Work Life Balance Hypocrisy

Recently I read a top high management professional talk about how he has realized the real meaning of PTO is total switch off and enjoy the time off in a very true sense. He was talking about being completely away from the work laptop, not even checking emails on phone or not taking work related calls at all during the break. He said all we need to do is delegate it to the right person who is responsible during your break time. How wonderful is that and I could see a lot of people commenting and saying positively about it. Well, I am of the same opinion and agree hundred percent with what he said. But it would be hypocrisy if all those who agree to the opinion of enjoying their time off fully and completely, would be happy when others, especially their subordinates or the junior most member of that hierarchy does that. I personally feel that it is a crime to ask someone to work on a weekend. An IT professional works hard 5 days a week so that he can enjoy the two days of the weekend fully with his/her family, doing whatever he likes to rejuvenate and relax. And if their boss is asking them to give time from that weekend again to work, it is no less than a crime.

 

I would like to ask the people in the topmost positions to think seriously about this matter. Just imagine that you are enjoying a game of cricket during your weekend, and you receive a call to work on something urgent and important. Would anyone not get pissed off with that. Every human being is equally important when it comes to relaxing and rejuvenating themselves and having their own personal time. There should not be any exceptions to that. I have seen people in the US and Europe are true to their weekend culture and they won’t work on a weekend or a holiday and there is nothing wrong with that. They have all the right to happily enjoy their time. Only thing that is not right is discrimination with India. Why do Indians have to work on weekends and sometimes even on Holidays when the bosses in US never would do that.

 

On the Labor Day weekend top US bosses talk about how to enjoy me time and digital detox etc. and their own subordinates in India must work over the weekend for a so-called patient safety issue. And mind you, even though the issue is patient safety and even though everything is done and ready over the weekend, it would not be deployed to the hospital since no one in the US will work on the Labor Day holiday. How ironic is that? So, something that would be delivered on a Tuesday morning in US is being worked upon during Saturday and Sunday in India even though there are two full weekdays (Monday and Tuesday) available to India team. I feel this to be gross injustice to those people who had to give away their weekend for something that could have been easily done during the weekdays. Time once gone is completely gone. You can't compensate it by giving a compensatory off on a weekday. Well, who are you going to play a game of cricket with on a weekday? Everyone would be working, and you would be all alone as even your family members would have their own weekday engagements.

 

So that's why it is no less than a crime to take away anyone's weekend. And those in the position of authority should always take into consideration whether something they are asking their subordinates to do over the weekend can be done during the weekday. Because this culture can change only from the top. People in the position of authority should make it a moral obligation that they never bother any of their team members during weekends. Mind you there is nothing so urgent as people make it to be. Somehow today’s people’s managers have completely forgotten the fact that they are responsible for their team, and they can become good managers only by earning respect from their subordinates. Just following orders from the top does not make them good managers. I personally do everything I can to never bother my team members unless I have no other choice. I have always been told by my bosses that you could ask your juniors to do the weekend work, but to me that is a crime. And if I am preaching something, I need to first follow it.

 

So next time when you think about digital detox and completely switching off to get your own personal time, please think of their subordinates and try to make their life better at least on weekends. Everyone is human and everyone deserves to live life to the fullest possible extent. Every one has an equal right to Work-life balance.