I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013)

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by michaelochurch on Monday March 17, 2014 @08:26AM (#7414611)

Working through a flu (a real flu, not a cold) is not a good idea. I've been around Wall Street and startups for a long-ass time, so I know people who've developed permanent anxiety/panic disorders from that. (March is a deadly month. You have winter's flus and viruses combining with spring's mental health risks.) Flu is usually mild, but it is a potentially life-threatening condition, i.e. not to be fucked around with.

You need to change jobs and get one that won't have you working unreasonable hours. Any time other than now is too late.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by stronglikedan on Monday March 17, 2014 @09:35AM (#7414891)

I find that if I try to work through a flu, I'll be sick for a week or two. If I just go home and stay in bed, I get over it in a few days.

In the long run, it's much more productive to take care of yourself before your work. No matter how productive you think you are being while sick, the quality of your work is most likely suffering.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by michaelochurch on Monday March 17, 2014 @09:48AM (#7414944)

Some companies have this horrible "PTO" pogrom (typo intentional) in which sick days and vacation days are pooled. It wouldn't be so bad if there were a sizable pool (say, 30 days) but usually, it's an excuse to present the company as having ample vacation (15-20 days) while actually deducting sick days from it. It means that a week-long illness will cut into your vacation.

Then you have this arrangement where people "work from home" (WFH) while actually ill, just to avoid losing a PTO day. Then you need a manager who understands the difference between sick WFH (don't hit him up, he might read emails and type out a few replies and that's it) and real WFH (you can actually expect that person to be working)-- and who, in addition, cares about that distinction.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by dllthomas on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @01:31AM (#7426993)

All of that said, I'd much rather people work poorly from home with awkward expectations than come into the office and infect the rest of us! Realistic expectations or real sick days are better still, of course.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by jsight on Wednesday March 19, 2014 @01:40PM (#7430395)

As a US worker, I greatly prefer pooled vacation days. The companies that I have worked for that don't have this have _at most_ 15 days of paid vacation (usually either 10 or 12 until I had a few years of work there and had it increased). They had separate sick time, but only ~5 days of it.

The pooled vacations one have 16-20 with sick bundled in. It's about the same if you are sick for more than 5 days (you'd lose either way). If you are sick for less than 5 days, pooled is clearly better.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by aestra on Monday March 17, 2014 @12:49PM (#7416218)

> ample vacation (15-20 days)

15-20 days is hardly "ample" vacation time.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by michaelochurch on Monday March 17, 2014 @01:52PM (#7416720)

I agree but, by US standards, it's generous.

We are not a first world country anymore.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by aestra on Monday March 17, 2014 @11:25AM (#7415573)

It is absolutely physically impossible to work through a flu, at least for me.

The flu is one of the most debilitating disease I've ever had. I literally can't move, much less drive myself to work.

You positive you had flu?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by navait on Monday March 17, 2014 @10:29AM (#7415176)

Spring has mental health risks? what causes that?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by evan_ on Monday March 17, 2014 @10:57AM (#7415360)

I think it's less common elsewhere, but so-called "March Madness" is a HUGE problem in the US- leading to countless hours of lost productivity.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by aestra on Monday March 17, 2014 @03:18PM (#7417384)

I could find absolutely no evidence of an uptake of mental illness in March on either Google or Google Scholar. The absolutely only thing I can find is this: http://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/parentingchildwithmentalil... which speaks of changing seasons affecting patients with Seasonal affective disorder, well duh.

Also March Madness doesn't mean what you think it means.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_Madness

The main part of the breeding season of the European hare.

Events surrounding the single-elimination Division I college basketball tournaments performed each spring in the United States. The main tournaments involved are the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship and the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship. The tournaments' nickname, "March Madness", originated in the 20th century and was later adopted by the media.

NCAA Basketball series (formerly March Madness series), an EA Sports college basketball video game series.

Mega March Madness, a defunct pay-per-view television package covering the college basketball tournament.

Illinois High School Boys Basketball Championship, a single elimination high school basketball tournament.

The month of the government of Canada's fiscal year end (March 31), when departments traditionally rush to spend the remainder of their budgets in order that they not experience budget reductions the next year. This usage was apparently the origin of the uses for basketball.[1]

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by warfangle on Monday March 17, 2014 @11:33AM (#7415651)

I think you may be conflating a sports event (basketball brackets) with mental health ... not necessarily unrelated, but...

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by cma on Monday March 17, 2014 @06:46PM (#7418630)

that's the joke

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by warfangle on Tuesday March 18, 2014 @10:47AM (#7422216)

Sorry, I don't usually joke about mental health issues.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:I Knew a Programmer that Went Completely Insane (2013) by cma on Tuesday March 18, 2014 @12:50PM (#7423075)

well you did sort of just comically imply that basketball fanatics have a mental illness

[ Parent | on HN ]