When an employee started leaving work at 6.30pm, my manager asked me to flag him as an attrition risk.
I thought this surely must be some crazy predictive analysis stuff and asked him about it.
“Well, he seems to be disengaged. Earlier he used to leave late but since last few weeks he hasn't been responsive after work hours.“
I was confused as I didn't even understand why that was a red flag. His performance was as good as always. If at all, he was more active at work.
Still, as instructed by my manager, I “engaged“ with the employee to understand his concerns.
He told me that his health was getting affected as he wasn't able to exercise due to working till late.
So he comes to work early and leaves by 6.30pm as he has joined a gym nearby and is just trying to manage his schedule.
“Is that a concern? Will my rating be affected?, he asked me worriedly.
I gave him the confidence that nothing like that is going to happen and he should focus on his health.
Why did this have to be a conversation in the first place? Why was leaving work on time considered an aberration instead of normal?
Many managers don't realize that people have a life outside of work as well. The unrealistic expectation of being always available has sadly been ingrained in work cultures.
It's high time we stop being apologetic for not being available after work hours and stop glorifying overwork. Don't you think?
Follow me at Sumit Agrawal (Job Search Coach) for more and #UncoverExcellence with me.
#workculture #worklifebalance #lifebeyondwork #overwork #employeewellbeing #healthyboundaries
I thought this surely must be some crazy predictive analysis stuff and asked him about it.
“Well, he seems to be disengaged. Earlier he used to leave late but since last few weeks he hasn't been responsive after work hours.“
I was confused as I didn't even understand why that was a red flag. His performance was as good as always. If at all, he was more active at work.
Still, as instructed by my manager, I “engaged“ with the employee to understand his concerns.
He told me that his health was getting affected as he wasn't able to exercise due to working till late.
So he comes to work early and leaves by 6.30pm as he has joined a gym nearby and is just trying to manage his schedule.
“Is that a concern? Will my rating be affected?, he asked me worriedly.
I gave him the confidence that nothing like that is going to happen and he should focus on his health.
Why did this have to be a conversation in the first place? Why was leaving work on time considered an aberration instead of normal?
Many managers don't realize that people have a life outside of work as well. The unrealistic expectation of being always available has sadly been ingrained in work cultures.
It's high time we stop being apologetic for not being available after work hours and stop glorifying overwork. Don't you think?
Follow me at Sumit Agrawal (Job Search Coach) for more and #UncoverExcellence with me.
#workculture #worklifebalance #lifebeyondwork #overwork #employeewellbeing #healthyboundaries
