After work hours

How do we think about anything when war overrides all else? I have much to say about the Russia-Ukraine crisis, the role of toothless organisations such as NATO, and the sanctions upon sanctions on Russia that aren't impeding their war hungry administration. And the common people, always, always at the mercy of avoidable violence. Yes, I have much to say but for now, I'll repeat what we have known since the 70s — 'Make Love, Not War' — and leave the analysis to actual foreign affairs experts. I have to get my mind off this awful world, full of despots garbed as democratic leaders, of unnecessary bloodshed, and the cost and misery that always accompanies war. Today, I'll write about something diametrically opposite and a bit less apocalyptic. Though it was a kind of war as well that forced us into accepting the new normal. A war against the Covid-19 virus and its variants has made us embrace a new way of working.

Today, work-from-home (WFH) is still being preferred by many even though offices have restarted. WFH and hybrid work cultures are here to stay now that we are familiar with its nuances and pitfalls. The latter sometimes outweighs the former. For example, there is no cutting off from work. Even before Covid, the tools that promoted connectivity also encouraged constantly staying tuned to work. Covid has pushed that connectivity by leaps and bounds. Take WhatsApp for example, in my list of communication tools, I abhor it the most. Not for the software or its functioning but mainly for the users. People who have scant regard for others' time. Now these are not the irritating 'Good morning' messages or the barrage of useless forwards from uncles and aunts. I'm talking about the corporate kinds. The ones who have worked in MNCs, who wouldn't dare even email, leave alone text, a foreign counterpart, beyond office hours. But here in India, there is zero consciousness of time. The phone will buzz in the middle of the night and there'll be a comment in a work WhatsApp group. A message that could very easily have waited till 10 am and had no business coming in at midnight or even later! Same with Sundays and holidays…these entitled folk feel it's their right to talk work even if you aren't. They may finish their own responsibilities and chores and sit down to work at 9 pm but sorry, we already finished ours! So, why this 'Kolaveri'? Besides, being a workaholic today is not a badge of honour. It simply means a disbalanced person who is not methodical about their work life or is unable to enjoy the other more meaningful joys of life or sadly, has none.

Look, there are emergencies and matters of importance that warrant urgent messages and prompt action. But when something can wait till office hours, why not show that respect to your colleagues, employees and professional partners? There is a lot of discussion on the impact of emails being sent to employees after work hours. Studies show that they lead to increased anxiety, poor sleep patterns, and general feeling of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Now imagine what harm WhatsApp messages can do. Why not switch off the phone or turn off notifications, you ask? Given how our lives are so intricately entwined with our phones; we end up checking it several times. If you have senior citizen parents or relatives, chances are that you can never switch off your phone or turn it silent. And if you are like me, then you may be suffering from OBCROM (obsessive compulsive replier of messages). You won't find it on Google since I coined the term myself to explain how I just can't keep people hanging when they message. I must respond, how could I read and not reply? How can I be so rude? So, when work messages come in the groups, instead of stressing my team, I jump to respond because in my head, I believe, that's what a good boss should do. But what about my mental health and burnout, then?

In Belgium, government employees can ignore their boss' emails after work hours. No way is that ever happening in India. In fact, here, once you start working with someone, they think they 'own' you. In manner, language, and behaviour, you're made to feel a tad bit better than slaves (to your jobs). For a small business entrepreneur like me, this is a constant challenge. How do I insulate my team from the demands of the job? We try to plan ahead, organise our work, but some time or the other as per the nature of any sector, there will be exigencies. There will be that client from Hell who will let their frustrations get in the way of professional behaviour and you, as the person at the top, will start percolating that stress downwards to your team. It causes me to ask important queries to teammates after work hours when absolutely necessary, but I still hate doing it.

If the people that you do business with or your employers don't respect work hours especially with WFH, how do you ensure that you and your team are not impacted? First, we try to convey it politely, urge for discussions during office hours, ignore unnecessary queries, and if things don't get better, there's no choice but to leave the work. A loss for the business that can be recouped in time or a chance at a job with better work culture, but definitely, a win for mental health and peace of mind. That is priceless.

The writer is an author and media entrepreneur. Views expressed are personal