The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek | download pdf

12 Pages·2006·1.85 MB·English

BIG PICTURE
Certain industries breed
a type of professional for
whom get-a-life dedication
is a badge of honor. The
phenomenon is on the rise,
but is it sustainable?
Extreme Jobs
The Dangerous Allure of the
70-Hour Workweek
by Sylvia Ann Hewlett and Carolyn Buck Luce
KK
CC
Afinancial analystwe’ll call Sudhir Higher up the totem pole, Joe (not AA
emigrated five years ago from his real name) has risen through the LL
Mumbai, India. He works at a major corporate ranks to become a managing BB
commercial bank in New York. Sum- director at a major bank.Joe thought
mertime,when he puts in 90 hours a his workload would become lighter as NN
week,is his “light”season.The rest of the he moved up,but the opposite has oc- AA
year, he works upwards of 120 hours curred: He now works six or seven days YY
CC
per week–leaving only 48 hours for a week, from multiple locations. He
sleeping, eating, entertaining, and (he keeps an apartment in New York,where
smiles) bathing.Sudhir stays late in the he works two days,and is on the road GG
office even when he has nothing par- another three or four days. Only on AA
ticularly pressing to do. His get-a-life weekends does he see his wife and three MM
existence is a hazard of the profession– children–who live in Connecticut.Even
N
RA but worth it: As a 23-year-old with a then,he gets calls in the middle of the LL
H
UG first job,he is in the top 6%of earners in night on Saturdays and Sundays, and EE
PJ LO America. flies out to see clients on a moment’s YY
december 2006 49
BIG PICTURE • The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek
notice.“The first year we were married,”
Joe’s wife recalls,“we had to rearrange
Researching Extreme Jobs
my grandmother’s funeral so that he
wouldn’t miss a meeting.”
In 2004 the Center for Work-Life Policy launched a private-sector task
Ming Mei is a managing director
force consisting of 33 global companies devoted to stemming attrition in
and a member of the executive commit-
their female executive ranks–a problem referred to as the “hidden brain
tee at ProLogis,a fast-growing real es-
drain.”Task force discussions and survey data showed that one challenge
tate investment trust with extensive op-
facing women was a trend toward more extreme work in corporate mana-
erations in Asia. Mei is in charge of
gerial positions.In 2005 and 2006,we focused specifically on that issue.
expansion in China, where he’s built
This research consists of two surveys–one of high earners across various
ProLogis’s portfolio base from zero to
professions in the U.S.and the other of high-earning managers in large
10 million square feet of properties over
multinational corporations–as well as 14 focus groups and 35 one-on-one
the past three years.The demands of
his job are immense.Negotiating with interviews.The survey of U.S.workers targeted the top 6%of earners in
the country and garnered responses from 1,564 full-time employees (844
Chinese government officials, he rou-
men,720 women) ages 25 to 60.The survey of managers at global compa-
tinely packs five cities into six-day busi-
nies included 652 men and 323 women,ages 25 to 60,at the director level
ness trips.These trips can be grueling–
back-to-back meetings spill over into or above; 54%were from the United States or Canada,and 46%were from
Europe,the Middle East,or Africa.Survey statistics cited throughout this
late dinners where key relationships
article refer to the U.S.high earners unless specifically attributed to the
are cultivated and cemented. Despite
multinational management population.The surveys were conducted
the pressure and the pace, Mei de-
online by Harris Interactive from November 1,2005,through April 6,2006.
scribes his job in glowing terms: “Build-
ing this business in markets where no
one has done anything like this before
is enormously exciting. And impor-
tant. We’ve built distribution centers an emergency happens–and whether travagantly than ever before–and their
that are vital for China’s growth–they you can conjure up the right kind of numbers are growing.
