Flexibility at Workplace

Ugh…When can an employee run his personal errands if he works in an organization where working hours are extended? Well, if the bosses allow their staff with some flexibility, then that’s okay. Otherwise, oftentimes, employees simply escape during the working hours or by having stretched breaks to finish their family needs.

In most of the companies, late arrivals to the work and early dismissals from the office –even by few minutes and seconds—are held accountable, and there’s straight slicing of one’s salary. But, the funny part is that in between if someone escapes from the work for few hours, enjoys a long lunch break coupled with swift nap or takes a timeout to do some personal chore, then nothing matters. Reason this, employees tend to be punctual in the mornings and leave on-time at the end of the day, but they keep juggling their own or family tasks during working hours or lengthy lunch breaks.

It’s not that employees are betraying their workplaces or showing disloyalty to their employers. Perhaps, it’s long, straight working hours that oozes their energies out, and when they reach their homes they are totally pooped. After that, one can have little time with their families and children, then with proportionate rest, there’ again hustle-bustle to start early for work. 

Imagine a typical work day—immediately after sunrise and ending at sunset, and reaching homes awhile for little delight, recreation and sleep.

Poor chaps…some start their day in a speedy manner, with brief breakfast and leaving their kids to the school, they take an easy route to their workplaces. Like an ascetic reaching to his chalet, employees take a timely relief to have their breakfast, tea or coffee in their office cubicles or canteens, and some secretly escape to workplace toilets to brush their teeth or wash their faces for refreshing looks.

I presume that organizations, with shortened working hours, that allow leeway out of necessity for employees to run their family errands are rewarding workplaces. With such liberties within limits, employees would feel no tension and they will continue working in a more productive manner.

Best are those companies, like caretakers, that provide chiseled corporate culture, plausible perks and good growth opportunities to their employees, who in turn, can relish work-life balance, with ease and enthusiasm.

Believe me, without flexibility at workplaces, corporate culture stinks or there’s no culture at all where employees are treated like school children, who standing in long queues, check in and check out with punctuality and fearsome faces.

Cartoon by: Jerry King