I’m sure most of you have heard of the term “slave driving“. It’s a term widely used in our world today, especially in the IT industry where competition is stiff. All the companies want to deliver a project in the shortest time possible to please the clients. However, the only way they can do this is to “force” their employees to work more and longer period of time….which means “slave driving“.
In some big corporations, “slave driving” is a norm. It is something they used to measure an employee’s commitment. I used to work in a company where going back on time is not encouraged. Everyone will be looking at you whenever you choose to go back at 5.30 or 6pm…..including your bosses who might be taking some “personal notes” as you walked pass. Well, as expected, I didn’t do well in the company because I was considered not committed enough even though I used to work > 14 hours a day for them.
The question now is : Do you think one is not committed enough if one always go back on time (even if his work is completed)?
I personally don’t think so. If a person always go back on time, even though the work for the day has not been completed…then that person is not committed enough. However, it depends on the workload as well. If the manager is too demanding, it’s a totally different story.
Also, based on some researches, an employee cannot perform well if work for > 12 hours a day. The person will suffer “brain freeze” or “mental block“. So, what’s the use of forcing people to work > 12 hours when their brains are not working?
When an employee is not working happily…such as not in a fun working environment (remember the “Fish!” philosophy?), no family and work balance, not rewarded appropriately or no job satisfaction… the employee will leave the company sooner or later. This is why most of the “slave driving” companies have very high turnover rate since not everyone can be as “committed” as the management team wants them to be.
What will happen if the company has very high turnover rate? Well, I am sure that’s a question most people can answer. Reputation, headcount problem, etc will come into question.
Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean to say that an employee should stick to 9-5 type of work. It is necessary to show your initiatives and your commitments to your company but at the same time, have a balance work + family life. Sometimes the company needs you to work for longer period of time due to project timeline. That will be the time for you to show your commitment. Your company don’t pay you for nothing. 
Conclusion, respect for the individual is the key phrase. Every company should respect its own employees, including giving them their personal time and freedom. If the company respects its employees, I am sure the employees will be willing to take up some of their personal time to do something for the company. The work of someone who is willing, is always better than the work of someone who has been forced.
9 comments
Comments feed for this article
February 12, 2007 at 4:15 pm
Dmitri
I think that programmers are not so stupid nowadays as to work extended overtime without adequate motivation to do so. Personally, I would only consider working overtime if the bonuses were truly massive. The problem with overtime you describe is, there’s no way to properly do any cost-benefit analysis on the extra time you put in. Are you going to be promoted if you work longer? You don’t know. Maybe your boss doesn’t know either.
One place where I do overtime work is at home. I can easily program 12 hours straight, and wouldn’t feel any discomfort. But in this case, I have appropriate incentives for doing so.
February 12, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Alvin
Yeap, if the working environment is fun or comfortable…i don’t mind working for more than 12 hours a day…..except if the culture of the company itself is “there is no off peak period”…then, it’s a totally different story.
I believe even Superman will get tired after spending too much time on a single thing.
February 13, 2007 at 12:21 pm
drowmage
Oh this post sounds so familiar….
That’s right, I used to be one of those 14-hours a day working people (track record is 26 hours straight at the office).
The best thing is, I still got passed over for promotions, got back-stabbed and had more work dumped on me because of my over-dedication.
Was it worth it? No, considering that our overtime was only limited to 4 hrs maximum = RM70 (USD$20) at the end of the day. I had a team who couldn’t care less about pulling their weight (most of them) and a bunch of leaders who were more worried about the ‘numbers’ than their employees’ state of mental health!
I certainly don’t miss working for sadistic evil corporations which believe in sucking your life dry.
But at the end of the day, we are the ones who make the choices. The best thing is – do the best you can at your job, in the specific amount of hours you are meant to work, and go home and spend time with friends, loved ones at the end of the 8 or 9 hours of work. The rest of the people who stare at you and give you weird looks for ‘leaving the office early’ can go stuff themselves.
February 13, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Alvin
Wow….I am sure you were a victim of “slave driving” company.
The sad thing is, there are a lot of people out there who are willing to be a slave for these companies….because they claimed they don’t have a choice. I think if they’ve watched the movie “CLICK” and managed to get something out of that movie, they will know that we don’t live to work. We work to live.
That’s why I respect companies where they don’t promote slave driving except maybe, for few rare cases (due to some screwed up sales guys). How i hope we have more of such companies….though I understand it’s hard especially in this world where the slower companies will perish.
February 14, 2007 at 12:08 am
drowmage
It’s a dog-eat-dog world. Most companies are so busy competing in terms of the numbers, that they forget to think of long-term results – treat your employees well, make sure they’re well-paid and treated with respect for their work skill, and they’ll be loyal to the company.
Sort of like having a dog, if you feed it and love it and make sure it’s comfy and happy, it’ll never leave you.
February 14, 2007 at 1:25 am
justordinary
I say it is best to clock out when your time is done. If you do stay over they will take advantage of you and then EXPECT you to stay anytime they need.
Then you’ll be looking at a day where you can’t stay due to family, or whatever, and they will most likely being taking those “personal notes” about you refusing to stay when they needed you…forgetting all the time you’ve given them before…they’ll also forget how long you’ve been there, and that you are a damn good worker. Those things don’t matter as much in the corporate world like we’re supposed to believe.
Very important to find a place that wil fit into YOU, not YOU fit into them!
February 15, 2007 at 1:02 am
Alvin
In the end, it is not that you shouldn’t fit into a company…..it should be give n take situation. You should dedicate yourself to the company, but the company should look after you too.
I do agree though, that most companies look at short term instead of long term. Well, what do you expect? Most of the bosses or people on the top of the corporate ladder have been reminded again and again that THIS is the way to run a business. You don’t do THIS, shareholders will be unhappy and you’re screwed.
A cruel fact that all of us must face…and admit.
March 3, 2007 at 9:57 am
Jon
Generally, this is the way I noticed how things are…..You work extremely hard, constantly staying back late…. impressing your boss and eventually, you might get a promotion … a few hundred ringgit extra and in turn, seeing that you are such an extremely hardworking person, more work will be assigned to you…. as a result, your health deteriorates….it affects you mentally too…. a once happy person may constantly feel stressed and angry. Some people may even result in consuming excessive alcohol and smoking more cigs.
To cut the long story short, a person can rarely be happy and rich by overworking themselves. Most of the time, a person would have to be their own boss…. that is considering their business is doing fine but the sad part is that how many people are actually lucky enough and capable of doing their own business?
March 7, 2007 at 10:02 am
Alvin
I think, as long as you are doing something you really like…then it’s ok by clocking more time on the job. You’ll mostly work the extra hour willingly.
On the other hand, if people start pushing or forcing you to work extra…and you’re not really willing to do so…then we’ll reach the stage where you “are forced to do it”….because you “are left with no choice”.