Your shift is over, please go home: Indore-based startup’s initiative winning Internet  

Work-life balance (or the sore lack of it) is a hot-button topic in the corporate world right now. while the discourse on the subject has increased in the last decade, much of it has remained theoretical and has not been put into practice.

Although many C-suite executives wax poetic about it on their LinkedIn handles and many organisations profess to uphold it, many employees end up with little to no work-life balance. Moreover, in a culture like India, where workaholism is not just normalised but celebrated, all talks about work-life balance and work-life integration sometimes turn out to be empty verbiage.

However, an Indore-based startup is determined to make a difference and not just talk the talk, but walk the walk. SoftGrid Computers, an IT startup, has introduced a novel policy to ensure their staff does not end up working inhumane hours. The office computers automatically shut down if they work past their shift timings. The organisation reportedly installed special software that freezes systems after an individual’s shift comes to an end.

She also revealed that the company has a strict no-calls/emails after-work policy to help employees enjoy their time off without any guilt. "Yes, in this era, we believe in flexible working hours and a happy environment!” She signed off by inviting applications for available positions. The post has gone viral on the professional networking platform, gaining more than 347K likes.

Some LinkedIn users lauded the policy. One wrote, “The reminder to not work outside of business hours is a small but significant gesture." Another inquired if there were available positions they can apply to. “Hopefully there will be a vacancy soon because this is life for me. The REAL work-life balance."

However, not everybody was impressed with the company’s approach to enforcing work-life balance. This is reverse psychology which will create pressure to meet deadlines early," one user wrote. "We should avoid controlling human behaviours. Let the employees manage their timelines,” commented another.