• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
programming forums Java Mobile Certification Databases Caching Books Engineering Micro Controllers OS Languages Paradigms IDEs Build Tools Frameworks Application Servers Open Source This Site Careers Other Pie Elite all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
Marshals:
  • Campbell Ritchie
  • Jeanne Boyarsky
  • Ron McLeod
  • Paul Clapham
  • Liutauras Vilda
Sheriffs:
  • paul wheaton
  • Rob Spoor
  • Devaka Cooray
Saloon Keepers:
  • Stephan van Hulst
  • Tim Holloway
  • Carey Brown
  • Frits Walraven
  • Tim Moores
Bartenders:
  • Mikalai Zaikin

On bench

 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 643
Android Eclipse IDE Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
What is the meaning of on bench in IT ?
Do they really sit on bench during work hours ? Then they will better be having fun as a student.
 
Greenhorn
Posts: 7
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Some software houses make money by placing you on projects for their clients (eg trading software house to a bank). If they have no projects for you to work on, then the phrase "on the bench" or "on the beach" means you are not working on any income related projects.
the company usualyl finds some rubbishy work to do like presenting your last project to the company or studying. If your a contractor you may get paid less for that period etc.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 5575
Eclipse IDE Windows XP Java
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
waiting list to get a project
 
lowercase baba
Posts: 13089
67
Chrome Java Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I believe it comes from sports. If you have a basketball team, you have your five players who are on the court, actively playing. You then have another 7(?) guys sitting on the bench, waiting to go in and play.

So in IT, if you work for a body shop and don't have a current assignment, you are sitting 'on the bench', waiting to get to go in and play (i.e. find a client to work for).
 
author
Posts: 23951
142
jQuery Eclipse IDE Firefox Browser VI Editor C++ Chrome Java Linux Windows
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

byronc Ozzie wrote:then the phrase "on the bench" or "on the beach" means you are not working on any income related projects.




I always thought the phrase "on the beach" meant unemployed. This is very different from "on the bench".

Henry
 
fred rosenberger
lowercase baba
Posts: 13089
67
Chrome Java Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
no, no, no...'On the beach' means you're in the sand-trap.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 710
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I was on the beach once. The waiter put salt on my margarita, even though I said no salt....no salt on the maragrita. I did not leave a tip.
 
Rancher
Posts: 4803
7
Mac OS X VI Editor Linux
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator

Henry Wong wrote:I always thought the phrase "on the beach" meant unemployed. This is very different from "on the bench".


In the software consulting business, I've always heard/used "on the beach". As mentioned upthread, it means that there are no billable projects that they can assign you to work on. Its a normal part of the business, if its short term. No manager can keep his/her job if too many staff are on the beach very long. If its too many, for too long, the manager gets fired, along with the staff.

Definitions of "too many staff" and "too long" vary.
 
Ranch Hand
Posts: 91
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Here in India, for the bigger body shoppers , keeping a certain percentage of people on bench is a strategy. This can be up to 30% of the total employees.

It is especially hard for people new to the s/w field as they have no clue on how to use this time. And people with experience do not generally remain "on bench" as experience makes them useful for some project or the other.
 
The overall mission is to change the world. When you've done that, then you can read this tiny ad:
a bit of art, as a gift, the permaculture playing cards
https://gardener-gift.com
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic