Occasionally pulling long hours can be manageable, but making it a regular habit is a sure path to burnout.
For employees of a certain tech company, however, this demanding schedule is the norm, with some workers staying at their desks until 2am.
Nvidia, an Artificial Intelligence company, has a culture of being ‘always on,’ expecting employees to work seven days a week and often into the early morning hours.
Nvidia, which produces chips for AI technology, boasts a low staff turnover, which would typically indicate a satisfied workforce. However, this may not be the case here.
A former engineer shared their experience with Bloomberg News, revealing that despite the demanding hours, many employees remain at the company.
The high salaries and bonuses at Nvidia have led employees to feel they have ‘golden handcuffs,’ making it difficult to leave despite the long hours, challenging work culture, and poor work-life balance.
One employee reported attending up to 10 meetings a day, many characterized by ‘shouting and fighting’.
Others have echoed these sentiments, describing the work environment as a ‘pressure cooker’ where meetings often turn into shouting matches.
Despite these challenges, many employees stay with the tech giant due to the lucrative salary and benefits.
With the changing landscape of work, and predictions that the traditional 9-5 schedule will become obsolete, employees may start valuing work-life balance over high salaries.
While occasional long days are understandable, consistently working extended hours is a recipe for severe burnout, prompting many to seek better opportunities.
A survey conducted last year by US think-tank Future Forum among 10,243 global workers found that 42 percent reported burnout, the highest figure since May 2021.
Such intense work schedules carry health risks, as highlighted by a May 2021 study from the WHO and the International Labour Organisation, which estimated that long working hours contribute to three-quarters of a million deaths annually from ischaemic heart disease and stroke.
At Nvidia, lack of sleep and hard work seem to be part of the job’s expectations.
Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s co-founder and CEO, commented on the company’s culture in an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes: “If you want to do extraordinary things, it shouldn’t be easy.”