Prahlad Agarwala,
Majdia, Nadia

With the mercury shooting in most districts, office hours can be changed to provide relief not only to employees but also to the public in general.

Anil Kumar Sen,
Ram Chandra Chatterjee Lane

I fail to appreciate the proposal of changing office hours. It would not provide much comfort to the employees. Moreover since ours is a tropical country most people are used to dealing with the heat.

Suyesha Kanungo,
Kalighat Road

Calcuttans hardly enjoyed spring this year as the summer stepped in too early. People are falling ill due to the scorching heat. This sultry weather is taking its toll of office goers. So it will be better if the office hours change in keeping with the season. They must be provided with convenient transport facilities as well to beat the heat.

Dilip Kumar Biswas,
Green Park

I think that office timings should be changed during summer and winter seasons. In summer, the sun rises too early and it is hot all through the day. So office-goers fall ill because of the long journey from home to office. In winter, the sun rises late and it is very cold in the morning. So office hours should be rescheduled.

Diptimoy Ghosh,
Salt Lake

Most people may, perhaps, vouch for change in office timings, but I am not amongst them. If the office-goers sincerely follow the present timings, i.e. 10 am to 6pm or 10.30 am to 5.30pm (for Central and state government offices respectively), they would surely be able to avoid the heat. In that case an employee will have to start at least two hours earlier. The weather is not too harsh during the morning. I believe most of the employees would like to stick to the present timings.

Debasish Chakraborty,
Nilmoni Mitra Row

In summer, the temperature is too high and the sun bakes the roads. Frequent power cuts in offices and working sites make things worse. So, office hours should be changed in keeping with the season.

Sukumar Ghosh,
Mukundapur

Yes, office hours should be changed according to season. The timings should be brought ahead by at least two to three hours especially in summer while in winter office should start a little later. This way service holders can reach office and return home comfortably. In the age of global warming, this can be a way of beating the heat and related ailments.

Dinabandhu Mukherjee,
Behala

Definitely, the office hours need to be changed. The summer this year is excessively hot. People are falling sick everyday. Quite a few cases of heat strokes and heat-related deaths have also been reported. The heat generally becomes unbearable from 10am to 4pm. So the offices should start before 10am. Travelling in crowded public buses and minibuses leads to suffocation and exhaustion. So all offices should not start at the same time. Government offices may start from 9am and all others from 8.30am. This will reduce the pressure of passengers on public transports. Working in the evening will also be pleasant. But power cuts may disrupt work.

Suranjan Bonnerjee,
Salt Lake

It is not possible to change office hours according to the season. But the timings can be changed for people who work in public utility services. Such jobs can be undertaken after sunset.

Sachindra Nath Mitra,
Beleghata

It is essential to change the office hours in summer and winter to improve the efficiency of the employees.

Nishith Mitra,
Mahinagar

The idea is undoubtedly a pragmatic one. Seasonal weather and temperature coupled with humidity greatly affects the efficiency and performance graph of even the hardest workers. A tired employee cannot be expected to deliver his best in summer. The situation is aggravated further when he has to attend outdoor commitments. Those in the police, fire brigade, hospitals and factories have duties in shifts but the general people have no such advantage. Change of office hours may improve the quality and quantum of work. Different office hours may spread out the crowd in public transports.

Tuhin Purkayastha,
Parnashree Palli

It’s not possible to change office hours with season. I think office should provide less demanding and lower volume of work in summer so that they can be finished comfortably. Private firms provide cars to their workers which is very comfortable. Office can start a bit later than the regular timings and run till 9 in the night. After that most firms provide free drop for the employees anyway.

Anushri Mondal,
Gol Park

The season, no doubt, is unbearable for workers but changing the hours wouldn’t help. Officework includes commercial transactions which are not limited to the state alone, but takes place on a larger national and international level. Hence, changing office hours would make the entire system go topsy-turvy thus affecting the economic condition of the state. These factors must be kept in mind instead of only focussing on individual comfort.

Shiv Shanker Almal,
Rawdon Street

Office/shop timings during summer may be changed. Select shops may be kept open between 7am and 9am and for offices opening time may be pushed forward to between 8.30am and 9.30am. With this, the load on the public transport system would also be reduced.

P.B. Saha,
Arlington, Texas

The move runs the risk of turning out to be counterproductive. The idea for a change in the office hours must have been dictated by two factors. First, the gruelling heat. Second, transport problems caused by the increase in population and vehicular density.

It’s true that many out on the streets on work are reported to fall victims to the searing sun. But then, there is very little that can be done to tailor any season to the convenience of the working people. India being a tropical country is a victim to extreme climatic conditions. The transportation problem too brooks no durable solution at least in the foreseeable future.

So it is doubtful if the change in office hours would be either beneficial or feasible. Government or private offices have their branches in different parts of the country. These offices have to coordinate with each other for effective functioning. IT companies in particular must have a uniform time schedule for work. Else, integrated functioning that is so vital for these companies would be at stake. What we can do is to try to adapt ourselves to the climatic conditions by taking proper care of our health mainly by regulating our food habits and lifestyle. After all, while in Rome, one must do as Roman does.

Shyamal Roy,
Gorachand Road

It is not necessary to change office timings. Rather, let people start using umbrella, cap and handkerchief and carry bottles of water. Regular showers are a must. If we follow such ways and means, we can adapt to the heat. The weather keeps changing through the year and we cannot keep changing office hours.

Prantik sanyal,
SP Mukherjee Road

It would be a Herculean task to effect a change in office time with a change in season.