Managing workplace expectations

CAPTAIN’S CORNER BY CAPTAIN MAHMOOD AL MAHMOOD

It is indeed a good idea that telemarketing calls will soon be restricted by law to the 8 am to 5 pm office timings. To get calls in the middle of the night, selling you products and services you have limited use for can be frustrating.

Of course since telemarketers are not restricted to Bahrain alone, the fact is you may still get these pesky midnight calls from other timezones.

While our lawmakers are at it, how about we expand the scope of the discussion and also do what the French did - ban office and work-related calls outside office hours?

Although we have excellent work-life  balance in Bahrain, one thing that we do not respect is “me time”. Companies and bosses in Bahrain think nothing of calling up their subordinates after office hours or during their break time to discuss work matters.

This disrespect of an employee’s time must be brought to the attention of seniors and stopped. 

In this day and age, when workplaces are automated and saving energy and trees by transacting entirely via machines, we have no excuse to trouble employees after office hours.

If an employee is needed constantly after office hours, it means the employer has not given him or her the proper  brief about the job.

It is then time to recalibrate expectations and also invest in better training - both, for the employer and the employee!