Paycom Headquarters

[jn1780]

if you are young and career focused and what to be successful than yeah 60 hours a week is pretty normal

Yep, and that's one of the reasons why depression in this country is so high. Work hard, but you don't really have much to show for it expect money. True happy people realize money isn't everything.

[soonermike81]

I haven’t worked 60 hours a week in several years, but it was pretty normal in my 20s. Most small business owners would kill for a 60 hour work week.

[jn1780]

Which is a really sad thing.

https://clockify.me/working-hours

I think humans like doing something for most of the day, but we weren't meant designed/evolved to sit at a desk for 60 plus hours of day.

[Richard at Remax]

as a person who is self employed, I wouldn't mind at all working 60+ hours a week if only for the benefits of employer benefit healthcare. Most of the country isn't really affected by it, so they really don't understand what all the fuss is about. So while it might seem that you work that much and might not have much to show for it, I can guarantee you it's worth a lot more than you think.

[jn1780]

I haven’t worked 60 hours a week in several years, but it was pretty normal in my 20s. Most small business owners would kill for a 60 hour work week.

Those same small business owners wouldn't get caught dead working those same 60 hours in a corporate environment.

[jn1780]

as a person who is self employed, I wouldn't mind at all working 60+ hours a week if only for the benefits of employer benefit healthcare. Most of the country isn't really affected by it, so they really don't understand what all the fuss is about. So while it might seem that you work that much and might not have much to show for it, I can guarantee you it's worth a lot more than you think.

What keeps you being a small business owner? I get the health insurance aspect of it and if you are having to pay your employees health benefits that brings another factor of pain. The fact that you have to make decisions based on health insurance "benefits" is one the issues the angers me the most about the state of healthcare in this country. Employers offering health insurance as a benefit is one of the many reasons why healthcare is broken. Everyone should now the exact dollar amount of the "benefit" their getting.

[stlokc]

Interesting debate (although its gotten off topic).

Would I want to sit at a desk in a cube pushing paper for someone else 60 hours a week? No.

As a business owner, I sometimes work much more than 60 hours in a week. Sometimes it's less. Sometimes it's 15 hours one day and 4 the next, sometimes there are periods of "work" and "play" all in the same day. Today I am driving from St. Louis to Kansas City for work meetings tomorrow, is that driving period considered "work?" I get to stop in Columbia and have lunch with a friend along the way.

Regardless, nobody should make blanket statements about work-life balance. It's different for everybody. But life is short. Do what fits into your priorities and don't worry about everybody else.

[Richard at Remax]

What keeps you being a small business owner?

theoretically you could say I am. I am contract labor with real estate, and own and manage 5 rental properties of my own. I looked into setting myself up as a business owner to get insurance thru that avenue, but at the end of the day I am still 1 person (with dependents) and there were no deals to be had either.

[jedicurt]

Not true. I can run off a mile list of people that have gone through there that felt used/abused and left for much greener pastures. Being forced into working 60 hour weeks regularly (as a salaried employee) is not my idea of treating an employee properly. The story gets told over and over.

Ask the current employees about how overworking their employees caused them to lose databases worth of data that caused thousands of people to miss payroll for companies they service. There are some really good doozies of stories that they keep locked down tight.

Hey, but you don't have to agree with me. If you like the place, great, i'm happy for you.

i think your information is a few years old on opinions. especially on issues related to loss of data. they as an institution have made some very sweeping changes. yes, end of quarter and end of year can be hectic still, and it's not an environment for everyone. but almost all of the horror stories i had heard about years past, were not what i witnessed first hand and much more recently.

[Mballard85]

You think 60 hours is a good work-life balance???? Really? And remember, you're salary so you don't get any compensation for it either.

They have implemented a lot of changes over the past few months to address this exact issue. My wife works at Paycom and we have a 2 year old son, so it was a very tough issue for us. But with the changes they have made it is very very reasonable. Essentially unless otherwise approved, no more than 1.5 hours of OT a day. I would also say that most of the people working those long hours are not salaried, thus they are paid for that additional time worked.

These changes were brought on by employee comments and suggestions, I will say for a young growing company they do take their employees suggestions into consideration, they are sometimes slow to implement but when they are growing like they are, you have to be careful.

It certainly appears like you have a ax to grind with them though.

[gopokes88]

You guys do understand the people grinding at paycom 60+, if they’re smart enough to participate in the stock compensation program, they in essence become a small (piece of paycom) business owner? It’s lining their pockets too. It’s not all for not, that lifestyle just doesn’t fit everyone.

[BoulderSooner]

You guys do understand the people grinding at paycom 60+, if they’re smart enough to participate in the stock compensation program, they in essence become a small (piece of paycom) business owner? It’s lining their pockets too. It’s not all for not, that lifestyle just doesn’t fit everyone.

i have a couple of friends that are basicly retired in their 30's because of this very thing

[BDP]

You guys do understand the people grinding at paycom 60+, if they’re smart enough to participate in the stock compensation program, they in essence become a small (piece of paycom) business owner? It’s lining their pockets too. It’s not all for not, that lifestyle just doesn’t fit everyone.

