I find myself doing 2-4 calendar hours of casual OT per week, but it is in recompense for the “non-work” discussions and other unproductive time I find myself in. I work in a professional office setting.
But my OT is my choice.
I 100% agree with you - mandatory OT (over extended time periods) is destructive and counter productive. During real crunches, it can be a business saver. But the definition of “real crunch” doesn’t expand past about 2 weeks per 6 months, IMO.
Definitely. Sometimes OT just has to happen. But if you find that the schedule can only be achieved by having the whole team pull OT for months at a stretch the schedule is wrong.
I’ve gotten lucky lately, landed in a company where the engineering staff is largely middle aged, with spouses and kids and all those great reasons to not be at work. I haven’t come in on a weekend in 4 or 5 years, only have days that go long a couple of times a year. It’s caused me to reconsider my earlier professional years.