Slavery has existed for centuries and indeed continues to exist in more sophisticated ways to-day.
Our young executives, barely out from Higher secondary School or college are required, as a matter of course to work 11/12 hours a day. Honchos say – Yes, but they work just 5 days a week and besides some of us offer them a free ride back home and meals and snacks round the clock. But is working 11/12 hours a day legal? Is offering free commutes meals a way to safeguard health and life indeed? The new Law, which is enacted but not yet in force, says as per “The Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020” that whoever is employed mainly in a managerial or administrative capacity; or who is employed in a supervisory capacity drawing wage exceeding Rs 18,000 per month are not covered by the Number of working hours per week i.e. 48 hours per week like in factory situations.
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What the Law qualifies is type of work and salary. In short, if you are just 18 years old and work in an administrative/supervisory position and get a salary of Rs 18,000 per month, you are not covered under this New Code. Therefore would be required to work 8 to 11/12 hours a day or 48 t0 60 hours per week as directed. In other words the Law justifies these heavy treacherous working hours on the pure base of Administrative work and salary earned.
Would Youth on a basis of salary or age qualify to be in a supervisory position? Basically, youth are employed in administrative positions immediately after Std 12th/graduation based on their performance at higher Secondary or College.
This Law or Code, does not in fact lay any restrictions for women to work in such conditions. Let’s imagine a pregnant woman in her early twenties working for 12 hours a day, then takes another 3 hours to commute up and down. How many hours would she indeed rest and then get ready for the next 15 hours of travel and work? What about her health and indeed the health of the baby be?
Is administrative work so easy, that women in factories are not permitted to work more than 8 hours a day but women in offices can? Is mental work so easy, that the Law permits heavy working hours?
Maria Neira, director of the WHO’s environment, climate change and health department when talking about working 55 hours or more per week says “it is a serious health hazard.” She goes on to say that: “It’s time that we all — governments, employers, and employees — wake up to the fact that long working hours can lead to premature death.”
A study concluded that working 55 hours or more per week was associated with an estimated 35% increase in the risk of suffering a stroke, and a 17% rise in the risk of dying from ischemic heart disease, compared to working 35 to 40 hours.
Alarming new research published in May 2021, (Reported by BBC) shows that “people working more than 54 hours a week are at major risk of dying; three-quarters of a million people are dying from Ischaemic heart disease and stroke, due to working long hours.” (Ischaemic heart disease, also known as coronary heart disease, involves narrowed arteries overwork. It’s killing three-quarters of a million people each year.
In other words, more people are dying from overwork than from malaria. “This is a global health crisis, demanding attention from individuals, companies and governments alike. And, if we don’t solve it, the problem may not only continue – it could get worse.”
These authors are from institutions including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organisation (ILO)
Other studies have established that overwork is the single largest risk factor for occupational disease, accounting for roughly one-third of the burden of disease related to work.
The WHO/ILO Joint Estimates of work-related Burden of Disease and Injury globally provide the following statistic. In 2016, 488 million people were exposed to long working hours (-55 hours/week).
The new Law/Code which is expected to come into force in the new fiscal year has also indicated that Companies may opt for a four-work week, provided that the number of working hours will not change. i.e. 48 for factory workers and those in Admin positions and earning Rs 18K per month or more will remain at 48 to 60 hours a week. Which is the greater evil: 4 day week or 60 hour week?
It appears we are trying to ape the West, cause this seems to be a regular practice there. A true story is told of an Indian Financial Analyst who works in a Major Bank in the US, puts in 90 hours a week in the so called “light season”. The rest of the year he puts in 120 hours a week leaving just 48 hours for eating, sleeping commuting, etc. It’s his first job and is in the top 6% earners in the States.
While money may be the key motivator, especially among the young, and their very first job, does money/admin work mean nothing at all to our law makers? What about our employers, under the ruse of ensuring their books match with goings-on in the West and their differing working hours?
Indeed we have to worry about our youth -as well as, the not so young; All are prone to disease leading to death. We also have to ensure our women admin workers are protected. Their physical cum mental faculties are strengthened, so they do not fall prey to enticement of money. It is essential that work-life balance is maintained and in fact, should be mandatory in our Law books as well as the SOP of employers and their manuals.
It’s time we move away from doing all things that the West does. Fashion working hours, life styles, divorces, etc. We should not be victims of what I term as Modern day slavery and western culture. In fact, let’s embellish our values, let’s show the West, the better ways of living a life of culture, health and dignity.
(Basil D’Cunha is a career guidance counsellor who operates from Jesuit House, Panjim).
