ARE YOU OVERWORKED???

Work-life balance has been the buzz a lot recently. And why not.

One of the biggest effects of ?Covid-19 amongst workforce; and also one of the driving factors behind workplace phenomenons of great resignations, quite quitting and quite hiring has been -

• deep introspection and retrospection by employees about work per se well-being, autonomy, purpose and overall happiness

This continual deep reflection amongst workers has taken the world of workplaces by storm and; more than the economic upheaval and E.S.G. focus.

Consequently, employee experience and well-being have become the biggest indispensable priorities for every organization, than the blind run for profitability worldwide. This has been a great change since people are the real lifeline and heart of everything.

Yet the sad irony is that the some employers and leaders have still been getting this all wrong.

Yes, there has been huge progress per se employee well-being in organizations after Covid-19. For instance, the biggest progressive change is in the form of mindset change towards remote working and flexibility.?

The same sitting leaders (from the baby boomers and Generation X segment mostly) across industries beyond I.T., who were finicky and frantically against remote work before pandemic, are now endorsing the hybrid work wherever possible. The leaders have learnt - to be being more compassionate with little less power distance; and no contact at odd hours, unless it is grave urgency.

But the most important aspect at workplaces that is still being understood wrongly in some organizations is the work life balance. Work-life balance is the core of well-being and an aspiration for every employee irrespective of its cadre at the workplace.

Yet, the very basics of work life balance is treated wrongly by glorying overworking.

Yes, you've read it right, overworking. Overworking means working beyond more than your working hours and capacity.

It is verily okay to clock extra hours at times, when there is a genuine need. It is really appreciable to showcase organization citizenship behaviour by overworking, when call of duty is unavoidable on certain days. But this shall never be a norm. And this shall always be voluntarily in case of no urgency and emergency.

Fun part is some employees sit at workplace futilely after office hours to be a mere visual for the leadership; and until their manager won't leave for the day.

If you are overworking i.e. working beyond your working hours or capacity on a daily basis, then either you are -

• underperforming and not efficient
• addicted to work
• excessive workload vis-a-vis available people
• mismanagement in form of unreal expectations

This problem turns into a menace when the leaders and organization promotes overworking by -

1. expecting employees to be at work after business hours every day or on regular basis
2. appreciating and promoting overworking employees
3. being at work beyond regular hours carelessly

When an organisation promotes a culture of overworking, it creates an environment that places greater value on quantity than quality. Promoting a work culture that values overworking may lead to short-term gains; but in long run, it can be detrimental to both individuals and organizations because it will result in burnout, poor physical health, serious mental health issues and reduced creativity and innovation amongst employees; and a negative work culture wherein neither employees nor organization can thrive.

To know more about overworking, check this blog.

Yes, the first world countries have been treating India as a body shopping market or sweat shop to get cheaper labour since long. This has lead to IT boom in the past; and cycle of existing business outlook and mindset. In this continual cycle, we Indians have been wrongly conditioned mentally, psychologically and socially to overwork over decades; and look at this positively and as something mandate for success.

We have come ahead a long way now; and it is a high time to change for good; to create better workplaces, routines and mindset that facilitate work-life balance and overall well-being for people in organizations.

Some people glorify their job, even if it is unfulfilling; including its daily grind.

Instead of glorifying the daily grind, we should "glorify" work-life boundaries, taking breaks, vacations, mental health days, and turning off when a project is over.

As shown in infographic, What do you VALUE most amongst all 8 ASPECTS OF WORK-LIFE, to be glorified and reinforced?

ARE YOU OVERWORKED OR PROMOTING OVERWORKING?

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