Originally Posted By: car51
Gathermewool: I have busted my tail doing 12+ hour days 6 days a week for about 5 years now. Most under 35'ers don't last where I work as they smoke or are constantly on their "smartphones". Sad
You've got to think of the typical socio-economic status of those who work in your field, your geographic area or at the level and rate you're hiring them at.
When I was 14 back in the 90's I got my first job in construction supply, making $5.25/hour. I started picking up scraps, stacking bricks and bags of mortar, and then, a year later, took some sort of quick class and was able to operate the fork lifts (they only let me drive backward, at first, moving the scrap and trash bins around - it was awesome!)
Most of the guys I worked with were hired at a higher rate than the local McDonalds, but not by much. Most had alcohol or drug issues, and some of them didn't make it long at all, even after multiple chances. The vast majority of the laziest workers were indeed young, but the drug addiction and alcoholism problems seemed most poorly-handled by the older guys, whose bodies probably couldn't hold up after so much abuse over so long a period.
I really like one guy who smelled like a brewery who worked off-and-on with us for the last couple of years I was there. He worked really hard, told great stories, and was (almost) never late for work. When he was late or didn't show up, though, he smelled worse like booze than usual. He was a great guy with a terrible disease. It makes me sad thinking about where he might be right now, if he's even still alive....
Today, I don't think I work as many hours as you, but those around me who are in my field work very hard, and usually harder than the older guys, maybe because they've put in their dues.
Some weeks I work only 40 hours, but others I work double that, clocking-in seven days per week for weeks on end. To be honest, I've considered taking a major pay cut in the form of another position that doesn't require shift work and sometimes-unpredictably long hours. I haven't, because I've done that before, and while it seems appealing during long hours and exhausting nights, I can still remember how absolutely boring previous cushy jobs were, going to meetings and doing paperwork all day - no thanks!
Originally Posted By: DBMaster
One thing that does seem apparent is that they do change jobs a lot more. I think that may be more of a symptom of the times than the people. I just don't know.
It's sometimes a huge plus when looking to move up. My company encourages and rewards people who rotate and become more well-rounded. Before my current job I joined that program and remember thinking that the rotations were always too short, but the point wasn't to make you an expert in that one particular job, but to get a feel for how the different aspects of the company work, because it's much easier to lead many groups if you know what each does.
Some of the hardest workers, who put in the longest hours, are the younger go-getters. When go-getter was coined, I believe it was while referring to a young person, btw - I read it on the internet, so I'm pretty sure it's as good as gospel
