An anonymous manager shared on Reddit about allowing her team flexible working hours—arriving late and leaving early—as long as productivity remained high. Although the team consistently met performance expectations, the appearance of empty desks outside the traditional 9-to-5 window drew negative attention from senior leadership. Now, the manager faces pressure to enforce standard office hours despite the proven efficiency of her team’s current routine. This situation has sparked widespread online discussion about evolving workplace norms, productivity versus presenteeism, and the challenges modern managers face when balancing employee autonomy with corporate expectations. The post highlights growing tensions between flexible work culture and traditional corporate standards.
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Organizations can balance flexible work arrangements with traditional expectations of workplace presence by establishing clear communication channels between managers and senior leadership. HR should facilitate discussions to align on performance metrics that focus on outcomes rather than hours worked. Implementing technology solutions to track productivity and output can provide objective data to support flexible arrangements. Training managers on effective remote team management and communication strategies can also enhance the success of flexible work policies. Encouraging a culture of trust and accountability within the team can further support the balance between flexibility and traditional expectations.
From India, Gurugram
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From India, Gurugram
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CiteHR-Thinktank
The owners of commercial vehicles (CVs) are reluctant to send their vehicles to an outstation if they are not fully loaded. They consider that an outstation trip with a partly loaded truck incurs irrecoverable loss.
For many employers, the working hours of the employee in the office are equivalent to the truck's capacity. It gives them satisfaction when the employee completes the working hours. More than productivity, these employers consider that to recover the employees' salary, they complete the quota of working hours by staying in the office.
The focus of such employers is not on productivity, customer satisfaction, or the suggestion of innovative ideas. If the employees complete the quantum of work well before the assigned time limit and start leaving the office, they get upset and consider that such employees' workload merits further increase.
However, such thinking is widely prevalent. Did a person, no less than Mr. Narayana Murthy, not pitch for a 70-hour workweek? He had a firm belief that long working hours could only make India a developed country. Despite criticism, he held his view firmly.
A few months later, L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyam went a step further and scouted for a 90-hour workweek. Mr. Subrahmanyam's statement created a brouhaha and criticism, but instead of addressing it, his company's honchos, like the CHRO, jumped on his bandwagon and tried to justify his statement.
There was a striking similarity between the thinking of both tycoons: long work hours are at the core of developing the company. However, their thoughts give legitimacy to the business owners of smaller companies in focusing solely on the number of working hours logged in the office and not on producing products that can be sold across the world.
Questions and Replies
Q1. How can organisations balance flexible work arrangements with traditional expectations of workplace presence?
Reply: - If the focus is on the development of innovative products or services, then the organisations do not have to balance anything. Whether long work hours or otherwise, people prefer work that gives them a sense of fulfilment. Therefore, organisations need to look for the fulfilment of the self-actualisation needs of the employees rather than deliberating on the trade-off with the work hours per day.
Q2. What role should HR play in supporting managers who implement innovative work policies that enhance productivity?
Reply: - The HR professional will have a role to play, provided they are sufficiently empowered. Otherwise, regardless of their personal views on productivity, the HR professionals execute the orders from the top leadership.
Thanks,
Regards,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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The owners of commercial vehicles (CVs) are reluctant to send their vehicles to an outstation if they are not fully loaded. They consider that an outstation trip with a partly loaded truck incurs irrecoverable loss.
For many employers, the working hours of the employee in the office are equivalent to the truck's capacity. It gives them satisfaction when the employee completes the working hours. More than productivity, these employers consider that to recover the employees' salary, they complete the quota of working hours by staying in the office.
The focus of such employers is not on productivity, customer satisfaction, or the suggestion of innovative ideas. If the employees complete the quantum of work well before the assigned time limit and start leaving the office, they get upset and consider that such employees' workload merits further increase.
However, such thinking is widely prevalent. Did a person, no less than Mr. Narayana Murthy, not pitch for a 70-hour workweek? He had a firm belief that long working hours could only make India a developed country. Despite criticism, he held his view firmly.
A few months later, L&T chairman SN Subrahmanyam went a step further and scouted for a 90-hour workweek. Mr. Subrahmanyam's statement created a brouhaha and criticism, but instead of addressing it, his company's honchos, like the CHRO, jumped on his bandwagon and tried to justify his statement.
There was a striking similarity between the thinking of both tycoons: long work hours are at the core of developing the company. However, their thoughts give legitimacy to the business owners of smaller companies in focusing solely on the number of working hours logged in the office and not on producing products that can be sold across the world.
Questions and Replies
Q1. How can organisations balance flexible work arrangements with traditional expectations of workplace presence?
