The Problem of “Martyrs”

What do you think of when you hear the word “martyr”? My brain goes back to the 12th of June, 1963… 

Three Buddhist monks emerge from a car at a busy intersection in Saigon. One places a cushion on the road. Another opens the trunk and takes out a five-gallon petrol can. The third monk, Thich Quang Duc, sits down on the cushion, while his colleague pours petrol over his head. 

Quang Duc rotates a string of wooden prayer beads. He strikes a match and drops it onto his lap. He remains perfectly still as black flames engulf his body.

The act transformed Quang Duc into a martyr: somebody who sacrificed himself for a ‘greater cause’. Quang Duc’s act was a protest against the persecution of Buddhists by the staunchly Catholic South Vietnamese government.

Unfortunately, the issue of martyrs isn’t confined to religion or social injustice. Martyrs also walk among us every day at work. They don’t burn themselves in protest, but sometimes they still pay the ultimate price…

The Demise of “Mr. Chop Chop”

When I was 23 I worked in the canteen at a woodworking company in South Africa.  Two blokes ran the workshop, one was called Mr. Nelson. The guys called him “Mr. Chop Chop”, because when he gave out jobs everything needed to be done ‘chop chop’. 

Mr Nelson was one of the busiest people at the company, if not the busiest. He was in charge of everything: logistics, deliveries. He was always first into the workshop, and usually last to leave.

Then one day, Mr Nelson didn’t show up for work... 

People looked at each other with panicked expressions… nobody else knew how to do his job! (Although, where was he, anyway?)

We found out later he’d had a heart attack overnight. When they looked at how many hours he was working and how much responsibility he had, it was perhaps no wonder.

He was in his 50’s when he died - not even retirement age. He left a wife and teenage kids. 

Mr Nelson’s death affected the company too - people mourned his loss, including me, and productivity dropped. There was also a tremendous scramble to work out how he did what he did! 

Martyrs tend not to be good at delegation, or creating processes. Some enjoy the sense of power that comes with being ‘relied upon’.

What Does The Law Say?

The other day, one of my IOSH course delegates proudly told me he starts work at 6AM every weekday, locking up at 7PM. On Saturdays, he starts work at 6AM too, but finishes ‘early’ at noon. 

“WHY?” I asked him.

“Oh, well we've always done it,” he replied. “Besides, we’ve all signed the opt-out clause,” he added.

Of course, 71 hours a week exceeds the working time regulations. When you sign out of the working time regulations, you opt out of 48 hours, but you still shouldn't be working more than 60 hours a week (averaged over 26 weeks). 

Of course, martyrs tend not to take all that many holidays. Neither do they generally take a lunch break. Most do these kind of hours, week in and week out. Most believe it demonstrates loyalty and commitment to the company. Often the company turns a blind eye, believing it does too.

But think for a moment: if you put in these kind of hours, what are the potential consequences? 

Could you be more at risk of having an accident? Could your risk perception change because you’re tired? Could you be more susceptible to taking drugs or other stimulants to stay awake?

Might you become complacent doing the same thing over and over again? Would the temptation to take shortcuts increase?

If you answered ‘no’ to all those questions, could you say the same for ALL your colleagues?

Managers in particular are prone to becoming martyrs. Usually, managers aren’t paid overtime, so work whatever hours are needed. So the question is: who is looking out for the managers? 

If you’re a manager, then potentially it’s ‘your choice’ to go above and beyond. But in reality, many people don’t feel they have a choice. Sometimes it’s an unspoken expectation incubated by a workaholic company culture.

I believe the expectations made of employees - including managers - should be reasonable and made clear. There then ought to be a process to review the hours and workload of anyone who is consistently going beyond these expectations. 

This leads me to consent, connivance, and neglect, and why all our directors are 37 years of age ;-). More next time.

By the way, SafetyNow is 10 years old in June. To celebrate, I’m offering 10% off all 2024 course bookings made before 30th June. You can browse all our courses at www.safety-now.co.uk.

Moira

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