Workplace debates have become a part of life for employees these days with new opinions floating on the internet every other day. One such suggestion by a senior executive of a company that Mondays should be mandatory work from office has sparked a conversation with netizens sharing their views taking the decision forward.
The executive, Nagaraj MC, Chief Quality Officer at a software firm, shared a long LinkedIn post explaining his stance on how employees utilise Mondays. He stressed on his over three-decade of experience in corporate industry, stating that he had repeatedly observed a pattern of staff attempting to avoid work at the beginning of the week.
Skipping Mondays diminishes energy: Nagaraj
The senior executive highlighted that people have started utilising Monday as an off day, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. He said such requests have now become more behavioural, which he said undermines the workplace in several ways.
He said taking offs on Monday “Diminished energy: Employees extending their weekends by skipping Mondays, he argued, returned with “reduced enthusiasm”, slowing the pace of delivery and agility in execution.”
Apart from this, it weakens focus on priorities. He emphasised that Mondays were important for setting momentum for the week. Physical presence, he argued, was crucial for effective communication, and interpretation of body language, all of which remote work arrangements could not replicate.
Skipping Mondays ‘erodes collaboration’
Nagaraj went on to argue that continuous absence on Mondays leads to poor team cohesion leading to blame-shifting, and reduced opportunities to build trust through in-person dialogue.
Calling Mondays “essential for innovation, accountability, and the strengthening of professional relationships”, he urged company executives to ensure attendance on Mondays for “structured planning and smooth execution of collective goals”.
Internet furious, calls for quality over quantity
Nagaraj’s post attracted a number of users who rejected the idea, saying that evaluating attendance with performance was not justified.
“Performance should be measured by contributions rather than specific days of attendance. Every weekday holds equal value, and the real measure of productivity is consistency across the week,” a LinkedIn user replied on the post.
Another called the proposal “regressive”, adding that the world is shifting towards more flexible working practices. “At a time when artificial intelligence and digital tools are transforming workplaces, Western companies are experimenting with four-day workweeks. Yet some Indian leaders continue to advocate strict in-office mandates. This reflects weak leadership styles rather than strong management,” the comment read.
Some of the users said finishing work on time should be the expectation rather than the employee’s physical presence. “Taking off is individual’s privilege and it could be due to many reasons. Any analysis on this is futile and useless,” a user said.
“And WFH on Monday. Everyone conveniently accepted the pain truth of WFH during COVID Era. This post defies logic on both. Sorry to utter but definitely no offence intended to the author,” he said.
