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The untimely and sudden death of a young 26-year-old employee Anna Sabastian of the famous C. A. firm Earnest & Young on account of “working tirelessly to meet the demands of her new job” which took her life, brought out some intriguing facets of professional life. Her mother further opined, “She began experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness, and stress soon after joining, but she kept pushing herself, believing that hard work and perseverance were the keys to success,” It is most unfortunate that no body from the company attended the funeral of the young worker. To add wound to injury the Chairman Rajiv Memani said, “There is no doubt each one has to work hard,” he said of his employees in an interview with a leading English-language newspaper. “She was allotted work like any other employee,” he was quoted as saying. “We don’t believe that work pressure could have claimed her life.” Did the Chairperson ever try to understand whether their employees were and are happy or not with their work environment and culture? Whether and how the work culture of the company affect the life of their employees? This incident has opened up a Pandora’s Box regarding work culture.
It is not a new and an isolated incident. This type of work culture was and is very common since long particularly in banks and other private sector enterprises. That raises a fundamental question of balancing the three aspects of the employee life namely their personal / family life, their social life and their professional life. Each aspect of their life has its own importance and unless they balance the life’s activities in equal terms, the equilibrium will go awry leading to clash of interest of each aspect their life affecting their health and life. Stress factor is the most important aspect in all spheres of every life and it is a well-known fact how it affects the human life and health adversely.
The most important thing in our life is our family. In fact, it is everything. The importance of job is also to keep the family happy. We always put our family first and that is the way it has to be. "The happiest moments of my life have been the few which I have passed at home in the bosom of my family." (Thomas Jefferson) and what the famous automobile icon Lee Iacocca said is worth recalling and that is “No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?" I remember what Albert Einstein said, “Rejoice with your family in the beautiful land of life." I also recall what I wrote to my Chairman and Managing Director when I was in service of a nationalized bank on an unsavoury occasion, “My only regret in my service life was that when my children needed me most, I was not available to them.”
Every business enterprise has its own culture, values and ethics and if it does not have, then it is a self-defeating enterprise. The core beliefs drive the organisation to success. But the business enterprise or an organisation moves through facing crisis, successes and failures and learn from them by formulating their new perceptions into new beliefs that serves as basis for future actions. If the new found beliefs by which they formulate strategies are healthy, flexible and appropriate, the business enterprise will continue to flourish. If the enterprise fail to respond to the changes taking place positively to suit the impact of the changes, it will fall apart and becomes the self-defeating organisation. Ultimately the basic principle of management is that in management, the first concern of the company is the happiness of the people connected with it who are the stake holders. If the people who are the employees and other stake holders do not feel happy and cannot be made happy, that company does not deserve to exist. If this principle is accepted and implemented, then the major problems are prevented and if some glitches arise, they will be solved.
The most important question is to analyse and understand who produces the economic result of the organisation or any business enterprise? Is it technology? The policies? The strategies? Technological innovations are given more importance than human resources because every technological advancement try to replace the human resources which triggers a social unrest. The latest technological innovations like the digital business and the artificial intelligence brings out the marvels of technology but they alone cannot produce economic result. Economic result are produced by human resources only who use the marvels of technology. Hence, the use of human resources cannot be undermined. If it is, the consequences will be unpredictable and may be devastating in due course of time.
The consequences of self-defeating behaviour of the organisation inflicts on its individual members and its consequences on the performance of the organisation are to be studied and understood in their correct perspectives to prevent the organisation from committing a hara-kiri (suicide). This damage is difficult to quantify unlike declining revenue, productivity, product quality etc. It does not immediately show the negative effect by way of employee alienation. It is like a slow poison affecting the health of the organisation. It manifest itself gradually, as productive individual employees struggle to cope with aimless and confusing activity that swirls around them. It may remain hidden for long periods of time, but sooner or later it comes out openly leading to human resources crisis.
It is extremely difficult for a knowledge and productive employee to work productively in such a self-defeating organisation. In such circumstances the best of the result-oriented employees either through their positive assertiveness rebel against counterproductive policies and non-congenial atmosphere or to quit the negative environment at the earliest opportunity. Those who are less confident of their own strength and capabilities are more likely try to remain within the organisation for fear of losing the job particularly in an environment where finding a new job is a very risky affair and adapt to the situation as best as they can which affects the sustenance of the organisation and it does not bode well for the organisation and its stake holders.
The major dimensions of work alienation are (1) lack of personal control over work process or powerlessness; (2) a sense of social isolation or estrangement; (3) lack of work significance; (4) lack of self-expression. (5) Disconnect between professional life and personal / family life and social life. When the organisation does not provide the employee any opportunity for developing a sense of belonging in the organisation as well as the social and family system, the employee is bound to isolate him from the system and its goals. A sound mind in a sound body and its connectedness with human welfare is already established scientifically and socially. “Together, being of sound body and mind is often associated with a holistic approach to health, emphasizing the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being. This concept is frequently referenced in discussions about health, wellness, and quality of life”.
What the industry today needs is an effective management to turn its planning and programmes into performance. For this, the programmes of the industry must be integrated in the practices of business and the employees should be made to understand the importance of economic performance and how it is linked to the spirit and objectives of the industry and the individual progress and welfare. Moreover, a united plan should be involved for the entire industry. The work plan should be based on decisions on idea of business and its objectives, on the areas of excellence on priorities and on strategies. Goals and targets can be fixed thereafter. This then leads to an assessment of the efforts and to the selection of the resources to be committed. Subsequently, assignments are given to committed knowledge worker.
Simultaneously a programme to integrate the individual employee aspirations and their family welfare also as part of organisational objectives so that a feeling of oneness for being the member of the business family whose career progress and family welfare would be taken care of and ensured and that the employees will not be left in the lurch assuring two of the important tenets of Bharatiya (Indian) ethos of management Concept of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम्)” and “Lokah Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu” meaning "The organisation is One Family" and “Employee wefare and Well Being” for Happiness, Prosperity, Progress, Peace and Harmony of all belonging to the family of the organisation. This is not an impossible task and can be initiated through an employee wellness programme.
“Employee wellness is the overall health of an employee, including their physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being. It's a holistic approach to keeping employees healthy, and it's recognized that a healthy workforce can contribute to an organization's success and productivity.” Basic idea of undertaking employee wellness programme is creating happiness among all the employees from top to bottom which may bring out exemplary results for the organisation and the employees to take the organisation to the pinnacle of success. Greek philosopher Aristotle said, “Happiness is the meaning and purpose of life, the whole aim and the end of human existence”. If an organisation make its people happy and make them happy persistently and perseveringly, that organisation continues to achieve success in all its endeavours constantly and continuously without any let up. That is the only way to bring out a healthy, wealthy, prosperous and tranquil organisation eternally flourishing.
I wish companies paid so much attention to their Human Resources. Unfortunately they are only a means to an end. They do not realize that ‘Happy people make productive teams.’ Saying that, ‘Who is to blame?’’ The company, yes. But also culture, family set ups, social circles. This is a collective issue and has no one answer. In an ideal world, every word you say stands true. In the real word, we share responsibility of each other and for eachother as a family, community and team.