Work marathon beginning in 3 . . .2 . . . . 1 . . .

[Sho'Nuff]

Situation: U.S. Patent Law transitions from first to invent to first inventor to file on March 16. Many clients have demanded preparation and filing of applications on or before March 15. I'm slammed. more so than I have ever been in my career.

This post is to serve as a record of the work marathon I have been on. It really started about 2 months ago, but for shits and giggles I'm going to track the number of hours I've worked since the beginning of this week. Care to compare your number of hours worked to mine? Challenge accepted.

My schedule this week:

1. Sunday - Work from 6AM to 2AM Monday
2. Monday - Work from 6AM-12AM Tuesday
3. Tuesday - Work from 5:30Am to 12AM Wednesday
4. Wednesday - Work from 6AM to 2:30AM Thursday.
5. Thursday - Work from 6am - 3:30AM Friday
6. Friday - Work from 6AM-11PM (Thankfully all deliverables are with my clients now. . . so I'm in holding pattern waiting for comments)

So . . . total of 115.5 hours in 6 days. Thank god its over.

 

[highland145]

Care to compare your number of hours worked to mine?

F no. I'll be 29 on the 18th. Ain't spending it like you.

Your wife busy?

 

[ioni]

Are you really working effectively by getting so little sleep? I mean, do you think you could do the same amount of work in a shorter time if you were more rested?

 

[postmortemIA]

Are you really working effectively by getting so little sleep? I mean, do you think you could do the same amount of work in a shorter time if you were more rested?

You can't work 8 hours effectively with 4 hrs of sleep, forget about 16+

 

[SunnyD]

Situation: U.S. Patent Law transitions from first to invent to first inventor to file on March 16.

HAHAHAHAHA!!! I love it! :thumbsup:

Finally we get a little bit of relief from the litigation nightmare that is patents. This is a teeny, ever so tiny step, but it's a step none the less.

Though it does make corporate espionage all that much more lucrative now.

 

[insect9]

I feel your pain. I've been at work now for 18 hours. Haven't worked less than a 12 hour day for three weeks.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

You can't work 8 hours effectively with 4 hrs of sleep, forget about 16+

This might be true for some, but not for me. I have repeatedly worked stretches of very long hours, and am for the most part effective throughout the entire period. I do know my limits however. Which is why I quit working about 20 minutes ago and am off for my home.

And for the record, I don't enjoy this at all. If I had to work like this frequently (i.e., more than once every year or two), I would be in a different line of work. Life is too short.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

F no. I'll be 29 on the 18th. Ain't spending it like you.

Your wife busy?

All the stress is released Saturday at midnight, so I suspect that you and I will be spending Saint Patties day in the same state. Drunk and happy.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

HAHAHAHAHA!!! I love it! :thumbsup:

Finally we get a little bit of relief from the litigation nightmare that is patents. This is a teeny, ever so tiny step, but it's a step none the less.

Though it does make corporate espionage all that much more lucrative now.

O..... K. Not really seeing how this will affect the "scourge" of patent litigation, but if you feel that way it is ok with me.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Are you really working effectively by getting so little sleep? I mean, do you think you could do the same amount of work in a shorter time if you were more rested?

Yes and no. Meaning yes I am effective, and no i would not get more done in less time if I slept more. I've empirically tested that issue over the years by tracking how much time I spend on a given matter during periods of "rest" vs. stressful periods. If anything, I am more efficient during stressful periods (meaning I accomplish more in less time) because there is an imminent deadline hanging over my head that forces me to concentrate particularly hard. The sword of damocles is not present during "restful" periods, so my mind tends to wander a bit more.

 

[amish]

game on. its tax season.

i woke up at 3am this morning, worked until 6.
cleaned up, dropped kids off at daycare, reported at work at 8:12.
worked until 5:20
ate dinner, played, and put kids to bed at 8:30. I took a nap from 8:45 until 11.
i'm currently logged in and I'll let you know when I'm out (probably about 2 or 3 thanks to the nap)

I hate this BS and I'd rather do anything else for similar $$$. just need to find a new job in Seattle. we've had one staff put in his two weeks already.

 

[Uppsala9496]

7:30 to 16:00 (with a 2 hour lunch). All of you IP attorneys are busy so you don't have time to deal with your professional liability insurance. That means I am bored. So I find myself underwriting other lines of business to make the day go by a little faster.

