By Akpeli Othuke Andrew
On my way from church this morning, I ran into an old friend. As a normal practice of exchanging pleasantries, I asked him about his family just to expect the customary ‘Fine’ which is the usual reply by most people in my area no matter the situation they are passing through. Bust he just stood mute for some few seconds and told me to call at his office the following day by 10 a.m. for a detailed discussion about his family. Just at the spur of the moment, I acceded to his request. Just as I was driving home, I started to imagine, Monday morning? 10 a.m.? Hmmm…. What has happened to work ethics?
The work hours were supposed to be fully utilized in order to justify ones pay. But the painful reality these days is just the opposite. The line between work and private life has been blurred by employees’ behaviours. This is evident when employees spend long hours discussing issues with friends and relatives who drop by in the working place just to visit or on unofficial telephone call.
Many employers are perplexed by the new generation of employees who do not seems to have a clue about the social skills necessary to hold a job. “The employees tend to interpret work hours freely and think they can clock in and out whenever they please”, say Anne Mikkola, a restaurateur, in an interview made by a Finnish national service broadcasting company. Codes of conduct and dress code also present difficulties. Especially in a service sector, employers have to point out repeatedly which types of attire are not appropriate.
In order to keep your job, the next time you get to your office, make conscious effort to draw the line between work and private life.
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