Why Won't the Death March Die?
Even in the face of overwhelming evidence some people still believe
longer hours == higher productivity
Sigh. My experience is that even managers who profess to understand the issues involved still value and reward the people who put in extraordinary hours over those who do their work then go home. One success guru said, "If you can't get it done in 40 hours, you can't get it done in 60, either."
This part is fascinating:
Studies have shown that being awake for 21 hours impairs drivers as much as having a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.08, which is the legal limit for noncommercial drivers in the U.S.It's ironic. Most software companies will fire an employee who routinely shows up drunk for work. But they don't think twice about putting the fate of this year's silver bullet project into the hands of people who are impaired to the point of legal drunkenness due to lack of sleep. In fact, they will demand that these people work to the point of legal impairment as a condition of continued employment.
Ah, say some, but programming isn't like breaking rocks. It isn't physically exhausting (in the same way). No, it is very different:
The ability to do complex mental tasks degrades faster than physical performance does. Among knowledge workers, the productivity loss due to excessive hours may begin sooner and be greater than it is among soldiers, because our work is more affected by mental fatigue.
The thing that is impossible to explain is why the technology sector continues to ingore data gathered over nearly a century as if it doesn't apply to them. It is still considered a badge of honor (in some circles) to work insane hours and run on as little sleep as possible. Perhaps it is the appearance of productivity that matters more than the reality of it, in some organizations and to some people?
The article doesn't even adress the resentment factor. Missing the significant events in the lives of family members cannot be compensated and everyone who has to put in 'face time' after kids are long asleep has the mental distraction of knowing that an explanation will be due, and this on top of the fatigue of the day. Also, There are no more pots of gold at the end of the technology rainbow for the average worker to justify to some degree the extended work days.
Hey, don't take my word for it. Read the whole thing.