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Do longer working hours
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are getting a certain time as a form of service in exchange for the salary. The relationship can be defined as a service provider and a service seeker.
Some companies think that staying long hours in the offices increases the productivity of employees and the profitability of firms. It depends on organisational culture and varies from industry to industry and department to department.
IMPORTANCE OF WORK-LIFE BALANCE
We do not live for work. We work for a living. Employees have another life too outside their office. They will work better next morning if their previous evening is spent well.
If companies pressurise employees to stay longer at offices, employees will not even complete the same work in a short time. They will take longer as they know they will have to stay at the office, so it does not increase productivity.
At what time employees leave the office is not important. The important thing should be whether they are doing their work properly or not.
Qualitative work does not bring profitability even if extra time is spent working. Instead, smart work does. In that case, organisations should be task-oriented rather than time-oriented.
It is not a healthy practice to pressure employees to stay longer in the office if it is not necessary. If employees can do the same work in a short time, there is no need to work longer time just for companies’ policy.
On the other hand, quantitative work may bring extra profitability to companies when workers work for longer hours. In that case, it may be done by hiring extra employees and the worker may work in shifts.
RECENT CHANGES TO WORK CULTURE GLOBALLY
In 2022, around 110 companies globally are following a four-day workweek, either permanently or seasonally.
In Japan, Microsoft tried out a four-day workweek and saw a 40 per cent increase in productivity. Google declared a three-day weekly off for employees in 2020, allowing employees to take leave on Monday if they have to work on weekends.
France has also constituted a nationwide law where employees are not allowed to do any job-related work after office time, like replying to email/ text of the office. This law has given full freedom to them to enjoy their personal life.
For a better work-life balance, Belgium, Portugal and other European countries have given the right to federal civil servants not to answer calls or emails from their bosses outside of working hours.
WHAT SHOULD COMPANIES DO
There is no link between working for longer hours and increasing productivity. Rather, productivity decreases with the passing time. The energy employee feels in the morning will not be the same after eight hours of working.
In order to raise productivity, companies may add a few policies and adopt different techniques.
For example, organisations may provide training to employees on how to increase productivity.
Employees are human beings. They need to give rest to their mind and body. So, the weekend should be at least two days with no extra pressure of working on weekends.
Instead of providing a bonus to employees who are not taking the annual leave, companies should encourage employees or make it compulsory for them to take the leave. Companies should recognise them for their work. Only then, productivity may increase.
Instead of focusing on working time, organisations should also be concerned about the longevity of employees and employee turnover. If the turnover rate is higher, it does not bring any positive results for companies. Pressuring employees to work for longer hours increases employee turnover.
Companies have to constantly revolve their management eco-system as per the demand of the situation. They have to create a benchmark of work time by analysing how long it takes in the same industry in general. If it takes seven hours in general and they are taking longer than that, they have to find out why.
The author is a marketing intern at The Daily Star.

13 honoured as agri important persons
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They are Md Salim Reza, of Distantho Agro Farm and Nursery in Natore; Md Mehedi Ahsan Ullah Chowdhury of Thakurgaon; Md Mahfuzur Rahman of Esha Integrated Agriculture Farm; Md Badrul Haider Bepari of Pirojpur; Md Shahbaz Hussain Khan of Patuakhali; and Md Samsuddin of Cumilla.
Jahangir Alam Shah of Naogaon received the status under the category of the government-approved organisation in agricultural produce, fisheries, livestock and forest subsectors.
Nurunnahar Begum and Shahjahan Ali Badsha, both from Pabna, were awarded the Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award along with the status under the gold medal category.
With one-year validity, an AIP will get a pass to enter the Bangladesh Secretariat, the invitation to national ceremonies, priority in air and train ticket booking, and priority in getting cabins in public hospitals for family members.