Software engineer working 70 hours a week quits after his manager berates him for not working at 7 PM on a Saturday: 'My parents think I lost my mind, but for the first time in a long time, my chest feels light.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Apr 23, 2026 7:45 AM EDT

He needs some time to recover from burnout. 

We all deserve time off work outside the two-day weekend. Two days are hardly enough time to recover from the five-day workweek, but if you've been working day after day and day after day without a break, a two-day weekend might sound like heaven on earth. It's not easy to work at a restaurant for six hours a day for 45 days straight, even if you're technically working fewer hours than someone else who is working 9 hours a day at a desk. If you don't have the opportunity to take a break of 1-4 days or more, your body will keep score, and the score won't be good.

Employees choose companies that give generous PTO packages for a reason. Your time outside of work is valuable, and you can't live fully if you don't have time to yourself to recover from the burnout that can come from working all the time. Famously, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, and you do not want to be screaming, "Here's Johnny!" because you can't take a vacation without getting fired. 

The employee in this story is on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, and he wants to prevent that. He decided to quit his job without a plan, with 8 months of savings to sustain him, because he's so burnt out and exhausted from constantly working around the clock. He calculated how much he actually makes per 70-hour workweek, and did not like what he saw. 

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  • A man sitting in front of a laptop computer
    via Ahmet Kurt (Unsplash+)

    Exhausted engineer works much later than he would like to at his stressful job. 

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I did the math on my software engineering job, and realized I am basically paying to work. I put my notice in yesterday.

    last sunday i opened excel and something just broke in me.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • i am software engineer, 13 years exp. on paper my salary looks fine. but i started counting real hours. standup 9am. actual work. lunch meeting. another meeting. code review.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • then 6pm "quick call" that is never quick. commute 1.5 hr each way. by the time i reach home i am de d, eat something, sleep, repeat.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • then weekend i just lay down and stare at ceiling because brain is fried. so around 70 hr per week i am giving to this job for 40 hr pay. minus
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • commute cost, minus the expensive lunch because i am too tired to cook, minus the weekend i cannot enjoy. when i calculated per hour it was shameful number.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • last month my manager told me i am "not team player" because i did not join 7pm call on saturday. saturday. for a bug that was not even P1.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • A woman sitting at a desk using a laptop computer
    via Ahmet Kurt (Unsplash+)

    Manager being a "team player" by logging into a meeting at 7 PM on a Saturday.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • yesterday i gave notice. no new job lined up. just some savings and one side project i been building at night for 8 months. my parents think i lost my mind. my friends also. maybe they are right.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • but first time in long time my chest feels light. anyone here did same thing? how first year went for you? be honest please i need to hear both good and bad.
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • Radials Good luck. Protecting yourself from burnout is important enough to take this gamble.
    via u/Radials
  • Jarrus_Kanan_Jarrus Can't fault you. I just cut my time back to 40 once they forced us back into the office. Boss notices less work is getting done. I point out I used to work the time I saved in the commute, but RTO cuts into work time. So sorry.
    via u/Jarrus_Kanan_Jarrus
  • Boss hints I need to put in more hours. "Sure thing". I continue to work my 40 hours. We need to normalize this because it's not right that we get hired for 40 hours and then they want more. Ideally we need to get rid of "overtime exempt" classifications.
    via u/Jarrus_Kanan_Jarrus
  • jastubi Or also not b and moan when I leave a couple hours early when all my work is done. If salary hours went both ways Id be ok with working extra knowing I can take that time back another day when I need it.
    via u/jastubi
  • wokkizlish Some companies are good like that, but it does not last forever
    via u/wokkizlish
  • Mechakoopa It's always one or two people ruining it for everyone else. I worked briefly with someone who would take off in the middle of the day to go show houses as part of his side gig as a realtor. His calendar just said he was "in a meeting" for two hours.
    via u/Mechakoopa
  • quarokcaddhihle I mean losing 3 hours a day to commuting is reason enough in my book.
    via u/quarokcaddhihle
  • A group of people sitting inside of a train
    via Viktor Forgacs

    Commuters traveling to work in the morning on a busy train.

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • garguno yeah especially for software, just remote in from home
    via u/garguno
  • Live-Employment-858 OP They do not allow it so stupid!
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • HowsTheBeef But remote calls at 7pm are fine Imao what a pile
    via u/HowsTheBeef
  • Ayilari On a Saturday!
    via u/Ayilari
  • Cat_Impossible_0 That is insane u are expected to work on the weekend. Those people don't have your best interests at heart
    via u/Cat_Impossible_0
  • Live-Employment-858 OP It's just everyones works like this in that company and you have to run always to level up
    via u/Live-Employment-858
  • Head-Nefariousness65 Just... Don't.
    via u/Head-Nefariousness65
  • ReggieEvansTheKing They'll just get fired in favor of people willing to work this hard. It's a bit ironic too because everyone they hire in lieu will end up with burnout as well. A team that doesn't have burnout and stays together for 3-4 years can do in 30 hr what a team of all new hires can do in 60 hr. This is where it shows that your manager is just poor at the job.
    via u/ReggieEvansTheKing
  • Good managers know what work matters and what work doesn't matter and can properly delegate so you aren't working long weeks. Most turnover is a result of poor leadership, and turnover is the biggest reason for productivity loss.
    via u/ReggieEvansTheKing

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manager toxic work engineering software stress weekend overtime quitting
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