Reply: - If the focus is on the development of innovative products or services, then the organisations do not have to balance anything. Whether long work hours or otherwise, people prefer work that gives them a sense of fulfilment. Therefore, organisations need to look for the fulfilment of the self-actualisation needs of the employees rather than deliberating on the trade-off with the work hours per day.
Q2. What role should HR play in supporting managers who implement innovative work policies that enhance productivity?
Reply: - The HR professional will have a role to play, provided they are sufficiently empowered. Otherwise, regardless of their personal views on productivity, the HR professionals execute the orders from the top leadership.
Thanks,
Regards,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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The Myth of Overworking: Why 70 or 90 Hour Weeks Won't Develop India
70 or 90-hour weeks will not make India a developed country. No one can sustain that level of work without burning out very quickly. To expect staff to work 90 hours a week is basically slavery, no more, no less. I thought India was past that, though reading some of the posts here on CiteHR over the years, I don't doubt for one minute that slavery exists in many forms in India today, particularly in factories.
The Illusion of Leadership Gurus and Self-Made CEOs
We often hear these stories of so-called leadership gurus and self-made CEOs who worked all the hours God gave them. Yeah, show us the proof. Most of these people are wealthy; they have staff both in their office and in their homes. They can work because they don't have to cook meals, shop, clean and maintain their homes, care for their children, and attend to all the other minutiae of life. It is all done for them.
Working Smarter, Not Harder: The Path to Development
At the end of the day, India will only become a developed country by working smarter, not harder. It has been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that staff who are treated well, get adequate rest and recreation, and time with their family and friends are much more productive workers. The 40-hour week came into existence a long time ago for this very reason—8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, and 8 hours recreation. In many developed countries now, working hours in many industries and organizations are down to 35 hours a week. In my last job before retirement, I worked a 38-hour week, with 4 weeks annual leave, and 10 days of sick leave per year which accumulated if not used. In one job I had back in the 1970s, I had 12 weeks off work after hospitalization, and I was on full pay because I had accumulated enough sick leave to cover it. We also have Long Service Leave here in Australia where you can get 13 weeks leave on full pay after 15 years of service, or pro-rata from 7 years or more. I spent my Long Service Leave on a 3-month trip to the United States.
The Success of Flexible Hours and Work-from-Home
Flexible hours and work-from-home are new innovations and have proved to be very successful—if managed correctly. Therein lies the key—proper management and a clear, unequivocal process that benefits both staff and management.
From Australia, Melbourne
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70 or 90-hour weeks will not make India a developed country. No one can sustain that level of work without burning out very quickly. To expect staff to work 90 hours a week is basically slavery, no more, no less. I thought India was past that, though reading some of the posts here on CiteHR over the years, I don't doubt for one minute that slavery exists in many forms in India today, particularly in factories.
The Illusion of Leadership Gurus and Self-Made CEOs
We often hear these stories of so-called leadership gurus and self-made CEOs who worked all the hours God gave them. Yeah, show us the proof. Most of these people are wealthy; they have staff both in their office and in their homes. They can work because they don't have to cook meals, shop, clean and maintain their homes, care for their children, and attend to all the other minutiae of life. It is all done for them.
Working Smarter, Not Harder: The Path to Development
At the end of the day, India will only become a developed country by working smarter, not harder. It has been proven beyond any shadow of a doubt that staff who are treated well, get adequate rest and recreation, and time with their family and friends are much more productive workers. The 40-hour week came into existence a long time ago for this very reason—8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, and 8 hours recreation. In many developed countries now, working hours in many industries and organizations are down to 35 hours a week. In my last job before retirement, I worked a 38-hour week, with 4 weeks annual leave, and 10 days of sick leave per year which accumulated if not used. In one job I had back in the 1970s, I had 12 weeks off work after hospitalization, and I was on full pay because I had accumulated enough sick leave to cover it. We also have Long Service Leave here in Australia where you can get 13 weeks leave on full pay after 15 years of service, or pro-rata from 7 years or more. I spent my Long Service Leave on a 3-month trip to the United States.
The Success of Flexible Hours and Work-from-Home
Flexible hours and work-from-home are new innovations and have proved to be very successful—if managed correctly. Therein lies the key—proper management and a clear, unequivocal process that benefits both staff and management.
From Australia, Melbourne
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(Fact Checked)-Your insights on work-life balance and flexible hours are spot-on. However, it's important to note that labor laws vary globally, and not all countries have the same provisions for work hours and leave. (1 Acknowledge point)
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CiteHR.AI
(Fact Checked)-Your comparison of employee productivity to truck capacity is insightful. It's true that a focus on fulfillment and innovation can lead to greater productivity. (1 Acknowledge point)