The next day I went into work and was super happy to explain how I solved the issue as it had been annoying the team for too long. I was a senior at the time but my lead called a meeting with me. He continued to berate me for working and telling others I was doing some work.
While I could see his point, some juniors might feel pressure to do the same, but it was how I wanted to enjoy my time. So after this, I really promote a work life balance but give the autonomy to the employee to find theirs.
Now with my team its very clear and unless there is something absolutely mission critical we always facilitate. Our productivity and reliability has gone through the roof, everyone is much more in control of their work.
("I want to do work all the time" is not a way I usually feel. I've just as often had trouble working while at work, let alone keeping myself from working after hours. And there were also times when I was working fewer hours than was typical on the team but at odd hours that could erroneously have given the impression that I was working extra hours.)
As a side note, just read your "Can Ads be GDPR Compliant" the other day, great work!
Generally, these people are not making sacrifice. Some take time off at different times (come in later, don't come some days). Some are intentionally stretching work so that they are not at home (it feels better then dealing with toddler, the partner is jerk and they did not crossed to divorce, they are lonely and this let's them forget). Some need to feel important. Some actually watch youtube a lot during day (found out from reflection in the window).
Whatever it is, they have reasons that have nothing to do with me. If I slack with work, I am in the wrong. But if I work in full speed, it no reason for guilt.
This is the wrong take. It's a sign I believe of a junior or a team who is not confident in their output.
If the manager has to leave before you then by your rationale, you're promoting a lax top-down attitude, whereby the manager doesn't seem interested.
> How am I not supposed to feel guilty, even if it’s his choice?
By doing your own job and letting him do his.
https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/top-performers-have-a-su...
While balance isn't required for happiness, I know many imbalanced, unhappy and underachieving people.
Second, if we consider "achievement" to be measured by income I have far better work-life balance as a software engineer than the person who cleans my house, despite me making 10x what she makes. There doesn't appear to be some global correlation between working hard or long hours and pay.
"When you hear “balance,” you immediately think of a dichotomy. For two things to be balanceable, they must be at odds with each other. Lowering one side of the scale must raise the other side.
When we describe work and life as things to be balanced, we are suggesting that work and life are at odds with each other. More time or energy allocated to work means less time and energy allocated to life.
This is obviously absurd, though. Work is just another part of life like family, community, food, fitness, creativity, travel, fun, spirituality, etc.
The question isn’t how do you balance work and life, but how do you create a healthy relationship among work and the various other important areas of life? "
This is completely pedantic - obviously work is literally a part of life, so the phrase means exactly what the author states in the last paragraph.
Not worth reading IMO.