Is Time Over For An Always-on Workplace?
Let me start with a confession. All my work life, I have believed that great organisations are the ones, which are always on. They are nimble, fast, and very responsive to opportunities and crises. In pursuit of the impossible, I, too, have spent many nights in the office and many weekends on the road, believing that there is no other way to do it.
In my previous role as CEO of an IT services company, I was up at 4 a.m. catching up with the world before India woke up, then staying up late motivating teams working the night shift and encouraging sales teams in the US. I used to take pride in burning the candle at both ends; frankly, it gave me a high to pull off that amount of work.
Always On is Not On
Looking back, I wonder if there was another way to do it. I don’t know for sure. However, I believe now that we must find another way because, like a virus, there is an expectation creeping into organisations that everyone needs to be on all the time. Not of their own volition because they are passionate about what they do, but because of the culture and expectations that surround them.
During the pandemic, many employees were encouraged to work overtime or to be constantly available because they could work from home. The sense of time boundaries disappeared, which has resulted in disenchanted and disengaged employees. This has resulted in trends like great resignation or quiet quitting. But the issue is about more than just productivity, employee wellness, and motivation; it is truly about culture and leadership.
Let’s first understand the utility of overtime or an "always-on" culture. Whom does it benefit—the organisation, the manager, or the employee? I firmly believe now that, in the long run, it does not benefit anyone, albeit it results in an unhealthy work environment. Research has shown that working longer hours does not result in any benefit but could be counter-productive. A 2014 Stanford University study by economics professor John Pencavel found that productivity per hour declines sharply when a person works more than 50 hours a week. After 55 hours, productivity drops so much that putting in more hours would be pointless. There is also a negative impact on health. According to research from the University of Columbia, even a few extra hours of sitting in the office chair each day can be as bad as smoking.
So if overtime or always-on culture is not productive and bad for health, why do employees and organisations still do it? I can think of three reasons.
First is because they are driven by passion and purpose, as was in my case, where one loses sight of the brakes in life. Secondly, overtime is caused by specific team members having a lax attitude toward work and not respecting deadlines which impact the rest of the team. However, the third and the most common reason is culture and expectations. When an employee leaves on time, other team members who are habitually later workers look down upon that employee who could be as productive as them, if not more. Some companies reward employees who work overtime, transforming hard work—or, should I say, long work—into an organisational culture.
Rethinking Leadership
Whatever the reason, always-on culture is only a symptom – a symptom of inefficiency, lack of motivation and, most importantly, lack of leadership. The leaders are responsible for ensuring that employees are aligned with organisational goals and motivated enough to give their best. I have always believed that one of the critical traits of being a leader is to inspire people by pursuing a vision that gets people to jump out of their beds every day and go to work for an idea that is bold and unique. People feel inspired only when you can help them discover what they want and not what you want them to do. Such motivation will solve the problem of overtime. A motivated employee will focus on completing the work in the stipulated time during working hours and would be most excited to stay on in case the work demands because she/he believes in it.
Leaders must be open-minded about the emergence of new work cultures worldwide. The age of overtime or always on culture may already be dead. Recently in 2022, researchers from Cambridge University, Boston College and Oxford University conducted a 4 Day Week Global Trial. Participating companies gave employees the same salary and asked them to work for 4 days a week. The only requirement from the employee was to put in 100 percent of their efforts in the 4 working days. The results of the study were astounding and a slap in the face of leaders and managers who advocates over time. The participating companies reported an increase in mental well-being, productivity, employee engagement and overall happiness of the employees who worked only four days a week for the entire trial period. Most companies involved in the trial reported revenue growth of about 8 per cent during the trial period and of 38% compared to the same period last year. More than 65 per cent of the companies who gave feedback were continuing the 4-day work week, with the rest either prolonging the trial period or still deciding. None of the companies decided to return to a 5-day work week. This is pathbreaking and a win-win for the organisation and the employee. I am not saying this will work for everyone. All I am saying is don’t neglect this growing trend for quality of life that drive productivity.
Over to the Risktakers
What will it take to bring about similar changes in other Indian companies? My bet is on bold leadership or Risktakers. The Risktakers believe in the power of change and are willing to take chances to break the status quo. We all know we need radically new solutions for today's unprecedented problems. The answer lies in trying new things without fear of making mistakes. I would like to see more Risktakers in the Indian corporate environment coming forward and trying out the disruptive work culture ideas.
The author is the Founder Chairman of Sampark Foundation and Former Vice Chairman and CEO of HCL Technologies
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