Balanceophile

Human beings irrespective of the industry or place, have two major reasons to work:

1. Basic needs (money, family, etc.)
2. Career interest and growth which includes learning as well.

In both cases, what matters the most? Quantity?

No, it’s the QUALITY.

Now, why am I discussing this?

Well, recently I heard about the active arguments of the total working hours at work. I always wanted to have a brief discussion on this topic. And now, I thought I would have the discussion on this platform.

Based on what I have seen, heard, or experienced, in most companies, seniors command the juniors to work past the total working hours mentioned in the company policy. According to them, if the total working hours per day is 9 hours, we should be working for 10 hours (Just to be clear, no extra payment for this)

I got a few thoughts on this:

1. If working for those many hours is considered as efficiency, then where is the quality?
2. Consider a person who completes the task assigned for 9 hours in say, 6 hours and another person who takes 10 hours to complete the same. Who is considered more efficient?
3. If working hours are extending without any extra pay, then why a policy for this in the company?
4. If you stay in office for that long, then why do you even need a FAMILY? Are they your priority only during the weekend? Don’t they exist during weekdays?
5. If there isn’t any flexibility in the working hours, then where is the respect for humans?

Also, every company expects us to work for on an average of 8 to 9 hours.

Well, any employee who takes a break of more than an hour in this time will be questioned. If the employee doesn’t get the flexibility of taking a break and come back to work, where do you expect the efficiency?

So, according to the company, sitting in the same place for a long time increases the efficiency? In that case, if the employee stays in the same place playing games or watching any video on their mobile phones, will that be acceptable?

Honestly, giving the employees the option to free themselves from the stress they have by taking some break will increase the efficiency and many studies have proven this!

Ironically, many companies have kept some stress-buster games in their workplaces, but an employee still have to face a lot of restrictions for playing one! What kind of “employee-friendly” nature is this? Is this so-called benefit of a company just for namesake or do they really mean something?

While there are countries moving towards having a 4 days’ work week, where are we moving to?

Finally, when an employee works extra, putting in more efforts, at the year-end appraisal, in the name of cost-cutting or the pressure of showing more company profits, the hike given to the employee is compromised. So, in this case, what is the value you give to the employee? Are you really respecting the employee as a human?

Well, I would pause here and would like to see what your thoughts are. The comments section is waiting for you.