of work & leave

i am on leave today, yet technically, i am still at work cos i log on into my email and do work-related stuff at home. and when i get off work daily, i continue working when i reach home. i know such behaviours are not good. but it had become a habit. and it is not just me, it seemed like everyone at my work place do the same, it is the culture of the company. everyone seems to thrive on such unhealthy work habits. and my bosses expect me to do so... not good. not good at all. but i went with the flow. nonetheless, i made sure i do not impose the same demands nor expect the same of my staff. i mean, work will never end, so why be held hostage by it? right?

last year, when i joined the company, my staff, who was about to leave for his honeymoon, asked me - do you need me to bring my laptop along? i can still be reachable and if need be, i can log on and clear anything you need me to do. well, on the bright side, it reflected my staff's willingness to work, but in the most unhealthy sense, it reflected the lack of respect for the individual on the part of the company. of cos, in a competitive environment, one needs to be responsive, but i strongly believe this is up to a certain level, after which, work is work, life is life. there must be a clear distinction between the 2. and certainly, i sensed that from my top/ senior management point of view, they do not see it that way. in fact, if you are constantly at the beck and call and are responsive regardless of day or time, you are considered good and they will like you very much...

hmmm... not healthy right?

and yes, back to my staff, i told him to switch off his handphone, leave his laptop in singapore and simply go and enjoy his honeymoon. i will not call nor email. and even if i do, i certainly would not expect him to respond. my attitude to my staff is - when at work, work hard, and when at play, play hard. try not to mix work and play. no one is indispensible.