contribute to the overall prospects of leadership,”she says.“It’s a kind of test. Our research on extreme jobs is a
the economy.” And when you pass, you feel quite project of the Hidden Brain Drain Task
Jonelle Salter is similarly enthusiastic wonderful.” Force,which we launched in February
about her job.An offshore installation Sudhir,Joe,Mei,and Jonelle are suc- 2004 and now head up. In late 2005,
manager (OIM) at BP, Jonelle knows ceeding in what we have come to term four of the task force’s member compa-
what it’s like to be in charge of the health “extreme jobs,”and they’re not alone. nies–American Express,BP,ProLogis,
and safety of 80 workers on an oil plat- Across the economy, there are high- and UBS–sponsored two large surveys
form in the North Sea.On top of pres- earning professionals whose work has with the intent of “mapping”the shape
sures that would face anyone in this job, become all consuming.The outrageous and scope of high-level, high-impact
she has some unique management chal- hours they put into their careers are jobs these days.We also conducted in-
lenges.As the first black woman to be- matched only by the over-the-top re- depth qualitative research–focus groups
come an OIM at BP,Jonelle has some- wards they receive. and interviews–to get at the attitudes
times had to go to extra lengths to Do these professionals constitute a and motivations that lie behind the
establish her authority in this male- new breed? Not entirely. Highly de- extreme-work model (the sidebar “Re-
dominated environment.But she loves manding and important jobs have al- searching Extreme Jobs”provides more
being a pioneer and credits BP for ways been around – along with the detail).We then considered the data in
going out on a limb and finding a fe- workaholics who created them where relation to the large-scale structural
male mentor (Gro Kielland, a manag- they didn’t need to exist. Yet there is shifts that have made high-stakes em-
ing director for BP Norway) to help her a difference. No longer the pitiable ployment a more prominent feature of
through the rough patches. Jonelle drones and graspers of society,today’s the U.S. economy and culture. What
talks eloquently about the thrill that overachieving professionals are recast emerges from this inquiry is a complex
comes with the challenges of her job. as road warriors and masters of the picture of the all-consuming career–
“You train and train,but you still don’t universe. They labor longer, take on rewarding in many ways,but not with-
know whether you’ll come through when more responsibility,and earn more ex- out danger to individuals and society.
Sylvia Ann Hewlettis the president of the Center for Work-Life Policy,a New York–based nonprofit organization.She also heads the
Gender and Policy Program at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs,in New York.Carolyn Buck Luceis
the chair of the Hidden Brain Drain Task Force and the global pharmaceutical sector leader at Ernst & Young,in New York.
50 harvard business review | hbr.org
The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek • BIG PICTURE
had a vacation,and he has all but dele-
gated his social life to handlers.He is
The Elements of Extremity
driven by a vision of taking his com-
pany into a new creative space–video
How do we define extreme jobs? For the purposes of data analysis,we’ve games – and his heart and soul are
said that survey respondents have such jobs if they work 60 hours or more wrapped up in this mission,which has
per week,are high earners,and hold positions with at least five of these become the defining element of his
characteristics: identity.“If I can get this to work for
• Unpredictable flow of work the studio,”he told us with unalloyed
• Fast-paced work under tight deadlines enthusiasm,“I’ll be the first guy to figure
it out.Everyone else who has tried has
• Inordinate scope of responsibility that amounts to more than one job
failed.It’s my Everest.”
• Work-related events outside regular work hours
Let us back up for a moment and clar-
• Availability to clients 24/7
ify the distinction we are making be-
• Responsibility for profit and loss
tween run-of-the-mill long-hours jobs
• Responsibility for mentoring and recruiting
and extreme jobs.Our definition,which
• Large amount of travel
grew out of extended focus group dis-
• Large number of direct reports cussions, takes into account not just
• Physical presence at workplace at least ten hours a day hours (and,of course,pay) but also the
Our two surveys of high-earning professionals have revealed the four charac- pressures that make these positions
teristics thought to create the most intensity and pressure: unpredictability particularly stressful.We identified ten
(cited by 91%of respondents),fast pace with tight deadlines (86%),work- common characteristics of extreme jobs
related events outside business hours (66%),and 24/7client demands (61%). and decided to classify a respondent as
an extreme jobholder if he or she is
confronted by at least five of them,on
top of working 60 hours or more per
week (see the sidebar “The Elements of
The American Dream on tual behavior,we must rely on our re- Extremity”). By this standard, 21% of
Steroids
spondents to gauge the increase.Of the the high earners in the U.S.whom we
The first thing that becomes clear is extreme jobholders, 48% say they are surveyed have extreme jobs. (In our
that successful professionals are work- working an average of 16.6 more hours separate survey of professionals work-
ing harder than ever.The 40-hour work- per week than they did five years ago. ing in global companies, this figure
week, it seems, is a thing of the past. That finding is consistent with other rises to 45%.)
Even the 60-hour workweek,once the studies of the expanding workweek, The fact is,extreme jobs are no longer
path to the top,is now practically con- including,most recently,one by Peter a rarity.Our data reveal an enormous in-
sidered part-time, as a recent Fortune Kuhn and Fernando Lozano of the Na- crease in work pressure for high-caliber
magazine article put it.Our data reveal tional Bureau of Economic Research. professionals across ages,genders,sec-
that 62% of high-earning individuals (Among college-educated men working tors,and continents.Extreme jobs,we’ve KK
work more than 50 hours a week,35% full-time in the United States,Kuhn and found,are distributed across the econ- CC
work more than 60 hours a week,and Lozano report,those putting in 50-hour omy–in large manufacturing companies AA
10%work more than 80 hours a week. weeks rose from 22.2%to 30.5%between as well as on Wall Street,in entertain- LL
Add in a typical one-hour commute, 1980 and 2001.) ment and media,in medicine and law, BB
and a 60-hour workweek translates into Vacations, meanwhile, seem to be in consulting and accounting.
