Leaving the office on time may seem like a straightforward part of the workday, but in some workplaces, employees who consistently pack up at the official closing hour risk being seen as less committed than colleagues who stay late.
Sakwa Wangara, a human resource practitioner, lecturer at the College of Human Resource Management, and managing director of HRD Ingenuity, says workplace culture can influence how employees view working beyond official hours.
“Some people feel the need to stay beyond their official working hours because of the culture at the workplace, as dictated by the kind of leadership that exists,” Mr Wangara says.
He says some organisations associate employees who go beyond their official hours with commitment, particularly when they regularly take on extra work without claiming overtime.
According to Mr Wangara, an employee who consistently leaves at the official closing time may be seen either as someone who respects time and is productive within the prescribed hours, or as someone unwilling to go beyond their basic duties.
“The kind of perception the manager or colleagues would have can depend on the culture of the organisation, he says.
However, staying late does not automatically mean an employee is more productive.
Mr Wangara says if an employee is spending additional hours completing their normal workload, rather than dealing with a new assignment or an unexpected development, it could point to poor time management or productivity.
“It should not be misconstrued to imply that you are a productive person and so you’re even ploughing in more hours for more output,” he says.
Verolyne Witambila Isutsa, a human resource professional with more than seven years’ experience, agrees that leaving on time should not be treated as a sign of poor commitment.
“If you get to work on time, meet your targets and leave without anything pending on your desk, there’s nothing to feel guilty about when leaving work on time,” she says.
However, she cautions that employees may sometimes need to stay longer when the needs of the business require it.
“If the business needs an employee to go an extra mile so that it can achieve the set objectives and you choose to leave while your colleagues remain behind, you might come off as one who is not a team player,” Ms Isutsa says.
For managers, Mr Wangara says the culture should start from the top. Leaders who complete their work within the prescribed hours and leave on time can help signal to employees that staying late is not a requirement for demonstrating commitment.
“Everything is created there. So the kind of environment will be dictated by the kind of behaviour the leader or the manager is modelling,” he says.
The distinction, he adds, is whether staying late is an exception or has become the norm.
An emergency or urgent deadline may justify working beyond official hours. But when employees regularly stay late simply to complete their normal duties, organisations may need to examine whether the issue is workload, productivity or workplace culture.
