A recent study showed that Indians are one of the most overworked and tired people, with over 22 per cent people saying that their major health concern is being exhausted. Another report from last year also showed that millenials put in close to 52 hours a week at work, making it the highest in the world! There has also been talk of how being vacation-deprived and not having a balance affects most young people. We ask employees, employers and psychologists about what steps we could take.
Deepika VR, art director in an advertising firm, says, “There’s a strange mindset in India — unless you overwork, you aren’t hardworking.”
She goes on to share how she thinks employers could make life easier for their employees, “They should stick to working hours and ideally we shouldn’t have to take calls post work hours.”
For Chitra Appasamy, a freelance writer, who has previously worked in offices as well, the balance is important, “The average office job is more focused on getting as much as they can out of their employees.”
She adds, “Employees should step out of this industrial revolution mindset. Unhappy, tired and overworked people don’t make good parents, partners, children and friends. They also don’t make loyal employees. Our society needs people who have enough creative and social energy left at the end of the day to care about something other than going to sleep.”
Businessman R Karthik gives us an owner’s perspective. “When we started in 2014, I realised that people I hired cared only about getting paid monthly. It is essential to provide your employees with perks, to keep them happy and motivated.”
People need to stop equating happiness with money, feels psychologist Abhilasha, “People put their health and social life on a backseat for money. In other countries, there are weekends off because they understand that time to recuperate is necessary for efficient output.”
She suggests having stress management workshops — “It’s important for employees to let out pent-up emotion. This could prove beneficial for both workforce and the organisation.”