leaving the house at 7 am and getting shrinking. Among the extreme-jobs Given this increasingly extreme work NN
home at 9 pm five days a week.If we crowd,42% take ten or fewer vacation model, one might imagine that our AA
focus on the subset of those workers who days per year–far less time off than they study has also uncovered a great many YY
hold what we consider extreme jobs(a are officially entitled to–and 55%claim burned out and bitter professionals.In CC
designation based on responsibilities they have had to cancel vacation plans fact,quite the opposite is true.The over-
and other attributes beyond pay), the “regularly.”Moreover,they say no one whelming majority of extreme jobhold- GG
hours are even more punishing. The is forcing them to do this. The long ers in our U.S. sample (66%) say they AA
majority of them (56%) work 70 hours hours and months without breaks are love their jobs–and in the global com- MM
or more a week,and 9%work 100 hours discretionary. Jay (not his real name), panies survey, this figure rises to 76%.
or more. a creative executive at a major enter- Far from seeing themselves as worka- LL
How dramatic a jump is this from the tainment company, is a case in point. holics in need of rescuing, extreme EE
YY
past? Without longitudinal data on ac- He can’t remember the last time he workers wear their commitments like
december 2006 51
BIG PICTURE • The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek
badges of honor. To use the words of
the cultural critic Catherine Orenstein,
Why Do You Do It?
these jobs constitute “the American
Dream on steroids.”There is very little
Holders of extreme jobs indicated what motivates them to work long,
sense of victimization. Almost two-
stressful hours.They answered the question “What are the main reasons
thirds (64%) of extreme workers admit
you love your job?”Multiple responses were allowed.
that the pressure and the pace are self-
inflicted–a function of a type A person-
ality.By and large,extreme professionals
90%
don’t feel exploited; they feel exalted. 82%
Why the Rise in Extreme 52%
43% 43% 42%
Work? 37%
28% 30%
23%
Every extreme worker has his or her
own reasons for putting in the effort.
Many people love the intellectual chal-
Stimulating/ High-quality High Receive Power/
lenge and the thrill of achieving some- challenging/ colleagues compensation recognition status
gives me an for work
thing big.Others are turned on by the
adrenaline rush
oversize compensation packages, bril-
Men Women
liant colleagues, and recognition and
respect that come with the territory.
When we asked our survey respon-
dents what motivated them,most cited
a number of factors. (See the exhibit considered consulting.I thought about tions in the Fortune500than there had
“Why Do You Do It?”) the big paycheck that typically comes been ten years earlier (the number de-
Note how gendered the responses with working in these fields. But for clined from 11,241 to 10,873)–which
are.For men,compensation comes in me,the most important thing in choos- means the competition for high-level
third on the list of motivators, after ing a path–more important than zeros positions has become that much fiercer.
stimulation/challenge and high-quality after a dollar sign–was to find an orga- Add to this the influx of talent that has
colleagues. For women, compensation nization where I could work with tal- come about through women’s large-
comes in fifth, or last. The following ented people to create leading business scale movement into the workforce and
comments by Debra Langford are typi- strategies that further a great brand.” companies’ongoing diversity efforts.
cal of what we heard in interviews: “It’s Interesting as these motivations are, Both factors heighten the level of com-
not that compensation isn’t a top pri- it should be pointed out that individual petition.As companies grow leaner and
ority–it clearly is important. As an decisions about work are not made in a meaner,we see the declining job secu-
African-American single woman with vacuum.At a macro level,the reasons rity that Louis Uchitelle describes inThe
financial responsibilities,I must be stra- behind the rise of the extreme job are Disposable American.Meanwhile,more
tegic in my career choices.When I ac- structural; it’s the outcome of sweeping responsibility falls on the shoulders of
cepted this position with Time Warner, changes in the global economic envi- fewer individuals.Paul,a vice chairman
in which I am responsible for identify- ronment.These changes–which include at one of the big four accounting firms,
ing diverse candidates for high-level increased competitive pressures,vastly told us his job has gotten so huge that
positions at the company, I knew the improved communication technology, each day more things are left undone.
benefits would be beyond the purely fi- and cultural shifts–intersect in power- “The clincher,”he said,“is that the im-
nancial.This is an important position ful ways. portance of the things I’m not getting
because of the value of what I do–and Competitive pressures. To begin to is greater than it used to be.”
