Something I've long suspected...
I've actually attempted these longer work weeks when I had goals to meet for learning additional skills or when acquiescing a new system, but guess what, after hitting the 9th hour, the brain starts to shut down. Over a period of days, the impact is cumulative as a person simply becomes less and less sharp and effective at doing their job. Working a 60 hour work week is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul. The best tool for increased productivity is to limit interruptions, be organized (but don't spend 2 hours a day being organized), eat right, and get plenty of sleep.
So while there are exceptional weeks where I'll put in long hours (such as providing support of a new function), it makes little sense to me or my employer to do so on a regular basis.
