Commentary: We need some give-and-take when it comes to after-hours work communications
SINGAPORE: We are approaching eighteen months since Singapore beginning implemented circuit breaker measures on Apr seven, 2020. This brought to a grinding halt the daily commute for many, as working from domicile became the default.
Initially, employees relished the flexibility and productivity supposedly increased.
But the true test shortly became clear: The blurring of lines between work and home resulted in the realisation that mental health has been neglected all this while.
As more workers complained of the stress of a 24/7 work culture, companies began sitting upwardly and taking find. Several accept embarked on initiatives such as virtual group fitness and yoga classes, talks nearly mental wellness and nutrition to alleviate mental stress to aim for better employee well-being in the current environment.
As companies course-corrected and employee well-being programmes rapidly gained popularity, mental wellness shortly became a hot topic.
For essential employees unable to work from domicile, initiatives such as tightened protocols and physical measures at the workplace to control transmission of virus, improve air circulation in enclosed piece of work environments, and professional cleaning contractors to regularly disinfect supplies and mutual surfaces provided some measure of reassurance.
For employees working from dwelling there is a recognition that remote work could lead to longer piece of work days for employees without them realising it. Bloomberg reports that people who work from home clock in three hours more each day than before.
Employees are being encouraged to build regular breaks into their day, take personal time off, leave their desks when they needed to re-accuse, plan time to socialise with co-workers and check in on one some other.
RIGHT TO DISCONNECT?
These trends are gaining basis in Singapore. A Tripartite Standard on Piece of work-Life Harmony was launched in April, urging firms to provide employee support initiatives such as flexible work arrangements, family days and more exit days for those with caregiving responsibilities.
Some other important area cited is training for management to lead with empathy and look out for potential signs of mental health issues. There is even an online survey tool iWorkHealth developed by the Ministry of Manpower where c ompanies receive an aggregated written report on their key workplace stressors while employees receive a personalised report on mental well-being and workplace stressors.
Withal, some employees are pessimistic – they cite instances where texts, emails or calls are regular during after-hours and weekends. They are concerned that the demand to maintain a competitive economy and the entrenched civilization among workers hither to be available round the clock may exist insurmountable obstacles.
But are they really zero-sum? In that location is a quiet stirring the answer is no.
Labour Fellow member of Parliament Melvin Yong (Radin Mas) fifty-fifty suggested adopting a "correct to disconnect" police to help employees take protected time to rest and recharge, citing that French republic is one country which successfully implemented such a legislation.
Mr Yong argued that balance is linked to worker productivity.
In reality, things are not and so uncomplicated. In that location must exist give and have on both sides.
Locally based employees of global multinational corporations that operate across time zones are oftentimes required to attend later-hours briefing calls. Those in essential services need to always remain contactable.
This has null to do with a 24/vii work civilization and everything to do with exigencies of service. For instance, working longer hours to run across a deadline or to attend to unforeseen crisis events are part of many people'due south job scopes.
But this does not mean employees should only accept that their work and personal lives will always meld and they have no pick in the matter.
Increasingly, workers are realising that while they may have to nourish to later-hours calls, texts or emails, they want greater flexibility in their piece of work hours.
For instance, some prefer to block out time during the mean solar day to focus on their kids as they juggle habitation-schooling or childcare, and then come dorsum to complete work assignments in the evening hours.
WHAT IS UNACCEPTABLE?
But the challenge remains equally to how much of this flexibility leads to an unhealthy expectation of staff to be "e'er on"? What is the threshold that makes this unacceptable?
Traditionally, the relationship between employer and employee is governed past an employment contract. The employer provides bounty and tenure in return for fulfillment of job responsibilities, commonly supported by an employee handbook.
This works well in organisations that have historically operated with centralised and rigid work models. However, to accommodate to a new reality defined by volatility, dubiety, complexity and ambiguity, such firms must transition into more decentralised and fluid piece of work models.
More than ever, employee success today goes beyond but setting primal performance indicators to reach and has to fold in collaboration, influencing, inventiveness to respond to the changing needs of the business, and occasionally rising above and across the telephone call of duty.
Employees, on the other hand, desire to be treated fairly and with respect. They want the flexibility to decide where and when work gets washed, so long equally the piece of work is done. They seek meaning and purpose in work that aligns to their personal values.
So how can the two meet in the middle?
Perhaps in addition to a traditional employment contract, companies should recall about adding a social contract that binds both parties to an agreed set of rules of behaviour.
These could include adopting an inclusive mindset towards employees from different backgrounds, creating a work culture that respects individual needs of employees, treating employees fairly and with dignity, creating a conducive workplace environment that is not-discriminatory, safe and friendly to employees, implementing HR practices such as flexible work arrangements, providing important benefits for wellbeing, and grooming and education support to go along their skills and noesis up-to-date.
Patagonia, a 40-year-onetime American company that articles and retails outdoor clothing is one example. It offers flexible work hours and job sharing.
The founder, when he was in active leadership, took months off every yr, during which he was unreachable. Granted, this may not be feasible nor applied in some contexts.
Just it is the ethos of his leadership we can take a foliage from. He put the success of his company downwardly to flexibility in how he managed his squad who are contained workers immune to determine when they need time off to spend with their families, without sacrificing business needs.
The idea of the social contract (borrowed from political philosophy) is that everyone in an organisation is there for the commonage benefit of all. For the employer, a social contract is an opportunity to be committed to policies, programmes and practices which improve the well-being of their staff.
It ways the leadership has to walk the talk: If bosses say they will respect a staff'south personal time off, it should be adhered to with every bit lilliputian exception equally possible.
For the employee, information technology is an opportunity to personalise the piece of work experience to take into account evolving needs and aspirations but to as well be aware that their personal circumstances must align with what is required of them as engaged, talented workers for their organisations.
In other words, this discussion is critical to more sustainable long-term growth.
In today's tight labour market, a compelling social contract may just be the "across profits" strategy needed in organisations to attract, retain and sustain talent.
Mayank Parekh is the CEO of the Institute for Human Resource Professionals (IHRP) which aims to professionalise and strengthen the Hr practice in Singapore.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/after-hours-communication-bosses-workers-give-and-take-295341
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