the recognition and support I receive with,competition has become more in- The economists Robert Frank and
for my efforts are incredibly rewarding.” tense,both at the level of the individual Philip Cook have argued that, more
Similarly, Susan Sobbott, president professional and at the level of the cor- and more, our economy operates by
of the OPEN division of American Ex- poration. Within companies, the com- “winner take all”rules.This is the kind
press,chose AmEx because she wanted bined effect of merger mania and sub- of dynamic that exists in flatter hier-
to be part of a mission she believed stantially flattened hierarchies has been archies. Because a slight performance
in–and part of a dedicated team.“I used to pit a bigger pool of workers against edge yields outsize rewards (culminat-
to be a financial analyst on Wall Street,” one another for any given promotion. ing in the gargantuan salaries awarded
she said.“After my MBA, I weighed Catalyst reported that in 2005 there to CEOs these days),there is a powerful
going back into investment banking and were 368 fewer corporate officer posi- incentive to work incrementally more
52 harvard business review | hbr.org
The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek • BIG PICTURE
than one’s rivals.Hours and effort ratchet
up accordingly.Consider how different
this is from the days of TV shows like
Leave It to Beaverand Ozzie and Harriet,
when a professional man who was rea-
sonably productive between the hours
of 9 and 5 could count on a steady if un-
spectacular ascent through the ranks.
The 1950s professional model was in
many ways kinder and gentler,but for
any young turk willing to work harder
and eager to be rewarded, it was a
source of intense frustration. Today’s
model operates by the young turks’
rules: The American Dream isn’t about
being Ozzie Nelson. It’s about being
Donald Trump.
Increasingly,the young turks are ac-
tually young Indians or young Chinese–
or whatever smart and hardworking
population offers a labor cost advan-
tage.The threat of losing jobs to out-
sourcing arrangements is another driver
in the rise of extreme work.Finally,the
climbing costs of health care insurance
and other benefits–and the fact that
“nonexempt”professionals do not earn
overtime pay in the U.S.–make compa-
nies eager to squeeze as many hours of
work as possible out of their employees bank. Marilyn was captivated by ex- telling–gratuitous the feat,the greater
before springing for another fully treme sports: skydiving,snowboarding, our awe of the athlete.We appreciate
loaded salary. triathlons, bungee jumping, surfing, the extreme athlete’s talent, skill, and
The “extreme”ethos.While compet- mountaineering–anything that pro- courage, but also the hubris that sets
itive pressures in corporations are mak- vided a rush of adrenaline and an ele- him or her apart from the crowd.High
ing extreme jobs more necessary,other ment of danger. She eagerly recom- stakes and danger define the extreme-
changes in the broader society are mak- mended Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air(an sports challenge,which in the end is less
ing them more attractive. Orenstein account of an ill-fated trip by amateur about the physical than about the exis-
points to signs in the popular culture mountain climbers) as a window into tential–less about mountain peaks or KK
of the widespread embrace of the “ex- why people push themselves to the lim- big waves than about inner strength and CC
treme”ethos.Extreme sports in particu- its of their physical endurance.Marilyn testing one’s limits.In a popular culture AA
lar have become wildly popular–they saw parallels between extreme sports that lionizes such athletes,it is not sur- LL
have their own version of the Olympics, and her life as an investment banker. prising that the extreme ethos has BB
known simply as the X Games,created First,there were the extraordinary time worked its way into other endeavors.
in 1995 by ESPN.The reality TV show demands and performance stressors. And so,our most intense jobs are seen NN
Fear Factorgives couch potatoes vicari- Seventy-hour workweeks,grueling travel not as exploitative but,rather,as glam- AA
ous thrills by putting ordinary people requirements,and relentless bottom-line orous,desirable,and virtuous.(Witness YY
CC
to the test in extreme stunts.Neighbor- pressures constantly pushed her to her The Apprentice.) From ER doctors to tax
hood health clubs now offer rock- limits–both physically and intellectu- lawyers to management consultants to
climbing walls and kickboxing classes ally.Second,there was the allure of the hedge fund salespeople, many profes- GG
for those who abhor the dull routine of job. Much like extreme sports, invest- sionals are wearing their outsize work AA
exercise. ment banking was exhilarating and se- commitments on their sleeves; they MM
We first heard the word “extreme”ap- ductive.Marilyn told us,“It gives me this consider their over-the-top efforts–and
plied to white-collar work four years ago rush.Like a drug,it’s addictive.” often voluntary sacrifices and risks– LL
in an interview with Marilyn,a senior In the world of extreme sports, the a reflection of character.They brag about EE
YY
banker at a London-based investment more daring, demanding, and–this is pulling all-nighters and about flying
december 2006 53
BIG PICTURE • The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek
300,000 miles in a year.To them,a 70-
hour workweek is about proving their
Something’s Gotta Give worth.It’s akin to going up against the
elements.
