Less stress? Retail workers turn up a 9 leave at 17:30 - they dot get called up outside of work in an emergency to fix some one elses code that causing a problem.
If I'm 45 minutes late for work 3 days in a row with no good excuse, no one gives a fuck. Retail worker shows up 45 minutes late one day and they're most likely fired. I also don't have to worry about people fucking around with my shifts and thus how much money will be in my next paycheck.
Having even a modicum of job and financial security removes so much stress from your life.
> If I'm 45 minutes late for work 3 days in a row with no good excuse, no one gives a fuck.
Unfortunately it doesn't work that way for all developers. At my last job there were continual reminders and reprimands for being even five minutes late.
In my first job ~25 years ago I got told off for coming in 5 minutes late even though I had gone on to a customer site at 9pm the previous evening and worked to ~1am to fix the problem.
Left there after 9 months and have never worked anywhere like that since.
If you are a salaried exempt employee, you should not have to put up with that BS from timeclock nazis. But it is all entirely legal, and for many companies, obeying the letter of the law on paper is the only requirement for corporate policy.
Sadly, without the muscle of collective bargaining to back you up, your only real options are to politely beg your management to stop being timeclock nazis, or to leave for greener pastures.
In retail, you don't get free food / liquid. You have to stand on your feet all day. Customers are allowed to scream at you and you have to figure out how to make them happy. Bosses are more than happy to fire you because, let's be honest, there are 1,000 others that can do your job. No guarantees of a 40 hour work-week. No paid holidays, no benefits. Raises are like 25c, and that is only if the boss really likes you and you aren't in a union, shifts well past midnight on Friday and Christmas Eve... (don't care to continue)
Water is free, most likely. I've never had free food programming, beyond nutra-grain bars, once.
> Customers are allowed to scream at you and you have to figure out how to make them happy.
Toxic clients exist in the programming world, too. And as a low-level peon, you have a lot more leeway in telling an abusive customer to get out than you do a multimillion dollar client.
> shifts well past midnight on Friday and Christmas Eve...
Still happens for developers.
As strange as it may sound, I think I personally was happier waiting tables. But it wasn't going to pay the bills. In general, I totally agree that most people, all things considered, are better off programming. But let's not overstate our case. :) There are definitely some programming jobs which are light-years better than any retail job because e.g., you don't have to deal with customers, but that's not all programming jobs.
I was a "pest control technician" (exterminator) before I started programming professionally, so I know how you feel. My life now is a cakewalk by comparison.
Oh, man. At 16-17, I used to do that installing HVAC systems. At 21-22, I worked in a factory to support a family. Then I spent the next 3.5 years selling cars. Finally said, "Fuck this", and decided to start programming as work instead of just play.
Even the worst days of the last 9 years have never been as hard as the best days before it.
> I think I personally was happier waiting tables.
Sometimes, the social aspects of your job outweigh other factors. Throw in the simplicity of jobs like waiting tables, and I've found that it can be a lot of enjoyment.
Ignoring the financial aspect of it, I actually didn't mind working in a department store all that much. During downtime you got to socialize with coworkers (many of whom were female), during busy times the time just flew by, you got to move around a lot and be active, you weren't expected to know every detail about everything you were responsible for, just be able to answer some basic questions about certain products ("Why is this more expensive? Which one is best for situation X?"). Also your friends could stop by your workplace to chat from time to time.
As for the no guarantee of 40 hour work week... well, again ignoring the financial aspect of it, only working 20 or 30 hours a week was much more enjoyable than 40-55 hours (or even higher at some places) work weeks.
There are plenty of people on so-called "zero hours" contracts who don't know from day to day when their working hours will be, may be called in at short notice to work an off shift, and have no predictability of pay.
As a retail worker, the pay is at or just above minimum wage and benefits like PTO and health insurance do not exist because the jobs are usually part time. Additionally, retail work always comes with irate customers who will piss you off, your coworkers off and your bosses off. So everyone is angry. Retail workers often do not have a set schedule, this is especially true during the holiday season. They have to find coverage before taking an unpaid day of leave. Lastly, because no real skill is needed to work in retail, workers are easily replaceable. 1 mistake can get you canned.
How is a situation like that more stressful than being on call of which you get paid to be on?
