Ask HN: Low Stress Employers?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38624252

by pigsinzen • 3 years ago

1 2 3 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Asking for a friend :)

It seems a lot of companies have been pretty stressful for the past 5+ years. Perhaps it’s anecdotal and not an industry trend. Anyways, where do you all find jobs that keep you sane, healthy, and still make sure you can pay your bills? Surely some of us would be happy to give up part of our paycheck for a better life.

I just realized that asking this question on a site tailored towards investment capitalism might not be the best audience, haha. Fingers crossed.

gregjor• 3 years ago

A company or a job can't experience or "have" stress. Whatever you mean by "stress" doesn't describe a quality of a job or company or employer.

A person may experience stress working at a particular job, or for a particular company, but the stress comes from the person's reaction to the job. Every person will react differently, of course.

Some companies seem poorly-managed, creating chaos for the employees. Some managers demand grueling hours, impose poor work conditions, create or tolerate hostile environments, etc. that may cause employees to experience stress or dissatisfaction. You may hear about those companies anecdotally, or read about the chaos or the layoffs and lawsuits here on HN. Sites such as Glassdoor may have useful information about the conditions and management style at a prospective job.

I suggest not making the work you do or the company that pays you part of your identity. One way employers cause stress starts with getting employees to identify with the company, calling it a family, imposing rituals and in-group language. That can cause employees to feel shame and guilt when they want to go home on time, not work on weekends, not go on call, take a vacation, even getting sick. If you want to separate personal life from work and stay sane, as you put it, set your boundaries and don't let the job violate them.

billy99k• 3 years ago

If you are a software developer, choose a company that doesn't primarily make it's money from the software you are creating.

It probably won't be cutting-edge and might be boring. But you will most likely have less stress overall. I've been doing this for nearly 2 decades. I've only had a few crunch-time days per/year, I make a good living, and the tech is boring, but I now have time to explore new tech on my own time.

I also don't remember the last day I was stressed out.

Ask HN: Low Stress Employers?

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