Are Long Office Hours Really a Sign of Hard Work? Narayan Murthy's Take on Work Culture

Mail sent by Narayan Murthy to all Infosys staff:

It's half past 8 in the office but the lights are still on... PCs still running, coffee machines still buzzing... And who's at work? Most of them ??? Take a closer look... All or most specimens are ?? Something male species of the human race... Look closer... again all or most of them are bachelors... And why are they sitting late? Working hard? No way!!! Any guesses??? Let's ask one of them... Here's what he says... "What's there to do after going home... Here we get to surf, AC, phone, food, coffee, that is why I am working late... Importantly no bossssssss!! !!!!!!!!! "

This is the scene in most research centers and software companies and other offshore offices. Bachelors "Time-passing" during late hours in the office just because they say they've nothing else to do... Now what are the consequences...

"Working" (for the record only) late hours soon become part of the institute or company culture. With bosses more than eager to provide support to those "working" late in the form of taxi vouchers, food vouchers, and of course good feedback, (oh, he's a hard worker... goes home only to change..!!). They aren't helping things too... To hell with bosses who don't understand the difference between "sitting" late and "working" late!!! Very soon, the boss starts expecting all employees to put in extra working hours.

So, My dear Bachelors let me tell you, life changes when you get married and start having a family... office is no longer a priority, family is... and That's when the problem starts... because you start having commitments at home too. For your boss, the earlier "hardworking" guy suddenly seems to become an "early leaver" even if you leave an hour after regular time... after doing the same amount of work. People leaving on time after doing their tasks for the day are labeled as work-shirkers... Girls who thankfully always (it's changing nowadays... though) leave on time are labeled as "not up to it". All the while, the bachelors pat their own backs and carry on "working" not realizing that they are spoiling the work culture at their place and never realize that they would have to regret at one point of time.

So what's the moral of the story??

Very clear, LEAVE ON TIME!!!

Never put in extra time *unless really needed* Don't stay back unnecessarily and spoil your company work culture which will in turn cause inconvenience to you and your colleagues. There are a hundred other things to do in the evening... Learn music... Learn a foreign language... Try a sport... TT, cricket... Importantly, get a girlfriend or boyfriend, take him/her around town... And for heaven's sake, net cafe rates have dropped to an all-time low (plus, no fire-walls) and try cooking for a change. Take a tip from the Smirnoff ad: "Life's calling, where are you??"

Please pass on this message to all those colleagues And please do it before leaving time, don't stay back till midnight to forward this!!!

IT'S A TYPICAL INDIAN MENTALITY THAT WORKING FOR LONG HOURS MEANS VERY HARD WORKING & 100% COMMITMENT ETC. PEOPLE WHO REGULARLY SIT LATE IN THE OFFICE DON'T KNOW TO MANAGE THEIR TIME. SIMPLE!

Regards,

NARAYAN MURTHY.

What good are you guys talking about? Do any of us stay in the office for AC or anything else? None of my friends in Infosys do that. They are eagerly waiting to get the hell out of the modern facilitated jail campus. Infosys no longer supports smart work but only work, and that too, no personal life.

Hi,

It's an eye-opener. I am a late-sitting type of guy. Not exactly for the reason mentioned in the mail, but got addicted to leaving the office late. Trying to get rid of the habit... hope all the late sitters will identify with this.

Yugandhar
9000977024
Naukri.com, Hyderabad

Dear Bodla Srinu,

The email that you have mentioned has been circulating for the last couple of years. It is quite old, and at that time, the situation was significantly different.

In the past two years, with the onset of the recession, the circumstances have changed significantly. All software companies have been requiring their staff to work long hours, and Infosys is no exception to this trend.

Therefore, I kindly request you to upload content that is more current and not outdated.

Thanks,

Dinesh V Divekar

The Reality of Late Office Hours

First thing, no one wants to sit late in the office. And what's that about having nothing to do? That is nonsense! Everyone has so many things to do. But then, there are directives from upper management about making a "HERO." If you're not performing well, obviously, you'll try to show them that you're working intensely, like you're the one who will rise up as a hero from within. Or you might think that your lead will spread an email to the entire team about your "heroic" efforts: "This person stays late at night even though they have so many things to do."

So, the pressure of your performance and the daydreams created by your mind make you sit until 12 AM.

Regards

I agree with the post above but cannot appreciate the harsh language—"bullshit," "sucker," etc. The point is many bosses sit late, and our culture has evolved in such a way that Heads of Departments (HODs) will sit as well. The cycle continues, and many sit out of a compliance culture. Nothing much may be gained in terms of productivity or output. Employees must learn time management and eliminate all time-wasting activities during working hours. Pack up on time and arrive on time for work. While leaving for the day, arrange your work so that the thread can easily be picked up the next morning. Plan and coordinate your office work so that time is usefully spent furthering work rather than searching for files, tools, etc. The boss has to set the correct example of being businesslike and task-oriented. The message will filter down to a great extent. Working long hours is not a precondition for achieving great heights in your work.