A win-win solution

The unfortunate and tragic death of a young girl employed by a premier consultancy firm is a matter of great concern and has rightfully attracted the attention of all stakeholders. The seriousness of the issue can be gauged by the fact that this is not an isolated incident of unreasonable work pressure and toxic work culture in an organisation, leading to excessive stress and causing major physical and mental health issues for employees. This situation is true of most organisations, whether in the public or private sector, but the problem seems to be more acute in the corporate sector. The excessive focus on improving the bottom line at all costs ignores the human element and creates a work culture where machines and human beings are treated alike. Efficiency and productivity are the goals that corporate organisations seek to achieve, but they often fail to realise that they accomplish the opposite by putting their employees under unreasonable and excessive stress.

The desire to cut costs and increase profits becomes so obsessive that organisations often try to get the work of two to three people from one employee. Curiously, the key result area of HR in most organisations is to reduce costs for the company, which they do by being very stringent in the number of people they hire. A reduction in the ratio of personnel costs to revenue or profits is seen as a positive indicator of efficient management. While they may need to recruit professional managers at high salaries due to market dynamics, they make up for it by expecting one manager to handle the work of two or three. It is common to hear managers complain that their repeated requests for support staff fall on deaf ears, even as the demands on their time multiply, with more and more work being thrust upon them. As a result, it becomes impossible for an employee to manage her time, and she is constantly racing against impossible deadlines. Senior management is often unreasonable when setting targets or deadlines, making employees feel they are not meeting expectations. This creates conflict and leads to situations where senior managers express displeasure, while the concerned employee feels a sense of failure and stress. This is further compounded when bosses with short tempers resort to shouting or blaming their team members. Repeated exposure to such toxic behaviour leads to significant stress for the employee, resulting in serious physical and mental health issues.

The motto of the school where I studied was that work is worship. In my 38-year career in the IAS, I have enjoyed my work and never felt it to be a burden. In fact, I was bursting with energy every single day of my career. Most successful professionals or government servants would agree with me when I say that work itself is a source of great satisfaction, creating positive emotions and a sense of happiness. If one is deeply involved in her work and the nature of the job aligns with her calling, she never counts the number of hours she spends at work. A sense of well-being is closely related to the level of enjoyment a person derives from her work. At a seminar on happiness in the workplace a few days ago, a lady doctor shared her experience of being often woken up in the middle of the night to perform emergency surgeries, yet she never felt any stress or negativity about it. On the contrary, she always experienced deep satisfaction from providing relief to her patients. Work, then, is a source of enjoyment and fulfilment and does not harm anyone. However, if one is stuck in a job that does not align with her interests, work becomes a source of unhappiness. It is, therefore, important to choose a job profile that suits one's preferences, rather than being enticed solely by a high salary package.

The work culture in an organisation is responsible for creating positive or negative emotions among its employees. It is not work but a toxic work culture that causes stress, anxiety, and related health issues. If an organisation treats its employees merely as mechanical resources and tries to extract the last pound of flesh from them, it creates a poisonous work environment. Impossible deadlines, inadequate support staff, unrealistic expectations, hierarchical relationships, and not allowing freedom of expression or action create an unhappy workplace. A lack of objectivity and fairness in the performance evaluation system also distresses employees. An employee becomes emotionally disturbed if she has a boss who publicly humiliates her, often for no fault of her own. Furthermore, in such a work culture, top management is stingy with praise but extravagant with criticism. It is said in management circles that culture eats strategy for breakfast. I would go on to add that a toxic work culture eats the employees for lunch.

Developing a positive work culture is not rocket science. It is simply a matter of having the right attitude and mindset flowing down from the top management. It involves treating employees as human beings by taking a holistic approach and always remembering that the success of any organisation depends on the well-being and satisfaction of its people. Many studies have shown that it is not success that leads to happiness, but the other way around. If the employees in an organisation are happy, they will be more productive and innovative, allowing the organisation to perform at a high level.

Work-life balance is the buzz phrase these days. It has its supporters as well as detractors. Many fresh entrants to the job market believe that work-life balance means less work pressure, more vacations, a relaxed atmosphere with no deadlines, and a lot of fun activities. This is the wrong attitude to take toward one's job. There is no substitute for hard work, and work-life balance does not mean all life and no work. On the other hand, an environment of all work and no life is also detrimental to a healthy working environment. The crucial word is ‘balance’. The ideal work culture is one that balances both work and life outside of work. The physical and mental health of employees should be of great importance to an organisation. Employees feeling a sense of exhaustion at the age of forty is a poor reflection of an organisation’s work culture, and top management must take responsibility for this.

Along with concern for profits and productivity, organisations must also focus on the well-being of their people. I would go so far as to say that it should be their overriding concern. A happy work culture, where employees feel valued and their jobs are enriched, creates a happy and successful organisation. The golden rule is to treat employees as human beings. These days, numerous aspects of an organisation’s operations are audited. A happiness audit of employees must be mandatorily added to this list.

The writer is an ex-Chief Secretary, Govt of Uttar Pradesh. Views expressed are personal