The debate shows no sign of abating — a 70-hour work week or a 40-hour one? Productivity is to be improved if we are to put our country among the top developed economies of the world. But are long hours key to it? My view is that Infosys co-founder N.R. Narayana Murthy’s emphasis was not on the length of the working week but the spirit of working. If all of us give off our best, surely productivity will improve by leaps and bounds.
When I was a young officer in my organisation, I was guilty of working at all hours. There have been times when I have flagged an autorickshaw at 11.30 p.m. for a ride home, with the spouse taking care of the little one at home. My son has often been my partner in diligence at home and at my office. I would be busy with my work and he with his homework. He has probably seen many of the offices I have worked in, courtesy my organisation.
I remember my time as a manager when I used to be alone working in the office on a Sunday. Once, I felt the chair shake and move almost violently. Was it an earthquake, I thought and got up hastily to run down the stairs, when I heard this peculiar screech from behind. One look back, and there was this sweet little baby monkey in the window behind my chair trying to get into the room holding on to the chair. Luckily, the little monkey was as scared as I was, and beat a hasty retreat, giving me time to close the window. Needless to add, the monkey’s mother was watching from the balcony across our building.
Opinion | The problem with the ‘70 hours a week’ line
There have been times when our entire family of three have been in my office while I worked. One boss was particular about treating us to Chinese food often as a thanksgiving gesture for my diligence and the family’s patience! Ah, the advantages of working on holidays!
I cannot but quote one of my bosses on working late: “When anyone works late, it is for one of three reasons: they have too much to do, so the boss needs to re-allot the work suitably; they are not efficient enough, so they will need to upskill and raise the bar; they don’t want to go home.”
Over the years, I have found much truth in what he had said quite casually. I have worked with colleagues who would not shut shop even after the day’s work was done, because their spouse expected them to get a fresh gas cylinder and they felt that if they went home late, the spouse would have arranged for it. It also had something to do with the evening meal — they felt that getting home late would let them off from kitchen duty.
One thing I have noticed is that if one is a workaholic from their younger days, they usually remain one all their life. A few years ago, I marvelled at the news that the head of a certain successful organisation leaves office on the dot at closing time. I remember singing his praise at home and asking my son whether he felt I had not given him enough time during his growing-up years. He thanked me fervently for giving him the freedom to be himself from an early age. He added, “How else do you think I could have had the fun I’ve had with friends and in academics?”
Lately, the number of cases of juniors leaving for the day only after the boss leaves, has jumped. The boss expects it and the junior feels it is good for career growth. Both the boss and subordinate need to work out a golden mean. The younger colleague with a young family must give reasonable time to the family, and the older boss with grown children and a busy spouse probably needs to tone it down and inspire their spouse to do so too.
The millennials, GenZ and GenAlpha come in all hues and hold varied perspectives, just like in my day. Some work intensely during the week and then switch off for the weekend, some are always working, while some others follow strict working hours and days.
A message that I have always felt could help us achieve a golden mean, is found in these lines by Leslie Arlott (apt during cricket season!): “Life is a game of cricket, lads/ An earnest, noble game/ So out with the bats and the gloves and the pads/ To shirk is folly and shame.”
If more of us could work by this ethic, it will not be long before the productivity in our country zooms.
lakshmi.r.srinivas@gmail.com
