Should you stay late or go home?

"It's not the time you put in, but what you put in the time"

Great read from the Harvard Business Review on staying late vs going home.

I love how he brought up that routinely working over 10 hour days increases your chances of getting heart disease by 60%. That is likely due to the added stress placed on the body from the hours, but the underlying cause is a lack of proper exercise and nutrition. People that put in 10+ hour days typically don't exercise because they're so physically and mentally worn down they don't have the energy or "time" to exercise. When you're working those kind of hours you also don't focus on eating healthy foods - large gaps between meals and fast food become the norm.

By my initial quote I'm sure you can see where I stand on this. I firmly believe it's about the quality of work, not the quantity. Yes, more and more is being demanded of employees, but that can be handled through prioritizing, delegating, and time management. Being a "hard worker" has little to do with the hours you put in and a lot to do with the quality of work you produce. I've known and managed many people that have been to work before others and left after others that didn't have the results of people that worked closer to the standard 8 hours each day.

By prioritizing what's essential for you to be doing and delegating what's not essential you'll remove unnecessary tasks from your day and free up time. By setting your tasks and estimating time to complete them the night before you leave you can hit the ground running the next day; saving you time. And by focusing on the task at hand you can save time - stop fighting fires and start focusing. If possible, designate "quiet hours" when you will not accept interruptions, let everybody know, and stick to them.

If you're not in a position to use the above suggestions because your manager unloads task after task on you then be honest with them. Let them know you cannot accomplish these tasks to the best of your ability, thus affecting the company, and balance all the demands being placed on you (work, family, physical health, mental health). A good manager will be understanding and work with you on it. If they're unwilling to listen or work with you then it's time to start looking for a new job. No job is worth sacrificing your family, health, and sanity. You only live once - find that balance, hold your ground/stick to it, and enjoy it.