What's your view of working on weekends? - SmartBrief

All Articles Leadership Management What's your view of working on weekends?

What’s your view of working on weekends?

The most recent SmartBrief on Leadership poll question: What's your view of working on weekends?

2 min read

Management

What's your view of working on weekends?

SmartBrief

SmartPulse — our weekly nonscientific reader poll in SmartBrief on Leadership — tracks feedback from more than 200,000 business leaders. We run the poll question each week in our newsletter.

What’s your view of working on weekends?

  • I forbid it and just won’t do it: 5.55%
  • I’ll only do it if it’s an emergency: 56.20%
  • I’ll do it if I don’t have any personal plans: 23.26%
  • I like doing it because it’s quiet and I can focus: 14.99%

Setting boundaries. More than 60% of respondents say they won’t work on a weekend unless it’s an extreme situation (or at all, for that matter). A small group of you enjoy the weekend work time because of the quiet and ability to focus. For that group, just be sure you’re getting some of that time back during the week, however that might be appropriate (compensatory time, half-days, work from home, etc.). For the 23% who do it if you don’t have personal plans, beware of that slippery slope. Work could become your default, and your life might slip into not making personal plans because you’re expecting to work.

Balance takes effort. Be clear on your boundaries and understand when you’re violating them (or someone else is asking to violate them). Your well-being should come first.

 

Mike Figliuolo is managing director of thoughtLEADERS, which includes TITAN — the firm’s e-learning platform. Previously, he worked at McKinsey & Co., Capital One and Scotts Miracle-Gro. He is a West oint graduate and author of three leadership books: “One Piece of Paper,” “Lead Inside the Box” and “The Elegant Pitch.”