Extreme jobs may be deeply allur- extreme jobs said their work inter- New levels ofconnectivity.Extreme
ing,but they are certainly not feres with their ability to have strong work is also the result of the key tech-
cost free.Our data show that the relationships with their children– nologies that facilitate it.Modern com-
extreme-work model is wreaking compared with one-third (33%) of munication devices have prompted a
havoc on private lives and taking women.In a focus group targeting shift in expectations and behavior.We
a toll on health and well-being. the teenage children of extreme work- see it all around us: people glued to
Housework and home care seem ers,a fresh-faced 16-year-old we’ll call their cell phones or BlackBerrys, no
to be among the first things to go. Ellen said her dad had promised he’d matter the day,time,or occasion.Profes-
Over three-quarters (77%) of the work less when he made partner at a sionals tap so incessantly at their wire-
women we surveyed and two-thirds major accounting firm.“But instead, less devices that a new medical ailment
has arisen–“BlackBerry thumb”–and
Hyatt hotel spas now offer a “Black-
Berry Balm hand massage.”
Repercussions of Extreme Jobs for Family,Home,and Intimate Life
Communication technology seems
U.S. Survey
to have both liberated and shackled
Extreme Jobholders Saying Job Interferes with the Following
extreme professionals.In our U.S.sur-
77% vey, 67% of people with extreme jobs
66% 65%
46% 46% 49% 53% said that being available for clients 24/7
is a critical part of being successful.
33%
According to one young investment
banker,“When you’re an analyst,even
when you’re in a meeting,waiting an
Being able Having a strong Having a strong Having a
hour to respond to an e-mail is just not
to maintain relationship relationship satisfying
my home with with my sex life acceptable.”This kind of availability,
my children spouse/partner
not possible before the advent of Black-
Berrys and cell phones,is a curse as well
Men Women
as a blessing.A Dallas-based accountant
in one of our focus groups described
(66%) of the men said they can’t he works more….My dad’s always how her boss had tracked her down at
properly maintain their homes.One exhausted.He’s gone when I get up, a five-year-old’s birthday party the pre-
executive in a London-based focus and not back when I go to sleep.” vious weekend and insisted she join a
group told us that although he had But her father’s absentee parenting 90-minute conference call because
lived in his South Kensington flat for seemed normal to her since,in her something had blown up with a client.
two years,a mattress and a sleeping world,all the fathers she knew worked Of the U.S.survey respondents,72%said
bag were the sum total of his furnish- such long hours. that technology helps them do their
ings.His schedule was such that he Spouses and partners also suffer jobs well, 59% said that it lengthens
hadn’t been able to make a commit- from the extreme-work model.Ex- their working day, and 64% noted its
ment to be home to accept a delivery. treme workers dramatically under- encroachment on family time.
Health is also an issue.More than invest in intimate relationships. The workplace as social center.Per-
two-thirds of professionals we sur- Some of the data are quite startling. haps most profound among the cultural
veyed don’t get enough sleep; half For example,at the end of a 12-hour shifts we’ve been describing is the fact
don’t get enough exercise; and a sig- or longer workday,45%of all respon- that the workplace is now the center
nificant number overeat,consume dents in our global companies survey and source of many people’s social lives.
too much alcohol,or rely on medica- are too tired to say anything at all to When one’s best friends and most stim-
tions to relieve insomnia or anxiety. their spouses or partners.Focus ulating encounters are at the office–as
Moms with extreme jobs tend group conversations were sprinkled is increasingly the case–the prospect of
to do better than dads in terms of with half-joking references to four working late into the evening becomes
coming through for their children. in bed these days: oneself,one’s part- less onerous.Robert Putnam famously
Almost two-thirds (65%) of men with ner,and two BlackBerrys or Treos. decried the loss of social capital in
American cities as more people “bowled
alone.”But it can be argued that the
54 harvard business review | hbr.org
kinds of personal connections once the hours.It is probably not wrong to
made through civic organizations are assume that more knowledge work
now made in workplaces.In a far less means that people simply like their
positive light,this is a theme that Arlie jobs more.
