult for childless employees.

My first reaction on reading your decision to not get married or have children in order to have more time, is that you should think about adopting a more balanced approach to life.

Screw that. It's not my fault you settled down and knocked up your partner. If we have the same level of responsibility, we work similar hours. Done.

While I too look forward to the impartial application of policy, employers have their own interpretation of who, in fact, is "done." I have bolted from less than mutually beneficial working arrangement, myself.

Quit. Find another job. Your time is too valuable.

You work as many hours as you decide to, so does everybody else. Get abused as much as you like, but please don't try and make others feel bad for not doing the same.

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