Google co-founder wants employees to work 60 hours a week in office
www.ctvnews.ca
Sergey Brin, the co-founder of Google, claims that a 60-hour workweek is the “sweet spot” for productivity in a recent memo sent to employees.

In the note, shared internally and viewed by the New York Times, Brin urges staff working on Google’s Gemini AI projects to put in long hours to help the company lead the race in artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Some have praised Brin’s commitment to pushing the company’s success, but others argue that his approach reflects an outdated and harmful mindset.

“The hustle-centric 60-hour week isn’t productivity—it’s burnout waiting to happen,” wrote workplace mental health educator Catherine Eadie in a post shared by LinkedIn’s news editors.

Others said they feel that hard work is essential for success, with a COO of a business analytics business writing, “Brin is just being honest—successful people have always put in long hours."

  • BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.ukEnglish
    8·
    4 hours ago

    60/5=12/day 8/day for sleep Let’s say it takes me an hour each way to get to and from the office. Maybe 1hr for dinner

    Now I have 1 hour/day to do everything else I need to do? How did this guy invent Google?

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
      6·
      3 hours ago

      You sleep at the office or work 6 or 7 days. People aren’t often doing 60 hour weeks by working 12x5 and then 2 off.

      Edit: Google even has those sleeping pods!

      • BeardedGingerWonder@feddit.ukEnglish
        2·
        2 hours ago

        Ah, my bad.

        So just have to do 50% more work for no additional pay, give up one of the two days I get to spend with my kids and require me to incur additional expenditure on childcare.

        And he’s suggesting this to quite possibly the most employable software developers on the planet? Kinda sounds like a fucking moron.

  • x00z@lemmy.worldEnglish
    18·
    6 hours ago

    If you are a CEO, sure. But if you are not then it’s quite the opposite.

    If only these capitalist pigs could put themselves in the shoes of others.

  • madjo@feddit.nl
    6·
    5 hours ago

    As a sufferer of Long Covid, Sergey Brin can suck my ass. Any company can deem themselves lucky if I manage to make 40 a week. There’s more to life than work, and it’s not like they’ll pay you for those extra 20 hours.

  • Triasha@lemmy.world
    27·
    7 hours ago

    60 hours is the sweet spot for maximal control over your employees life with only the normal amount of suicides.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    6 hours ago

    JFC, and with the assholes in the government in collusion with these fuckers, they are likely to be able to make it mandatory.

    The 4 day workweek is likely more optimal for humans, at least until we are post-scarcity.

  • Dvixen@lemmy.world
    27·
    19 hours ago

    Spoken to someone who might work 60 minutes a week.

    He can get fucked by his 60 hour work week. Sideways.

  • pageflight@lemmy.worldEnglish
    32·
    20 hours ago

    Classic correlation v. causation. The sweet spot for productivity is believing in and wanting to do your work. For some people, this motivates them to spend tons of time working. For some people, this boueys then to high productivity even while exercising great work life balance and avoiding burnout.

    Google used to know this, and spend huge amounts of effort and resources on trust, enjoyment, innovation. Now that’s something to find at other companies.

  • ARotePleaseBob@lemmy.world
    122·
    1 day ago

    Why? Fuck me, that’s like a 12 hour day over a 5 day week. No-one is doing productive 12 hours day for very long, so he’s basically just arguing for an adult version of fucking daycare here.