We’ve seen a lot of Tik Toks during the Work From Home (WFH) era, where office workers were having a difficult time separating their lives from work, now that the lines are blurry. Their bosses seemed to have no sense of this separation, or respect for the need for workers to step away from work once in a while. Instead, work now became 24/7 and it was draining for those who WFH.
One would think such problems are only relevant for those in the workforce, but honestly, I see similar problems in university committees. Having been in a couple of committees now, and hearing the experience from some of my friends, this problem of the lack of awareness of respect for each other’s boundaries in terms of time is quite concerning. 3am calls, or calls running for more than 2 hours is just simply too much. While late night calls are understandable as our days are packed full of classes, having a call later than 10pm is simply ridiculous. With heavy workloads in school and other commitments, such meetings (some of which are mostly superfluous) only tire us out unnecessarily.
Even though our generation is following the lead of the Millenials in pushing back against the 9-5 hustler concept, it still persists, especially in a materialistic generation like ours. While we value our own personal space and time, being a hustler is still regarded with respect and something to aspire for. While there is nothing wrong with working hard, working without the proper rest and relaxation is falling back on the capitalist mindset, where workers work like infinite resources, while the top bosses enjoy easygoing lives.
If you too are uncomfortable with late night or long Zoom calls and just need some rest and relaxation after a long week, the following are some recommendations and advice on what to do!
- Communicate to your higher-ups
If you are a member under the leadership of someone else, communicate it upwards and let yourself be heard. Your leaders may not know or recognise that it is a problem, so communicating it in a manner of suggestion can solve the conflict smoothly and diplomatically.
- Set boundaries
Usually, CCAs have polls to decide when to hold meetings. Even though it is based on availability, a way to cheat the system is simply to indicate timings you are comfortable with. You have no obligation to press yes on the “12am” option or the “Saturday” option!
- Respect each other!
Committee work isn’t the center of our universes; all of us have separate and busy lives! If you are a leader, asking when your team feels comfortable working and keeping your meeting poll options strictly to a certain time range (eg: before 10pm) or only on weekdays is recommendable, and would be a huge favor to your team members (and yourself!) Asking your members for their schedule in the case where meetings are absolutely necessary can help you plan around each other and choose a more reasonable time.
Finally, it is simply about work ethic and respecting each other. Establishing your boundaries and expecting respect in this aspect is only the bare minimum; communicating over such conflicts and dissatisfaction are good practices for the real working world when we get to it!