Work Hours
Aug 1st 2006, 4:08 am
#31
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by dbj1000
Out of interest, how much do they typically pay for a job with hours like that?
Aug 1st 2006, 6:14 am
#32
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by dbj1000
Out of interest, how much do they typically pay for a job with hours like that?
Aug 1st 2006, 9:17 am
#33
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by Bob
Out in Cali, about $30K more a year than on the east coast, about $20K more than in Texas roughly, according to the last poll, though that's for junior to middle...producers/designers and leads tend to get more...
....$750K for an ordinary ranch.
Aug 1st 2006, 1:14 pm
#34
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Re: Work Hours
I am salaried and do 8 hour days. Hours are pretty flexible, anytime between 7-9 and 4-6. Only downside is that being in computing I often have to work some nights and weekends. My boss is pretty good to me though and will tell me to go home at lunchtime somedays when it is slow to compensate.
Aug 1st 2006, 1:34 pm
#35
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by syllk
8am(ish) - 5pm(ish)...as long as the work gets done at the end of the day. In my experience, salaried bosses tend not to give a hoot about the time put in by employees that deliver the goods. There are days when I need to put in the extra effort, and there's an equal amount of days where I have it easy...works out nicely in my mind.
It is nice to be able to take off whenever I need for doctors, appointments etc. Kind of a 'what you take out, you put back' system- for both me and the company.
Aug 1st 2006, 4:11 pm
#36
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by gardnma
Considering the cost of living there, though, the extra pay isn't really more.
....$750K for an ordinary ranch.
....$750K for an ordinary ranch.
Aug 1st 2006, 5:45 pm
#37
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by DarrenP
I swear the industry in which I work (videogames) has to be about the worst going as far as expected hours are concerned. *Officially* it's 9-6, but for whatever weird reason, people seem to think that they shouldn't really leave til gone 7.
However, as we get closer to the product finishing deadline, often many months before it in fact, 7 days a week are often expected. And that's 7 days a week of 9am til *very* late at night. There is no overtime pay. They provide dinner, which we choose from an online menu and get to eat at our desks. How nice. Since they understand that working those kind of hours mean you cant get the normal shit done that you need to throughout the week, onsite laundry, dental, car maintenance and all sort of other crap is often provided.
It's about the number one reason I want to get the heck out of Silicon valley.
However, as we get closer to the product finishing deadline, often many months before it in fact, 7 days a week are often expected. And that's 7 days a week of 9am til *very* late at night. There is no overtime pay. They provide dinner, which we choose from an online menu and get to eat at our desks. How nice. Since they understand that working those kind of hours mean you cant get the normal shit done that you need to throughout the week, onsite laundry, dental, car maintenance and all sort of other crap is often provided.
It's about the number one reason I want to get the heck out of Silicon valley.
Ahhh, memories of working from 10am - 5am for days on end on my last project... :-/
Aug 1st 2006, 5:51 pm
#38
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by DarrenP
Well, it actually totally depends on your role within the team really. Senior artists and software engineers can make well it into 6 figures, but the average going rate is probably more like 75k. Of course, if you're in QA/test then its more like minimum wage. Regardless, your role on the project is kind of irrelevant to hours. Everyone on the team is expected to commit well above and beyond. It's simply how the corporate culture is here. I'm done with it, I really am. I don't care about the $ anymore. Life's too short!
Aug 1st 2006, 6:00 pm
#39
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Re: Work Hours
Well, I've been in the industry a long time so of course I fully understand that the hours are to some extent, the nature of the beast. However, I still insist that its worse in the bay area.
Perhaps I should have changed my sentence to "It's the number one reason that I want to get out of Silicon valley and the games industry".
Lifestyle is all well and good, If you actually have time for one to exist. The biggest issue I had, was that we were always shipping for thanksgiving, which meant goodbye summer. I haven't had a summer vacation in six years. Dumb.
Perhaps I should have changed my sentence to "It's the number one reason that I want to get out of Silicon valley and the games industry".
Lifestyle is all well and good, If you actually have time for one to exist. The biggest issue I had, was that we were always shipping for thanksgiving, which meant goodbye summer. I haven't had a summer vacation in six years. Dumb.
