Is this a boomer thing? Or a millennial thing? Folks engaging in all-day IM conversations with me to ask me if they can call me?
them: hi, are you there? me: yes them: can i call you? me: sure ... them: sorry I got pulled into something else. Can i call you now? me: yes, you can call me anytime x1234 .... them: sorry, I'm back. Can I try you now?
OH MY GOD. Look, either call me or IM me but not both. It's annoying.
Exactly. And I think this is less of a generational thing than it is an American thing. Western Europeans are completely unapologetic about going on vacation and completely 100% disconnecting because they are ON VACATION.
Yes!!!!
I have people telling me they never use all of their vacation. Whaaaaat?
I use all of my 4 weeks and my 2 personal holidays. I'm counting down to 2020 which is when I get my 5th week. See ya suckas!!!
Also there could be an equivalent article about Boomers who when you IM them want to pick up the phone and have an in depth conversation. No just tell me yes or effing no by IM! My headset isn't connected anyway because the only one calling me is you!
Or the constant wonder at my being by able to open a new program and make reasonable products within a few hours of playing around with it.
And boomers are the worst about micromanaging me. Come the fuck on!
And stop telling me you are giving me advice like in your daughter. I'm not your daughter I'm your work colleague. Treat me with the respect that you would treat a man your age.
Signed tail end of Gen-Xer
Co-signing this, because it is one of my biggest complaints at my work. You combine my age, education, and that I'm brand new to the area and job and I have a few coworkers that insist on mothering me. It's gotten better, but especially at the beginning it was irritating.
I just don't. My voicemail and email out of office both say basically "I'm out, and I don't have access to my email."
I did, once, give a coworker my cell number to text me if one very specific thing happened so I could send a quick email. But that was really a one-time thing that is unlikely to repeat itself.
Again, this is why I love cruises. I can't be reached. Because I have totally been on the road for trips and my phone is like Hotline Bling. (ask summer, because she was like WHY THESE FOLKS CALLING YOU ON FRIDAY AND YOU ARE OUT OF TOWN)
And I'm being hyper vigilant about prepping everyone for my upcoming vacations. Y'all. I won't be here, so I need y'all to know how to do all the things because I know the folks I work with and there answer will be that you can't take vacation on X days.
God. When I was practicing, I went into the office on a Saturday and made everyone a spreadsheet with what was going on with my cases and anything that needed to get done while I was out (like, the motion needs to be sent on this day, call this person on this day, etc. I emailed everyone a copy and printed it out and put a copy on everyone's desks. They still called me every day.. To the point that I was like "people. I'm currently in line for splash mountain. What do you think I can do for you?"
I got back and none of those fools did a damn thing that needed to be done while I was gone.
Again, this is why I love cruises. I can't be reached. Because I have totally been on the road for trips and my phone is like Hotline Bling. (ask summer, because she was like WHY THESE FOLKS CALLING YOU ON FRIDAY AND YOU ARE OUT OF TOWN)
And I'm being hyper vigilant about prepping everyone for my upcoming vacations. Y'all. I won't be here, so I need y'all to know how to do all the things because I know the folks I work with and there answer will be that you can't take vacation on X days.Â
God. When I was practicing, I went into the office on a Saturday and made everyone a spreadsheet with what was going on with my cases and anything that needed to get done while I was out (like, the motion needs to be sent on this day, call this person on this day, etc. I emailed everyone a copy and printed it out and put a copy on everyone's desks. They still called me every day.. To the point that I was like "people. I'm currently in line for splash mountain. What do you think I can do for you?"
I got back and none of those fools did a damn thing that needed to be done while I was gone.
That's almost exactly what I did when I left for 2 weeks! Except I just emailed the applicable section per partner. And then I printed a list of my cases for my assistant with the other attorneys and opposing counsel on each case (of course, she already has this info...).
Except my office is awesome, and most people are pro taking time off. So they didn't bug me.
We have "unlimited" time off, though, in the way law firms do.
Is this a boomer thing? Or a millennial thing? Folks engaging in all-day IM conversations with me to ask me if they can call me?
them: hi, are you there? me: yes them: can i call you? me: sure ... them: sorry I got pulled into something else. Can i call you now? me: yes, you can call me anytime x1234 .... them: sorry, I'm back. Can I try you now?
OH MY GOD. Look, either call me or IM me but not both. It's annoying.
Maybe it's just my workplace.
