K Srinivasan
The recently ousted CEO of Starbucks Corporation Laxman Narasimhan made headlines after his sacking for all the wrong reasons. Top of the charts was an old viral video from an interview of his with Fortune magazine. “I am very disciplined about balance. It is anything after 6 pm, and if I am in town then it’s got to be a pretty high bar to keep me away from family,” said Narasimhan in the video that was later widely shared on social media.
Social media was quick on the take after @TripleNetInvest posted the clip online garnering millions of views. “If you say something like this when the stock price is doing well, you sound like a genius. But if it’s not doing well…you get fired,” said one comment and another recommended: “Maybe he just needs to drink coffee.”
Now contrast this with what has happened thousands of miles away, in Australia. The country has enacted a new law that will help employees refuse to monitor, read, or respond to their employers’ diktats after working hours. The Australian Government led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese pushed, what is known as the ‘Right to Disconnect’ law. Surprisingly, this law is not something unique. Similar Acts govern companies in over 20 countries in Europe and Latin America. It’s a growing phenomenon and reflects an increasing emphasis on work-life balance.
Work-life balance
But what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. Obviously, that’s one reason why Laxman Narasimhan wasn’t appreciated for his straightfor ward comments on work-life balance. Chief executives are not supposed to have a work-life balance. They are supposed to be on the job 24/7 and tend to the balance sheet and the bottom line.
The moment both these parameters drop there is no meaning of your worklife balance and you get the boot. The Business Standard, in a piece on the Australian enactment, reported the opposition that the Act faced when it was first introduced in Parliament in February: ‘’Despite its benefits, Australia’s Right to Disconnect law has faced criticism, particularly from business leaders concerned about its potential impact on flexibility and productivity.
When the Bill was first introduced in February of this year, a joint statement from the CEOs of Australia’s chambers warned that the legislation could hinder business operations and discourage flexible work arrangements, especially for women juggling family responsibilities. They argued that modern technology, while enabling constant communication, also provides the flexibility many workers need. The CEOs stressed that the law could also discriminate against employees advocating for their right to disconnect, potentially harming their career prospects.’’
Clearly, their voice was drowned in a sea of ayes both from the public and parliament.
The Indian scenario On the contrary in India, work-life balance is frowned upon. Working long hours is equated with hard work even if one is slogging and burning the candle at both ends. The Karnataka Govern ment’s recent proposal to extend work hours in IT/ ITeS firms from 10 hours to 14 hours was greeted with anger. Labour regulations in the state provide for a 10-hour workday, inclusive of overtime.
The proposed amendment to the state laws on this subject would mean allowing a 12-hour regular workday plus two hours of overtime. A 14-hour workday would mean 70 hours each week, which is what the founder chairman of Infosys KR Narayana Murthy had exhorted young Indian men and women to do.
According to Murthy, this is the only way to build a nation to greatness, but The Karnataka State IT/ITes Employees Union (KITU) had a different take, calling it the “biggest ever attack on the working class in this era.” It called upon all the IT/ITeS sector employees to unify and come forward to resist “this inhuman attempt to impose slavery on us.”
Supriya Sule’s Bill
While this debate rages on, it may be interesting to mention that there was a private member’s Bill moved in the last Lok Sabha by Baramati MP Supriya Sule. As her website points out, “Known as the ‘Right to Disconnect’, the objective of this Bill is to empower every employee to have the Right to Disconnect from all work-related communication after their set work hours. To keep the work-life balance of the employees and in turn, increase their productivity and performance, it is essential for them to take a much-needed break from everyday work hustle or digital distractions and truly bond with the people around them.” At some point, India will have to juggle with this issue.
