To not want to work a 24-hour day because "it's fun"?

[KentishMama]

Probably a bit outing, so will keep it brief.

I work for a super cool trendy startup in a pretty senior role. My boss decided that the entire team should do a Hackathon style event where we try to solve a couple of big business problems in teams... Overnight. The "event" starts at 4 pm (after we've already been at work since 8:30) and ends at 10 am the next morning. After that, we can "have the rest of the day off."

But what about sleep? "Oh, there'll be coffee. And if anyone needs a power nap there are a couple of sofas."

I really don't want to do this - I'm usually asleep by 9:30 and don't cope with late nights, and won't see DC for 36 hours if I do this... But I know that I'll be told I'm setting a poor example for my team and that this is meant as a team bonding kind of thing.

AIBU?

Wow was the Koolaid tasty Paschal2 ?

Someone will be along shortly to say that they regularly work 24 hour shifts in the office as it shows dedication and that OP isn’t a team player.

Many older people have been there, done that, and learned it's a bloody stupid idea.

If you really care about your company and your team, you'll do what the OP has done - find a way to moderate stupid ideas.

This isn't a genuine crisis where 'all hands to the pump' may be required and sacrifices may need to be made - it's a completely unnecessary event, which is likely to yield less good results than a daytime brainstorming session

Someone will be along shortly to say that they regularly work 24 hour shifts in the office

I attended some training on project planning which my company organised some time ago - one of the things which I remember from it is that studies show that regular long hours impair productivity. Work should be properly planned and resourced so that it can be done within normal working days. There may be short periods when extra is needed - that's ok - but as a rule, if people are regularly doing long hours it's likely to be counterproductive.

The best managers I've had, over a long career, are the ones who understand work-life balance, both for their teams and for themselves.

Yes Errol - the first studies are from the 1900s! Pashal might be able to work out that the "older people" on this thread weren't actually working then.

www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/stop-working-more-than-40-hours-a-week.html

For knowledge work, there's some evidence to suggest that 40 hours is prob a bit on the high side.

I've worked for a startup where our manager was very clear that he considered regular working over 40 hours to be detrimental. So, it's not all startups who do silly hours. Only the stupid ones.

Yes, Paschal, managers will identify who is a team player desperate mug who will do anything to get a pat on the head, who can be convinced that less than minimum wage is fine because the company is so cool and edgy to work for - and also, who can be trusted to promote (no pay rise of course) because they will be willing to bully, shame and coerce other staff into accepting tons of unpaid overtime and general abuse because 'that's what it means to commit to your career'...

This kind of thing shows, who's really on board. Who is willing to stick it out for the company. Who's with and who is against. Your Superior knows very little will probably come of it... except maybe who will get the next promotion. I'm sure it won't be the one in bed when others sacrificed. But hey, it's your decision in the end and a career isn't everything.

In other words, make sure you don't have anyone depending on you at home, pander to the silly power games of the boss, and you will be allowed to ascend to the next rung of the ladder where you will balance precariously, always looking over your shoulder, always with a weather eye out, never able to make plans for the weekend, never sure that your annual holiday time is anything other than a trap.

Sacrifice your personal life so that the shiny young boss will eventually be able to sell his company and retire worth millions (billions?) at the ripe old age of 32, and you will be greeted by representatives of the new owners as soon as the ink on the sale contract is dry, and given an empty box into which you will place your potted plant, the photo of your cat, and your mug. Then you will be escorted out of the building.

This kind of thing shows you that you are working for a narcissist.

Actually if you are in the UK I think this may be illegal?? There are rules about working over a certain no of hours and night working.

Could it be a test of some kind?

I did this for 48 hours.
Global software 'go live'. A lot went wrong, so I was working/testing/reporting for the whole time.
Our senior management team were making coffee/ ordering food throughout.

I was a European manager, so had to try and keep the team motivated- via messenger. It was terrible, and also brilliant.
Several people quit after 12 hours, increasing our workload.

I received a big bonus and promotion afterwards.