Yes, I have one of these. She will also start every time with an IM that says "you there?" Why yes, I am -- that is the significance of that little green circle. Just ask your question already! Sigh.
God. When I was practicing, I went into the office on a Saturday and made everyone a spreadsheet with what was going on with my cases and anything that needed to get done while I was out (like, the motion needs to be sent on this day, call this person on this day, etc. I emailed everyone a copy and printed it out and put a copy on everyone's desks. They still called me every day.. To the point that I was like "people. I'm currently in line for splash mountain. What do you think I can do for you?"
I got back and none of those fools did a damn thing that needed to be done while I was gone.
That's almost exactly what I did when I left for 2 weeks! Except I just emailed the applicable section per partner. And then I printed a list of my cases for my assistant with the other attorneys and opposing counsel on each case (of course, she already has this info...).
Except my office is awesome, and most people are pro taking time off. So they didn't bug me.
We have "unlimited" time off, though, in the way law firms do.
My entire firm was 4 attorneys. 2 partners, 2 associates. Also very pro taking time off. Also "unlimited" vacation.
I think everyone assumed someone else would do my stuff, so no one did anything.
You know, this happens in every generation regardless of the titles, IMO.
Every generation thinks the generation below is " lazy, slackers, etc." I know my grandparents, when they immigrated here, thought their kids, the below generation of "hippies and pot smokers" were described exactly as the millenials in this article. Those "hippie, pot smoking lazy people" are the millenials' parents, for the most part, and those we are saying in this post are hard-workers and, they are.
It is the normal cycle. Seriously. Each generation has its 'thing' and no doubt those millenials will be saying the exact same thing about the next generation of workers.
Sorry CEP we ARE those old people we talking about on here:)
The other thing, that at least I see regarding my life and family was they were able to work their way up without a high school degree. It was implanted in me to go to college, go to law school, spend all that time in school with ridiculous debt; then get out and what? Law school aside, IT is different. We feel that we have worked our way, most did, just in am educational way. I did at least. I am apparently a millenial but basically am middle age so to me it doesn't apply
School is not easy. I literally worked through school from middle school until law. So, people did work. I mean. I don't know. I am probably not making sense
Post by littleduck on Mar 21, 2016 15:07:25 GMT -5
I work in an office much like the one 2curlydogs described. And I love it! I do way more work but it is work I am excited about with people who are incredibly flexible and adaptable. We are a younger company overall (22-40s) and with that comes a lot of challenges and uncertainty that i'd say most people would be uncomfortable with. And that's okay, it's not for everyone.
We have unlimited vacation/sick (must take min. 2 weeks), we are remote-first (only come into the office when a google hangout won't suffice), and we have free food every day. I usually work 55-60 hour weeks but sometimes more. I ride my scooter across our campus - it really does save time. We are also offering (soon) extended, fully paid mat/pat leave, hoping it keeps women (over half our company) in our industry and workplace.
We overcommunicate as a matter of policy - I check in with my manager every day and my big boss once a week or more. We fill out a report every week about wins and challenges. We have to be aggressive in everything we do. Again, not for everyone. We also restructure our teams frequently.
What will be the longevity of this structure? I don't know. But I do know I would rather be fast and work hard play hard than feel stagnant and not surrounded by a team.
I work in an office much like the one 2curlydogs described. And I love it! I do way more work but it is work I am excited about with people who are incredibly flexible and adaptable. We are a younger company overall (22-40s) and with that comes a lot of challenges and uncertainty that i'd say most people would be uncomfortable with. And that's okay, it's not for everyone.
We have unlimited vacation/sick (must take min. 2 weeks), we are remote-first (only come into the office when a google hangout won't suffice), and we have free food every day. I usually work 55-60 hour weeks but sometimes more. I ride my scooter across our campus - it really does save time. We are also offering (soon) extended, fully paid mat/pat leave, hoping it keeps women (over half our company) in our industry and workplace.
We overcommunicate as a matter of policy - I check in with my manager every day and my big boss once a week or more. We fill out a report every week about wins and challenges. We have to be aggressive in everything we do. Again, not for everyone. We also restructure our teams frequently.
What will be the longevity of this structure? I don't know. But I do know I would rather be fast and work hard play hard than feel stagnant and not surrounded by a team.
I think that some of this sounds really awesome. My only question would be - how can a company continue to keep good employees when the normal work week is 60 hours a week and they have to commute on a scooter just to save time? As a mother of two small children neither of these are really possible for me with any longevity.
