An IT company in India has a novel approach to providing work-life balance for employees – automated messages telling them to log off and go home at the end of the day.
The messages flash up on the computers of employees at SoftGrid Computers, an Indian tech start-up based in Indore City, Madhya Pradesh.
10 minutes later the computers automatically switch off, leaving workers free to enjoy their evening.
India IT company viral LinkedIn post
The employee-friendly system emerged after a post went viral on LinkedIn.
HR worker Tanvi Khandelwal, 21 recently joined SoftGrid Computers and was surprised when a message appeared on her monitor telling her to go home for the day.
The message said: “WARNING!!! Your shift time is over. The office system will shut down in 10 mins. PLEASE GO HOME!!”
The post said: “My employer supports #WorkLifeBalance. They put this special reminder, which locks my desktop after business hours and issues a warning.
“No more calls and mails outside business hours! Isn’t this fantastic?”
Opinion was divided online.
Some LinkedIn users praised the Indian IT firm’s approach to management. However, others questioned the automated structure.
“I’d hate it,” said Lisa Farrell-Brown. “Let me decide how and when I work, I don’t need to be switched off. Sometimes my sweet spot is the early hours or late at night. Let me choose when I want to put in more”.
LinkedIn user William Bailey remarked: “I feel like this can have some very negative backlash. What would happen if I am in a call with a client when the system locks? Does it automatically end that call, potentially ending the relations with that client?
“I understand life-work balance is important, but having this type of cut off seems more damaging and stress inducing than helpful.”
Shweta Shukla, CEO and co-founder of SoftGrid, says that the notification was introduced to help staff manage their work-life balance.
“The Covid-19 pandemic threw our work days out of balance and we all began working long hours. I was struggling to make time for my child,” she told the BBC.
A colleague was tasked with creating the software, which flashes a warning before automatically shutting down the computer 10 minutes later.
“We did it over a weekend as we wanted it to be a surprise. When the pop-up first flashed across screens, many employees thought it was a prank, or that someone had hacked into their computer”.
Last month another Indian start-up made the headlines for its approach to helping staff manage a work-life balance.
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