Thoughts on a hectic work life

In the unlikely scenario that you missed the recent flurry of debate on India’s need for a 70 / 90 hour work week - below is the infamous remark, to catch you up.

To put into context, the reason I’ve been thinking about this a bit more is because of a recent dilemma I faced. Some time ago, I was offered a job in an industry that I really want (and is really difficult) to crack. Wasn’t the sexiest firm, but it was an in to the ecosystem.

I did eventually pass up on the opportunity after considering a bunch of factors - I hadn’t even been actively looking for anything yet, so waiting out for a better opportunity from a more marquee name, the optics of leaving the current role within a short time; my dad doesn’t count these as valid, but - proximity of the office to my flat, comp etc.

I’d say these reasons made up about 30% of the decision, but what swung that 70% from a ‘maybe’ to the territory of ‘no chance’ was as follows. In some follow up conversations, it was made abundantly clear to me and the team was a little too upfront about the fact that the job would be non-stop. Apart from alternate working Saturdays (mandatorily in office just like all other days), employees cannot take any leaves for the first 6 months (“unless you’re extremely sick” - their words exactly). And beyond that, the firm rewards you with an annual leave policy of a whopping 15 days (including sick leaves, mind you).

Don’t get me mistaken, I agree with the conventional counsel that “this is the age to work hard”. There’s no doubt in my mind that our ability to absorb and learn is at its highest right now. I’m all about that hustle….. as long as it remains within the confines of Mon - Fri from 9 AM to 5 PM. Only joking :P, but I am convinced that hustling should never come at the cost of having a life.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled and have mistaken an anomaly for the corporate standard, but at my first professional stint out of college I got to experience a culture where employee well being was truly a priority. There’s no question that I had to put in really long hours most days, but there were plenty and more channels for flexibility. Time off, was time off. PTOs and weekends were sacred and genuinely respected. Any relationship operates a lot better when its balanced by a fulcrum of trust. With most of my peers, I’ve noticed that children who grew up with lenient and non-interfering parents, have ended up being measured and judicious vs. helicopter and controlling parents, whose kids have lashed out. And the exact same is the case at the work place. People feel motivated to put in the hours when they know their organization trusts them and isn’t watching over them like Big Brother - having a clock in time, forcing them to come into office even if they’re sick etc. It’s well researched that employees end up taking less days off if the firm has an unlimited leave policy vs. if there is a certain cap on the number of days (in which case they will certainly exhaust the permitted days). The point is, people value being trusted and giving employees flexibility will in itself drive them to push themselves - and I want to be part of an organization that recognizes that.

A lot of people are motivated to sell their souls for a huge cash check (not that that was the case with me, I’d be doing it for the ‘experience’), but even then there’s a breaking point after which any incremental jump in pay isn’t worth the sacrifice of free time and fun, because it no longer derives the same utility. This was my favorite concept in Economics class, and my favorite example is the below. If you’re really hungry, the first cookie you eat is super satisfying. But as you get more full, the marginal utility of each additional cookie drops, until eventually the utility decreases to negative (you feel sick from an extra cookie). The same is the case with the work-pay relationship.

Further, I think a lot of real productivity happens beyond work. When you’re overworked, you pretty much have no time to pursue other hobbies, reflect / think about anything, or even stay abreast with the news. Reading, catching up with friends, meeting new people, travelling, exercising, exploring the city you live in etc. are all productive activities and I think I can learn as much from them (if not more) as I can from working 15 hours a day. I read a statistic that said “By the time you turn 18, you’ve already spent 90% of your time with your parents.” It might sound dramatic, but having the option to travel home to spend time with family etc. are also important factors to consider.

I do acknowledge that our generation can afford the luxury of having this mindset because we don’t face the same pressure as our parents did to build a comfortable life for themselves - but long story short, while I’m not one to shy away from working hard, for me, it definitely can’t come at the cost of enjoying life.

Anyways, like with most things, despite the above hoo-hah - I went back and forth a hundred times and immediately regretted it after I rejected the offer, but have shockingly made my peace with it since. As a wise woman (random lady from an Instagram reel) once said, instead of always worrying about making the right choice, focus your efforts on making the choice you made the right one.

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I think I’ll switch between these types of reflective pieces, and more researched / informative ones. I’ll write about lab grown diamonds next.