I guess I wonder if the millennials are constantly asking for feedback and recognition because companies keep asking for more and more - constant communication, dinner at your desk, 55-60 hour workweeks and in return they get stagnant wages.
To the bolded - I have heard of multiple companies who have almost this exact same slogan. LOL.
Not just because I am a mother. It would suck to regularly work 55-60 hours a week period.
I work 45 now (including hour long lunch breaks) on a flex schedule and I am counting down the days until "summer hours" hit and I can shave off an hour every day (I legit have the best boss in the world).
I produce 1 million + a year in revenue - so it isn't a matter of how "much" a person works, but their quality.
I feel like this speaks to the tech culture here in Seattle. A ton of wealthy millennials who get paid buckets and work like crazy and whose employers are in a snack-food and "enrichment" arms race (I'm looking at you, Amazon, Google and Zillow). I agree that there will be a correction, at least within each "generation" of workers who will step back as they have children. This, after all, is the same group who seems to be agitating politically for paid family leave and "balance." 60-hour work weeks are not balanced by any measure.
I wonder if some of the perceived intellectual laziness or lack of initiative isn't also partially due to the permeating obsession with project management in fields where maybe it's really not all that useful. Is that perhaps why it's easy for younger people in some workplaces to simply say "this isn't part of my job" and then go back to being a cog? I do know one faculty member though, who has an unwritten policy to only hire people in her lab who have had customer-service or manual oriented work experience: waiting tables, retail, or construction - she wants people who can actually take direction instead of trying to be creative while reinventing science. She doesn't want to have to stroke egos - she wants people who know how to do things right, independently. I understand that, which is why for the millennial I just hired, I assigned a hefty written project as part of the interview.
Last, I'm a gen X-er, not a boomer, but I totally pick up the phone and call whenever possible. I think email and messaging can be enormous time wasters. I'd rather spend five minutes on the phone discussing something than spend an hour composing multiple emails to follow shit up.
I just don't. My voicemail and email out of office both say basically "I'm out, and I don't have access to my email."
I did, once, give a coworker my cell number to text me if one very specific thing happened so I could send a quick email. But that was really a one-time thing that is unlikely to repeat itself.
Again, this is why I love cruises. I can't be reached. Because I have totally been on the road for trips and my phone is like Hotline Bling. (ask summer, because she was like WHY THESE FOLKS CALLING YOU ON FRIDAY AND YOU ARE OUT OF TOWN)
And I'm being hyper vigilant about prepping everyone for my upcoming vacations. Y'all. I won't be here, so I need y'all to know how to do all the things because I know the folks I work with and there answer will be that you can't take vacation on X days.
Omg. I went on a cruise a couple years ago and they acted like I was the first CPA to go on a cruise EVAR. "You mean we won't be able to contact you? At all?" I kid you not, I made the mistake of telling someone in casual conversation what ship we were cruising and they figured out my itinerary and I ended up working from the hotel room until we boarded the damn ship. IT WAS NOVEMBER. No one needs their CPA that bad in November! Nobody! It was someone who hasn't filed tax returns in 4 years and didn't GAF until the IRS started garnishing their Social Security (Boomers, amiright?) and suddenly went into crisis mode and my boss actually told her we cared. We still haven't been paid for that work, btw.
Cruises for life. Next time I'm not telling anyone where I'm going though.
Again, this is why I love cruises. I can't be reached. Because I have totally been on the road for trips and my phone is like Hotline Bling. (ask summer , because she was like WHY THESE FOLKS CALLING YOU ON FRIDAY AND YOU ARE OUT OF TOWN)
And I'm being hyper vigilant about prepping everyone for my upcoming vacations. Y'all. I won't be here, so I need y'all to know how to do all the things because I know the folks I work with and there answer will be that you can't take vacation on X days.
Omg. I went on a cruise a couple years ago and they acted like I was the first CPA to go on a cruise EVAR. "You mean we won't be able to contact you? At all?" I kid you not, I made the mistake of telling someone in casual conversation what ship we were cruising and they figured out my itinerary and I ended up working from the hotel room until we boarded the damn ship. IT WAS NOVEMBER. No one needs their CPA that bad in November! Nobody! It was someone who hasn't filed tax returns in 4 years and didn't GAF until the IRS started garnishing their Social Security (Boomers, amiright?) and suddenly went into crisis mode and my boss actually told her we cared. We still haven't been paid for that work, btw.
Cruises for life. Next time I'm not telling anyone where I'm going though.
