Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

I want you refreshed before you operate.

Published: Monday, August 31, 2009 - 05:00

The band “Chicago” sang those words about "time" decades ago. The second line “Does anybody really care?” seems to sum up what is still in vogue today, especially in the workplace. Just as with vacations where workers are reluctant to leave for fear that someone will discover that their job is expendable, those same workers are reluctant to depart their desk at the customary 5 p.m. quitting time.

While on the subject of vacations, several weeks ago a column of mine entitled “The Changing Face of the Workplace” (www.qualitydigest.com/inside/quality-insider-column/changing-face-workplace.html) elicited several comments, some in opposition. As you may recall, I said that two- and three-week vacations are a dream of the past because employees are reluctant to be away from the office, fearing that their position may have been eliminated when they return. My take on this issue was that everyone should have a vacation. It’s a time to reenergize and decompress. I assumed that few would object to the idea of vacations.

Au contraire my friends. I heard from people who felt that the criticality of their job was such that a vacation was out of the picture. There were people in health care, the legal profession, security, and national defense who took exception to my remarks. It was their feeling that abandoning vacation plans was almost a medal of honor and a sign of loyalty and commitment to their employer. Since when did not taking a vacation become a bragging point?

Frankly, I don’t want a physician who is burned out diagnosing or operating on me. I don’t want a lawyer defending me in court who is so tired that he or she hasn’t even read the charges. And if I was a soldier defending our country, I wouldn't want a contractor designing armor for me whose staff had been working 12-hour days, seven days a week.

Not being able to take a vacation with family and friends is a deplorable situation. Working at an organization that encourages canceling or curtailing of vacations means I’m moving on to another job. It is a rare occurrence where someone on his or her deathbed utters a wish to have spent more time at work. Maybe being retired clouds my thought process but I think there are many of you who would agree with me. Yes, I realize that today’s workplace has changed and alternative job searches are difficult, but a job without a vacation is tantamount to being on a treadmill that never shuts off. Eventually you just collapse.

Now let’s discuss another phenomenon that is also on my list. It’s employees who continue to remain at work long after most people have left for the day. I realize that there are circumstances where burning the midnight oil is necessary, however, in my experience, there are people who consistently stay late, not for critical work assignments, but to impress the boss.

You know who they are: co-workers who may have mismanaged their workflow during the day and now stay long into the evening and then brag about it the next day with the hopes that senior management will overhear their comments. When I was working there was always a segment of the workforce who stayed in their office just hoping that senior management would walk by or call on the phone. Nothing of any importance was transpiring in their offices but a visit from senior management was the highlight of their day. Of course, it would provide an opportunity to discuss those people who were not as loyal and who had already left.

I once had a boss who unexpectedly scheduled 5:15 p.m. meetings. It was more of a power play on his part because nothing of substance ever took place at these confabs. Most of us had previous commitments, but he brushed those off as “things you can reschedule.” We later learned that he was going through a divorce and thus had no reason to go home. He has a place of honor on my “All-Time Worst Boss" list.

So let’s recap my workplace gripes:

• Everyone should take a vacation, whatever his or her position. It is a time to recalibrate one’s life and to spend some quality time with family. Both family and customers are owed a person who is refreshed, energetic, and rested.

• It’s been said that nothing good takes place after 2 a.m. I would add that in many instances, nothing productive takes place in the workplace after 6 p.m.

• People who linger in the workplace long after the staff has departed should be criticized for their inability to manage their time appropriately. To paraphrase the words of "Chicago"—they obviously don’t know what time it is.

Attempting to contact me with your comments about this column may be difficult. As a retiree, I am on a permanent vacation and a 5 p.m. quitting time is meaningless to me. I am in a state of constant euphoria, full time—with benefits.

About The Author

Bill Kalmar

William J. Kalmar has extensive business experience, including service with a Fortune 500 bank and the Michigan Quality Council, of which he served as director from 1993 through 2003. He served on the Board of Overseers of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program and has been a Baldrige examiner. He was also named quality professional of the year by the ASQ Detroit chapter. Now semiretired, Kalmar does freelance writing for several publications. He is a member of the USA Today Vacation Panel, a mystery shopper for several companies, and a frequent presenter and lecturer.