I worked on a project a few years back where we worked 60, 70, 80 hour work weeks. Some of the developers were away from their families and frequently came into the office for the lack of something better to do. This story from a disgruntled spouse of a developer reminded me of why the software industry has run itself into the ground and dragged us software developers with it.
Software companies, I understand that you must be competitive and deadlines must be met. But you must understand the effect of overworking your staff. You may have a product at the end of your run, but the price is enormous. Huge mistakes, poor products, low morale, and lower productivity are just the tip of the iceberg. Higher health insurance premiums, sabotage, even employee deaths lurk beneath the surface. If you keep records of hours versus productivity, take a look at the real statistics. What did you really achieve, and at what cost?
Software developers, do you really have to take this? Many years ago before the boom/bust of the dotcom industry, you worked somewhere until something better came along. If you didn't like how you were treated, there was another company willing to give you what you wanted. You feel like you have to do what you're told, to keep the job. But maybe its time for another revolution. Maybe its up to those of us who are in the consulting industry to take on management and show them the error of their ways. But its also up to you, the employee not to take the abuse. You don't have to stand on a table and scream to be heard. What you say has to make economic sense. What are your project statistics? Can you chart your schedule against your actual productivity rates? Can you show how much better the product could be without the overwork? Can you do something to make it a better situation without losing your job?
Is it possible that we're actually working against eachother? Doesn't anyone remember the Myth of the Man Month? So why are we still running our people into the ground, sending our intellectual property overseas and producing crappy products?
