{"id":29892,"date":"2024-09-23T19:11:02","date_gmt":"2024-09-23T13:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=29892"},"modified":"2024-09-23T19:11:04","modified_gmt":"2024-09-23T13:41:04","slug":"concerns-related-to-work-life-balance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/23-09-2024\/concerns-related-to-work-life-balance","title":{"rendered":"Concerns Related to Work-Life Balance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Economy, GS4\/ Ethics<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The<strong> National Human Rights Commission (NHRC)<\/strong> has taken suo moto cognizance of the reported death of a chartered accountant girl from Kerala in Pune due to alleged <strong>excessive workload in a private company.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Commission urged the <strong>businesses to review their work culture, employment policies, and regulations<\/strong> to ensure alignment with global human rights standards.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also emphasised that businesses should be<strong> sensitive to and accountable for human rights issues.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Commission issued a notice to the Ministry of Labour and Employment to submit a report within four weeks.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The report is expected to include the <strong>steps being and proposed to be taken to ensure such incidents do not recur.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What is Work-Life Balance?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Work-life balance refers to the <strong>ability to effectively manage <\/strong>your professional responsibilities alongside your personal life and well-being.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It involves finding a <strong>healthy equilibrium<\/strong> between work obligations, family time, personal interests, and self-care.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Achieving this balance can lead to reduced stress, improved productivity, and overall better mental and physical health.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Implications of Work-Life Imbalance<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Increased Stress: <\/strong>Over time, an overwhelming amount of stress can lead to <strong>many lifestyle diseases <\/strong>like high BP, diabetes, and even mental health issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prolonged imbalance can result in <strong>burnout<\/strong>, characterized by exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced efficacy at work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Neglecting personal life <strong>can harm relationships.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An imbalance can lead to feelings of <strong>resentment toward work.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Scenario in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to the International Labour Organization (ILO) the a<strong>verage work week <\/strong>in some of the first-world countries is<strong> less than in India.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While the <strong>average workweek in India is 46.7 hours<\/strong>, in contrast to this, people in the United States work for an average of 38 hours a week, in Japan for 36.6 hours per week, and in the UK for roughly 35.9 hours.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India makes it one of the<strong> top 15 countries in the world to have the highest workweeks.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reasons for Work-Life Imbalance in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Technological Advancements:<\/strong> The rise of remote work and constant connectivity through smartphones makes it difficult for employees to disconnect from work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Expectations:<\/strong> In India it is a cultural expectation to prioritize work, leading employees to sacrifice personal time for job commitments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Job Insecurity:<\/strong> Economic fluctuations and a competitive job market cause individuals to work longer hours to demonstrate commitment and job security.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Workplace Hierarchies:<\/strong> Traditional hierarchies in many organizations lead to a culture of overwork, where employees feel pressured to adhere to long hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Laws in other countries that India Can Adopt:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Right to disconnect:<\/strong> In 2017, France became the first country to have a right to disconnect law for employees.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>According to it, workers have a right to ignore work-related communications after their working hours.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over the years, many countries including Spain, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Australia among others have also implemented this law.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In Portugal managers can<strong> even be fined<\/strong> for calling their employees after their work hours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>4-day work week: <\/strong>Many countries have now adopted a 4-day work week culture which aims at having more productivity and keeping employees happy.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Some countries that have adopted this policy include Belgium, Netherlands, Japan, among others.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mandatory Vacations: <\/strong>In Austria employees who have worked for six months or more in a company are entitled to get a minimum of five weeks of paid annual leave every year.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>At a time when employees are sometimes made to feel guilty for taking leaves, adopting such laws would help make workplaces better for their employees&#8217; well-being.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Career break or time credit: <\/strong>In Belgium, people can take a year-off from their work without losing their job.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In some special cases, this time credit can be extended to up to six years.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>International Labour Standards<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>They are legal instruments drawn up by the ILO&#8217;s constituents (governments, employers and workers) and setting out <strong>basic principles and rights at work.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Conventions and Recommendations:<\/strong> ILS are formal instruments that include conventions (legally binding) and recommendations (non-binding). Countries that ratify conventions commit to implementing the standards.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These include freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining, the elimination of forced labor, the abolition of child labor, and the elimination of discrimination in employment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Decent Work Agenda: <\/strong>This framework promotes opportunities for everyone to obtain decent and productive work in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social Protection:<\/strong> ILS advocate for social security systems that provide support in times of need, such as unemployment, illness, and retirement.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Bhagavad Gita, also emphasises the need to have balance in all aspects of one&#8217;s life.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When applied to modern times, it teaches one to be detached and stay balanced to lead a more fulfilling life&#8211; be it their professional or personal life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Addressing work-life balance is essential for individual well-being and organizational health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsonair.gov.in\/nhrc-takes-suo-moto-cognizance-of-cas-death-due-to-alleged-excessive-workload\/#:~:text=The%20National%20Human%20Rights%20Commission,workload%20in%20a%20private%20company.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>AIR<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo moto cognizance of the reported death of a chartered accountant girl from Kerala in Pune due to alleged excessive workload in a private company.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29892","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29892","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29892"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29892\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29893,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29892\/revisions\/29893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29892"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29892"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29892"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}