Sunday no more a funday

With the trend of private companies remaining open 24×7 and the staff being made to work even on Sundays,the concept of the day has undergone a major change. Sunday is gradually becoming just another day. Be it media,call centers,event management,marketing or manufacturing units — working on Sundays is gradually getting common. While the city market struggles to make it special with various events and offers planned up for the day,the decreasing popularity is definitely taking a toll on that as well. Worst hit are the couples,who cannot manage to get a common off and end up struggling for a day when they can spend time together.

Chintu Bose,operations manager with Gordon House is among those whose weekend begins on Monday. “My off is on Tuesday. Looking at the positive part of it,I am able to do some important personal work on Tuesday like banking and we get to see fewer crowds wherever we go. The sad part is that we miss the Sunday fun because our offs don’t match and unlike others,who look for Sunday special,we end up looking for Tuesday special in the newspapers.”

Bose is married to Maujhuri,who is a teacher with Vidya Valley School. While Maujhuri enjoys a Sunday off,Bose has to slog it out on Sundays given the requirement of his work. “I do miss him on Sundays,but I have now come to terms with it. I laze around on Sunday and do some household work and shopping. But my actual off day is Tuesday,when we try and make up by going out for movie or dinner,” says Maujhuri Bose.

Viraj M Suryavanshi has a sadder tale to share. “I am in a steady relationship but marriage will take some more time. With Tuesday off and a girlfriend,who has got Sunday off,it becomes very difficult for us to manage and phones become our only saviours,” he says.

Badal Awate,who works with a manufacturing unit,bears a testimony to the fact that unmatched off days and that too on weekdays kills the whole enthusiasm. “All these years both me and my wife had Sunday off,but now I have my off on Tuesday and she has it on Sunday. We look forward to vacations when we get to spend time each other. We have a joint family but we do miss each other on our off days. Usually,I am not able to be party to any family fun on Sundays. So Sunday is almost missing from my life,” he says,confessing,”I do feel jealous of those who have Sunday offs.”

Unlike many others,who find it frustrating to work on Sundays,Tushar Rantishe doesn’t mind it at all. A quality engineer,Rantishe says,”I have Thursday off but it doesn’t upset me as most of my friends also work on Sundays. At times I do miss a few Sunday special events but I do manage to have parties and freak out with my friends on Thursdays.”