Work Overtime

You are a human resources assistant and are asked by your boss to write an article for the company newsletter about the unhealthy phenomenon of many employees working overtime in the evenings. Explain the negative effects and suggest two ways to address the problem. Give your article an appropriate title.

 

Work Smart

     Colleagues have recently worked overtime in the evenings. This is not a healthy phenomenon we encourage as it disrupts your work-life balance. We appreciate that you might have a tight deadline to meet or just have the urge to finish what you started, but long working hours mean less time for much-needed rest and exercise, without which your health will be at risk. You also need to spend time with family and friends, which is essential for your mental health, often neglected to the detriment of your well-being.

     We should all work smart. One way is to prioritize our work. We have competing demands on our precious time, so we should focus on more urgent tasks first. Dealing with work as it arises is never a good idea, creating unnecessary rush for important tasks that deserve early attention. Another way is to cut down on unnecessary work or procedures. Over the years, we must have established rules on how work should be done. These rules were put in place for very good reasons at the time, but the key question is whether they are still relevant. If these rules are no longer relevant and can be abolished, we will have more time for the real work.

     It is time you broke the habit of working overtime for your own sake. Come up with ways that can help you achieve a work-life balance.  Your family will also appreciate this change.  It is never too late to make a new start.