Clocking out: does your boss have to leave first?
Some hardworking employees have an even harder-working boss who is the last to leave the office. So, if your workaholic boss is still at his computer when it is closing time and you need to leave, how do you go home without looking like a slacker?
Should you sneak out, hoping to avoid being spotted down the hall?
Should you guiltily apologize and promise to be working all night at home?
Or should you just walk straight out the door in the most professional way you can?
The first thing you have to do is show you are still working hard and being good at your job. This requires that you frequently show your progress and results. Ideally, you would want to know what your boss really needs and deliver it consistently enough that your hours become a non-issue.
You may think that managers value you for working day and night. Logging several hours of overtime every week has even become something to be admired and an example to be followed. However, while your work ethic may be praised by your boss, it is taking a hefty toll on your body and mind.
For one, longer hours do not always mean more productivity. A Stanford research paper found that people who worked 70 hours per week did not actually get more done than their peers who worked 56 hours.
Tip: To avoid getting overwhelmed, avoid addressing everything at once. Multitasking might actually make you get less work done. Hone in on your top 3 priorities each day. Focus on time-management and organization, which will help with efficiency and productivity.
Also, staying in the office longer than you should usually results in less sleep and more daytime fatigue. You could be charging through the workday for lengthy periods of time, so it will be difficult to quiet your mind at bedtime. As well as making you grumpy, poor sleep decreases productivity and increases the risk of chronic conditions, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Tip: Take breaks throughout the day to walk outside, talk to a friend or do some light stretching. This could help overcome daytime sleepiness.
Staying late at the office could also make you feel blue. One study found that workers who logged 11 hours per day were more likely to battle depression than those who worked seven to eight hours.
Tip: Mindfulness Meditation. This helps you to be more present so your mind is not going in 100 directions. A meditation workshop or seeing a therapist is recommended. Meditation apps like ‘headspace’ is also helpful.
Your relationships could also be affected. Even if you have time for relationships, the stress, fatigue, and depression that you are experiencing due to work may take a toll on them as well.
Tip: Try including non-work related activities in your to-do list. Exercising, listening to music, spending time with friends can help you decompress from work. Try to ensure that these things align into your week, or schedule an activity everyday if possible.
Again, it is good to figure out what your boss wants before getting hung up on work hours. Your boss may be staying late for several reasons. It could be a personal habit or preference, or maybe a way to escape. Knowing what your boss wants ensures that you are not making wrong guesses about his/her expectations.
This is the importance of communication. If you sit down with your boss and ask him/her to clearly define your job objectives and deadlines for reaching them, you can then work towards those deadlines and feel less guilty about leaving work before your boss. It would be useful to update your boss on your progress and results often, and check in every evening at closing time before leaving the office. In time, your boss will acknowledge that it is not the hours that matters but the hard work and effort you put in.
Also, working hours will be a non-issue if you project a hardworking image. If your boss intensely and passionately talks about a project, respond with similar energy and enthusiasm, acknowledging its importance and repeating the deadline. Additionally, manage time well in one-on-one meetings, moving quickly through your agenda. And, realize that you would have to work long hours during a crisis or busy season, or when a deadline for a major project is fast approaching.
Sometimes, changing work hours will actually be helpful. If you go to the office when more people are present, maybe from 10am-8pm, you are more likely to be noticed than working from 7am-5pm.
However, you should definitely not ‘fake’ a presence at work. This does not work. You cannot throw a coat over your chair as if you just stepped away, then leave for the day. It could backfire. When you are needed, your coworkers will be frantically looking for you, thinking you are still around the office premises. Plus, it is not a good idea to complain. Whining that you are working too hard would not go over well with your boss or colleagues. Nobody wants to hear that.
In some professions, working long hours is unavoidable. Some organizational cultures encourage intense competition and long hours among new hires, while others have unwritten rules, such as, “Nobody leaves the office before the boss leaves”. In such cases, it is wise to prove yourself on the job for at least six months and seek advice from a mentor before exploring shorter hours. Understand the ins and outs of the organization to avoid stepping into a minefield.
Essentially, when talking to your boss about hours:
- Know in advance what his/her needs are
- Bring specifics documenting your own performance
- Start on a positive note, talking about what is going on well
- Ask what the boss expects of employees when it comes to work hours and responding to emails
- Affirm your boss’ point and then state yours
Conversations like these can open a dialogue, or expose a brick wall. It could even force you to move on to a job with better hours if the response from your boss is something like, “I have to work these hours, so why are you complaining?”
Working long hours can cause stress on your mental and physical health. At PAT Consulting, we provide training on stress management, as well as solutions to other issues relating to mental health. Contact us today at 0907 870 6967 or info@patnigeria.com if you need any advice.
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