Overly demanding employers can perpetuate a cycle of exploitation and ultimately harm an organisation’s performance. The glamorisation of high-pressure work environments , like the infamous “996′′ culture (where staff work from 9am until 9pm six days a week), often portrays relentless dedication and long hours as key to career success. A PR boss at Chinese tech firm Baidu publicly apologised in May after glorifying a work-till-you-drop culture.
Qu Jing advised staff not to expect weekends off and denied any responsibility for employee welfare, saying: “I’m not your mother.” It is not surprising that there was a public outcry around a culture that discourages a work-life balance. The effects of this can be profound, especially for young workers who want to develop their careers amid blurred boundaries between work and personal life .
And it appears a healthy home life is important to work performance too. In studies we conducted with dual-earner couples aged 40 and over from the US, our results showed that feeling supported at home spills over into the workplace. This can improve both creativity and performance.
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