Passions: The 18-hour itch

Should you sacrifice your already precarious work-life balance in order to get ahead? Two thought leaders discuss

“Be decisive about when you need a break from work”

Shantanu Deshpande, CEO, Bombay Shaving Company, asked youngsters to hustle and put in 18-hour-days at work on LinkedIn. He has since apologised for the post

By Ashok Ramachandran

Ashok says, “To me, hustling does not equal to working for insane hours with no personal life.”

The recent debate on the 18-hour work culture worries me. More so since it is playing out on social media, a location that accentuates the need to constantly signal “hustle mode on”.

I strongly believe that work and life go hand in hand. To me, hustling does not equal to working for insane hours with no personal life. It means that one allows for blank spaces that boost creativity and spark excellence. Consuming yourself with work all the time will not let you refresh, reflect and re-energise, the three critical ₹to achieve moonshot goals. So, it’s best to be decisive about when one needs a break.

In my organisation, we encourage managers to check on how people feel, look for signs of burnout and provide avenues for employees to speak up about work-related issues. We also focus on providing employees with sufficient me-time.

If you are confused about your work-life balance, step back and think about what is likely to make you proud 10 years on. It won’t be success at work. It will be the relationships you created and cherish—which comes only from spending your time both at work and in life.

“Sometimes, working longer hours helps you grow”

By Arjun Sawhney

Arjun says, “If work doesn’t feel like work and we are given sufficient time to recharge...the hours we put in work doesn’t matter.”

I can see how the insinuation made by the CEO of The Bombay Shaving Company that the youngest millennials and the oldest Gen Z kids work 18-hour days would rub people the wrong way. This is unrealistic and detrimental to not just an individual’s well-being, but to a company’s culture.

That being said, sometimes working longer hours helps individuals, including myself, grow in every aspect. Our work includes a lot of expression, a lot of creativity, a lot of passion, and I have strived to create a work culture that gives each employee a sense of belonging.

This sense of belonging helps our people expand their interests and explore their talents. When they find their passion, their sense of satisfaction reduces stress, which positively affects productivity. So, if work doesn’t feel like work and we are given sufficient time to recharge, whether we put in eight hours at the office or 18 doesn’t matter.

However, it is true that at some companies, people stay late to give the impression that they are committed to their jobs. This is toxicity.

Arjun Sawhney is the founder of The Communication Council and Green Goose Design.

From HT Brunch, September 10, 2022

Follow us on twitter.com/HTBrunch

Connect with us on facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch