What's Driving Indians to Put in More Hours at Work?

Indians are spending more than 45 hours a week at work because of opportunities the work place. Male employees are doing it for financial security and women for flexibility. 

In a knowledge driven economy, flexibility has replaced overtime. India Inc has employees working for 45 hours a week but that is not to say that they are being compelled to spend longer hours at work. Today. employees are enthused to put in more hours at work. Thanks largely due to facilities and choices provided to them at the work-place. 

A recent survey on work-place flexibility by Randstad reveals that around 40% Indian employees work more than 45 hours per week against the global standard of 40 hours a week. It found that 46% men and 32% women clock more than 45 hours at work very week. On an average women put in 35 hours at work and men work for 39 hours. 

This is not to say that women are less committed to work than men. Work is something that you do rather than somewhere you go and them is a lot of focus on taking work to people as opposed to bringing people to work. Its no longer about where employees work from but whether they work effi-ciently Clarity on what the telecommuting environment entails and what is expected out of the employees is imperative to productivity and accountability thus ensuring efficacy of such employee-friendly policies: says Dr Moorthy K Uppaluri. MDandCEO, Randstad India. 

Improved infrastructure at the work place and the choice of activities available on corporate campuses is also encouraging employees to spend more time at work.

They may actually be enjoying working more number of hours. It's also to do with convenience and improved infrastructure. Today employees tend to plan their schedules in a manner so that they can start early and leave late to beat the traffic or the heat outside." he says, The fact that employees are staying longer at work is a matter of choice. It has nothing to do with the fact that they are over worked or depriving themselves of a healthy family life or the fact that long hours are impacting their health and well being.

Employees are dictated by the outcomes - work output and the value proposition, There are different strokes for different people. For the millermials, it is development and training opportunities, enhancing skills and job challenges while for women it is working for a promotion and for flexibility. Men are largely driven by financial security and increasing influence at work,"he says, What are the factors that influence employees to work less? The fact that women are putting in fewer hours is actually healthy because they are being provided more flexibility at the workplace and getting to spend more time with the family, he says "We have also seen employees come to work on Saturdays and inviting their families over because the campus restaurants are often better than those in town. Some Companies even provide dry cleaning and laundry facilities at the work place so that employees have to spend less time on house hold chores,"he says, the survey also says that as many as 53% employees prefer telecommuting while 47% prefer to work from office. as many as 52% male and 54% females prefer telecommuting. Also, those above 45 years of age prefer telecommuting.