Same for me with cruises OR international travel. My cell doesn't have an international plan - sorry, not sorry. The best was last year I took the entire month of January off and went to South America for a cruise. Best of both worlds as far as work excuses! Sorry Mr. Lazy Coworker, I won't have cell reception while cruising by Antarctica. OH yea and I am not paying $1/minute for wi-fi on the boat - not even bringing my laptop!
I work in an office much like the one 2curlydogs described. And I love it! I do way more work but it is work I am excited about with people who are incredibly flexible and adaptable. We are a younger company overall (22-40s) and with that comes a lot of challenges and uncertainty that i'd say most people would be uncomfortable with. And that's okay, it's not for everyone.
We have unlimited vacation/sick (must take min. 2 weeks), we are remote-first (only come into the office when a google hangout won't suffice), and we have free food every day. I usually work 55-60 hour weeks but sometimes more. I ride my scooter across our campus - it really does save time. We are also offering (soon) extended, fully paid mat/pat leave, hoping it keeps women (over half our company) in our industry and workplace.
We overcommunicate as a matter of policy - I check in with my manager every day and my big boss once a week or more. We fill out a report every week about wins and challenges. We have to be aggressive in everything we do. Again, not for everyone. We also restructure our teams frequently.
What will be the longevity of this structure? I don't know. But I do know I would rather be fast and work hard play hard than feel stagnant and not surrounded by a team.
I think that some of this sounds really awesome. My only question would be - how can a company continue to keep good employees when the normal work week is 60 hours a week and they have to commute on a scooter just to save time? As a mother of two small children neither of these are really possible for me with any longevity.
I guess I wonder if the millennials are constantly asking for feedback and recognition because companies keep asking for more and more - constant communication, dinner at your desk, 55-60 hour workweeks and in return they get stagnant wages.
To the bolded - I have heard of multiple companies who have almost this exact same slogan. LOL.
I love these questions - my big bosses have implemented a lot of policies for working mothers and fathers because they have big families. For instance, there is a no weekend work policy until you are senior level (160k+). But you have to wonder when the scale tips and nothing makes up for time. I would be interested to see which of our policies are most impactful. But I think the unlimited flex time is huge for parents - they don't have to worry about losing their job because their kids are sick and they are out of PTO. There is no PTO to fret over - take care of your family and work when you can.
I also realize I live and work in a tech bubble and while not every company can do this, we have to be leaders to try and create family-friendly and lifestyle changes - even though most of us are not parents. Most of us are those Millennials people love to hate - we have student loans, we are renting or living with parents, delaying marriage and children, etc. but we are anything but lazy - we are working more than ever and trying to secure a future for ourselves while hedging all our bets, knowing how fragile it all is.
I feel that I am paid very well for my time and effort, and rewards are there for me. But I definitely eat breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner in my home office, rarely take a full hour for lunch (and if I do, I respond to texts) and there is a lot expected of me in terms of steering my professional development.
All this being said, I love my job and wouldn't trade the flexibility for anything. I went to Hawaii for two weeks with no questions asked. At this stage in my life, that's important to me.
I work in an office much like the one 2curlydogs described.
....
I usually work 55-60 hour weeks but sometimes more.
Yeah. That really doesn't happen here. I mean, maybe during a launch or special event? But not on the regular.
Generally we consider that a sign that we need more staff. Or that we over-promised on a project deliverable or timeline.
Here it's the norm bc of the curse of pacific time. I need to be up early to meet the needs of the east coast and work late on our own time for pacific coast clients.
I work 7-6 or 7. But I feel I still have plenty of time in the evening since I don't commute most days. I pop something in the instant pot, fold a little laundry, watch some shows with DH and do it all over again. I imagine this would be harder with a child.
Yeah. That really doesn't happen here. I mean, maybe during a launch or special event? But not on the regular.
Generally we consider that a sign that we need more staff. Or that we over-promised on a project deliverable or timeline.
Here it's the norm bc of the curse of pacific time. I need to be up early to meet the needs of the east coast and work late on our own time for pacific coast clients.
I work 7-6 or 7. But I feel I still have plenty of time in the evening since I don't commute most days. I pop something in the instant pot, fold a little laundry, watch some shows with DH and do it all over again. I imagine this would be harder with a child.
Yeah. There is absolutely no way I could pull that off with my kid unless I never wanted to see my kid.
If I'm honest, though, there's no way working 11 hours a day on the regular, no matter how flexible the schedule or lack of a commute, is realistic for me for more than a week or so at a time. I'd want to kill myself.
Omg. I went on a cruise a couple years ago and they acted like I was the first CPA to go on a cruise EVAR. "You mean we won't be able to contact you? At all?" I kid you not, I made the mistake of telling someone in casual conversation what ship we were cruising and they figured out my itinerary and I ended up working from the hotel room until we boarded the damn ship. IT WAS NOVEMBER. No one needs their CPA that bad in November! Nobody! It was someone who hasn't filed tax returns in 4 years and didn't GAF until the IRS started garnishing their Social Security (Boomers, amiright?) and suddenly went into crisis mode and my boss actually told her we cared. We still haven't been paid for that work, btw.
Cruises for life. Next time I'm not telling anyone where I'm going though.
Same for me with cruises OR international travel. My cell doesn't have an international plan - sorry, not sorry. The best was last year I took the entire month of January off and went to South America for a cruise. Best of both worlds as far as work excuses! Sorry Mr. Lazy Coworker, I won't have cell reception while cruising by Antarctica. OH yea and I am not paying $1/minute for wi-fi on the boat - not even bringing my laptop!
Chile. When I mentioned that this was why I loved cruising, my new boss chimed in "Oh, they have wi-fi on cruises!"
Ma'am. Indeed they do, but I am not paying for it. The costs are usually really high, so nope, not doing it.
I am laughing here because I have seen all of these negative characteristics in colleagues who are older than millenials (X all the way to Boomers). Especially the googling.
Here it's the norm bc of the curse of pacific time. I need to be up early to meet the needs of the east coast and work late on our own time for pacific coast clients.
I work 7-6 or 7. But I feel I still have plenty of time in the evening since I don't commute most days. I pop something in the instant pot, fold a little laundry, watch some shows with DH and do it all over again. I imagine this would be harder with a child.
Yeah. There is absolutely no way I could pull that off with my kid unless I never wanted to see my kid.
If I'm honest, though, there's no way working 11 hours a day on the regular, no matter how flexible the schedule or lack of a commute, is realistic for me for more than a week or so at a time. I'd want to kill myself.
Maybe I am an anomaly! I expect to work long hours to achieve my salary and continually be challenged. This is just an example of a Millennial workplace that excites me.
Same for me with cruises OR international travel. My cell doesn't have an international plan - sorry, not sorry. The best was last year I took the entire month of January off and went to South America for a cruise. Best of both worlds as far as work excuses! Sorry Mr. Lazy Coworker, I won't have cell reception while cruising by Antarctica. OH yea and I am not paying $1/minute for wi-fi on the boat - not even bringing my laptop!
Chile. When I mentioned that this was why I loved cruising, my new boss chimed in "Oh, they have wi-fi on cruises!"
Ma'am. Indeed they do, but I am not paying for it. The costs are usually really high, so nope, not doing it.
They also once had me call the IRS while traveling internationally, which required over an hour of being on hold. I enjoyed expensing that. I think next time it can wait until I get home.
Yeah. That really doesn't happen here. I mean, maybe during a launch or special event? But not on the regular.
Generally we consider that a sign that we need more staff. Or that we over-promised on a project deliverable or timeline.
Here it's the norm bc of the curse of pacific time. I need to be up early to meet the needs of the east coast and work late on our own time for pacific coast clients.
I work 7-6 or 7. But I feel I still have plenty of time in the evening since I don't commute most days. I pop something in the instant pot, fold a little laundry, watch some shows with DH and do it all over again. I imagine this would be harder with a child.
I'm in central time and am routinely dealing with offices in New York, San Francisco, Rio and Argentina. To name my current ones. We manage to schedule meetings that accommodate everyone.
I still rarely work more than 40 hours a week.
It's just how things are structured. No PM, dev, creative in our department is regularly expected to work insane hours. We have weekly meetings to make sure this is a fact.
Yeah. There is absolutely no way I could pull that off with my kid unless I never wanted to see my kid.
If I'm honest, though, there's no way working 11 hours a day on the regular, no matter how flexible the schedule or lack of a commute, is realistic for me for more than a week or so at a time. I'd want to kill myself.
Maybe I am an anomaly! I expect to work long hours to achieve my salary and continually be challenged. This is just an example of a Millennial workplace that excites me.
I'm technically a millennial (I'm 35). I expect to have a life outside of work and would have to make close to 7 figures to voluntarily work that many hours on a consistent basis. If I can't so my job in a normal 40 hour week, it's either a problem of my workplace having unrealistic expectations or being understaffed.
