A bit ago Jason Calcanis posted a piece on saving money as a start-up. One line about firing anyone who isn’t a workaholic has caused a bit of a rumble, including a rebuttal of sorts from 37signals which suggests five reasons in favor of firing the workaholics.

I don’t normally get involved in debates with other blogs or bloggers, and don’t intend to here, but I’m a workaholic and the ideas put forth by 37signals are… Well, they’re sorta’ stupid.

Okay, the spirit of the piece is all well and good - don’t be a crap boss by firing anyone who doesn’t give up everything to make you money, but the reasons given in favor of firing workaholics are nonsense, and obviously written by someone who makes too many excuses why they personally spend more time around the ping-pong table or chatting with their girlfriend than they do actually working to better the company.

The 37signals list is repeated in blue below.

1. Workaholics may well say that they enjoy those 14 hour days week after week, but despite their claims, working like that all month, all the time is not going to be sustainable. When the burnout crash comes, and it will, it’ll hit all the harder and according to Murphy at the least convenient time.

The idea that workaholics are simply mindless drones banging away at a desk for as many hours as they can squeaze into the day is ridiculous. More often they simply feel a stronger sense of ownership in the company and the work they do than some of the people around them. The sense of ownership gives them a personal connection with the success or failure of the company, so they put in a higher quality effort - not just hours.

2. People who are workaholics are likely to attempt to fix problems by throwing sheer hours at the problem. If you’re dealing with people working with anything creatively that’s a deadbeat way to get great work done.

Oh yes, the mindless workaholic will simply grab a tree branch and try to beat the problem into submission, and when the branch breaks they’ll headbutt the problem with their impressively heavy brow ridges. Meanwhile the author will solve the problem by chatting up the receptionist in the breakroom…

In the real world, hard work is not an indicator for a lack of creative problem solving.

3. People who always work late makes the people who don’t feel inadequate for merely working reasonable hours. That’ll lead to guilt, misery, and poor morale. Worse, it’ll lead to ass-in-seat mentality where people will “stay late” out of obligation, but not really be productive.

Now they’re just taking the piss.

“Oh woe is me. I’m absolutely miserable today.”

“Oh no! What’s wrong?”

“Bill over in marketing worked late on that Johnson proposal again last night and I went home at 5…” [real tears]

“Umm…are you two dating?”

“No, I’m just such a bad worker I could cry!” [more tears]

4. If all you do is work, your value judgements are unlikely to be sound. Making good calls on “is it worth it?” is absolutely critical to great work. Missing out on life in general to put more hours in at the office screams “misguided values”.

Again, the author is making associations that aren’t based on reality. The train of logic goes something like this: they work hard to build your company, therefore they have no life, therefore they couldn’t possibly make sound decisions.

Isn’t that taking a bit of a leap?

5. Working with interesting people is more interesting than just working. If all you got going for your life is work, work, work, the good team-gelling lunches are going to be some pretty boring straight shop talk. Yawn. I’d much rather hear more about your whittling project, your last trek, how your garden is doing, or when you’ll get your flight certificate.

Oh, for the love of Mike!

Hard workers don’t whittle or trek - ever! That’s common knowledge. You wouldn’t know it though because they don’t come to your team gelling lunches. They’re far too busy banging their heavy-browed foreheads against problems, making bad decisions and causing grief and misery in the workplace with their insane work ethic that ignores family, friends and anything unrelated to their desk…

I don’t really care if you agree with Calcanis’ piece or not, this list is just silly. Workaholics can be a tremendous asset, just like any other member of your team. Ask any of my past employers. Well, any but the restaurants. I guess I’m a bit crap when it comes to food service…