Al-Watan newspaper

Working hard is important if we want the Kingdom to take gigantic steps in industry. However, we first need to overcome our hate for work.

The Japanese word “karoshi” means death from working too hard. When several Japanese people died from working too hard the Japanese government launched a campaign to raise employee awareness about “karoshi” and the importance of work-life balance. The government even paid incentives to employees who finished their work and left on time.

I once overheard female receptionists at a hotel in the UK talking about their days off. One of them was happy that she was off from work the next day while the other had completely forgotten about her day off because she had been overworking herself.

Let us compare the situation in Japan and the UK to Arab countries. Our societies love to over-celebrate holidays and days off. Most Arabs wait patiently for the weekend and it is the case, sadly, that most of us drag ourselves to work; this is especially the case on the first day of the week. For us, Sunday is the worst day of the week while Thursday is considered the best. Thursday represents happiness and joy.

Does this have to do with our love for chaos and disorganization or is it part of our culture? It looks like we hate work. Some of us dislike work because of the lack of incentives or the poor working environment. However, the majority of employees who work in big companies where there are plenty of perks still complain about work. Their number one complaint is job security. They feel they have little job security and that is why they drag themselves to work and do not work hard.

In my opinion, job security depends on employees themselves and not companies. In other words, job security is not a company’s responsibility. Any productive, disciplined, punctual and competent employee will make the company hold on to him and never let him go.

Some compare their jobs or salaries with the people around them. These comparisons can sometimes be frustrating because they drive employees to be negligent and not fulfill tasks. I advise companies to ensure that their employees are satisfied and provide them with further training and development opportunities.

When an employee shows up for work smiling and seems to enjoy himself, we can say he is satisfied. Appreciation of employees’ work every now and then makes them feel happy and stimulates them to excel at what they do. Successful leadership lies in empowering employees. A successful manager empowers subordinates and empowerment can enhance an employee’s honesty and dedication to work.

We have to love our work to make our country catapult to the front of advanced industrial countries. Government agencies should carry out studies and research to instill love of work, discipline and dedication in the younger generations.