- Trust me, the working class – whether white collar or blue collar – is under tremendous pressure from employers to execute assigned work satisfactorily, which is an undeniable fact. Especially in the present-day world largely driven by cutting-edge technology making its presence ubiquitous, mounting pressure on employees to deliver on expected lines is a concern that does not get much traction for obvious reasons. With the emphasis on introducing more automation and embracing digitization in line with the fast-changing times, employees are finding it extremely stressful to not only live up to the expectations but also overcome mounting challenges from their peers and contemporaries pushing ahead in the system.
PC: CXO Today
- Of course, employers are always on the lookout to cut overhead costs wherever feasible and possible even if it takes them to reduce the manpower by thrusting more work on the enrolled employees. Thus, a white-collar employee’s recent death owing to excessive work – as claimed by the deceased mother – should make companies think more about responsive workplaces. The mother’s detailed and poignant letter about Anna Sebastian Perayil’s life after her death has touched a chord across the country’s white-collar workers. Per the letter, an overwhelming workload and relentless managers pushed the young chartered accountant beyond her limits. The letter instantly caught the attention of the countrymen raising concerns about work burnout.
- Even as the letter has drawn many others to share their own experience of corporate bosses putting unreasonable pressure on employees, MoS Labour and Employment has indicated there will be a thorough investigation into its allegations. As of now, we don’t know with certainty the cause and effect. But such conversations about work’s role in human diminishing/flourishing are critical for moving the needle towards better working conditions. The fact is that no single sweeping statement can accommodate the reality of all workers in a company, let alone in society. By the same token, there is no blunt instrument by which everyone can be granted their ideal work-life balance. WHO officially recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon in 2019.
PC: Hindustan Times
- It is characterized in three dimensions: feelings of exhaustion, increased negativism towards one’s job, and reduced professional efficacy. It’s the opposite of resilience and purposefulness. It takes the most fleeting look at the energy-filled septuagenarian leaders around the world, to see how wasteful burnout in ordinary people is. Yes, there is an accepted saying that says you don’t call it work when you enjoy it. To be disheartened by a job you wanted is a tragedy by any reckoning. The only constructive thing to do with it is to build more observant and responsive workplaces. There is no one-shape-fits-all formula for this. But one factor that should help across the board is transparency about expectations. The solution lies in employers understanding employees better.
