The Covid-19 pandemic has brought some significant changes in work culture where the dynamics of workplace culture have altered considerably over the past few years, especially during the lockdown. The hybrid or remote working models adopted during the pandemic allowed employees to enjoy work-life balance and the flexibility to travel and operate from remote locations and now, a shift is seen where employees are opting for 5 days of work rather than 6 days and giving up on high-paid jobs.
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Rahul Bhalla, Co-Founder and CEO at Latin Quarters, revealed, “Employees are now accustomed to these models. It is observed with a little ease at the workplace, employee performance has also boosted noticeably. Not only employees but employers are also setting protocols that offer 5 days’ work. When given time off from work, employees can focus on other things, such as their family, friends, hobbies or even just relaxing in their personal space. After the 2 days off from their jobs, they are most likely to start their new week energized and motivated.”
Highlighting a research that suggests people can maintain a better work-life balance by working 4-5 days a week, Saif Ahmad Khan, CEO at Luhaif Digitech, said, “Five working days a week have also proved to increase productivity and efficiency at work space. Working six days a week reduces the quality of work in an organization. Our body and mind both require proper rest, which is 7-8 hours, to work efficiently and give quality results.”
He insisted, “There is a lot of pressure when you are working in an office. You have to meet deadlines and deliverables to survive in the corporate world. However, your body and mind also needs rest. When people try to push their limits, there comes a time when they feel burnt out, their bodies start aching and their minds get fatigued. Hence, you are not able to focus much on work. So adequate weekend rest is quintessential. Every employee wants to be in the flow while working in an organization where things are running smoothly and they are following a particular pattern to get their job done.”
Encouraging a hybrid model of working and a ‘Productivity Anywhere” philosophy, Nimisha Dua, CHRO at Grip, suggested, “Trust employees to demonstrate ownership and deliver on the task at hand to the highest quality without micromanaging them. In hybrid model, don’t mandate people to necessarily attend office on a prescribed number of days. Leave it to the employees and their managers to figure out what is the right mix (between work from home and work from office) for their teams. Even when employees are working from home, don’t micromanage them by monitoring their log in/log off timings. Hire people who have a deep sense of ownership and transparency and so, you will not feel the need to over-supervise them.”
She shared, “Employees today need to feel empowered and trusted both with their work and their career journeys. Another thing to do differently from the norm in the industry is don’t mandate non-customized, blanket approach L&D programmes on people. Instead, provide them with a self-development budget that they can use to self-select professional courses they think they need – to further their professional skill set.”
