Always try to leave your office on time. There’s a reason why we have fixed office timings. You work from 9 to 5 or from 6 to 10. Again, you work 5 days a week or 6 days a week according to laws prevailing in your country.
It is in your own interest to ensure that you do not stick around in the office after office hours and get counted among permanent fixtures. There are at least two good reasons why you should do that. One, it means that you are unable to manage your work properly. If you are unable to finish your work within the office hours, that is a sign of inefficiency and incompetence. You may try to sell yourself as a hardworking employee, but others may not buy that. Second, by spending extra hours at office, you are nibbling at the time meant for your family and social life. You neglect these at your own peril.
Former President of India, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, wrote extensively on this. He said you should always leave office on time because work is a never-ending process. It can never be completed.
Agreed that the interest of your client is important, but so is the interests of your family and friends
If you suffer setbacks in your life, your boss or client will not come to your rescue. It is your family and friends that will stand by you and lend you a helping hand.
There’s more to life than work, office and client. Spend meaningful time on socialising, entertainment, relaxation, exercise, etc.
Office work is routine in nature. You actually turn into a machine over the years. That is not what you studied hard for or struggled through your life for.
If your boss forces you to stay beyond office hours, it is quite possible that your boss is inefficient or incompetent.
Completing your work and leaving office on time indicates that you are an efficient and competent employee. It allows you to spend quality time with your family and friends. That helps you to balance your official, personal, and social life like no other.
After explaining all these, Dr Kalam went on to share his wisdom in these words: ‘Love your job but don’t love your company, because you may not know when your company stops loving you.’
