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| image source: accolo.com |
Written by Nur Idawati Md Enzai
Long gone the days
where a normal job revolves around 9-5 working time. Constant availability for
communication, no thanks to Internet, has made the situation becomes worse. In
the good old days, if you are on leave, you really could rest and don’t have to
think about work. As technology has enabled us to become contactable 24-7, our bosses
and colleagues could endlessly shove job after job under our very nose day and
night. This could seriously affect the work life balance negatively.
Most European countries have been seriously implementing healthy
work-life balance after realizing its importance. Australia
and New Zealand have also jumped into the bandwagon by giving a particular attention
on the work-life balance. Shorter working weeks and hours have been adopted as
it is believed to help the staffs wellbeing and happiness [1]. Fun fact, even
though working hours have been shortened, these countries still thrive
economically. Having experienced living in Australia for a few years, I
personally witnessed most Australians working really hard during the day,
resting with family and friends at night, spending time with family and friends
during weekends. Even the shopping malls are closed early during the weekends.
A friend’s husband was told off by his boss for working on a weekend. “Don’t
you have a family?” his boss asked. A university official even jokingly told
the graduate students, “I don’t want to see you Asian scholars at the
university on weekends.”
Asian countries are
especially guilty when it comes to working long hours. Japan has always been
known for long working hours and little to none vacation. True, it is a developed
country, and yet the suicide rates are among the highest. Cases of death due to
overwork has become quite common as well. Therefore, the government of Japan
has been seriously looking into this problem, even though back in the 70s and
80s there was apparent denial that death could be caused by overwork. However,
the relationship between overwork and death has been accepted by Japanese
corporate lawyers and government officials [2].
I believe that the
reason Asian countries tend to have more working hours, could be due to culture
of saving face and hierarchy. Leaving early while the others are still at work
may make an Asian feeling guilty even though he/she has finished work. Asians are generally taught to keep their
opinions to themselves to avoid conflict, compared to a Westerner who typically
doesn’t care what the others think. I remember, a friend from China once told
me that on Chinese New Year, some of them don’t even go back to their hometown.
Chinese New Year which is supposed to be their number one celebration is not
even in their priorities. It makes me afraid to imagine their working style.
Being citizens of a
Muslim majority country, Malaysian Muslims should know better that this worldly
life is not the only life to be encountered. Indeed, Islam teaches us to work diligently
in order to earn halal income and support the family. But not to the extent of
neglecting family, friends and social responsibilities.
Surah
Al-An’am verse 96 clearly indicates: “He causes the dawn to break; and He has
made the night for rest, and the sun and the moon for reckoning; this is an
arrangement of the Mighty, the Knowing.”
Benefits of good
work life balance include: increase in productivity and motivation, reducing
truancy, as well as gaining loyalty from staffs. The risks for physical and
mental health can also be minimized [3]. Of course, long working hours are unavoidable
especially for certain sectors such as healthcare, technical support and security.
But for normal regular jobs, efficiency and common sense are the key. For instance, simple documentation works could definitely wait till morning. There's no need to discuss about work after working hours if it is not urgent. Working long hours should be
the exception, not the rule. It’s about time that number of working hours
should not dictate productivity; rather flexibility and ample time for family,
friends and other self-improvement activities must be encouraged. This may
sound easier said than done, but it is not impossible. Start with yourself, be
an advocate for work life balance by being an exemplary employee and respect others' private time. Insya Allah
the positivity can be spread and the others will follow suit.
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