Taking exception to Bloomberg's counsel to graduates

The Baltimore Sun

The consensus: Working around the clock isn't worth it.

Nearly two dozen readers responded to last week's piece on whether New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg's advice on work ethic resonates.

Here's a short recap: Bloomberg told graduates of City University of New York's College of Staten Island that "if you're the first one in the morning and the last one to leave at night and you take fewer vacation days and never take a sick day, you will do better than the people who don't do that. It's very simple."

Readers acknowledged that would get you to the top of the corporate ladder, but many are choosing to take another route.

Jenny, of Seven Valleys, Pa., put it this way: "I have to wonder exactly what it is that he means by 'do better' - make more money? Climb to a higher rung of the corporate ladder? Such a narrow view of success is so foreign to me that it is difficult to comprehend."

Jenny says she and her husband draw a clear line between work and home life. "He shares my attitude that 'career advancement' is pretty low on the list of priorities, well behind family and personal fulfillment."

Paul, a lawyer from Baltimore, says that he was like the person Bloomberg described. Then a car accident ("I was so tired from working so much that I literally fell asleep while driving") forced him to put things in the right order.

"In fact, doing so has made me much more productive at work because with fewer hours, I must concentrate to make every hour worthwhile," he says, noting his business has not suffered with his new focus. "I now have time to attend my kids' games, take them boating, take them to the aquarium, toss a ball with my sons, swim with my kids in the pool."

Other readers concede that you need to work longer hours and make sacrifices in personal time, at least early on in your career, to have more leeway later on.

Jason, of Gwynn Oak, a computer programmer, says he eventually wants to be self-employed "to have the money and freedom to take personal days whenever I desire." In order to do that, Jason says, he'll have work longer hours and take less vacation to gain more experience.

"Work will outweigh play for a few years, but eventually I will be able to play as much as I want," he writes. "That beats two weeks a year for the rest of my life!"

Last, I want to thank readers for sending thoughtful comments and sharing your personal stories on this issue. Sorry, I couldn't print them all.

Send your stories, tips and questions to working@baltsun. com. Please include your first name and your city. On the Job is published Monday at www.baltimoresun.com

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