Source: anonim
Let me start this post with a confession: I'm usually the last person to leave my office. I get in around 8:00am or earlier and often don't get home until after 7:00pm. But I'm not complaining. I love my work (and have an understanding family). But since there's always more to do than there is time to do it, I've gotten into the pattern of expanding my workday.
I'm not the only one. In fact, a recent study suggests that nearly two-thirds of U.S. companies report that their employees have worked more hours over the past three years. It's likely that there are similar percentages in other countries.
This growing trend is predicted to continue. An unintended consequence of our global, connected world is that customers, clients, partners, and colleagues expect immediate responses to their demands. At the same time, jobs are in short supply in many fields, so nobody wants to disappoint. As a result, more employees are putting in longer hours, and many regularly face the dilemma of whether to stay late and finish a critical task or put it aside until the next day.
But once you begin expanding your work hours on a regular basis, working "normal" hours starts to look like slacking off. In other words, if you establish a pattern of staying late, your extended hours become the new normal.
Given my own inclination to work late, I'm probably the last person who should give advice on this subject. However, if you don't enjoy working late (like me), doing so can have serious consequences. A large study last year of 6000 British civil servants showed that those who regularly worked over ten hours per day were 60% more likely to suffer from heart disease. And if you don't have an understanding partner, being away can put a strain on the relationship.
So what can you do to avoid the stay-late work pattern or at least avoid its negative consequences? Here are a few thoughts to help you prioritize:
