Have you ever delegated a task to your junior staff or asked your fellow co-worker to help you outside of working hours? Be it intentionally or accidentally, contacting your colleagues outside their working hours is not to be normalized. Unless it is incredibly urgent, there should be no justification to ask someone to run an errand when they are not supposed to. To avoid such a culture, boundaries of working hours should be made clear so mutual respect is nurtured in your company. Here is an insight on how to do it.

Why Does This Happen?

Contacting someone outside their working hours should be counted as overtime; meaning that there should be extra remuneration to make up for the extra work. However, the case is not always this pretty. As business competition gets fiercer, it becomes increasingly difficult for employees to meet deadlines due to overwhelming tasks. Consequently, they are often required to put in a few extra hours to finish the many projects at hand in a shorter period of time. On top of this trend is the hustle culture, which is a perspective that people need to give extra effort to achieve the best of deliverables, even if it means working longer hours. The urge to go the extra mile can also make some employees feel terrible when they leave work on time, even if they have completed all of their responsibilities for the day. 

Understand the Importance

Work schedules exist for a variety of reasons. These working hours have a greater impact on the efficiency, performance, and health of the workforce more than you may realize. Making a practice of working overtime and losing track of the time spent at the workplace is a red flag that will harm the organization for the long run. Occupational burnout is characterized as physical or emotional weariness caused by work-related stress, which leaves employees with a sense of impaired productivity and a loss of personal identity.  

Stay on Schedule

An understanding that working schedule is important begins with keeping track of the time your employees spend at their workspaces. If you notice an employee is worn out and lacks energy or drive to work, you need to do something because this individual may be suffering from burnout. Allow your employees to go home when the bell rings, and if you need someone to stay after hours, make sure it is either a one time thing or be given overtime remuneration.

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Communicate Effectively

An effective communication is where everything is streamlined and every stakeholder is heard, hence the direct decision making. Employees expect to hear from their supervisors. They must comprehend why specific decisions are made, as well as have sufficient knowledge to make the most of their function. These are vital parts of showing respect in the workplace. If critical goals and messages are only communicated at the highest levels of the company, employees may get disengaged, lose their passion, and feel disconnected with their work if this continues to occur. 

Respect is Top-Down

In the end, employees look up to those in the higher level. This is why in order to nurture respect, a top-down approach is a must. If you are at a supervisor or managerial level, you should be engaging, approachable, and devoted to providing positive feedback on each team member’s distinct contributions. Employees feel appreciated and respected when they understand how their job contributes to organizational success. They should be encouraged in becoming a valued member of the business’ success by defining clear goals that guarantee employees’ tasks match with the goals of the company. Treat your employees as though they can make a difference in your company, and they will.

Nobody wants to feel as though they are being disrespected. Whether you are a manager, owner, or employee, you want to feel that your time is valued and appreciated. One of the easiest and most fundamental ways of showing respect is by acknowledging that working hours boundaries exist. Not respecting someone’s time and personal life is a sign of an unhealthy organization. That being said, it is time for businesses to start simple and make it a habit to respect workers’ time.

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