Russell Hochschild has explored in her This surely seems true of Alex,a fed-
book The Time Bind,which gets inside eral prosecutor who focuses on securi-
the relationships of some dual-career ties fraud.He works long hours,typi-
couples and reveals how home life can cally arriving home around 11 pm and
become seriously depleted when both routinely skipping meals. Instead of
men and women work long hours.As eating dinner,he will have a PowerBar
households and families are starved of at his desk–or a peanut butter and jelly
time,they become progressively less ap- sandwich when he gets home late at
pealing, and both men and women night.He never makes it home before
begin to avoid going home.Returning to his two young children are in bed,al-
a house or an apartment with an empty though he does make a point of taking
refrigerator and a neglected teenager his daughter to preschool in the morn-
might prove to be a little bleak at the ing.He laments that in trying to salvage
Professionals tap so incessantly at their wireless
devices that a new medical ailment has arisen–
“BlackBerry thumb.”
end of a long working day–so why not as much family time as possible,he is
look in on that networking event or put neglecting his relationship with his
that presentation through one more wife.On a rare recent “date,”the couple
draft? Hochschild shows that for many went to a jazz club,only to have Alex
professionals,“home”and “work”have doze off after one drink.It’s not hard to
reversed roles. Home is the source of imagine why: His average workweek is
stress and guilt,while work has become 75 hours–and in the midst of a trial,he
the “haven in a heartless world”–the can put in 95 hours.
place where successful professionals Nevertheless,Alex derives enormous
get strokes,admiration,and respect. satisfaction from his work.Last year,for
More knowledge-based work. Part example,he prosecuted an accounting
of the reason that workplaces have be- fraud case.“Enron writ small,”he calls it.
come more sociable is that the nature For him,the case exemplifies what mo- KK
of work has undergone a transforma- tivates him to work so hard.He not only CC
tion.“Knowledge work”is increasingly made sure a criminal was punished for AA
important, and corporations are now breaking the law; he also helped secure LL
full of people employing their brains compensation for those who were BB
more than their brawn.One thing’s for wronged.The problem with this great
sure: There’s no need to lay down tools job is its size.“In a nutshell, it’s un- NN
at the end of a shift; to the extent that doable,”says Alex.“We’re underfunded AA
knowledge work requires capital equip- and painfully understaffed….Over the YY
CC
ment,the equipment is highly portable last five years,I’ve built up some great
communications devices rather than relationships with our FBI agents,who
plant machinery.Knowledge-based en- often bring me compelling cases–but GG
terprises also tend to attract employ- the fact of the matter is,I can only take AA
ees who are on a par intellectually.The a small proportion of them.It’s disap- MM
exchange of ideas and knowledge that pointing and frustrating,but I just can’t
now characterizes most workplaces is drive myself any harder.” LL
without doubt a source of stimulation– Global operations. As companies EE
YY
again,making it less painful to put in gain global spans of operation,there are
continued on page 58
december 2006
BIG PICTURE • The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek
Is There a Gender Issue Here?
Our research shows that extreme jobs pressure or responsibility of extreme jobs– behaviors in their children.As the research
are much more common among men they just can’t pony up the hours. literature attests,it’s extremely rare for
than among women.The exhibit “Who The U.S.survey,too,demonstrates parents to admit to having problems with
Has Extreme Jobs?”tells the tale.Among that the number of hours worked is their children.(There are serious problems
high earners in the United States,21% where women fall short.Consider the in society,but never in one’s own home.)
hold such jobs,and less than a fifth of exhibit “How Many Hours and How Much Thus,the data in the exhibit “Extreme Jobs
those are women.Among high earners Responsibility?”–which divides the high Affect Well-Being of Children”constitute
at global companies,45%are working earners we surveyed into four quadrants, a veritable portrait of guilt.That women
extremely,and women make up a third according to the length of the workweek
ofthat group. and the demands of the job.Positions
Who Has Extreme Jobs?
Why aren’t more extreme workers that involve long hours but little in the
women? Part of the answer emerges from way of performance pressure are particu-
finer cuts of the data.In the global compa- larly shunned by women: Only 2%of the
nies survey,we found that young,talented women in our sample work long hours in 15%
women are well represented in jobs that positions with few extreme-job responsi- 30%
have reasonable hours (fewer than 60 a bilities.Men are somewhat more tolerant
week)but high performance requirements of such jobs. 4%
(fast pace with tight deadlines,24/7client Perhaps women are less tolerant of 17%
demands,and so on).Of the respondents high-hours,low-impact work because they
holding these jobs,39%are women.By are more aware of the “opportunity costs.”
contrast,of those meeting high perfor- They seem particularly tuned into–and
U.S. Survey Global Survey
mance requirements and putting in longer pained by–the fallout on their children.
hours,only 30%are women.The data sug- They see a direct link between their long Men Women
gest that women are not afraid of the workweeks and a variety of distressing
How Many Hours and How Much Responsibility?
