JOIN USThe buzzword in employee-management, these days, is flexi working hours. A top telecom company recently did away with time-sheets and attendance-sheets, time trusted methods to discipline employees, saying that quality of work is more important that marking one’s presence in office when it comes to judging over-all work performance.
So is the office space set to become redundant and timely attendance-marking a notion of the past with advanced technical appliances, especially, enabling workers to deliver from home? Metrolife spoke to some young professionals.
Those in creative sectors like media, public relations, advertising and Human Resource readily agree. Preeti Parmar, an HR and recruitment executive says, “I stay in Gurgaon and spend three hours and more commuting to office every day. As such I have everything that one could need to work - a cell phone, a laptop and internet connection - at home. What is the need to go to office then?”
Her colleague Kushal Rajgriha says, “These days, we have so many online modes like Skype and G-talk to constantly stay in touch with teammates and bosses. When a meeting is needed, video-conferencing can be done. For presentations, all that we need is an Excel-sheet, not even a pen and paper. Why should we take the trouble to come to office then?”
Gurpreet Kaur, a public relations professional, echoes his sentiment, “My company actually encourages this. Many seniors in my office are allowed to work from home off and on. When women employees get married, they just inform the bosses about how they are planning to meet project deadlines, not ‘where from.’”
Not all agree with them, though. Some feel that coming to office is necessary, and on time, to ensure work discipline. Payal Kapur, an event management personnel says, “I don’t feel like I am working if I don’t go to office on a certain day. Office is necessary for me to maintain personal discipline as well as adhere to a schedule.”
“Besides, many a times, clients need to visit your office. If you tell them that office-attending is optional for you, they will certainly not take your work seriously,” she adds.
Rahul Bansal, a media professional says, “In my field, we are given ample liberty to
arrive late in the afternoon and sometimes just work from the reporting field. However, I know from personal experience that it is important to come to office and on time.”
“Office may relax its own discipline. But the moment you start taking it easy and fault on the deadlines you set for yourself, work will go for a toss.”