`Disconnect' to stay connected

WORKING for a start up is more than a 9-5 job. You have to be on call 24 hours a day, period. When I once applied for a job with a start up publishing house, I was informed in no uncertain terms that I had to be available all the time. My family and social commitments would have to take a backseat till the company stabilised and any vision of a relaxed weekend or a holiday would need to remain a mirage!

In the good old days of government employment `being available' meant being within the office premises. But with technology where it is today, companies often expect employees to be within calling range, the refrain being "after all we gave him a cell phone and pick up his phone bill." Employees who are not at hand tend to get sidelined. Out-of-(virtual) sight, is truly out-of- mind! The result? At downsizing, guess who gets the axe?

However, HR honchos fear that sustained presence will actually create alarming inefficiencies in process. Longer working hours do not translate into higher productivity. A recent ILO study found out that France had higher productivity per worker when compared to other countries like the US even though the French work only the legally permitted 35 hours a week. One of the contentious HR issues today is whether employees should be paid overtime for work done through e-mail or cell phones. It is an irrefutable fact that technology is reinforcing bad management practices. Is, for example, talking for hours at night more productive than settling for a short one-on-one meeting in the morning? Employees may also get away with the idea that as they are anyway reachable on their cell, so why not take in a leisurely lunch or the show they have missed. Results are the bottom line and if that looks bad, employers should wise up and look for the cause. Some work hard and others - hardly! The reasons for lackadaisical performance can vary from poor time management to zero dedication and poor skills. It matters little that people are available constantly if the job doesn't get done. Employees should therefore, be trained so that they are not needed constantly. Certainly, they will get more done if they were unavailable every now and again?

As an employer, one should set down the parametres for performance. They must be aware of employees' time management and whether it is reasonable to ask employees to work weekends or on holidays. Employees invariably end up doing what their bosses ask of them even though it is inconvenient. Occasionally letting employees unwind completely will only increase the competitive edge that the company has. This could in fact be useful as a tool for employee recognition.

The challenge is to create a working ambience where employees feel comfortable `disconnecting.' Having a `use it or lose it' vacation policy where the employee cannot carry over earned leave to the next year. That way, time off will be mandatory, and part of the new work culture. Make sure that the work of the vacationing employees is well covered so that there is no need to bother them. They will come back refreshed and more productive.

It may not be surprising if the ability to `disconnect' becomes a recruitment and retention tool at the end of it all! After all, people need a life too!

Padma

padma.hyd@cnkonline.com