As per the NSSO survey, the first official estimate of working hours in India, conducted for June- July 2018 period, urban Indians work for 53-54 hours per week. This report also stated that most employees in India work for more 48 hours a week, which is higher than ILO's prescribed time limit. A similar study by "Asia-Pacific Employment and Social Outlook 2018" showed that average work hours in South Asia and East Asia were the highest in the world in 2017, at 46.4 and 46.3 hours per week. Another interesting observation made was that the global mean of hours worked per week was 43, and the numbers were significantly low in developed countries. Nearly 52-55 percent of the rural workers and 68-70 percent urban workers were engaged for more than 48 hours a week in India, according to the NSSO's annual survey.
Figures are daunting? Or satisfying? Does it feel like you are doing something right as being part of this pool? Or do you feel that these numbers are simply fake and should be rechecked?
One clear interpretation here is that we Indians invest magnanimous amount of time in our work. When randomly I went around asking people about the why, these were few of the responses:-
1. I love what I do and hence time does not matter.
2. This is how my company/firm/organisation operates and I cant do anything about it.
3. I need promotion hence I work overtime.
4. I have nothing to do when I get back home, so why not stay back with work.
5. This is my career/passion/organisation, and I wont succeed if I stick to only 8 hours a day routine.
6. I am tired of this schedule, but I can do nothing about it.
Be any of the reason above, or something that is not stated, seeing the figures and reasons, we Indians got to accept that we are workaholics and we are affected by workaholism. Workaholics if simply defined, means a person who works compulsively. They may work at cost of their unfinished sleep, stomach aching hunger or/and constraining relationships. They may be compelled to do it or they simply enjoy doing it. Which bucket you figure, you need to find it!
But, if we debate, is it all worth it? Can workaholism be redefined as rewarding and not addiction?
What is the difference between a hard-worker and a workaholic? A hard worker is a person who is emotionally present for the co-workers, family, friends and acquaintances. They tend to maintain a healthy balance between work commitments and life needs. They respect the need for time when over burst of work peeps in. Once they invest into it, they take good enough off to replenish the depleted well being at physical, mental and emotional levels. They tend to make sure to come home with at-least 25 percent of energy and weekends go usually in creating necessary time offs to jump happily into the fresh week.
As contrast, workaholics tend to have adrenaline rushes through work. A goal when accomplished, leads to setting new and more ambitious goals instantly. Staying at the same level is considered as failure. To accomplish these work goals, workaholics tend to skip meals, sleep and relations and hence are left with nothing and no one at the end.
Having said that, psychology says, workaholism comes from never having a carefree childhood, where family responsibilities came in very early in age and situational circumstances led to such habits at work. Workaholics are overly responsible, need very less sleep, rarely relax and are overly competitive. They at times get entangled in the persona enhancing perks that workaholic lifestyle has to offer.
Work is the only thing that stays, long after you are gone!
Think where you are and what are you doing!
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