What's their vesting period?

[gopokes88]

What's their vesting period?

3 years

[bombermwc]

Which is a really sad thing.

https://clockify.me/working-hours

Yup, and preying on those young people and then throwing them out, that's the model. It's not a good model either. Regardless of your age, you should be willing to force a reasonable work-life balance. If you don't, that's when money becomes your only focus and the family suffers because of it. It's a 40 hour work week for a reason. Work gets those 8 hours plus lunch plus commute, sleep gets 8, and you're left with only 4 or 5 for your kids/spouse. I find it incredibly sad that people are willing to give up that precious time all for the sake of pursuing another dollar. Great lesson to teach your kids....

[barrettd]

Yup, and preying on those young people and then throwing them out, that's the model. It's not a good model either. Regardless of your age, you should be willing to force a reasonable work-life balance. If you don't, that's when money becomes your only focus and the family suffers because of it. It's a 40 hour work week for a reason. Work gets those 8 hours plus lunch plus commute, sleep gets 8, and you're left with only 4 or 5 for your kids/spouse. I find it incredibly sad that people are willing to give up that precious time all for the sake of pursuing another dollar. Great lesson to teach your kids....

I've been pretty lucky in finding good jobs that allow for a personal life. I'll never be rich, and I won't retire early, but I get to go to all my kids' events, get to go home and have dinner with the family, take time off, etc. If I were just out of college with no kids, wife, etc. things might be very different, and more power to those who like that kind of career. It's just never been appealing to me.

[bigjkt405]

I've been pretty lucky in finding good jobs that allow for a personal life. I'll never be rich, and I won't retire early, but I get to go to all my kids' events, get to go home and have dinner with the family, take time off, etc. If I were just out of college with no kids, wife, etc. things might be very different, and more power to those who like that kind of career. It's just never been appealing to me.

This.

[Edmond Hausfrau]

Not to pull this thread even further off topic, since I have no idea what the work requirements are at Paycom, but the idea that a newly minted professional can call any shots with regards to hours worked seems false and places blame at the workers' feet where it doesn't belong. Even someone who claims they have good work-life balance is likely to have their work email on the phone, and work projects on their home computer.
The people who purport to only put in 40hours with no bleed over into their personal time are not the norm, and if they are lucky enough to have that level of compartmentalization, my guess is they are pretty far advanced in their chosen field and in their years worked.

[BoulderSooner]

Yup, and preying on those young people and then throwing them out, that's the model. .

this is such a load of crap

[barrettd]

Not to pull this thread even further off topic, since I have no idea what the work requirements are at Paycom, but the idea that a newly minted professional can call any shots with regards to hours worked seems false and places blame at the workers' feet where it doesn't belong. Even someone who claims they have good work-life balance is likely to have their work email on the phone, and work projects on their home computer.
The people who purport to only put in 40hours with no bleed over into their personal time are not the norm, and if they are lucky enough to have that level of compartmentalization, my guess is they are pretty far advanced in their chosen field and in their years worked.

I feel like you're confusing blame with choice. I've chosen jobs over the last 25 years that allowed me to work, on average, 40 hours per week with no expectation of putting in more hours. These have all been salaried positions. They have also, at times, required overtime for implementing projects, or time spent after hours implementing changes or responding to incidents, but, for the most part, I show up at 7am and go home at 4pm, and nobody thinks I'm slacking.

I've chosen these jobs. I've also chosen to have a smaller house, a smaller paycheck, not be able to afford many vacations, not eat at all the fanciest places, etc. I've chosen my time over money. Some people make other choices, and I don't blame them one bit.

Over those 25 years, I've had exactly 4 jobs. All but my current job, I started out at the bottom and worked my way up (I mean, higher than I started. Not CEO or anything.), and I worked 40 hours/week at each job.

Again, I don't blame someone for wanting to put in 60+ hours a week. Some people are built that way. Some people also think there's no other way to do it, or there aren't any jobs out there for 40 hours a week.

I can't tell from your post if you think I'm exaggerating my work/life balance or think I've just been lucky. Either way, I've made choices leading me through my varied professions along the way (all 4 jobs have been for companies in different fields). I'd love to make twice what I'm making, but I'd hate working twice as much to do it.

[Executionist]

Looks like the corporate/retail mix in this area continues to expand, Just noticed a new Galaxy Home Recreation Showroom location being built just east of Memorial and Rockwell, next to the new 7/11.

[okatty]

^Wasn't sure that that was....thanks for posting.

[Pete]

[5alive]

If the garages and buildings were stacked into a tower around 25-30 stories and plop it down next to Scissortail Park...that would be so cool

[mugofbeer]

theoretically you could say I am. I am contract labor with real estate, and own and manage 5 rental properties of my own. I looked into setting myself up as a business owner to get insurance thru that avenue, but at the end of the day I am still 1 person (with dependents) and there were no deals to be had either.

It seems that just from what you said there it could benefit you to incorporate - not just for tax and health insurance reasons but being able to contribute to a retirement plan. U should talk to a CPA or CFP.