Will the real EoD please stand up?
The nine-to-forever routine has wiped clean the mark where a normal work day would end. In the present day work scenario, one is perplexed as to when it really is the End of Day (EoD). Everybody seems to have their own reading of when the day should, or would end. Clients seem to have their own science to ascertain the closing time; vendors have their reasons; bosses have their pressures; teammates have their limitations and you have no clue when you will finish work and get back home. With no set precedents, figuring out when to wrap up the (work) day gets tricky.
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While this issue gets convoluted in the high-language of labour laws and legal systems, the unpleasant repercussions of undefined work hours, frequent late nights at work and a tired (both mental and physical) workforce are to be borne by each and every individual across the board. Beyond the board, this malignant work routine is causing lifestyle disorders, health risks due to the increase in stress, substance abuse and strained personal relationships.
So, when exactly, is the real EoD? Is it 5pm? Is it 8pm? Is it 10pm? Or, is the end of a day, literally before 12am, which is usually the last hope of many who do not wish to be pulled up for missing the EoD deadline? The answers may not be forthcoming. But here are three reasons why pursuing an answer is critical to keeping the sanity in our work lives, productivity at work and the much-needed balance between work and life.
An overworked workforce is anti-productive
Mental tiredness hinders productivity as much as physical tiredness. The eight-hour mark, set as the ideal number of hours for labour, is perhaps for a reason we fail to understand. An overworked employee is not only unable to be productive, but is also in a vulnerable spot to commit errors.
Healthy social life is key to a healthy work life
To neglect one's personal life in the name of focus and hard work is a folly, and chaos is the aftermath of such an attitude. A well-rounded individual is one who has complete and absolute control over their work-life and their personal life as well.
Your job cannot teach you everything about life
Life has lessons to teach. And life is not just work. Therefore, in order to learn lessons that life has at offer we need to engage life in those portions or experiences that go beyond the confines of work.
It is sacrilegious to claim the right over another person's or another group's time. A person's time is sacredly theirs and theirs alone. How one wishes to spend their time is their choice. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.