Attention, Bosses: Leave Us Alone on Friday Afternoon

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This is true some places; it is not true everywhere. At the best places I have worked, this was absolutely not the case, because people liked their jobs and were motivated. At the worst places I have worked, this was definitely the case, because no one was invested in what they were doing.
At my current office, it's not unusual to see people working late on a Friday -- to be clear, not at all because they have to, but because they're enthusiastic about what they're working on. For me, this is one of the best indicators of whether it's an environment I want to work in.

Alison Green of DC 9:08PM July 22, 2008

"Bosses have unrealistic expectations or are in denial" about expecting you to be working when we are paying you to work? Really? The last time I checked, it was a privilege to have a job and be paid for your contributions.
You speak of a "minimum number of hours you must work" and that "mentally you are far, far away." If you worked for me, you would be physically far, far away in about as much time as it takes for me to type the word "slacker."
With this mindset, I bet your stops at MTV Networks and Fox News were short ones; it should be clear to anyone why, to date, your career has been discouraging. If you spent as much time figuring out how to actually contrubute something to your company as you do whining about having to actually apply yourself on a Friday afternoon, I bet your career would be a lot more fulfilling.

Kevin Antler of VA 12:56PM July 22, 2008