Extreme jobs demand a high number of responsibilities (five or more out of ten specific challenges, such as tight
deadlines and 24/7 availability to clients) as well as a high number of work hours (60 or more a week). The matrix
below illustrates where the men and women in our U.S. survey fall. Each figure represents 1%of the total popula-
tion of high earners surveyed.
High
QUADRANT IV QUADRANT I
Men=15% Women=4% Men=17% Women=4%
eme- stics
er of Extrharacteri
bC
mb
uo
NJ Men=12% Women=2%
Men=33% Women=12%
QUADRANT III QUADRANT II
Low High
Number of Hours Worked
56 harvard business review | hbr.org
The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek • BIG PICTURE
worry about the implications for their the “A team”–and we think it does–it’s “new compass”for returning women,show-
children is probably not because mothers very disturbing to see so few women in it. ing them a way back into their careers.
are more caring than fathers but because, The silver lining is that employers face a Heidi Yang,an investment banker in
as our survey data show,more men in real opportunity here.We know of several Hong Kong,illustrates the edge some global
extreme jobs (25%) than women (12%) companies that are beginning to tap into companies are developing as employers of
have the support of an at-home spouse or the talents of women who are willing to choice for young,talented women.Heidi is
partner. commit to hard work and take on responsi- definitely a “high-potential manager.”
These dynamics play out in homes bility but cannot do the long hours.For During her three and a half years in the
around the world every day.In a focus
group held at Canary Wharf in London,
a woman lawyer put it succinctly:“When
Extreme Jobs Affect Well-Being of Children
I walk out the door in the morning,leav-
Global Survey
ing my two-year-old with the nanny,
Respondents answered the question “Has your child ever experienced any
there’s usually a bit of a scene.Tommy
of the following because of the number of hours you work?”
clings,pouts,and whips up the guilt.
Now,I know it’s not serious–he’s a happy
49%
kid,and he likes his nanny.But it sure
makes me think about why I go to work– 35% 38% 34%
and why I put in a ten-hour day.It’s as 22% 22%
18%
though every day I make this calculation: 12% 14% 13%
Do the satisfactions I derive from my job
(efficacy,recognition,a sense of stretch-
Watching too Acting out/ Eating too Having too Underachieving
ing my mind) justify leaving Tommy? much television discipline much junk food little adult in school
Some days it’s a close run.” issues due to supervision
lack of
Indeed,for many women,the equation attention Men Women
is not balancing out.A clear majority (57%)
of the women in extreme jobs in the
United States told us they don’t want to example,Booz Allen Hamilton and Ameri- investment division of UBS in Hong Kong,
continue working at this pace for more can Express are beginning to “chunk out” she has been promoted twice; she now
than a year.Less than half the men (48%) work in different ways.AmEx has created runs a team of 25.When we first met with
felt the same way.Only 13%of the women an internal consulting pool that provides her in November 2005,she was pregnant
(versus 27%of the men) want to be work- flexible career paths for high-performing with her first child and pleased with UBS’s
ing at this pace in five years.The numbers employees.A working mom,for instance, parent-friendly policies–which she consid-
KK
were far more dramatic in our global com- might choose to arrange her workday so ered as generous as any “on the street”–
CC
panies survey,in which 80%of the women that she’s able to pick her children up from but she worried about whether those poli-
AA
(versus 58%of the men) said they don’t school.“We’re sharpening our approach cies were “for real.”If,for instance,she
LL
want to keep working this many hours for to creating flexible work models,”says availed herself of her full maternity leave, BB
more than a year,and only 5%of the L.Kevin Cox,executive vice president of would she be seen as not serious,and sub-
women (and 12%of the men) said they human resources at American Express.In tly derailed from the fast track? Happily,
NN
want to do so for the next five years. a similar vein,Lehman Brothers and Gold- when we last interviewed her,in July 2006,
AA
The key question,of course,is whether all man Sachs are beginning to create flexibil- her fears had not been realized.“There’s YY
this creates a barrier for ambitious women ity over the arc of a career.Lehman’s En- been a real change at this firm,”she ob- CC
and for companies that want to achieve core program welcomes talented women served.“The culture is shifting.They’re
more gender diversity in their upper ranks. who have off-ramped and are looking for allowing me to work flexibly.As long as GG
The answer is yes to the extent that extreme a road back into the financial sector– I come through for my clients,I can work
AA
workers constitute the talent pool from reaching out with networks,mentors,and wherever I want.There’s none of this face- MM
which top leadership will be drawn.If this flexibility.Goldman Sachs’s New Direc- time stuff.My bosses seem to understand
group of high-octane workers represents tions program provides reskilling and a the importance of keeping women.”