Like when I was practicing, my law firm would have us put in really long days before a trial. After about 9 hours I get really crabby. Doing it for more than 2 weeks makes me downright hostile.
Maybe I am an anomaly! I expect to work long hours to achieve my salary and continually be challenged. This is just an example of a Millennial workplace that excites me.
I'm technically a millennial (I'm 35). I expect to have a life outside of work and would have to make close to 7 figures to voluntarily work that many hours on a consistent basis. If I can't so my job in a normal 40 hour week, it's either a problem of my workplace having unrealistic expectations or being understaffed.
Like when I was practicing, my law firm would have us put in really long days before a trial. After about 9 hours I get really crabby. Doing it for more than 2 weeks makes me downright hostile.
I really like my job but it's not my entire life.
7 figures?? Haha well I am nowhere close to that.
My job is my entire life right now, and it's the same for my DH (attorney). It makes us both happy, but I understand it's not the same for everyone.
I'm technically a millennial (I'm 35). I expect to have a life outside of work and would have to make close to 7 figures to voluntarily work that many hours on a consistent basis. If I can't so my job in a normal 40 hour week, it's either a problem of my workplace having unrealistic expectations or being understaffed.
Like when I was practicing, my law firm would have us put in really long days before a trial. After about 9 hours I get really crabby. Doing it for more than 2 weeks makes me downright hostile.
I really like my job but it's not my entire life.
7 figures?? Haha well I am nowhere close to that.
My job is my entire life right now, and it's the same for my DH (attorney). It makes us both happy, but I understand it's not the same for everyone.
I totally get this! Really. And I'm glad it works for you.
It absolutely would not work with having kids though. Unless you didn't want to see them.
My job is my entire life right now, and it's the same for my DH (attorney). It makes us both happy, but I understand it's not the same for everyone.
With one kid (or even one kid and one baby), 12 hours I could do. As long as I got to dictate the hours, and I could have 60+ minutes for lunch, it wasn't a problem. When I could flex the time, like a couple of hours on NY time in the morning, most of the hours on site, and a couple of hours after the kids went down, it was sweet.
It was only when both were expected to travel at the drop of a hat, to close or entertain clients, that it wasn't sustainable. But stuff on a laptop, wherever I am at the moment on the cloud = super easy.
Multiple 15 hour days being on for clients was asking a bit too much. But, 12 hours, broken up, with limited client face time was like optimal work mode.
I am only client-facing once a week, sometimes less. In office 15 hrs a week tops. It is very freeing to work from my house or from a friend's or coworker's. Even if DH travels, I can go with him without jumping through hoops.
I take 10 minute stretch breaks and such - it's just hard to get a big break in the middle of the day in my current position. But my boss knows this and I get other perks to make up for it, and I have the respect of everyone I work with because I make things happen.
It would be so awesome if we could do dinner/drinks! I work pretty close to where you are (I think) and I would love to learn more about your professional life. You and @lazerus24 are career role models for me.
MH and I are technically millennials (both '81 babies). I don't work, and his work is a research lab/academia environment (I guess that's the best way to describe it) with all ages.
He can basically make his own hours. I think the best comparison is probably an attorney without billable requirements because he bills his hours to his specific projects. Although maybe billable requirements are a decent comparison because they do a business quarter and you have to get 40 hours multiplied by the number of weeks in the quarter. So like an extremely low stress billable requirement. Anyway, it also means he can work a ton of hours and take time off without using vacation. Or take time in the middle of the day and then work from home that night if the kids have something.
I would guess that most of the time, he leaves hours on the table because he is dedicated to his work, but I think that's partially because it's HIS work. He has publications and patents and research that is funded via his employer but he has way more ownership in it and is the face of it vs when he was working on the industry side.
It's a great situation for us especially since we moved away from family to where we live and I SAH. His general flexibility is a great benefit and I try to remind myself of that when he works crazy hours or is traveling a lot. So his work sometimes feel omnipresent, which I think is something that happens everywhere now millennial or not, but his work environment is definitely not like this article, lol. He's also an enginerd though. They are a special breed.
ETA: his work is also very self directed in that he chooses his own projects and writes proposals for the funding. So he also has way more ownership in that sense vs the industry side of his area which wasn't anywhere near as self directed. My guess is his job is a pretty good fit for someone who falls in that area between gen X and millennial.