Is this crazy or just amazing work ethic?

financialdiva · January 2012

My DH has been working in a horrible place for two years. Not only are the expected hours ridiculous, the expectations are unreasonable, there is no gratitude given for a job well done (often the answer is why wasn't this done faster?) and the overall atmosphere sucks. I am beyond excited that he has received an amazing job offer and he put in his three weeks notice last Friday. It is 9pm right now and he hasn't left the office yet!! WTH? I mean, I didn't expect him to walk out the door at 5pm everyday, but at this point he has already put in 12 hours. Last week he was working until 11pm ( very normal) and one day he worked until 2am ( and he does that at least twice a month). He did not work like this in his previous jobs.

Is he crazy? Or just have really great work ethic? He keeps saying he doesn't want to "screw his team" which I totally get, but seriously?

On iPad so sorry if there are errors.

duchess0727 · January 2012

Ok - personally, I think it's crazy unless he's a doctor and he's saving peoples' lives. I think that we all have a lot of work to do and most of it can wait until the next day or someone else can pick up the slack. It's nice of him to do it because he doesn't want to screw anyone over. I'm pretty sure other people would not do the same.

financialdiva · January 2012

Lol. He's not a doctor. He's a CPA. Just finished closing the books and now getting ready for the auditors to come out. Fun times.

Emilia0101 · January 2012

I would say put some boundaries up and transitioning out of the old job.

MrsSR · January 2012

I'd do the same. I wouldn't want to screw over my team either.

calamityeyes · January 2012

I don't know - with a deadline, closing books, and auditors coming, that seems normal. He will likely have more days than not that aren't like that, but that is the nature of his work. FWIW, I work those kind of hours pretty regularly, though I can work remotely, so my 2AM days tend to be at home, not in the office. I probably have a skewed view.

Rob & Tori · January 2012

Haha! As I read this my first thought was that he was an accountant. I can completely relate since our auditors arrived yesterday. Unfortunately this is very common in this line of work. I would do the same thing, just know that it will end soon!

financialdiva · January 2012

calamityeyes:
I don't know - with a deadline, closing books, and auditors coming, that seems normal. He will likely have more days than not that aren't like that, but that is the nature of his work. FWIW, I work those kind of hours pretty regularly, though I can work remotely, so my 2AM days tend to be at home, not in the office. I probably have a skewed view.

I too am a CPA, and I totally understand deadlines and know exactly what he is going through and what to expect. I just thought that maybe instead of putting in a 15 hour day yesterday (he left at 11:30pm), he might be putting in closer to 11 or 12 hours.

I get not screwing your team, but would the company think twice about screwing him had he needed to be let go? I think not. I don't understand his dedication to this job after he has been treated so poorly the last two years. But I'm guessing it's not his dedication to the job, but to his staff.

Sigh. Just throwing myself a pity party. I have been doing everything DS and household related by myself these last two years and I'm exhausted. As I'm sure he is for working 60+ hours a week in the office for the last two years.

WaitingforGrace · January 2012

Being a auditor, I appreciate that he's not screwing the auditors over either!

He's a good guy which I'm sure makes him a wonderful husband and father.

financialdiva · January 2012

WaitingforGrace:

Being a auditor, I appreciate that he's not screwing the auditors over either!

He's a good guy which I'm sure makes him a wonderful husband and father.

Lol. I'm sure his auditors appreciate it too. Big Smile

He is awesome. Sigh. I sound like a whiny wife, which I hate. Thanks for all your responses ladies.

EastCoastBride · January 2012

financialdiva:

I get not screwing your team, but would the company think twice about screwing him had he needed to be let go? I think not. I don't understand his dedication to this job after he has been treated so poorly the last two years. But I'm guessing it's not his dedication to the job, but to his staff.

That's exactly the difference - his team is not the "company".

The company - screw 'em. But the team? These are people in his field. He has no idea where/ when he may run into them in the future, and when/if he'll ever "need" them in some capacity or another. From that perspective alone, I would want to make sure I left on the best terms possible.

duchess0727 · January 2012

financialdiva:
WaitingforGrace:

Being a auditor, I appreciate that he's not screwing the auditors over either!

He's a good guy which I'm sure makes him a wonderful husband and father.

Lol. I'm sure his auditors appreciate it too.

He is awesome. Sigh. I sound like a whiny wife, which I hate. Thanks for all your responses ladies.

Lol = Guess i'm just a b*tch. I'm a CPA too and it's year end and I owe my auditors a ton of stuff. But I have to get my kids from daycare, feed them and get them to bed and I can't make my husband do it by himself every night. So I do all that and then get back on the computer and finish up my work then. Oh and then fold laundry and get my kids stuff ready for the next day. Ok - maybe I'm a little bitter that I don't have a wife at home to take care of that stuff for me - and I think you are a nice wife for doing it all!

TheNewMrsCfont · January 2012

oh how I don't miss my public accounting days where 15 hours days were all too regular...

At this point I think it's more about his reputation than the company. He only has 2.5 more weeks! Hopefully the next company has a better work-life balance.

itsmevkb · January 2012

My job doesn't require those kind of hours but I would do the same if in the same situation. Call it work ethic, call it good old fashioned Catholic guilt, call it taking pride in your work, it's just how I am. I'm not wired to at least not try to do my best (oddly more so at work than at home where I barely manage to keep up with the chores). And, it doesn't sound as though he's doing it for his bosses but more so for his co-workers.

Sounds as though you will both be happy once he's in his new job.

Spenjamins · January 2012

He is doing the right thing.

tosababy · January 2012

I think it's very admirable to finish strong.

QueenofAnything · January 2012

MrsSR:
I'd do the same. I wouldn't want to screw over my team either.

Ditto. When I quit my last job (in construction inspection), I put in over 80 hour weeks my last two weeks. Not for the company. Certainly not for my boss. Not even for the buttload of overtime I made. But for the two guys, who were my friends, who were going to have to pick up the slack after I left and were putting in the same amount of time as I was. I was EXTRA careful to make sure all my reports were clean and all loose ends were tied up and to make transitioning my jobs smoother for them.

LVbaby07 · January 2012

I just wanted to say I know what you are going through. My husband is a CPA and he is a partner at his firm. He works 12+ hour days(only during tax season thank goodness) but I do it all with my two girls 6 days a week and I work full time. I am exhausted, but that is what he does and provides for our family. He does not like it any more than I do as he never sees his girls. I do respect your DH for not wanting to screw the team and like other people said, I too hope his next job is better! Good Luck!

virginiagirl11 · January 2012

I did the same thing when I left my last job. Finish strong and don't leave a bad taste in their mouths.

Pesky · January 2012

Crazy and needs to set some boundaries with the next gig. Here is tale relayed to me by a friend, hoping that I would learn from his experience as I moved in-house. He went in-house someplace (large studio) and just killed himself. All around him, CWs breezed in around 9 am, had at least 1 hr lunches and left promptly at 6. My friend went in early and left very late. Work kept being piled on him. Come bonus time -- guess what? He got the same as EVERYONE ELSE. Slacker CWs were promoted. So he moved on. Next place, he put in set hours. Now he worked hard when he was there and wasn't goofing around. But he came in at 8 and left at 5. Period. The work was still there. Deadlines were kept or moved as he needed. And he got a bonus and was called a great worker. I have stuck to that and despite having 2 kids where I have to disappear on occasion for ML, illness or whatever, I am up for promotion and gotten high bonuses.

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