Struggling with Late Office Hours and Holiday Work? How Do You Address This with Management?

Hi All,

I am new to this group and have had a query for a while. My question is how to control or tackle issues related to late sitting, leaving the office after office hours, and working on holidays or Sundays. How can we convince management and employees about this? Please guide or comment on it.

KcDave

Start with Manpower Mapping. Do a job description and calculate the approximate time needed by the employee. There is no need to convince the employee; it is not their fault. It is the fault of HR and Management. During the interview, when HR and Management prepare a list of activities to be performed by the X employee, they never consider whether the 8 hours are sufficient or insufficient for the job. This results in employees working after office hours.

The cases are very rare wherein employees themselves stay on their own in the office after hours to chat online, enjoy coffee, or talk with friends on the telephone. In such cases, it is a lengthy procedure that you need to follow, which cannot be explained here.

You need to speak to the reporting managers and get a list from them of how many employees are required to sit late or work on weekends/holidays. Notify the managers if anyone else from the list is working late/weekends and inform them of the consequences of doing so.

Additionally, draft a policy for the same and issue gate passes with approval from their manager to work on weekends/holidays.

Regards,
Maria

I wonder why the system of late sitting has become a fashion in corporates in India. One can achieve his or her target by completing work within stipulated office hours.

Late sitting is nothing but exploitation at the hands of management of private companies. Our Government abolished the Zamindari System in 1952 and passed the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act-1976. However, I still feel that we, as employees in the private sector, are like bonded peasants of feudal landlords, i.e., Private or Public Limited Companies. We are helpless as we have to earn our livelihood and support our families.

Recently, an HR representative from one of the reputed companies in Delhi interviewed me over the telephone for a job offer in the said company. I was surprised when he told me that I have to stay late as long as my boss remains in the office. According to him, it is not good manners to leave during office hours when your Boss/Director is still working, and late sitting is a daily occurrence. The company is M/s Punj Lloyd Ltd., Connaught Place Branch, New Delhi.

I wonder what to do, which is why I have been sticking to my job for the last 4 and a half years.

Syed Adil Mehdi.

I completely agree with Syed. Most production and IT companies expect their employees to work late or at least be there to entertain their bosses. My earlier boss always found important work, which he couldn't handle alone, at 5:55 pm, while our out time was 6:00 pm, and made us work till 8:30-9:30. On the other hand, he always came late to the office, around 10:30-11:00. I don't care whether he worked late at night and kept drinking/smoking at the same time. Even when there is no apparent work, he would want us to stay with him, in case any important mail from directors came and he may need help. It was out of frustration that I quit the job. The company has even refused to repay my traveling expenses. But I am no longer worried about them because now I work with a company where you are marked negatively if you can't finish your work during regular office hours.

Even in companies like Johndeere Equipment, you get more bonus/promotion if you just linger in the office and keep the overworking boss happy.