In some countries, businesses actually close down their servers and systems in order to ensure that even those who are essentially married to their jobs – are forced to take a step back and take a break.
It forces their workforce to have a quality home life, uninterrupted by work.
They can go home and completely detach from the tasks that otherwise occupy their day.
While some might see this as a hindrance – slowly down what they might think could be valuable productive hours, the reality is – in the end this can actually increase productivity.
By hugely reducing the risk of burnout, and truly holding those accountable for all tasks and processes of their jobs. Employees are coming into work each day refreshed from being able to clean their mental work slate each night and redirect their focus into the personal or family lives.
They’re truly passing the baton on to those that may work an opposite shift and encouraging true teamwork and partnership by allowing their counterparts to fully step into all aspects of the role.
By untying themselves from their desks at the end of each day, those that step in are able to do so without the potential of someone who otherwise shouldn’t be there – stepping in, and are increasing their knowledge and skillset by fully embracing all aspects of the job.
When security starts a detail – they do so by fully encompassing the role.
They typically aren’t hindered by anyone outside of their position trying to actually step in and fill their shoes.
They’re coming into work to do the job they were hired to do, without the potential for unnecessary crossover.
While security can and often does work in teams, and often has a supervisor or lead – there is always direction and fairly clean cut rules as to what can and cannot take place.
But take for example a store owner hiring security to watch over their property in the off hours.
The store owner doesn’t stay after hours to do the same job that security was hired for.
Otherwise why hire someone else? Or why try complete a job that you weren’t hired for, tasked to, or trained for?
The store owner hires security so that he can maintain that work life balance.
So that he maintains peace of mind.
He comes in and does the work he has set out to do, knowing that at the end of the day he is passing the proverbial baton onto a counterpart that is fully capable and trusted to do the job.
He goes home, and uninterrupted can spend time with his friends and family – truly unwinding and unplugging from the day to day.
Perhaps one of the issues in today’s society is our lack of trust in ourselves, and our lack of trust in others.
We hesitate when it comes to letting anyone into our career space for fear that they will do one of two things – either bog down and cause issues in our work space or potentially even do our jobs better than we think we can do it ourselves.
We lack trust in the jobs we may otherwise leave incomplete. Fearful that others may notice our shortcomings (even though its likely they are already aware of these anyway).
We work day in and day out in some cases to prove to ourselves that we can do it, and that we are valuable.
We put in long hours to show that we are a valuable asset to our jobs and careers.
We take on more and more work in a constant race to climb the rungs of the business world ladder.
And while our home and personal lives may struggle – we do this for the sake of the job, or at least this is what we tell ourselves.
Because this is just a season, because we are needed, because we have the skills or experience.
But at the end of the day, when it all boils over (and it almost always does) – does it really matter?
Guest Blogger Rayna Davies
Rayna Davies is a graduate and practitioner of Business Management. She has developed an expertise in blogging, covering subjects like travel, world events and security. Having grown up with a father who has developed an expertise in Physical Security and Executive Protection in the RCMP and two major corporations, she has personally observed and experienced many security details. These experiences have included personally meeting HM Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Jean Chretien and many celebrities. She presently assists Sentinel Security in Executive Protection workshops and guest blogging and also assists Gloprosec Preventative Services in Intelligence gathering and Business Administration. Her passions include World travel, having visited every continent.