How do you prioritize between a project with tight deadlines and long work hours versus one with more relaxed timelines but lower pay? Meeting deadlines and putting in long hours can be a challenge, but the financial reward can be worth it. On the other hand, taking on a project with more relaxed timelines may mean a lower paycheck, but it can allow for a healthier work-life balance.
Are you willing to sacrifice your free time for a higher payout, or is work-life balance more important to you? And if you chose the first option, how long can you last?
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Top comments (8)
My boss at my first 100% web development role (back in the early 2000s) always made a big thing out of us always working no more than the hours we were contracted to work. She believed firmly in a good work-life balance. I've stuck to that ever since - pay has never come into it.
In my experience, hard deadlines rarely actually exist (and you'd be crazy to set them) - but when they do, the consequences of missing them are generally minor. If you achieve them, great! If not, life goes on.
Just do the best you can, without:
Jon,
I could not agree more.
There is another problem with working all the hours you can - you have nothing more to give. I have worked with colleagues who regularly worked 60+hrs a week and when the project required a sprint to the finish they could offer nothing more. Invariable such behaviour has other negative side effects.: Failed marriages, declining health, compromises in quality, etc.
Regards, Tracy
Totally agree with your thoughts.
why lower pay?
in general anyway i think that tight deadlines are bad for the project and for the people. would not call the other option "relaxed" though, rather reasonable / properly buffered.
I feel the "lower pay" is part of a different discussion - whether people prefer working to deadlines or flexible hours shouldn't relate to how much they get paid!
Wow, this question is always a hard one. I think after working more odd jobs, I am appreciative and flexible with the type of structure as long as I love the work I am doing. I have worked tight deadlines and long hours for little to no pay and still loved what I have been doing, though that being said I realize I thrive off of a structured deadline! I think what makes it most worth it is the perspective, if I, at the time speaking, am not stressed about money as much! Depends on the circumstance.
I really value my mental health, so I prefer to work on a relaxed timeline
Well, I never worked for a company which would pay more for more hours. And if the project management, sales or whoever can't communicate with the client in a way that putting in long hours can be avoided, I don't think it's worth making up for that from the developers side.