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How Many Hours Should You Work at a Start-Up or Company?

Generally what I think about things is a different way than the majority. (Talk about a general statement, sheesh)  I haven’t decided if this is a good thing or a bad thing.  However, it’s nice to see that Valve agrees with my opinion that working overtime week after week is generally a bad thing.

Read this blurb from their employee handbook:

While people occasionally choose to push themselves to work some extra hours at times when something big is going out the door, for the most part working overtime for extended periods indicates a fundamental failure in planning or communication.If this happens at Valve, it’s a sign that something needs to be reevaluated and corrected. Ifyou’re looking around wondering why people aren’t in“crunch mode,” the answer’s pretty simple. The thing we work hardest at is hiring good people, so we want them to stick around and have a good balance between work and family and the rest of the important stuff in life.If you find yourself working long hours, or just generally feel like that balance is out of whack, be sure to raise the  issue with whomever you feel would help. Dina loves to force  people to take vacations, so you can make her your first stop

If you are staying at work until 6PM or later every day, then you are doing it wrong.  If your company culture is that working until 6PM or later is the accepted norm then you are doing it very wrong.  There is nothing wrong with having a life outside of work.  To those of you out there who enjoy working long hours every day, then more power to you.  However, I feel as though this far from the norm for the average person.

Go ahead and read Valve’s handbook. Assuming this link stays valid and they don’t track me down with their Spy class.