What's the craziest work hours you've ever put in on a job?

[2one3E90]

Whats the most you ever worked in your life and had very little sleep or a messed up sleep schedule? At that time were you on caffeine or coke also?

[Manny01]

Back when I worked at Ernst and Young I had a large public client that was wrapping up year-end, issuing debt and equity, and acquiring a similarly sized competitor - all in a 30 day window. I worked between 80 and 120 hours a week for 8 weeks straight. Our team was the highest utilized in the Southeast region that busy season.

[Esteban]

In my 20s I worked for a large engineering/construction company that was moving from L.A. to Pasadena and they asked for volunteers (paid) to work 12 hour shifts every night for 3 weeks to supervise and direct the moving company employees.

I volunteered, plus worked my regular job which was 8am to 5pm. Lots of caffeine, and other substances. Was young and it was only 3 weeks. Don't think I slept much at all and didn't care. It was a lot of fun. Felt immortal in my youth.

[Tommy-G]

Not very impressive but I was working at Blockbuster Video (1990).
Got out of school at 3pm.
Started shift at 6pm, shift ended at 11pm
Did inventory from Midnight until 7am
Someone called out so I got stuck Saturday 9am-4pm
Someone else called out so I stayed and worked 4pm-11pm
Then I went home and rode my BMX bike b/c I was a kid and resilient

[vreihen16]

Back in my younger days, our whole department would clock in at 8:00 AM on the Friday of Labor Day weekend, and clock out at 2-3 PM on Monday. HR and payroll had huge issues, since the time entry system could not deal with someone working for more than 24 hours straight. No time for naps, because hundreds of tasks needed to be completed for 8:00 AM Tuesday. Our fearless leader used to bring pizza, donuts, coffee, and lots of Pepsi over the weekend, as moral support.

When I got out of college, I worked *two* FT jobs at the same time. A day off to me was only having to go to one job! Didn't even drink coffee.....

[dinonz]

!0 years ago when we started our company, I was doing 12-20 hours a day, 7 days a week. Basically, I'd be up about 7 and work through till between midnight and 3am, with occasionally stops for meals (which would be eaten at my desk). Did that for about the first 4-5 years, 100-120 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. I put in about 20,000 hours then.

After that I idalled it back to more like 60-80 a week, still 7 days, still 52 weeks a year (in 10 years I've probably had 10 weeks vacation total).

Now, I'm working closer to normal hours, but still 7 days. And I'm tired, worn out, and probably burned out.

I hope it was all worth it.

[UncleWede]

2nd or 3rd date with current wife: I came over to her house, and we made 110 dozen tamales for about 36 hours. Her extended family cycled thru the day/night.

[Buug959]

Originally Posted by dinonz

!0 years ago when we started our company, I was doing 12-20 hours a day, 7 days a week. Basically, I'd be up about 7 and work through till between midnight and 3am, with occasionally stops for meals (which would be eaten at my desk). Did that for about the first 4-5 years, 100-120 hours a week, 52 weeks a year. I put in about 20,000 hours then.

After that I idalled it back to more like 60-80 a week, still 7 days, still 52 weeks a year (in 10 years I've probably had 10 weeks vacation total).

Now, I'm working closer to normal hours, but still 7 days. And I'm tired, worn out, and probably burned out.

I hope it was all worth it.

You've got to be bulletproof. I worked 100 hours a week for six months straight renovating a four story hotel into apartments during the day and refurbishing the hotel where I was staying in the evenings. Both hotels were owned by the same guy. The one I was staying in was for his daughter to run. After six months of that I was exhausted. I can't imaging putting in hours like that for years.

[2one3E90]

I need help with my disa. Im stuck taking the intake throttle body hose out. Help on regular section on my thread please Lol.

[M_Six]

When I was in the military, our squadron commander thought all his leaders should be able to go 72 hours with no sleep on maneuvers other than the occasional 5 minute power nap in lulls. There were times when we were on the move for 36-48 hours. No-doz and straight Coke for that.

I once pulled a triple shift supervising a large asbestos abatement job. 24 straight hours without rest. The industrial hygienist on site finally ordered me to go home and said he would cover until the next supervisor came in. Then he promptly called the company I was working for and threatened to cite them for leaving the site without a supervisor. Got my ass chewed for that one.

[4Hockey4]

Originally Posted by Manny01

Back when I worked at Ernst and Young I had a large public client that was wrapping up year-end, issuing debt and equity, and acquiring a similarly sized competitor - all in a 30 day window. I worked between 80 and 120 hours a week for 8 weeks straight. Our team was the highest utilized in the Southeast region that busy season.

yep, did 2 years at Boutique CPA firm, tax, write up, audit everything. At first year review, I'll never forget this, partner told me I was "low man on totem pole" averaging 68.5 hours a week FOR A YEAR...I looked at him and said "someone has to be lowest"

He also gave me the fact vs perception speech....I was doing 11+ hours a day, like 7am to 6pm...most others came in late because they were out drinking....he said the team was always wondering where I was from 7-9pm every night...curious I said, I wondered the same thing every morning.

