Category: work

03/22/13 10:50 - ID#57412

the downside of being salaried

Sometimes I wish I could get overtime. There are so many things I want to program for work right now and I generally work about 45 hours per week but I would go back to working 50 or 60 if I could get compensated for it.

Like (e:terry), the harder he works the more money he gets. For me there is no benefit, in fact like many of my salaried coworkers, it encourage me to do work elsewhere.

jbeatty writes at 08:31:33 03/24/13 - Comment #69464: I'm always fascinated by the workaholic culture that programmers seem to thrive in.

I think being a salaried employee motivates my to do my work quickly and efficiently. There is no threat of me ever receiving a bonus or overtime, or an actual raise that would make a noticeable difference in my finances. I am simply motivated by maximizing my personal time and leaving work early everyday.

I would be a much better worker if there was some incentive to increase my productivity. But since my job is incredibly boring I'm pretty happy to have lots of free time.

tinypliny writes at 05:51:33 03/22/13 - Comment #69457: Depends on the job too, btw. When you are a professor, postdoc, researcher with a grant etc, hours don't mean much. You just need to do the job regardless of how long it takes.

YesThatCasey writes at 04:58:35 03/22/13 - Comment #69456: In my view, the problem has less to do with lack of compensation for overtime, and more to do with the erosion of correlation to average working hours. Salaries were intended to provide independence to workers who had fluctuating workloads and difficult output measurements. Some weeks, you might spend 10 or 20 hours in the office because that is what was needed, while others might see you there for 12 hours every weekday. If, on average, you were putting far more time in than the average worker, another would be employed to help rebalance the workload.

Today, however, the expectation behind salary is that you are at the office for 40 hours a week, and more whenever it is required (which is consistently trending upwards). This expectation deters hiring an additional worker, and strains the already overburdened worker, which at least partially creates the disincentive that you refer to.

Of course, you are not the average worker since you want to work 60 hours a week, and the unionization and politics of your workplace are bigger contributors to the problem than the salary model.

tinypliny writes at 12:29:28 03/22/13 - Comment #69451: I am conflicted. I think salaries encourage stability and constancy to work. Of course this comes at a cost - less money. But really, how much money do we all really need to live well? Are all our money wants even really necessary?

Robert writes at 11:57:13 03/22/13 - Comment #69450: I feel like salaries are such a rip off. i'd watch one of my managers at the hotel work like a maniac while the other ones slacked off and fucked everything up. I felt terrible for her, she should have been making bags of money... but she was salaried.

but wages are just as bad sometimes. if you weren't salaried, then you'd just have your hours tracked and they start freaking out on you about payroll etc...

Permalink: the_downside_of_being_salaried.html
Words: 76
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/22/13 10:50

Category: clothes

03/21/13 07:35 - ID#57408

Aqua Blue and Brown

I like this outfit but I feel a bit like a modern furniture store room. Got some compliments though.

Permalink: Aqua_Blue_and_Brown.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/21/13 07:35

Category: furniture

03/21/13 12:04 - ID#57405

Furniture that makes me think hodown

I feel like (e:hodown) would enjoy this style furniture.

Permalink: Furniture_that_makes_me_think_hodown.html
Words: 11
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/21/13 12:04

Category: work

03/19/13 10:36 - ID#57398

Stupid Computers

Of course, at like 9:30PM on my vacation day yesterday the main db server's hard disk array crashed and required some manual assistance that no one else could help with. Had to go to the data center because the system was totally offline. Don't have access so I had to wait for public safety. A truly annoying night that went till like 1am moving data and sorting out the issue. In the end, everything was fine except for me relaxing on vacation.

Permalink: Stupid_Computers.html
Words: 84
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/19/13 10:36

Category: food

03/19/13 10:27 - ID#57397

Green Food - Fried Brussel Sprouts

These were so freaking delicious. Some peanut and sesame oil combined in a frying pan and heated to frying temp. Then add sliced brussel sprouts. Cook till they slightly carmelize and stir around. Put a lid on for a few minutes so that the heat steams them till they are thr desired crunchiness. Then scoop them into a bowl and add sone parmesaen cheese over the top.

Permalink: Green_Food_Fried_Brussel_Sprouts.html
Words: 69
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/19/13 10:27

Category: holidays

03/19/13 02:19 - ID#57393

St Patrick's Day Parade 2013

The parade was so fun this year. Maybe it was the bottle of absinthe. I bought last month in anticipation of the green holiday.

At one point (e:libertad,57390) rode around on my shoulders for a bit.

In no particular order. What did (e:yesthatcasey) say to (e:heidi) in this first photo.

What's up with the big police tower this year in the gas station parking lot.

(e:dianne,57391) bought so many yummy breakfast treats. This was only a fraction of em, thanks.

(e:terry) looks so happy in this photo.

Maybe its whatever he is making the naughty face for here

(e:flacidness) and (e:robert) and me.

It was so packed dispite the cold temperature. At least it was sunny compared to today.

Iron workers - always my favorite.

This picture is not of (e:robert). From the back it kind of looks like him minus one hell of a lot of fur. This guy kept falling down until his pants pretty much fell off.

Permalink: St_Patrick_s_Day_Parade_2013.html
Words: 215
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/19/13 02:22

Category: mobile

03/19/13 02:07 - ID#57392

How the spirit of St Patrick killed Terry's Phone

We just got him a new replacement phone and he accidentally humped this one down the chimney 40 ft to its death on St. Patrick's day. Of course it went in the one chimney hole that doesn't come out anywhere. We spent hours creating a contraption made of PVC pipes ducted taped together in order to retrieve it.

The weather was so torturous up on the roof today. Once that was all done there was a server hardware failure crisis at work. Nothing like this vacation I am supposed on.

Hump, hump, hump

Phone falls to its death, no one notices. Then spend a day looking for the phone, at the last minute tried on the roof and looked down the chimney after I saw the photo above.

Long day trying to save baby jessica from the well not knowing if she had survived or not.

She was dead anyways.

Even though we have insurance through AT&T, its $199 for a replacement. But strangely enough Discover card had a purchase protection plan that covers it, at least I think so - will know more tomorrow.

Permalink: How_the_spirit_of_St_Patrick_killed_Terry_s_Phone.html
Words: 191
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/31/13 12:18

Category: holidays

03/18/13 11:30 - ID#57389

St. Patricks Day Sunshine

Well, we managed to survive another St. Patrick's day although (e:terry)'s phone might not have. (e:xandra) fell through the ceiling. I think its time I finish the part above there off with plywood. Everyone always thinks its okay to step there but there is nothing other than lathe and plaster.

Permalink: St_Patricks_Day_Sunshine.html
Words: 68
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/18/13 11:30

Category: holidays

03/17/13 12:27 - ID#57382

Happy St. Patricks Day

Time to sober up and start drinking. As far as I can tell as a non-irish observer, St. Patrick was the patron saint of drinking beer and whisky for breakfast?

Permalink: Happy_St_Patricks_Day.html
Words: 48
Location: Buffalo, NY
Last Modified: 03/17/13 12:49

Category: furniture

03/15/13 08:35 - ID#57380

Old Dresser Departure

This dresser arrived ~30 years ago as a gift for my first communion when I was 7 years old. Its now returned back to my childhood room. My parents bought it for me at Calvin's Furniture in Kenmore, NY. The brand was Young Hinckley.

I loved the dresser as a kid because of the cubby hole in the front. It used to have a door that turned it into a sort of treasure chest in my eyes.

My first pet tortoise used to live under the dresser. I wonder if it will miss me.