Software Engineering burnout @ big tech

Coding 5 days a week is exhausting when you aren’t rewarded based on the value you create. I think the biggest problem with working for a company like Microsoft as a software engineer is the employment model. Engineers are compensated for their input, not output. Meaning, regardless of the effort you put in and how valuable it is for the company, you will likely just get a pat on the back and do it all again next cycle. You may get a bonus / promotion somewhere down the line if you manage to separate yourself from your peers, but it won’t be proportionate to the value you’ve created. I think there needs to be a change in the industry. Unless we get shorter days, four day work weeks, or rewarded fairly for our work, I’m jumping ship and embarking on a career in start-ups or self-employment. I’ve only half vested my stock reward, but I can’t imagine continuing work like this for two more years. I recognize how valuable the skill set is of top engineers at these companies - why are we killing ourselves with work when we get so little recognition in return? I feel like this is our chance to shift the norm of what work in software looks like. Working 5, 8 hour days a week while critically thinking and problem solving all day is exhausting. If you don’t feel like the work you’re doing matters, and you don’t get rewarded based on the value you’re creating, it’s unsustainable. What are your thoughts? Are you feeling burnout? Do you think a four day work week is reasonable? #engineering #software #swe