 

[soulcougher73]

Nah you win. I dont slave away for things that dont ultimately matter. Life will go on for these people you work for and their clients regardless if your work gets done

 

[ultimatebob]

My worst work weeks were 7 AM to 7:30 PM every day for 10 days in a row, followed by a quick switch to the 7 PM to 7:30 AM night shift after a 1 day break.

At least I got good overtime pay out of it.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Care to compare your number of hours worked to mine? Challenge accepted.

If you're not getting some sort of additional compensation for working those hours, then you shouldn't work them. I gave up the "You're salaried and this is your 'career' so you should work lots of hours for no additional compensation!" mindset years ago.

I once had a major project and over a three day weekend, got something like 4 to 6 hours of sleep. After working more than an entire work week in just those 3 days, my reward was a single day off as "compensation." That was pretty much the end of those hours for me right there.

Nah you win. I dont slave away for things that dont ultimately matter. Life will go on for these people you work for and their clients regardless if your work gets done

This is the truth.

 

[SunnyD]

O..... K. Not really seeing how this will affect the "scourge" of patent litigation, but if you feel that way it is ok with me.

Well, technically we should get a bit less squabbling over who invented it first in the courts. The patent will go to whomever FILED it fired.

Sure, it opens up whole new avenues of potential issues, but like I said, it's a tiny step.

 

[herm0016]

meh.. you still get a bit of sleep.

lots of people work crazy hours. we just dont like to talk about those people.

my record for a week is about 140 actual hrs.

 

[Ruptga]

I get grumpy when I work 12 8-hour days in a row. Granted, I don't actually like my job that much, the pay is crap, and I don't trust my supervisor much further than I can throw him. I am sure it is different when your feelings about work are positive instead of neutral to negative.

 

[Meractik]

HAHAHAHAHA!!! I love it! :thumbsup:

Finally we get a little bit of relief from the litigation nightmare that is patents. This is a teeny, ever so tiny step, but it's a step none the less.

Though it does make corporate espionage all that much more lucrative now.

Nikola Tesla Anyone?

 

[Sho'Nuff]

If you're not getting some sort of additional compensation for working those hours, then you shouldn't work them. I gave up the "You're salaried and this is your 'career' so you should work lots of hours for no additional compensation!" mindset years ago.

My salary is based on a certain number of billed hours per year. Not billable. Billed. Every billed hour I earn over that number translates into a nice bonus (I see 60% of my billable rate for those hours, rather than 30%). So I am not working for "nothing."

That said, I am well aware of the cost of working too much. I left a very high paying big firm job to go in house for 60% of the pay when my son was born. Had no intention of returning to private practice. I was forced back in when the company I was with folded.

My normal schedule is far less intense. Usually in at 8 and out at 5. This is an isolated incident.

As for whether it "matters" or not, I guess it depends on how you value your job. If I refuse to do the work my partners ask me to do, I will not be with my firm for very long. I prefer to have another job lined up before I decide to leave my current one, but that is just me.

 

[Corporate Thug]

Damn man, I work 9 - 6:30 M-F and get cranky if I have to stay a minute past that...been leaving at 5 on the dot this whole week (which is pretty rare).

 

[JM Aggie08]

Balls of steel man. I don't think I could handle that. Hell, I was in today from 7:15-5:00 and ended up passing out in a pool chair as soon as I got home

 

[brianmanahan]

wow, my record is only 90 hours work + 10 hours driving

i feel like a wimp

 

[Mixolydian]

Situation: U.S. Patent Law transitions from first to invent to first inventor to file on March 16. Many clients have demanded preparation and filing of applications on or before March 15. I'm slammed. more so than I have ever been in my career.

This post is to serve as a record of the work marathon I have been on. It really started about 2 months ago, but for shits and giggles I'm going to track the number of hours I've worked since the beginning of this week. Care to compare your number of hours worked to mine? Challenge accepted.

My schedule this week:

1. Sunday - Work from 6AM to 2AM Monday
2. Monday - Work from 6AM-12AM Tuesday
3. Tuesday - Work from 5:30Am to 12AM Wednesday
4. Wednesday - Work from 6AM to 2:30AM Thursday.
5. Thursday - Work from 6am - ? (Gonna be an all nighter).


.
.
.
Saturday? Sleep in, relax with family, have good time.

Good times! At least St Patty's day will be a hell of a lot of fun this year.

youre a lawyer? you get paid a shitload so stfu.

 

[JM Aggie08]

youre a lawyer? you get paid a shitload so stfu.

I can't help but feel that your hostility was completely unwarranted.