East Valley work culture...workaholic, or balanced? (Phoenix: lawyer, home)

[Bound4AZ]

Hello - my latest round of questions regarding my wife and I's relocation plans from Minneapolis to the East Valley has to do with the work culture in the East Valley. Specifically, with tech-oriented companies and even large banks. Companies like Intel, Paypal, Amazon, BofA, etc.

Neither of us are developers. The work we do on tech projects is more along the lines of requirements, user-experience, etc.

Like everything else in life, I know there are exceptions, sometimes even within the same company. But generally speaking, would you characterize East Valley IT-related jobs as workaholic (as in, forget a 40 hour work week), or does the general laid-back nature of the west coast seep into that more where people generally lead balanced work lives?

How about telecommuting? Is that big there? Other than UnitedHealth Group, it's not big in the Minneapolis area at all. In fact, it's practically unheard of, other than working from home a couple days a month or so.

[asufan]

I think generally speaking Phoenix is very laid back, however I've heard Intel works you to the bone. Then there's places like godaddy that try to be like the Silicon Valley tech companies and has a big slide in their lobby and all sorts of junk for the employees to play with. I can't speak from experience as I'm self employed, but my wife is an executive in IT and works 10 hours day but I'm not sure her staff works that much. telecommuting I think is a bigger deal here but some others with experience in that area can chime in.

[AZPam]

Speaking as the wife of an Intel employee, in my opinion, there is a pretty decent balance but can tend to be overworked. My husband is on a 12 hour shift and works 3 days one week and 4 days the next. The 4 day weeks are killer and he is just toast at the end of those weeks. He is able to leave it all there though.

In my opinion, the east valley as a whole, seems to be pretty balanced. I think it just really depends on what you want in your life. I think the kids in the area seem to be more over scheduled with extra activities, which in turn makes the parents crazy trying to get them to everything.

[kell490]

Your line of work is Project management for IT? My company is always hiring we aren't in the east valley.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Bound4AZ

Hello - my latest round of questions regarding my wife and I's relocation plans from Minneapolis to the East Valley has to do with the work culture in the East Valley. Specifically, with tech-oriented companies and even large banks. Companies like Intel, Paypal, Amazon, BofA, etc.

Neither of us are developers. The work we do on tech projects is more along the lines of requirements, user-experience, etc.

Like everything else in life, I know there are exceptions, sometimes even within the same company. But generally speaking, would you characterize East Valley IT-related jobs as workaholic (as in, forget a 40 hour work week), or does the general laid-back nature of the west coast seep into that more where people generally lead balanced work lives?

How about telecommuting? Is that big there? Other than UnitedHealth Group, it's not big in the Minneapolis area at all. In fact, it's practically unheard of, other than working from home a couple days a month or so.

Generally speaking, the east Valley (and entire metro area as a whole) is pretty balanced. Of course, a lot will depend on the company and the people who run it, as well as the types of job positions. If you're in management pretty much anywhere, it can be somewhat workaholic.

One thing about the Phoenix area that is laid back is the dress code in many workplaces. It's mostly "business casual", but hardly ever will you see a suit & tie. Even many banks, investment firms, and lawyer offices don't require a formal dress code so much anymore. In some ways that's good because nobody wants to be wearing a dress shirt with a tie & blazer, or formal dresses with nylons when it's 110 degrees outside ... so long as I don't have to see flip flops, baggy shorts, or muscle shirts being worn by employees!

[PNWGuy]

Compared to Seattle, this area is like working retirement. As best as I can to describe it, up there folks live to work, down here folks work to live.

[Bound4AZ]

Originally Posted by PNWGuy

Compared to Seattle, this area is like working retirement. As best as I can to describe it, up there folks live to work, down here folks work to live.

Excellent, that's what I was hoping for.

[Bound4AZ]

Originally Posted by Valley Native

...nobody wants to be wearing a dress shirt with a tie & blazer, or formal dresses with nylons when it's 110 degrees outside...

I was wondering that too. I suspected that the dress codes are probably a little more lax compared to a lot of places because of the heat.

[Valley Native]

Originally Posted by Bound4AZ

I was wondering that too. I suspected that the dress codes are probably a little more lax compared to a lot of places because of the heat.

Definitely! Although, I think that with the exception of the east coast, many workplaces around the country have become more "corporate casual" in recent years. I remember my first office job in Phoenix back in the 1980s: I had to wear shirt & tie, belted slacks, and dress shoes. These days, you hardly see an office that has stringent dress codes like that, except perhaps the professional jobs that require greeting the public. Business casual is definitely more comfortable during the hotter months ... I just don't care to see flip flops, muscle shirts, or sloppy shorts being worn by employees when I go to a bank or doctor's office.