Those 2 years paved my path to being a CFO who now runs multiple small to mid markets companies at a time, and it taught me a life lesson...work will never be on your tombstone, and if it is..you did something wrong.

[vreihen16]

The One Lap of America was one thing that surprisingly knocked me out. Picture 10 days in a car, driving 6,000+ miles around the country between a dozen or so track days. Our only programmed overnight stop was in Las Vegas (start/finish in NY state). I hit the pillow at 7:30 PM...and woke up to leave at 2:00 AM. The three team members did catch a quick nap any time the opportunity presented itself.

We were an hour away from the finish, and stopped at a mom and pop convenience store. I grabbed a 1 liter bottle of Mega Jolt Cola...twice the calories and four times the caffeine of regular Jolt. I took two sips, and put it in the door pocket. It had me so wired up that I was ready to drive a second lap around the country!

On our way home after the race the next morning, none of us could drive for more than 20 minutes without stopping to switch. When I was in the passenger seat waiting for my second driving stint, I found the Mega Jolt bottle and drank a few swigs. Even I was shocked that I drove the last 4+ hours home without stopping, and wished the other two drivers good luck on their final hour's drive home. Never saw the stuff at any other store, and probably all for the better since I'm sure that I would have blown my ticker out earlier in life if it was readily available.....

[Sara]

I had to keep an infant alive as a single parent. Does that count? Newborns kill your sleep schedule. I’ve never wanted an hour of solid sleep more in my life than in July of 2014.

[2one3E90]

Originally Posted by Sara504

I had to keep an infant alive as a single parent. Does that count? Newborns kill your sleep schedule. I’ve never wanted an hour of solid sleep more in my life than in July of 2014.

Is the baby all grown up now! Kids seem cool tho. Im sure it pays off when they grow old and take care of you.

[BMWGUYinCO]

One day back when I ran IT for a financial services company, they announced to us that 2/3rds of the business was going to be sold to TD Ameritrade and the remaining 1/3rd would be privatized.

I was asked to split the Infrastructure and customer data/accounts between the two companies...but was told there could be zero downtime for clients...and we processed volumes of trades that were worth millions of dollars every second. I was given one year to do this. Problem was, the owners of each new company behaved like a divorcing couple - they fought over every piece of hardware/software in the data center so it significantly complicated the process.

However, I was heavily incentivized to incur no downtime (financially), and to make a long story short I worked 7 days/week logging serious hours for a year but managed to do it. It wasn't just the hours though - every database migration, every server decommissioning, etc. was extremely stressful because I had TWO CEOs looking over my shoulder.

One of my personal gifts to myself after getting paid serious bank when it was all over was a Rolex watch that I wear to this day as a reminder of the sacrifices I made.

[Sara]

Originally Posted by 2one3E90

Is the baby all grown up now! Kids seem cool tho. Im sure it pays off when they grow old and take care of you.

No she’s 6, but thank god she sleeps through the nights now

[rebekahb]

During grad school. I had my tuition covered but that was it. My parents never gave me a dime. I took a full schedule of classes, taught, and did research. I cut 25 lawns/week (push mower) and light landscaping. On the weekends, I worker at the dinner theater serving food. 4.0 through it all.

Nothing was given to me. I remember asking if I could move back home during school & my stepdad said no. It taught me that if you want something bad enough you can achieve it. It takes hard work and dedication.

[2one3E90]

Originally Posted by rebekahb

During grad school. I had my tuition covered but that was it. My parents never gave me a dime. I took a full schedule of classes, taught, and did research. I cut 25 lawns/week (push mower) and light landscaping. On the weekends, I worker at the dinner theater serving food. 4.0 through it all.

Nothing was given to me. I remember asking if I could move back home during school & my stepdad said no. It taught me that if you want something bad enough you can achieve it. It takes hard work and dedication.

And thats why you drive a x5 m50i

[Suds]

Damn, took me back to my late teens. We worked two weeks straight 16 hour days stocking a new grocery store during the grand opening. We usually had some beer child for when we left work about 7am, then back to work at 3pm.

[dinonz]

Originally Posted by LemansE90335xi

You've got to be bulletproof. I worked 100 hours a week for six months straight renovating a four story hotel into apartments during the day and refurbishing the hotel where I was staying in the evenings. Both hotels were owned by the same guy. The one I was staying in was for his daughter to run. After six months of that I was exhausted. I can't imaging putting in hours like that for years.

Computer programming or systems architecture is all mental work- still draining, but I don't think it wears you out like physical work. That would have been tough.

[4Hockey4]

Originally Posted by Sara504

I had to keep an infant alive as a single parent. Does that count? Newborns kill your sleep schedule. I’ve never wanted an hour of solid sleep more in my life than in July of 2014.

It does, my above 70 hours a week, and my wife working in DC 60+, while we had newborn. It was awake and full bore for 2 years.

[Esteban]

Yeah, it's tough when both parents work. Wife and I took turns getting up at night for our two when they were babies. It's just the way it was. Doesn't last forever. And they turn in to beautiful people. My daughter will be 39 tomorrow. Been married 46 years this July and I love my wife but my daughter is my best friend. We've been best friends from the very beginning. Happy birthday, Sarah.