Aug 1st 2006, 6:58 pm
#40
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Re: Work Hours
well hours here in cali are better than london. In my business (movies) we were driven like slaves in soho. 10-10 was common. During crunch time we might go through to 1 or 2am and all unpaid overtime.
Here at least its all unionised and its 9-6 (including 1 hour unpaid lunch) though we get paid for 9-8 which we are supposed to work in crunch periods. Any overtime after that is compensated but we rarely work that.
The real killer for me is the chronic lack of holidays though. It's enough to make me go back to London. 10 days a year is no way to live a life. Even though you get the public holidays its not the same. The interesting thing is that everyone makes sure to use all their sick days whether they are sick or not, its kind of an unspoken thing where one uses sick days to make up for the lack of holiday
Here at least its all unionised and its 9-6 (including 1 hour unpaid lunch) though we get paid for 9-8 which we are supposed to work in crunch periods. Any overtime after that is compensated but we rarely work that.
The real killer for me is the chronic lack of holidays though. It's enough to make me go back to London. 10 days a year is no way to live a life. Even though you get the public holidays its not the same. The interesting thing is that everyone makes sure to use all their sick days whether they are sick or not, its kind of an unspoken thing where one uses sick days to make up for the lack of holiday
Originally Posted by DarrenP
Well, I've been in the industry a long time so of course I fully understand that the hours are to some extent, the nature of the beast. However, I still insist that its worse in the bay area.
Perhaps I should have changed my sentence to "It's the number one reason that I want to get out of Silicon valley and the games industry".
Lifestyle is all well and good, If you actually have time for one to exist. The biggest issue I had, was that we were always shipping for thanksgiving, which meant goodbye summer. I haven't had a summer vacation in six years. Dumb.
Perhaps I should have changed my sentence to "It's the number one reason that I want to get out of Silicon valley and the games industry".
Lifestyle is all well and good, If you actually have time for one to exist. The biggest issue I had, was that we were always shipping for thanksgiving, which meant goodbye summer. I haven't had a summer vacation in six years. Dumb.
Aug 1st 2006, 7:31 pm
#41
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by Drebin
Yeah, because games companies outside California, particularly those in the UK are great and you don't have to do crazy overtime ever...!
Ahhh, memories of working from 10am - 5am for days on end on my last project... :-/
Ahhh, memories of working from 10am - 5am for days on end on my last project... :-/
Aug 1st 2006, 7:51 pm
#42
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Re: Work Hours
codie - blah... i heard so many horror stories about them... I used to live & work just down the road (Leamington/Warwick area) and when the first company I worked for went tits up they offered me HALF of what I was earning thinking I'd just bend over and take it....
I moved to guildford and took a mere doubling of salary instead.
then doubled that and more when I moved here to LA...
I moved to guildford and took a mere doubling of salary instead.
then doubled that and more when I moved here to LA...
Aug 1st 2006, 8:39 pm
#43
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Re: Work Hours
Is that true for all of the fx houses/animation studios in Cali though angelman? I'm sure some aren't unionised, and some are total sweatshops.
Anyway, I couldn't agree with you more on the holidays front.
USBound: do you know Ben Mathis? He's a buddy of mine.
Anyway, I couldn't agree with you more on the holidays front.
USBound: do you know Ben Mathis? He's a buddy of mine.
Aug 1st 2006, 10:21 pm
#44
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Re: Work Hours
Originally Posted by USBound
codie - blah... i heard so many horror stories about them... I used to live & work just down the road (Leamington/Warwick area) and when the first company I worked for went tits up they offered me HALF of what I was earning thinking I'd just bend over and take it....
Aug 1st 2006, 10:24 pm
#45
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Re: Work Hours
no there are only a few union shops, notably dreamworks and disney here in LA. Places like SOny you can earn a LOT more but often have to put in way more hours, 15 a day, 6/7 day weeks etc. But you can retire on the cash from overtime 
Originally Posted by DarrenP
Is that true for all of the fx houses/animation studios in Cali though angelman? I'm sure some aren't unionised, and some are total sweatshops.
Anyway, I couldn't agree with you more on the holidays front.
USBound: do you know Ben Mathis? He's a buddy of mine.
Anyway, I couldn't agree with you more on the holidays front.
USBound: do you know Ben Mathis? He's a buddy of mine.
