Saturday, August 31, 2013

The Curse of the Fixed Workday. Wasting Time is a Global Phenomenon

I was traveling in Delhi this week and and I had an afternoon free. I decided to drop by a customer to see Mr. Singh. Mr. Singh is a colorful character and I always enjoy spending time with him.

I arrived at about 3:00 PM and the place was buzzing with activity. We got caught up with details of our business. I discussed a few new product ideas with him as well. It was a good, productive meeting. It was now 4:00, and things had slowed down measurably in the office but no one was going home. Work hours are from 9:00 to 6:00, if you need them or not.

Talk then shifted to Mr. Sing and his work life. He took great pride in telling me that his desk phone never goes unanswered and that he is always there when his boss calls. He also told me of his wife's complaints that he is never home. As an overachiever, Mr. Singh never leaves on time but always works late as a matter of course to show his dedication. These long hours have resulted in Mr. Singh being promoted ahead of his cohort at the company, a fact he is not shy about pointing out.

By 5:00, the person at the next desk was reading a newspaper. (Yes they still do such things in India) As this was the last day of the week, there was no longer any semblance of work being done in the office, but not one person was leaving for the day. They all own cell phones and can be contacted if needed, but they were all glued to their chairs.  

I was ready to get back to my hotel. The gym awaited and I had work to catch up on. My leaving, of course would require Mr. Singh to find something else to do, so my fate was sealed. We talked of the Indian economy and politics. His wife called a few times asking when he will be home. He took another personal call.

6:00PM provoked a stampede for the exits by most employees, but not Mr. Singh, who as a dedicated employee, stays late. He waxed eloquent on how the grind of his job and commute was ruining the quality of his life.

Finally at 6:30 he abruptly wrapped up the conversation and hurried me toward the exit. He had apparently shown enough dedication for one day, though I saw other more "dedicated" employees reading or gossiping as we left.

I left the site grateful to work for a company that values the results I achieve over the number of hours that I work and holds me accountable for what value a bring vs within what hours I bring it.
Apparently the USA is not the only country that is enslaved by the clock in managing its employees.

No comments:

Post a Comment