Employees at top companies may face burnout and stress, which leads to job dissatisfaction and leaving to go to another company. This is due in part to long hours worked at the office. Instead of making it home at 5:15 p.m. after a short commute, contemporary suburban rituals include a longer drive to and from the office, talking on a cellphone to employees or bosses on the way home, and checking email at dinner.
The previous workforce included men working regular hours to earn a livable wage, while women worked part-time as they helped raise the children. The new workforce remains interconnected more than ever before thanks to smartphones, laptops and wireless communications. More and more women choose high-level careers while men take on more daddy responsibilities. Contemporary society has found new ways to try to find happiness, and employers have new methods to maintain connections with workers thanks to the Internet and smartphones.
A study published in the New York Times showed that men left a particular firm just as much as women in the preceding three years leading up to the study. One of the frequent reasons given included the long hours required to work at a firm. The company essentially created a culture of overworked employees, and top-level managers to junior managers left the company in equal measure. The adage of "wanting to spend more time with family" does not fit the study's thesis that women would leave jobs more often than men to help raise children.
Work-life balance has become a buzzword of the contemporary workplace. When people arrived home at 5:15 p.m. every weeknight, they ate dinner around the table and chatted with the kids. Men and women both want to achieve personal and professional fulfillment rather than work long hours for 20 years. Employers must recognize that not everyone wants to put in 70 or 80 hours a week, as well as that workers without adequate balance typically experience increased stress and sickness along with decreased productivity and profits. Workers should have ways to focus on what matters most at the office so they can concentrate on what matters most at home.
Companies can prevent overworked employees and build a loyal workforce by examining the long hours people put in at the office. Study how many hours employees waste per week. For example, can two quick emails resolve an issue versus an hour-long staff meeting? Do employees work long shifts just for show? In other words, some people may arrive early and stay late just to seem like they dedicate themselves to the job. These extra hours may not add to a company's productivity.
Businesses can maximize the long hours people work by creating a culture of efficiency. Technology certainly helps, as computers locate data easily and metrics assess how well individuals do their jobs. Employers should find ways to value quality over quantity. If a team cannot find a way to do it right the first time, what makes a supervisor think the group has time to do it over again?
Long hours may no longer create the best work environment in the contemporary paradigm. Technology, telecommuting and extra help all represent simple solutions to staffing problems. Businesses should value human capital to watch the profits flow as opposed to valuing profits first.
Photo courtesy of Chaiwat at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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