LL
EE
YY
december 2006 57
BIG PICTURE • The Dangerous Allure of the 70-Hour Workweek
additional reasons for jobs to become We believe that these are the key the way of strong relationships with
extreme.The need to oversee work in trends underlying the rise in extreme their children; 46%think it gets in the
multiple time zones increases not only work.There may be others.The point, way of good relationships with their
the travel requirements of a job but however,is that they represent a mix of spouses; and 50%say their jobs make it
also the length of the workday.One oil positive and negative pressures. Long impossible to have a satisfying sex life.
company executive we interviewed ran workweeks cannot simply be chalked (For more data on the personal costs of
a global team composed of colleagues up to the crushing effects of a heartless extreme work, see the sidebar “Some-
in Angola,the United States,and China. and unchecked capitalist system, as thing’s Gotta Give.”)
As he put it,this “did a number”on his some commentators have argued.The These statistics are underscored by the
working day.Other professionals in our extreme professionals who find their stories shared by focus group partici-
focus groups told anecdotes about work enormously alluring are not de- pants.In one session,which took place
pulling all-nighters and defying jet lag luded.Recognizing trends like the rise at a financial services company,an exec-
to attend back-to-back meetings in Sin- in knowledge work and society’s general utive described how he had lost all cred-
gapore and New York. The difficulty embrace of the extreme ethos makes it ibility with his elderly wheelchair-
of waking up to participate in global easier to understand the attitudes of bound father by canceling so many
promised weekend visits.Another exec-
utive,striking a more positive note,de-
Long workweeks cannot simply be chalked up to scribed the transformative recent ex-
perience of taking,for the first time in
the crushing effects of a heartless and unchecked
his 14-year career, two consecutive
capitalist system. weeks of vacation: “It was a revelation.
I had no idea I even had it in me to
enter into this other zone,where I was
able to focus on my nine-year-old son,
conference calls in the middle of the people like Madeleine (not her real and I mean really focus.By the second
night was a common refrain. name),the chief operating officer of a week,I was listening to meandering sto-
Because many companies are expand- major global bank.As she detailed the ries of a tiff he’d had with a best friend
ing globally, senior managers have a demands of her job for us, we found and his description of what had hap-
larger scope of responsibility.Take Gwen her to be downright exuberant.She had pened in the last episode of his favorite
(not her real name), who manages a recently transferred from the bank’s TV show without urging him to get to
supply chain for a large DIY retailer.The New York headquarters to London, the point,or wrap it up.And we spent
pressures of her job are enormous– where her responsibilities were ex- hours playing Ping-Pong – a game he
involving quick decisions on inventory panded tenfold: She now travels be- loves but I generally have no patience
levels that can have huge consequences tween three time zones.The pressure is for.”The other participants listened in-
for her company’s bottom line. Just undeniable,but we heard no complaint. tently,clearly trying to wrap their minds
three years ago,most of her suppliers Instead,Madeleine described the thrill around what a two-week vacation
were in South Carolina and Georgia; of managing a large international busi- would be like.
now her supply chain reaches to East- ness and being “a global player on top of These are poignant examples of the
ern Europe and China.Gwen operates my game.” costs of extreme work to individuals,
in three different time zones and seven but there can be costs at the company
Life on the Edge
different countries.She says,“The chal- level,as well–for instance,when burn-
lenges are intense–and I like that.But If people in extreme jobs are uncom- out occurs.Half of our extreme jobhold-
being away from home half the time– plaining and their employers are happy ers don’t want to continue working
and I mean awayaway–is really hard to have their services,is it reasonable to under this kind of pressure for more
on my ten-year-old.”Compounding the claim there is a problem? Arguably,the than a year.Moreover,the next genera-
overload problem is the fact that man- trend toward more extreme work is a tions of management–the so-called Gen
agers these days are less able to dele- boon to national competitiveness. X and Gen Y cohorts–seem less enam-
gate low-value but necessary tasks (like Yet there are,even in the responses to ored of their jobs than baby boomers.
compiling the expense reports for all our survey,hints of the dangers afoot. In the 45-to-60 age group,only 19%of
that travel Gwen does).Secretaries seem Asked about the effects of their extreme extreme jobholders say they are likely
to have been replaced by do-it-yourself jobs on their health and relationships, to leave their jobs within two years;
technology–71% of extreme workers most respondents readily noted the this figure rises to 30% in the 35-to-44
have no dedicated administrative assis- downsides.More than 69%believe they age group and to 36%in the 25-to-34 age
tant,and more than a third (37%) don’t would be healthier if they worked less group.The ultimate price may be paid
even have a shared assistant. extremely; 58%think their work gets in in succession planning if maxed-out
58 harvard business review | hbr.org