Think you’re too busy this summer? You’re not alone.
According to a recent survey conducted by Silicon Prairie, many high-tech professionals feel that the usual academic calendar followed by the industry, when most work is done between September and May, is now obsolete. As one survey participant said, “Summer isn’t summer anymore, since the Internet.”
Here’s a look at our survey.
The participants
The survey was sent via e-mail to 250 programmers, engineers, technicians, technical writers and managers from 46 different companies.
Of the 250 surveys sent, 198 people responded.
Of the 198 participants:
-59 percent are male;
-41 percent are female;
-22 percent are between the ages of 25 and 34;
-51 percent are between the ages of 35 and 44;
-52 percent have worked at the same company for more than a year;
-64 percent have an advanced degree;
-70 percent report a salary between $50,000 and $100,000.
The survey
Question 1:
Is there such a thing as a summer slowdown at your company?
-Yes, quite – 19 percent
-Yes, slightly – 41 percent
-No – 37 percent
Question 2:
How much vacation time are you taking this summer as opposed to last year?
-Less – 51 percent
-More – 4 percent
-Same – 40 percent
Question 3:
How much pressure do you feel at work this summer compared to last summer?
-Less – 18 percent
-More – 45 percent
-Same – 36 percent
Question 4:
What would you rather receive from your employer?
-More money – 43 percent
-More summer vacation – 57 percent
The interpretation
There seems to be an internal pressure to stay at work more over the summer, even if that pressure is not coming from the employer. As one participant noted, “It’s not like (the company is) pushing us to be here more. No one’s filling out time cards. But we know that if we want to have a prayer of moving forward, we’ve got to put in the time.”
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Are you too busy this summer? Is there such a thing as a summer slowdown at your company? We’ll read your comments after we come back from vacation.
