IT Company Promotes Work-Life Balance By Locking Employees Out Of Their PC When Shift Ends
"The office system will shut down in 10 minutes, please go home," the software reminds the company's staff.
By Aqasha Nalani — 22 Feb 2023, 05:23 PM
A small IT firm in India, SoftGrid Computers, has gone above and beyond to promote work-life balance in its office by logging its employees out of their personal computers (PC) when their shift ends
According to Reuters, the company in Indore, central India, developed software to remind their employees when their shift is almost over and when it is time to go home.
The software works by sending a notification to the employees' computers, which displays a message that says, "The office system will shut down in 10 minutes, please go home."
The company's initiative received mixed reactions online after one of its employees, Tanvi Khandelwal, shared photos of the software on her LinkedIn account
One user claimed that logging staff out of their PC isn't in the spirit of flexible working.
"That is enforced working hours and I'd have a real problem with that, having worked in a truly flexible workplace. Appreciate the spirit of the gesture though," they wrote.
Another speculated that the company did so in the name of reverse psychology, adding that it would only put pressure on employees to meet their deadlines.
"We should avoid controlling human behaviours and let the employees manage their [own] timelines," they wrote.
"They might want to complete the project within the timeline and shutting off the system seems like you are controlling your employees."
Meanwhile, some users praised the company's groundbreaking approach to promoting work-life balance.
